To dictate in German on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation, click Edit next to Languages, and select German (Germany), German (Austria) or German (Switzerland). Start Dictation and choose German from the language shown next to the cursor. Commands are spoken in German, such as "Komma" and "neuer Absatz". All three regions have on-device dictation, but Apple lists automatic punctuation only for Germany and Switzerland, so Austrian German users say their commas.
The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac in the Mac User Guide for macOS 27. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation".
How do you set up German dictation?
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings and click Keyboard in the sidebar.
- Go to Dictation and turn it on.
- Click Edit next to Languages and select German with your region.
- Stay connected while the speech model downloads. Apple's feature page notes on-device dictation "Requires download of speech models."
- Place the cursor in a text field, start Dictation (Microphone key, your shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation), and check that the language next to the cursor is German.
A German QWERTZ keyboard layout and German Dictation are separate settings. Apple's Write in another language on Mac says adding an input source also adds its language to "your list of Dictation languages (if available)", so German may already be listed. Dictation still uses whichever dictation language is active, whatever keyboard you type on.
Which German regions does Mac Dictation support?
From Apple's macOS feature availability page, checked on 1 October 2026:
| German region | Dictation | On-device dictation | Auto-punctuation | Dictate emoji | More advanced Dictation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| Switzerland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not listed |
| Austria | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed |
"Not listed" means the region was absent from that feature's list on the day we checked. The practical effect for German (Austria): Dictation will not add commas, periods and question marks by itself, and "Herz-Emoji" style emoji dictation is not listed. You can still say every punctuation command below. If you speak Austrian German and want automatic punctuation, you could test German (Germany) instead and see whether recognition suits you.
"More advanced Dictation" is Apple's newer Apple Intelligence feature. Apple listed it for English regions only, so German works the standard way.
Apple's Dictation guide says the text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings tells you whether general dictation is processed on your Mac. Is Mac Dictation private? explains what that covers.
How do you say punctuation in German?
Apple's German list is in Befehle für das Diktieren von Text auf dem Mac. The Austrian and Swiss editions of that page use the same command words. The most useful ones:
| Say (German) | Result |
|---|---|
| Punkt | . |
| Komma | , |
| Fragezeichen | ? |
| Ausrufezeichen | ! |
| Doppelpunkt | : |
| Semikolon | ; |
| Ellipse | … |
| Anführungszeichen unten | „ |
| Anführungszeichen oben | “ |
| linke Klammer / rechte Klammer | ( ) |
| Bindestrich | - |
| Geviertstrich | – |
| neue Zeile | new line |
| neuer Absatz | new paragraph |
| Eurozeichen | € |
| Prozentzeichen | % |
Two German details from that page. The quotation commands give German-style marks: "Anführungszeichen unten" for the opening „ and "Anführungszeichen oben" for the closing “. And the capitals section lists "Großbuchstaben: ein" twice, once for initial capitals and once for ALL CAPS on the next phrase, with "Großbuchstaben" alone for the next word in capitals. Because the same phrase appears for both, test it before relying on it.
What about umlauts and ß?
Apple's German command list has no commands for ä, ö, ü or ß. Dictation writes whole words, so those letters come with the word it recognizes. If a word is wrong, Apple says ambiguous text is underlined in blue: click it and pick an alternative.
To fix one letter by hand, Apple's accent marks page says to press and hold a letter key, such as u, and choose ü from the menu. On a German keyboard layout the umlaut keys are already there. On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can type the fix while Dictation keeps listening.
Can you switch between German and English?
Yes, by hand. Set up both languages, then click the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key, and choose. Apple's Dictation guide, checked on 1 October 2026, describes choosing the language yourself and does not describe automatic detection of a language change.
German business writing often includes English terms. Since one language is active at a time, check how English loanwords and product names come out in German Dictation, and switch to English for whole English passages. Mac dictation shortcut covers the Globe key settings if it does something else on your Mac.
What about other dictation apps?
Start with Apple's free Dictation. All three German regions have on-device dictation.
SuprFlow's requirements page lists 19 languages, including German, and its setup asks you to choose a speech-recognition language. We have not tested accuracy per language and make no accuracy claim for German. If you want to compare, How to test SuprFlow with another language has a short script-based test. SuprFlow costs $125 once with no free tier, so put Apple's Dictation through the same test first.
A 10-minute test for your German
- Write four made-up sentences: two ordinary ones, one with an English product name, one with a date, an amount and a negation. For example: „Das Treffen mit Jordan Chen ist am 14. Mai. Der Betrag ist 2.750 Euro, nicht 2.570."
- Dictate them into Notes with your region active.
- Check umlauts, noun capitals, the name, the figures and the "nicht".
- Say "Anführungszeichen unten" and "Anführungszeichen oben" around a phrase.
- If you use German (Austria), note where you had to say the punctuation.
Questions people ask
How do I change Mac dictation to German?
Add German in System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, then choose German from the language shown next to the cursor while dictating.
Why does Mac dictation not add commas in Austrian German?
Apple's feature page lists auto-punctuation for German (Germany) and German (Switzerland), not German (Austria). Say "Komma", "Punkt" and "Fragezeichen" yourself.
Does German dictation work offline on a Mac?
Apple lists German for Germany, Austria and Switzerland under on-device dictation, after a speech model download. Keyboard settings will confirm whether it is processed on your Mac.
How do I type German quotation marks by voice?
Say "Anführungszeichen unten" for „ and "Anführungszeichen oben" for “, as listed on Apple's German command page.
Related guides
- How to use voice to text on a Mac
- Mac dictation commands and punctuation
- Dictate in French on a Mac
- How to test SuprFlow with another language
- Improve Mac dictation accuracy
- Mac Dictation not working? Causes and fixes