Dictate in Greek on a Mac: setup, commands and accents

To dictate in Greek on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation (Υπαγόρευση on a Greek-language Mac), click Edit next to Languages, and select Greek (Greece). Start Dictation and pick Greek from the language shown next to the cursor. Greek has the basic Dictation feature only: Apple does not list it for on-device dictation, automatic punctuation or emoji, so you say each punctuation mark yourself, and Apple does not say Greek dictation works without a connection. Apple's Greek command list has separate commands for the Greek and Latin question marks.

The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac for macOS 27 Golden Gate, and its Greek edition, Υπαγόρευση μηνυμάτων και εγγράφων στο Mac. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation" or "Υπαγόρευση".

How do you turn on Greek dictation?

1. Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard (Πληκτρολόγιο) in the sidebar.
2. Go to Dictation (Υπαγόρευση) and turn it on.
3. Click Edit (Επεξεργασία) next to Languages (Γλώσσες) and select Greek (Greece). Keep English selected too if you dictate in both.
4. In a text field, start Dictation with the Microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation.
5. Check that the language next to the cursor is Greek. To switch, click it, or press the Globe key and choose.

Apple's guide describes switching languages by hand and does not describe automatic detection of a language change, so switch before you speak the second language.

Which Greek dictation features does Apple list?

From Apple's macOS feature availability page for macOS Golden Gate, checked on 3 October 2026:

Apple lists one Greek variant, Greece. A row marked Not listed means absent from that feature's list on the day we checked.

What that means in practice:

• Say every punctuation mark. Apple's guide says Dictation adds "commas, periods, and question marks" only in supported languages, and Greek is not on that list.
• Check where your Greek dictation is processed. Apple's guide says the text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings tells you whether general dictation is processed on your Mac or sent to Siri servers. Read it before you dictate anything confidential. Is Mac Dictation private? explains that note.
• Use the emoji picker. Greek is not on the emoji dictation list.

How do you say punctuation in Greek?

Apple's Greek command list, Εντολές για υπαγόρευση κειμένου στο Mac, is fully translated. The entries you will use most:

Three details from that page:

• Two question marks. Say ελληνικό ερωτηματικό for the Greek question mark, which Apple shows as ;, and λατινικό ερωτηματικό when you need ? in a Latin-script phrase. The list has no separate semicolon command.
• No ano teleia. The list has no entry for the Greek raised dot (·). Apple does not say whether Dictation writes it; type it if you need it.
• Spacing and capitals. χωρίς κενά and με κενά join the next phrase without spaces and then go back to normal; όλα κεφαλαία writes the next word in capitals.

Greek keyboard, accents and tonos

Dictation language and keyboard layout are separate settings. Apple's Write in another language on Mac has you add keyboards under Keyboard → Text Input → Edit: search for Greek and choose a layout. It says an added input source's language also joins "your list of Dictation languages (if available)", and that Control-Space selects the last input source you used. Because Greek is a non-Latin script, Apple's Input Sources settings page says an option to switch to and from your last Latin input source with Caps Lock appears once you add a non-Latin input source.

Apple's Dictation guide does not say you need a Greek keyboard to dictate Greek, and the pages we checked do not describe how Dictation places the tonos or the dialytika (ϊ, ϋ). Check them in your test. To fix an accent by hand, use your Greek layout. Apple's accent marks page says that in the Keyboard Viewer you can press modifier keys to see the dead keys for accent marks, outlined in orange.

If a word comes out wrong, Apple says ambiguous text is underlined in blue: click it and pick an alternative. The Greek edition's example is getting φύλλο when you meant φύλο.

What about other dictation apps?

Apple's Dictation is free and is the first thing to try for Greek.

Google's voice typing help lists Greek for voice typing in Google Docs in Chrome, Edge or Safari, and notes that "Punctuation might not be available in every language". Dictate in Google Docs on a Mac covers the steps. Microsoft's Dictate your documents in Word lists Greek as a preview language, which it says may have lower accuracy or limited punctuation support; it needs a Microsoft 365 subscription.

SuprFlow's requirements page lists 19 languages, and Greek is not one of them. Do not buy SuprFlow for Greek dictation.

A 10-minute test for your Greek

1. Write four made-up sentences: two ordinary, one with an English product or person name, and one with a date, an amount and a negation. For example: Η συνάντηση με τον Τζόρνταν Τσεν είναι στις 14 Μαΐου. Το ποσό είναι 2.750 ευρώ, όχι 2.570.
2. Dictate them into Notes with Greek active, saying τελεία and κόμμα.
3. Check every tonos, the final sigma, the name, the figures and όχι.
4. Ask a question and end it with ελληνικό ερωτηματικό, then check the mark.

Questions people ask

How do I use Greek dictation on a Mac?

Add Greek (Greece) under System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, start Dictation, and choose Greek from the language shown next to the cursor.

How do I dictate a Greek question mark?

Say ελληνικό ερωτηματικό. Apple's Greek command list shows it as ;. Say λατινικό ερωτηματικό for ?.

Does Mac dictation put accents on Greek words?

Apple does not say how Dictation handles the tonos. Dictate a sentence with several accented words and fix any misses with a Greek layout.

Does Greek dictation work offline on a Mac?

Apple does not list Greek for on-device dictation. The text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings tells you how your Mac processes it.

Related guides

• Mac dictation languages: what Apple supports in each one
• Dictate in Hebrew on a Mac
• Dictate in Russian on a Mac
• Dictate in Ukrainian on a Mac
• Mac dictation commands and punctuation
• Is Mac Dictation private?

Sources

• Apple — Dictate messages and documents on Mac
• Apple — Υπαγόρευση μηνυμάτων και εγγράφων στο Mac
• Apple — Εντολές για υπαγόρευση κειμένου στο Mac
• Apple — macOS feature availability
• Apple — Write in another language on Mac
• Apple — Change Input Sources settings on Mac
• Apple — Enter characters with accent marks on Mac
• Google — Type and edit with your voice
• Microsoft — Dictate your documents in Word
• SuprFlow — System requirements