Dictate in Hebrew on a Mac: setup, commands and right-to-left text

To dictate in Hebrew on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation (הכתבה on a Hebrew-language Mac), click Edit next to Languages, and select Hebrew (Israel). Start Dictation and choose Hebrew from the language shown next to the cursor. Apple lists Hebrew for on-device dictation but not for automatic punctuation or emoji, so you say the punctuation in Hebrew. When Hebrew and English share a paragraph, use the Writing Direction commands to fix the display order.

The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac for macOS 27 Golden Gate, and its Hebrew edition, הכתבה של הודעות ומסמכים ב‑Mac. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation" or הכתבה.

How do you turn on Hebrew dictation?

1. Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard (מקלדת) in the sidebar.
2. Go to Dictation (הכתבה) and turn it on.
3. Click Edit (עריכה) next to Languages and select Hebrew (Israel). Keep English selected too if you dictate in both.
4. Stay online while the Mac sets the language up. Apple's feature page says on-device dictation "Requires download of speech models."
5. In a text field, start Dictation with the Microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation, and check that the language next to the cursor is Hebrew.

To switch, click the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key (מקש הגלובוס). Apple's guide does not describe automatic detection of a language change.

Which Hebrew dictation features does Apple list?

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

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

Because Hebrew is on the on-device list, your Mac can process it locally once the speech model is downloaded. Apple's 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 that note.

How do you say punctuation in Hebrew?

Apple's Hebrew command list is פקודות להכתבת מלל ב-Mac. The entries you will use most:

Three details from that page:

• Hebrew marks for quotes. Both quotation commands give the gershayim (״), and the apostrophe command gives the geresh (׳), not Latin marks.
• One word, two dashes. מקף is listed for both the dash (–) and the hyphen (-). Apple does not say which you get, so check it.
• No shekel sign. The currency section lists dollar, cent, pound, euro and yen. Type ₪ yourself, or check how your Mac writes amounts you dictate.

How do you fix right-to-left text when English is mixed in?

Apple's Change the direction of text as you type on Mac explains that macOS supports bidirectional text and that "The first character you enter determines the default direction for a paragraph." Apple's own example is a Hebrew letter at the start of an English sentence, which then displays in the wrong order.

The reverse happens when you dictate: if a paragraph starts with an English name, an otherwise Hebrew paragraph can display left to right. Apple's fixes:

1. Whole paragraph: Control-click in the paragraph and choose Writing Direction (or Paragraph Direction), then Right to Left. Some apps put this under Format → Text or Format → Alignment; some apps do not offer it.
2. Selected text: Control-click the selection and choose Writing Direction (or Selection Direction).
3. Keyboard shortcuts: with a Hebrew input source added, turn on Enable keyboard shortcuts for it under Keyboard → Text Input → Edit. Then Control-Command-Left Arrow sets a paragraph right to left, and Control-Option-Command-Left Arrow does the same for selected text.

Apple's Input Sources settings page confirms that a Hebrew input source shows options for bidirectional text and keyboard shortcuts. A simple habit helps too: start each paragraph with a Hebrew word.

Hebrew keyboard vs Hebrew dictation

They are separate settings. Apple's Write in another language on Mac has you add a Hebrew keyboard under Keyboard → Text Input → Edit, and says its language also joins "your list of Dictation languages (if available)". Apple's Dictation guide does not say you need a Hebrew keyboard to dictate, or whether Dictation ever adds niqqud.

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

What about other dictation apps?

Google's voice typing help lists Hebrew for voice typing in Google Docs, and notes that "Punctuation might not be available in every language". Microsoft's Dictate your documents in Word lists Hebrew 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 Hebrew is not one of them. Do not buy SuprFlow for Hebrew dictation.

A 10-minute test for your Hebrew

1. Write four made-up sentences: two ordinary, one that starts with an English product name, and one with a date, an amount and a negation.
2. Dictate them into Notes with Hebrew active, saying each punctuation mark.
3. Check the quotation marks, the figures, the negation and words that sound alike.
4. If the sentence that starts with English displays in the wrong order, set it to Right to Left.

Questions people ask

How do I change Mac dictation to Hebrew?

Add Hebrew (Israel) under System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, then choose Hebrew from the language shown next to the cursor.

Why is my dictated Hebrew text in the wrong order?

Apple says the first character of a paragraph sets its default direction. If the paragraph starts with an English word, it may display left to right. Control-click and choose Writing Direction → Right to Left.

Does Mac dictation add punctuation in Hebrew?

Not automatically: Apple does not list Hebrew for auto-punctuation. Say the commands, such as פסיק and סימן שאלה.

Does Hebrew dictation work offline on a Mac?

Apple lists Hebrew (Israel) under on-device dictation, after a speech model download. Keyboard settings confirm whether your dictation is processed on your Mac.

Related guides

• Mac dictation languages: what Apple supports in each one
• Dictate in Arabic on a Mac
• Dictate in Greek on a Mac
• Mac dictation commands and punctuation
• Is Mac Dictation private?
• Mac dictation shortcut

Sources

• Apple — Dictate messages and documents on Mac
• Apple — הכתבה של הודעות ומסמכים ב‑Mac
• Apple — פקודות להכתבת מלל ב-Mac
• Apple — macOS feature availability
• Apple — Change the direction of text as you type on Mac
• Apple — Change Input Sources settings on Mac
• Apple — Write in another language on Mac
• Google — Type and edit with your voice
• Microsoft — Dictate your documents in Word
• SuprFlow — System requirements