To dictate in Korean on a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard, go to Dictation (받아쓰기 on a Korean-language Mac), click Edit next to Languages, and select Korean (Korea). Start Dictation and pick Korean from the language shown next to the cursor. Apple lists Korean for on-device dictation, automatic punctuation and emoji, and publishes a Korean command list. Dictation is a separate setting from your Hangul keyboard (2-Set Korean by default), which you still use to correct words.
The steps come from Apple's Dictate messages and documents on Mac for macOS 27 Golden Gate, and its Korean edition, Mac에서 메시지 및 문서 받아쓰기. If your screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation" or 받아쓰기.
How do you turn on Korean dictation?
- Choose Apple menu → System Settings, then click Keyboard (키보드) in the sidebar.
- Go to Dictation (받아쓰기) and turn it on.
- Click Edit (편집) next to Languages (언어) and select Korean (Korea). Keep English selected too if you dictate in both.
- Stay online while the Mac sets the language up. Apple's feature page says on-device dictation "Requires download of speech models."
- In a text field, start Dictation with the Microphone key, your Dictation shortcut, or Edit → Start Dictation. Check that the language next to the cursor is Korean. Apple says languages appear "as abbreviations or characters that represent the language".
To switch while dictating, click the language next to the cursor, or press the Globe key (지구본 키) and choose. Apple's guide describes switching by hand and does not describe automatic detection of a change of language.
Which Korean dictation features does Apple list?
From Apple's macOS feature availability page for macOS Golden Gate, checked on 2 October 2026:
| Feature | Korean (Korea) |
|---|---|
| Dictation | Yes |
| On-device dictation | Yes |
| Auto-punctuation | Yes |
| Dictate emoji | Yes |
| More advanced Dictation (Apple Intelligence) | Not listed; Apple lists it for English regions only |
Apple lists one Korean variant, Korea. "Not listed" means absent from that feature's list on the day we checked.
Because Korean 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 what that note covers.
Auto-punctuation (자동 구두점) adds commas, periods and question marks as you speak. If it gets in the way, turn it off under Keyboard → Dictation and say punctuation yourself.
How do you say punctuation in Korean?
Apple publishes a Korean command list, Mac의 텍스트 받아쓰기 명령. The entries you will use most:
| Say (Korean) | Result |
|---|---|
| 마침표 / 점 | . |
| 쉼표 | , |
| 물음표 | ? |
| 느낌표 | ! |
| 콜론 | : |
| 세미콜론 | ; |
| 생략 부호 | … |
| 왼쪽 큰 따옴표 / 오른쪽 큰 따옴표 | “ ” |
| 왼쪽 괄호 / 오른쪽 괄호 | ( ) |
| 가운데 점 | ・ |
| 새로운 단락 | new paragraph |
| 공백 없음 / 공백 있음 | next phrase without spaces / back to normal spacing |
| 퍼센트 기호 | % |
Three details from Apple's Korean pages:
- New line has two wordings. The command page lists 새로운 선. The Korean Dictation guide tells you to say 새로운 줄. Apple does not say whether both work; try both and keep the one your Mac obeys.
- No won sign. The currency section lists the dollar, cent, pound, euro and yen signs, but not ₩. Type it yourself, or check how your Mac writes amounts you dictate.
- Spacing is a command, not a setting. 공백 없음 joins the next phrase without spaces. Apple does not say how Dictation handles everyday Korean word spacing (띄어쓰기), so check it in your own test.
Korean input source vs Korean dictation
They are two settings in the same Keyboard pane:
| Setting | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Dictation language | Keyboard → Dictation → Languages | Which language Dictation listens for |
| Input source | Keyboard → Text Input → Edit | How your typing becomes Hangul |
Apple's Korean (Hangul) Input Method guide lists five Korean input sources: 2-Set Korean ("the default input source for Hangul in macOS"), 3-Set Korean, 3-Set Korean (390), GongjinCheong Romaja and HNC Romaja. Apple's Write in another language on Mac says an added input source's language is also added to "your list of Dictation languages (if available)".
Apple's Dictation guide does not say you need a Korean input source active to dictate Korean. The input source matters when you fix a word by hand. Two tools help after dictating:
- Caps Lock switching. Apple's Korean guide says you can turn on "Use the Caps Lock key to switch to and from [last used Latin input source]" under Text Input → Edit, then press Caps Lock to move between Korean and English typing.
- Hanja conversion. Apple says you can select a set of Hangul syllables and press Option-Return to show Hanja candidates. Apple describes this for Hangul text in general and does not mention dictated text, so test it on a dictated word.
Can you control a Mac by voice in Korean?
Dictation enters text; it does not run your Mac. Apple's feature page lists Korean under Voice Control, the accessibility feature for operating the Mac by voice. Apple's Dictation guide says that when Voice Control is on, you dictate through Voice Control and standard Dictation "isn't available". Voice Control vs Dictation explains which to use.
What about other dictation apps?
Apple's Dictation is free and lists every Korean feature except the English-only advanced mode. Test it first.
SuprFlow's requirements page lists 19 languages, including Korean, and its setup asks you to choose a speech-recognition language. We have not tested accuracy per language and make no accuracy claim for Korean, including spacing or English loanwords. How to test SuprFlow with another language gives a short test. SuprFlow costs $125 once and has no free tier.
A 10-minute test for your Korean
- Write four made-up sentences: two ordinary, one with an English product or person name, and one with a date, an amount in won and a negation. For example: 조던 첸 씨와의 회의는 5월 14일입니다. 금액은 27만 5천 원이고, 25만 7천 원이 아닙니다.
- Dictate them into Notes with Korean active and Auto-punctuation on.
- Check spacing, the name, the figures, the currency and the negation.
- Turn Auto-punctuation off, dictate again saying 마침표 and 쉼표, and compare.
- Fix one word with 2-Set Korean, using Caps Lock to switch.
Questions people ask
How do I use Korean voice typing on a Mac?
Add Korean (Korea) under System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation → Languages → Edit, start Dictation, and choose Korean from the language shown next to the cursor.
Do I need a Korean keyboard to dictate in Korean?
Apple's Dictation guide does not mention one. Dictation language and input source are separate settings. A Korean input source such as 2-Set Korean helps when you correct words by hand.
How do I say a period in Korean dictation?
Say 마침표 or 점. Apple's Korean command page maps both to a period. With Auto-punctuation on, Dictation also adds periods, commas and question marks for you.
Does Korean dictation work offline on a Mac?
Apple lists Korean (Korea) for on-device dictation, after a speech model download. The text below the Dictation switch in Keyboard settings confirms how your Mac processes it.
Related guides
- How to use voice to text on a Mac
- Dictate in Japanese on a Mac
- Dictate in Mandarin or Cantonese on a Mac
- Mac dictation commands and punctuation
- How to test SuprFlow with another language
- Is Mac Dictation private?