Questions about text on a Mac

The built-in way first, then the faster one.

• Change the dictation language on a Mac without switching the keyboard — Switch the dictation language next to the cursor as you speak, why it can change your keyboard too, how to stop that, and an app that hears the language itself.
• Mac dictation not working: why, and how to fix it — Mac dictation usually stops because it is off, a different shortcut, the wrong microphone or Voice Control. Apple’s fixes, then Docs, Chrome and Terminal.
• Voice typing on a Mac: built-in Dictation, and typing by voice in any app — How to turn on macOS Dictation, pick its language and dictate punctuation, and what to use for automatic Russian commas, Kazakh, or typing in another language.
• Wispr Flow alternatives for Mac: an honest comparison — Superwhisper, MacWhisper, VoiceInk, Aqua Voice, Apple Dictation and Jarq next to Wispr Flow: price, free plan, offline use, languages, platforms. October 2026.
• Translate selected text on a Mac, in any app — macOS can translate a selection and put it back in place. Here is how, how to get a keyboard shortcut for it, and what to use where the menu does not reach.