iPhone Dictation Languages: The Full List and How to Add One

Short answer: iPhone dictation supports 63 language and region entries in iOS 27, from Arabic and Cantonese to Vietnamese. You add one by adding that language's keyboard in Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards. Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Bangla, Kannada, Urdu, Bulgarian and Serbian aren't on Apple's dictation list. Hindi (India) is the only Indian language besides English.

You want to dictate in Hindi, Spanish or Japanese on your iPhone and you're not sure it's supported. Apple's current answer is a list of 63 language and region entries, and the way to use one is to add that language's keyboard. This is the full list of iPhone dictation languages, copied from Apple, plus which ones are missing, which features vary by language, and what to do if yours isn't there.

The list below comes from Apple's "iOS and iPadOS 27 - Feature Availability" page, which we checked on October 30, 2026. Apple changes it between releases, so open Apple's feature availability page if you're on a different version of iOS.

The full list of iPhone dictation languages

Here are all 63 entries in Apple's "Dictation" section, grouped by language so it's easier to scan. The regions are Apple's own labels.

If a regional variant you speak isn't listed, such as Spanish from Argentina, Apple doesn't say which entry is closest. Add the nearest listed one and test it with a short message.

Languages people search for that aren't on the list

Several languages that people look for aren't in any of Apple's Dictation sections: Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Bangla (Bengali), Kannada, Urdu, Bulgarian and Serbian. All eight do appear elsewhere on the same Apple page, in the keyboard language list, and most of them in the system language list too. Keyboard support and dictation support are separate lists, so having a keyboard for a language doesn't mean you can dictate in it.

The only Indian language besides English is Hindi (India). Apple lists it under Dictation but not under on-device dictation, auto-punctuation or emoji, and Apple doesn't say whether it needs a network connection. English (India) is on all four lists.

Apple doesn't document what the Dictate button does on a keyboard whose language isn't on the list, for example a Marathi or Tamil keyboard. Try it with a short message before you rely on it.

How to add a dictation language on iPhone

Apple's iPhone guide doesn't describe a separate dictation language setting. It ties dictation to the keyboard: "When you use a keyboard for another language, you can use Dictation in that language as well." So you add the language by adding its keyboard.

1. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards.
2. Tap Add New Keyboard and choose the language from the list. Repeat for each language you want.
3. Check that dictation is on: Settings > General > Keyboard > Enable Dictation. If a prompt appears, tap Enable Dictation.

To switch while typing, touch and hold the Emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key, then tap the keyboard you want. Dictation then listens in that keyboard's language. If dictation keeps typing in the wrong one, our guide to dictation that only types in English covers the details, and the wrong-language fix goes through the checks. If a language is stuck downloading, see dictation download stuck.

On a Mac there is a separate setting. Apple's Mac guide says to open System Settings, click Keyboard, go to Dictation, click the Edit button next to Languages, and select a language and region.

What changes from language to language

Being on the main list doesn't mean you get everything. Apple publishes separate lists for the extras, and they're shorter.

• On-device dictation: Apple says dictation "is processed on your iPhone in many languages, and no internet connection is required." Its "On-Device and Modeless Dictation" list has 48 entries, including Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, Hebrew and Arabic, and every English variant. Hindi isn't among them.
• Auto-Punctuation: 33 entries. Languages such as Greek, Polish, Czech and Russian aren't there, so in those, expect to add punctuation yourself.
• Dictate Emoji: 34 entries. Inserting an emoji by saying its name works in those languages only.
• Voice-based editing ("change ... to ...", "select ...", "delete ..."): English (United States) only, and Apple's commands page adds iPhone 12 and later, except iPhone SE.
• Apple Intelligence's more advanced dictation: nine English variants (Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States). Apple's dictation guide says the Apple Intelligence improvements to dictation in iOS 27 work in English on iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air or later.

Our post on iPhone dictation commands covers the spoken commands themselves.

If your language isn't on Apple's list

You have a few honest options, and none of them is a hidden setting.

1. Use the nearest listed language. A related language may get many of your words wrong, so test it with a short message first.
2. Use English (India) if much of what you write is in English anyway. It's on all four of Apple's lists, so it gets on-device processing and auto-punctuation. It won't transcribe Marathi or Tamil words.
3. Use a different keyboard app. A third-party keyboard has its own language list, which you'd have to check against your own language.

Where Voice Keyboard Pro fits

Voice Keyboard Pro is a full iPhone keyboard with a microphone built in, and it has its own list of 19 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Catalan, Swedish, Polish, Romanian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Every one of those is already on Apple's list, so the difference isn't coverage. It detects which one you're speaking, so you don't switch keyboards between them, and you can speak in one language and have the text come out in another, with 24 target languages.

Be clear about what it doesn't cover. None of Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Bangla, Kannada, Urdu, Bulgarian or Serbian is on our list either, so if one of those is your language, our keyboard won't help. It also needs a connection on iPhone. And because iOS doesn't let keyboards use the microphone directly, tapping Speak briefly opens our app to start a listening session when none is running, and then you're back where you were typing. Setup needs Allow Full Access, covered in our Full Access guide. If you switch between two languages in one message, bilingual voice typing goes further, and for Hindi in particular see voice to text in Hindi.

Frequently asked questions

How many languages does iPhone dictation support?

In iOS 27, Apple's feature availability page lists 63 language and region entries for Dictation. Fewer get extras such as on-device processing (48), auto-punctuation (33) and emoji (34).

Does iPhone dictation support Marathi or Tamil?

Not according to Apple's list. Neither appears in any Dictation section of the iOS 27 page, and the same goes for Gujarati, Bangla, Kannada, Urdu, Bulgarian and Serbian. Hindi (India) is the only Indian language other than English on the list.

How do I change the dictation language on iPhone?

Switch keyboards. Touch and hold the Emoji button or the Switch Keyboard key and pick the keyboard for that language, then tap the Dictate button. If you haven't added it yet, use Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard.

Can iPhone dictation work offline in my language?

Apple lists 48 entries for on-device dictation, including English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Korean. Apple doesn't spell out what happens for the rest, but they aren't on the on-device list, so plan on needing a connection. Apple's guide notes that cellular data charges may apply.

Does the language list work the same on a Mac?

Apple's macOS Golden Gate page has the same 63-entry Dictation list, with a few small label differences, and the same eight languages missing. The setting differs: on a Mac you choose languages in the Dictation section of Keyboard settings rather than by adding a keyboard.

The bottom line

iPhone dictation covers 63 language and region entries in iOS 27, and you turn one on by adding its keyboard. If you speak Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Bangla, Kannada, Urdu, Bulgarian or Serbian, Apple doesn't list it for dictation, and Hindi is the one Indian-language exception. Check the list above against your own language before you build a habit around it.