Why does iPhone dictation type in the wrong language?

Dictation on iPhone takes its language from the keyboard you are using. Apple says that when you use a keyboard for another language, you can use Dictation in that language as well ¹. Apple's pages do not describe Dictation detecting the language you speak. So text in the wrong language most likely means that a keyboard for a different language was active when you started dictating.

Check which keyboard is active when you start

Hold the Globe key to see all of your enabled keyboards, then choose the one for the language you want ². Tapping the key moves to the next keyboard. The key appears only when more than one keyboard is enabled ³. If you cannot find it, you have only one keyboard, and that keyboard sets the language.

Remove keyboards you do not use

Holding the Globe key shows every enabled keyboard, so a keyboard you no longer need can be reached by accident. To remove one, open Settings, tap General, tap Keyboard, then tap Keyboards. Swipe left on the keyboard and tap Delete ⁴.

Preferred Languages changes display, not the keyboard you dictate with

Apple describes Preferred Languages as the way to change how apps and websites display text ⁵. Apple's dictation wording ties the language to the keyboard instead. A language on the Preferred Languages list therefore does not tell you which language Dictation will use, so check the keyboard.

On iOS 27, the advanced dictation model is listed for English

With Apple Intelligence in iOS 27, dictation uses an on-device model to improve spelling, punctuation and capitalization. Apple lists that enhancement as available in English on named iPhone models ⁶. If you dictate in another language on one of those models, Apple's page does not describe the same enhancement for it, so do not expect it.

It depends on the region, the app and the phone

• Region: Apple's Dictation list is organized by language and region, so English (India) and English (Australia) are separate entries ⁷. Pick the keyboard that matches the region you speak in.
• Gboard app on iPhone: Google's App Store listing says that voice input from the Gboard microphone is sent to Google for transcription ⁸. That is a different path from Apple's Dictation, so check the language inside that app as well.

What to check, in order

1. Hold the Globe key and choose the keyboard for the language you are speaking ².
2. Remove any keyboard you do not use, so the Globe key cannot land on it by mistake.
3. Switch first, then start dictating. Because the language follows the keyboard, a switch partway through a sentence may not change the language of the words already spoken.
4. If the right keyboard still gives the wrong language, check Apple's Dictation list for your language and region ⁷.

If your language is missing from that list, the cause is not the keyboard. The question on Hindi and Indian languages covers that case. For two languages in one sentence, read whether iPhone dictation can use two languages at once. The guide to dictation languages on iPhone and Android has the full comparison, and iPhone dictation not working covers other faults.