Official documentation
Use a custom vocabulary with Voice Control on Mac
Apple, Apple Support (Mac User Guide), 2026
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- Apple's Mac User Guide page on adding, importing, exporting and recording custom vocabulary terms for Voice Control, with the limit on the number of terms.
- How much weight it carries
- Official Apple documentation for the current macOS. Custom vocabulary is only available in some Voice Control languages.
Facts taken from this source
- Voice Control can import custom vocabulary terms from a text file with one term on each line, or from a file that Voice Control exported earlier.
“You can import from a text file with each term on a separate line or from a file that was previously exported by Voice Control” (Import multiple custom vocabulary terms)
- In Apple's Voice Control, recording how a custom vocabulary term is pronounced requires Dictation to be turned on, but you can save the term without recording it.
“To teach Voice Control how to say a phrase, Dictation must be turned on” (Add individual vocabulary terms)
- In Apple's Voice Control settings, the Vocabulary option is dimmed when the selected language does not support a custom vocabulary, so you cannot add terms in that language.
“If the option is dimmed, the selected language doesn’t support a custom vocabulary.” (Add individual vocabulary terms)
- Voice Control on a Mac accepts up to 1,000 custom vocabulary terms, and you can record how each is pronounced.
“You can add up to 1000 vocabulary terms and teach Voice Control how to say them.” (Add individual vocabulary terms)
Pages that rest on this source
- Speech Recognition and Accents: Accuracy and FixesGuide
- Can you train dictation software to your accent?Question
- How do you add custom words to Mac dictation?Question
- How do you improve Mac dictation accuracy?Question
- Why doesn't voice recognition understand my accent?Question
- How do you dictate foreign names and words correctly?Question
- Mac Dictation: How to Dictate and Control a Mac by VoiceTopic
- Speech to Text for Accessibility, RSI and DisabilitiesTopic
- Medical Dictation: Software, Devices and How It WorksGuide
- Voice Control on Mac: Turn It On and Use ItGuide
- Mac Voice Control Commands: The Complete ListGuide
- Multilingual Dictation: Two Languages, Auto-Detect, MixingGuide
- How Apple Dictation Works: On-Device, Server and AIGuide
- Does Apple Dictation learn your voice?Question
- Is Apple Dictation any good?Question
- Is there a free medical dictation app?Question
- Why is Apple Dictation so bad?Question
- Custom vocabularyGlossary