How to Translate Speech on iPhone: Dictate, Edit, Translate and Hear It Back

The problem

Typing an unfamiliar phrase on a phone with one hand, in a market or at a counter, is slow and full of autocorrect mistakes. By the time you’ve fixed it, the conversation has moved on. But speech translators that listen and talk at the same time often get names wrong and give you no chance to correct them.

How it works

1. Pick the source language you’re about to speak.
2. Tap the microphone and say your phrase.
3. The words appear as text. Read and correct anything misheard, especially names, numbers and places.
4. Translate. The result appears in the target card, which you can copy, share or play aloud.

Playback has two outputs and four speeds:

• Speaker or private listening (in your ear).
• Half, slow, normal or fast speed.

Things to know

• Set the right source language first. Dictation uses the language you’ve chosen. Auto-detect only helps with typed or pasted text.
• Speech recognition is Apple’s. It may use Apple’s servers, depending on the language and your settings. The translation itself stays on the device, unless you’ve chosen Cloud.
• Permissions: it asks for microphone and speech recognition access the first time.

Tips for better results

• Speak in short sentences with a pause between them.
• Say names and numbers slowly.
• Use a quiet place or hold the phone close.
• For a two-way conversation with someone, use Relay instead.

FAQ

Does it work offline? The translation does. Dictation depends on Apple’s speech recognition, which may need a connection for some languages.

Does it detect the language I’m speaking? Speech recognition uses the source language you selected. Language auto-detect works from text, so set the right source language before you speak.

Can I edit what it heard? Yes. The transcript lands in the text box, so fix names or misheard words before translating.

Can I hear the translation privately? Yes. Choose the speaker or private listening (earpiece) and set playback speed.