# Norwegian Dictation on Mac: Local Speech to Text

> Plain-text version of https://kviskr.no/en/norwegian-dictation-mac (last updated 28 September 2026).
> Norwegian version: https://kviskr.no/diktering-mac

Hold a key, speak Norwegian and let go. Kviskr turns your speech into text in
the app you're using, with a speech model trained on Norwegian that runs on
your Mac.

To dictate Norwegian on a Mac, you can use the dictation built into macOS, or
install Kviskr. Kviskr is a Mac app built around NB-Whisper, a speech model
from the National Library of Norway. Hold a key, speak bokmål, nynorsk or your
own dialect, and let go. The text appears where you're typing.

## How it works

Kviskr works like a keyboard you speak into. You hold a key while you talk,
let go, and the text lands in the app you're using: an email, a document, a
chat or a code editor. There is no separate window to copy from.

1. **Pick a shortcut.** In Settings, choose the key you want to hold, for
   example the right Option key. The same key works in every app.
2. **Hold and speak.** Talk the way you would explain something to a
   colleague. The recording window shows the waveform while you speak.
3. **Let go, and the text is there.** With Accessibility access turned on, the
   text is pasted into the field you're working in. Without it, the text goes
   to the clipboard, ready to paste.

## A speech model trained on Norwegian

The speech recognition in Kviskr is NB-Whisper, made by the AI lab at the
National Library of Norway and trained on around 66,000 hours of Norwegian
speech. It runs locally on your Mac. You choose bokmål or nynorsk as your
written standard, and you can speak the way you normally do, dialect included.
Names and technical terms you use often go in the vocabulary, so they are
spelled right. Kviskr is independent and not affiliated with the National
Library.

The Norwegian models also handle English, and you can switch language from the
menu bar. For other languages, you can download one of the general Whisper
models in the app, which adds Danish, Swedish, Finnish, German, French, Spanish
and more. For Norwegian, NB-Whisper is the better fit.

## Good to know: the app is in Norwegian

Kviskr's menus, settings and help pages are in Norwegian only, and so is the
rest of this website. There is no English version of the interface. The setup
walks you through microphone access, Accessibility and your choice of bokmål or
nynorsk, and everything can be changed later. If you get stuck, you're welcome
to email hei@kviskr.no in English.

## Kviskr, Apple Dictation, Superwhisper and Wispr Flow

Apple Dictation is built in and free, and it holds up well for short, simple
sentences. Superwhisper runs on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, with both local
and cloud models, and suits you if you want the same dictation everywhere or
mostly work in English. Wispr Flow is very polished in English and cloud-based.
Kviskr is the one built for Norwegian.

| App | Speech recognition | Published Norwegian error rate | Price | Platforms |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kviskr | Local speech recognition | No published app measurement; NB-Whisper Large: 2.2% on NST* | Free during early access | macOS (Apple Silicon) |
| Apple Dictation | Varies with setup | Not published | Free, built in | macOS, iOS |
| Superwhisper | Local and cloud models | Not published | Free + Pro from $8.49/month | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Wispr Flow | Cloud-based | Not published | Free + Pro subscription | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |

\* 2.2% is the published word error rate for NB-Whisper Large on bokmål in the
NST dataset, not a measurement of Kviskr. The number applies to the Large
model, and Kviskr uses medium by default. Competitors were checked on their own
websites on 27 and 28 September 2026. Prices change, so check each vendor's own
page. The full comparison, in Norwegian, is on https://kviskr.no/sammenlign.

## Privacy

Speech recognition runs locally on your Mac, and the standard Norwegian model
comes with the app, so you can dictate offline. The optional AI modes can tidy
your text, turn it into an email or translate it into English, using Claude or
OpenAI with your own key. They are off by default. When you turn one on, the
transcribed text is sent to the provider you chose.

## What you need

Kviskr 0.6.0 runs on a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 15.1 or
later. The app takes about 600 MB. Your results depend on your voice,
microphone and vocabulary, so try it with the sentences you actually write.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the best dictation app for Norwegian on a Mac?**
It depends on what you need. For Norwegian with local speech recognition,
Kviskr is built around NB-Whisper, a model trained on Norwegian with published
results, and it puts the text in any app. Superwhisper and Wispr Flow are
stronger if you also need Windows or your phone, or mostly write in English.

**Does Kviskr understand nynorsk and Norwegian dialects?**
Yes. You choose bokmål or nynorsk as your written standard, and you can speak
your own dialect. NB-Whisper was trained on Norwegian speech from all over the
country, with a wide range of dialects. Names and technical terms you use often
can go in the vocabulary, so they come out right.

**Is the Kviskr app available in English?**
No. The interface, the help pages and the rest of this website are in
Norwegian only. The Norwegian speech models can also transcribe English, and for other languages
you can download one of the general Whisper models in the app.

**Do I need an internet connection to dictate?**
No. The standard Norwegian model comes with the app, and speech recognition
runs locally. The internet is only used for updates, extra speech models and
the optional AI modes.

**Which Mac do I need?**
Kviskr needs a Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 15.1 or later.
The app takes about 600 MB, and the standard Norwegian model is included.

## Download

Download Kviskr for Mac: https://kviskr.no/last-ned (free during early access,
no account needed). Or install with Homebrew:

```
brew install --cask andyarntsen-alt/tap/kviskr
```