Mac dictation commands are words you say while dictating to enter punctuation, symbols, capital letters and line breaks. Say "comma", "question mark" or "new paragraph" and Dictation types the mark or makes the break. Apple publishes the full list, and the tables below reproduce it. In supported languages Dictation also adds commas, periods and question marks by itself. Commands that edit text or control the Mac, such as "Replace cat with dog" or "Open Mail", belong to a different feature called Voice Control.
The tables come from Apple's page Commands for dictating text on Mac in the Mac User Guide for macOS 27, in English. Apple says these commands "are always available while you're dictating text." Command words are different in other languages, so open that page in your language to see the local wording.
Which Mac dictation punctuation commands can you say?
| Say | Result |
|---|---|
| period, point, dot or full stop | . |
| comma | , |
| question mark | ? |
| exclamation mark | ! |
| colon | : |
| semicolon | ; |
| ellipsis | … |
| apostrophe | ' |
| hyphen | - |
| dash | – |
| quote | opening double quotation mark |
| end quote | closing double quotation mark |
| begin single quote | opening single quotation mark |
| end single quote | closing single quotation mark |
| open parenthesis | ( |
| close parenthesis | ) |
| open square bracket | opening square bracket |
| close square bracket | closing square bracket |
| open brace | { |
| close brace | } |
| open angle bracket | < |
| close angle bracket | > |
Which commands control lines, spacing and capitals?
| Say | Result |
|---|---|
| new line | Starts a new line |
| new paragraph | Starts a new paragraph |
| tab key | Moves the cursor to the next tab stop |
| numeral | Formats the next phrase as a number |
| roman numeral | Formats the next phrase as a Roman numeral |
| no space on | Formats the next phrase without spaces |
| no space off | Resumes default spacing |
| caps on | Formats the next phrase in Title Case |
| caps off | Resumes the default case lettering |
| all caps | Formats the next word in ALL CAPS |
| all caps on | Formats the next phrase in ALL CAPS |
| all caps off | Resumes the default case lettering |
Apple's Dictation guide adds two details. "New line" is the same as pressing Return once, and "new paragraph" is the same as pressing it twice. And "the new line or new paragraph appear when you're done dictating", so do not expect the break to show while you are still speaking.
Which symbols can you dictate?
| Group | Say | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Typography | ampersand | & |
| Typography | asterisk | * |
| Typography | at sign | @ |
| Typography | backslash | \ |
| Typography | forward slash | / |
| Typography | caret | ^ |
| Typography | center dot | ・ |
| Typography | large center dot | ● |
| Typography | degree sign | ° |
| Typography | hashtag or pound sign | # |
| Typography | percent sign | % |
| Typography | underscore | _ |
| Typography | vertical bar | a vertical bar |
| Maths | equal sign | = |
| Maths | plus sign | + |
| Maths | minus sign | - |
| Maths | multiplication sign | x |
| Maths | greater than sign | > |
| Maths | less than sign | < |
| Currency | dollar sign | $ |
| Currency | cent sign | ¢ |
| Currency | pound sterling sign | £ |
| Currency | euro sign | € |
| Currency | yen sign | ¥ |
| Legal marks | copyright sign | © |
| Legal marks | registered sign | ® |
| Legal marks | trademark sign | ™ |
| Emoticons | smiley face | :-) |
| Emoticons | frowny face | :-( |
| Emoticons | winky face | ;-) |
| Emoticons | cross-eyed laughing face | XD |
Apple also says that in some languages you can insert emoji by name, for example "heart emoji" or "car emoji".
Do you have to say the punctuation out loud?
Not always. Apple says that in supported languages "Dictation automatically inserts commas, periods, and question marks for you as you dictate." The setting is called Auto-punctuation.
To turn it on or off, choose Apple menu → System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar, go to Dictation, and use the Auto-punctuation switch. On a macOS version where the screen differs, search System Settings for "Dictation".
Auto-punctuation covers those three marks. For anything else, such as a colon, quotation marks or a paragraph break, say the command. Apple's feature availability page lists which languages have auto-punctuation and which can dictate emoji.
What is the difference between Dictation commands and Voice Control commands?
They are two separate features, and they cannot run together. Apple states: "When Voice Control is on, you use Voice Control to dictate text; standard macOS Dictation isn't available."
| Dictation | Voice Control | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Enter text by voice | Control the whole Mac by voice and enter text |
| Where to turn it on | System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation | System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control |
| How it listens | After you press a key or shortcut | For commands while it is on. Say "Stop listening" to pause and "Start listening" to resume |
| Commands | The punctuation, symbol and formatting list above | App and screen control, such as "Open Mail", "Scroll Down" or "Click Done", plus text editing |
| Editing by voice | Not in Apple's Dictation command list | Yes. Apple's examples include "Replace cat with dog" and commands like "Delete" or "Uppercase" followed by an item number |
| Spelling things out | Not described in Apple's Dictation guide | "Spelling mode" enters text character by character |
The Voice Control column comes from Apple's page Use Voice Control commands to interact with your Mac. Voice Control has three text modes that Apple describes: Dictation mode (the default, where words that are not commands are entered as text), Spelling mode, and Command mode, where it responds only to commands and ignores everything else.
To see every Voice Control command, say "Show commands" while it is on, or choose System Settings → Accessibility → Voice Control → Commands.
Apple's Voice Control setup page says the first time you turn it on, the Mac must be online for "a one-time file download from Apple", after which no internet connection is needed to use it.
So if you want to correct a word or operate an app hands-free, you want Voice Control. If you only want to speak text and punctuate it, standard Dictation is simpler.
Why did a command get typed as a word?
Three checks:
- Is the command in the list for your language? The lists above are English. A command that exists in one language may be worded differently in another.
- Is Voice Control on? Then Voice Control's own command set applies, not this list. Its settings show what to say in Dictation mode.
- Did you mean the word? If you need the literal word "comma" in your text, type it. Apple's Dictation guide does not describe a way to escape a command by voice.
Do third-party dictation apps use the same commands?
No. Apple's list applies to Apple's Dictation. Every other dictation app decides for itself whether spoken punctuation is supported and how. Check each app's own documentation before assuming "new paragraph" will work.
SuprFlow is an example. Its Default formatting is local cleanup of punctuation, capitalization and numbers. It has no voice commands for controlling the Mac: it will not open apps, click buttons or select text by voice. If you need that, Apple's Voice Control is the right tool, and it is free. SuprFlow vs Apple Dictation compares the two for plain text entry.
Questions people ask
How do I add punctuation in Mac dictation?
Say the name of the mark, such as "comma", "period" or "question mark". In supported languages, Auto-punctuation adds commas, periods and question marks without being told.
How do I start a new paragraph when dictating on a Mac?
Say "new paragraph". Apple says it is the same as pressing Return twice, and that the break appears when you finish dictating. Say "new line" for a single line break.
Can Mac Dictation delete or select text by voice?
Apple's Dictation command list has no editing commands. Voice Control does: Apple's examples include "Replace cat with dog" and "Delete" followed by an item number. You can also type corrections while dictating on a Mac with Apple silicon.
How do I turn off automatic punctuation on a Mac?
Open System Settings → Keyboard → Dictation and turn off Auto-punctuation.
Related guides
- How to use voice to text on a Mac
- Mac dictation shortcut: default keys and how to change them
- Mac Dictation not working? Causes and fixes
- Dictate in Spanish on a Mac
- SuprFlow vs Apple Dictation