Mac Dictation Punctuation Commands: The Full List

Mac dictation punctuation commands are simple: say the name of the mark while you dictate. Say "comma", "period", "question mark" or "exclamation mark", and your Mac types the symbol instead of the word.

For line breaks, say "new line" or "new paragraph". In supported languages, Dictation also adds commas, periods and question marks for you.

This list follows Apple's guide for macOS 27, checked on November 2, 2026. Other macOS versions can differ. Apple's guide has a version menu if you use an older one.

Punctuation commands for Mac dictation

Say any of these while Dictation is on:

• Sentence endings: "period", "question mark", "exclamation mark". You can also say "point", "dot" or "full stop" for a period.
• Inside a sentence: "comma", "colon", "semicolon", "ellipsis", "dash", "hyphen", "apostrophe".
• Quotes: "quote" and "end quote". For single quotes, say "begin single quote" and "end single quote".
• Parentheses: "open parenthesis" and "close parenthesis".
• Brackets: "open square bracket", "close square bracket", "open brace", "close brace", "open angle bracket", "close angle bracket".

New lines and spacing commands

• "new line" starts a new line, like pressing Return once.
• "new paragraph" starts a new paragraph, like pressing Return twice.
• "tab key" moves the cursor to the next tab stop.
• "no space on" types the next phrase with no spaces. "no space off" brings spaces back.

Capital letter commands

• "all caps" puts the next word in capitals.
• "all caps on" puts the next phrase in capitals. "all caps off" stops it.
• "caps on" puts the next phrase in Title Case. "caps off" stops it.

Number and symbol commands

• Numbers: "numeral" types the next phrase as a number. "roman numeral" types it as a Roman numeral.
• Common symbols: "at sign", "ampersand", "asterisk", "percent sign", "hashtag", "pound sign", "underscore", "forward slash", "backslash", "vertical bar", "caret", "degree sign".
• Math: "plus sign", "minus sign", "multiplication sign", "equal sign", "greater than sign", "less than sign".
• Money: "dollar sign", "cent sign", "pound sterling sign", "euro sign", "yen sign".
• Legal marks: "copyright sign", "registered sign", "trademark sign".

Emoji and smiley commands

In some languages you can say the name of an emoji, like "heart emoji" or "car emoji".

Apple also lists text smileys: "smiley face", "frowny face" and "winky face".

How to turn Auto-punctuation on or off

In supported languages, Dictation adds commas, periods and question marks as you talk. You still say other marks yourself, like an exclamation mark.

If you would rather control all punctuation yourself:

1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
2. Click Keyboard in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
3. Go to Dictation.
4. Turn off Auto-punctuation.

Apple's guide does not list the supported languages. It says features vary by language and region, so test yours with a short sentence.

In macOS 27, Apple says Apple Intelligence can also improve punctuation, spelling and capitals in dictation. This is for English on Macs with M3 or later and at least 12GB of unified memory.

Why does dictation type the word instead of the symbol?

Apple's guide does not give a fix for this, but these checks are worth trying:

1. Pause a moment around the command. Say the sentence, stop briefly, then say "comma" clearly.
2. Use the exact wording. Say "open parenthesis", not "open bracket", and "exclamation mark", not "exclamation point".
3. Check your Dictation language. Features vary by language, so these English command names may not work in another one.
4. Check that Voice Control is off. When it is on, you dictate with Voice Control instead of standard Dictation. Look in System Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.

If Dictation will not start at all, see how to dictate on Mac for setup, the dictation shortcut guide for the keys, or our Mac dictation fix guide. If it starts but keeps cutting out, read why Mac dictation stops early.

Are there commands to delete or select text?

Not in this list. Apple's commands for standard Dictation cover punctuation, symbols, capitals and formatting, not selecting or deleting.

To fix a mistake, use the keyboard. On a Mac with Apple silicon, you can type while Dictation is listening. To edit by voice, look at Apple's Voice Control, which is a separate feature in System Settings > Accessibility.

When built-in Dictation is enough

Apple's Dictation is free and already on your Mac. If you write short messages and notes, and these commands do what you need, you may not need anything else.

Dictation also stops after 30 seconds without speech, and it is not available in every language or region. If that gets in your way, or you want every word to stay on your Mac, a dedicated app can help. Our list of Apple Dictation alternatives compares the options, including when to stay with Apple.

Where TalkFlowy fits

TalkFlowy is a voice to text app for Apple Silicon Macs. You press one system-wide shortcut, speak, and your words appear live. AutoPaste then puts the text into the app you are using and copies it to the clipboard.

Speech is turned into text by local AI models on your Mac, and it works 100% offline. Your voice and text are not sent to a server. It supports 50+ languages and works in any app with a text field.

The commands in this guide are Apple's, for Apple's Dictation. Try your own writing in TalkFlowy's free trial to see if it suits you. It has all features and needs no credit card. TalkFlowy needs an M1 or newer Mac with macOS 14.6 or later.