Learn · Cheat sheet
Mac dictation commands: the punctuation cheat sheet
macOS Dictation types your words for free and can add punctuation automatically in supported languages, though the results vary. Say “comma” when you need control. Below is every command Apple documents for built-in Dictation, checked against their current support doc and grouped so you can find a symbol fast.
How the commands work
- 1 Start Dictation: press the microphone key if your keyboard has one, or the shortcut you picked in System Settings. If yours is unset or fighting another app, see how to set and fix the Mac dictation shortcut.
- 2 Speak the command exactly where the mark should go, in the flow of the sentence: “running late comma order without me period”.
- 3 Apple says Dictation adds some punctuation automatically in supported languages; in practice that means commas, periods, and question marks. Every other mark comes from the tables below. New to dictating entirely? Start with how to dictate on a Mac.
Table 01
Punctuation
| You say | You get |
|---|---|
| “comma” macOS adds this automatically | , |
| “period” (or “full stop”, “point”, “dot”) macOS adds this automatically | . |
| “question mark” macOS adds this automatically | ? |
| “exclamation mark” | ! |
| “colon” | : |
| “semicolon” | ; |
| “apostrophe” | ’ |
| “dash” | – |
| “hyphen” | - |
| “ellipsis” | … |
| “quote” … “end quote” | “ ” |
| “begin single quote” … “end single quote” | ‘ ’ |
| “open parenthesis” / “close parenthesis” | ( ) |
| “open square bracket” / “close square bracket” | [ ] |
| “open brace” / “close brace” | { } |
| “open angle bracket” / “close angle bracket” | < > |
Table 02
Symbols & typography
| You say | You get |
|---|---|
| “ampersand” | & |
| “asterisk” | * |
| “at sign” | @ |
| “backslash” | \ |
| “forward slash” | / |
| “caret” | ^ |
| “degree sign” | ° |
| “hashtag” (or “pound sign”) | # |
| “percent sign” | % |
| “underscore” | _ |
| “vertical bar” | | |
| “center dot” | ・ |
| “large center dot” | ● |
Table 03
Math, currency & legal marks
| You say | You get |
|---|---|
| “equal sign” | = |
| “plus sign” | + |
| “minus sign” | - |
| “multiplication sign” | x |
| “greater than sign” | > |
| “less than sign” | < |
| “dollar sign” | $ |
| “cent sign” | ¢ |
| “euro sign” | € |
| “pound sterling sign” | £ |
| “yen sign” | ¥ |
| “copyright sign” | © |
| “registered sign” | ® |
| “trademark sign” | ™ |
Table 04
Formatting & capitalization
| You say | You get |
|---|---|
| “new line” | Starts a new line |
| “new paragraph” | Starts a new paragraph |
| “tab key” | Moves the cursor to the next tab stop |
| “caps on” … “caps off” | Title Case For Everything In Between |
| “all caps” | The NEXT word in capitals |
| “all caps on” … “all caps off” | EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN IN CAPITALS |
| “no space on” … “no space off” | Removesallthespaces |
| “numeral” | Writes the next phrase as a number |
| “roman numeral” | Writes the next phrase as a Roman numeral |
Table 05
Emoticons & emoji
| You say | You get |
|---|---|
| “smiley face” | :-) |
| “frowny face” | :-( |
| “winky face” | ;-) |
| “cross-eyed laughing face” | XD |
| “heart emoji”, “car emoji”, any emoji by name | That emoji, at the cursor |
Source: Apple’s “Commands for dictating text” support document, checked July 2026. Command lists can shift between macOS versions; Apple’s page is the canonical copy.
Table 06 · empty
The navigation commands (there aren’t any)
Apple’s dictation command set stops at typing. There is no “delete that”, no “select the last sentence”, no way to move the cursor by voice. Those commands do exist on a Mac, but they belong to Voice Control, a separate accessibility feature under System Settings > Accessibility, built to drive the whole machine by voice rather than type into one field.
With plain Dictation, you make corrections the usual way: with the keyboard. If that ceiling is the thing bothering you, read how Dictate compares to Apple’s built-in dictation.
The other option
Start with five commands.
That was about seventy commands. Dictate takes the opposite approach: hold a key, talk normally, and punctuation comes from how you said it. Ask a question and a question mark shows up. There is no command vocabulary to learn, because there are no commands.
You say: “can you send the deck by friday”
It types: “Can you send the deck by Friday?”
In fairness, Apple’s newer auto-punctuation covers commas, periods, and question marks in supported languages, and it is free. Dictate costs $8 a month, flat. What you are paying for is punctuation, capitalization, and cleanup that come from your speech instead of a command list, and text that lands wherever your cursor was. This cheat sheet works either way.
Recurring questions
Command questions
Punctuation, paragraphs, and voice navigation.
How do I make Mac dictation type a period?
Say “period”. Apple also accepts “full stop”, “point”, and “dot”. macOS may insert periods automatically, but the spoken command is more reliable.
How do I start a new paragraph when dictating on a Mac?
Say "new paragraph". For a single line break without the paragraph gap, say "new line".
Does Mac dictation add punctuation automatically?
Partly. Dictation can add commas, periods, and question marks in supported languages. Other marks still need a spoken command.
Can I delete or select text with Mac dictation?
No. Dictation only types. Voice Control handles deleting, selecting, and moving the cursor by voice.
Why does dictation type the word "comma" instead of the symbol?
Keep the command in the flow of the sentence and check that the selected dictation language matches what you are speaking.
Do these commands work in every app?
Yes. They work wherever macOS Dictation can type. If Dictation will not start in one app, the problem is not the command list.
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