SpeechBee

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Mac dictation punctuation commands

Dictation adds most punctuation by itself now, but line breaks and the odd question mark still need saying. Here are the spoken commands Apple Dictation understands on a Mac, the ones SpeechBee understands, and what to do when a command ends up typed as a word.

By the SpeechBee team, who make SpeechBee. Checked on 14 October 2026

On this page
  1. Apple Dictation commands on a Mac
  2. SpeechBee's spoken commands
  3. When a command gets typed as a word
  4. Questions
  5. Keep reading
  6. Sources

Apple Dictation commands on a Mac

Apple lists these among the commands for dictation in English. Turn on Dictation in System Settings, Keyboard, start it with the Microphone key or Fn twice, and say:

SayYou get
new lineOne Return
new paragraphTwo Returns
period / full stop.
comma,
question mark?
exclamation point!
colon:
semicolon;
dash / hyphen– / -
open parenthesis / close parenthesis( )
open quote / close quote" "

Apple Dictation also adds punctuation automatically in supported languages. You can turn that off in Keyboard settings if you'd rather say every mark. For selecting, deleting and moving text by voice, Apple's tool is Voice Control, under Accessibility.

SpeechBee's spoken commands

SpeechBee, which we make, understands spoken formatting on Mac. In English:

SayYou get
new paragraphTwo Returns
new lineOne Return
bullet pointA new line starting with •
full stop.
comma,
question mark?
exclamation point / exclamation mark!
semicolon;
open quote / close quote“ ”
open parenthesis / close parenthesis( )
at sign@
dot com.com
underscore_

"New paragraph" and "new line" also work in your own language: SpeechBee has these commands in 50 languages, with punctuation names in many of them, such as "neuer Absatz" in German or "nouveau paragraphe" in French.

"Period", "colon" and "dash" are not commands in SpeechBee, on purpose. They are ordinary English words, and turning them into symbols broke sentences like "a short period of time". Say "full stop" instead, or let the automatic punctuation handle it.

Voice to text
New message

Hi Maya, I'll send the revised proposal tomorrow morning.

SpeechBee's listening indicator on Mac
Hold your key, talk, let go. The text lands at the cursor.
Text to speech
Article

Most people read faster than they speak. SpeechBee reads the sentence you selected out loud, while you keep working.

SpeechBee's Read Aloud player on Mac
Select text, press your reading key, listen.

When a command gets typed as a word

  • Pause briefly before the command. "Thanks, [pause] new paragraph" works better than running it into the sentence.
  • Say it on its own, not in the middle of a phrase.
  • Check the dictation language. Commands are recognized in the language you're dictating in.
  • If you meant the word, say it as part of a longer phrase, or fix it afterwards.

Say "new paragraph" in any Mac app. Free for 7 days.

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Questions

How do I make a new line with Mac dictation?

Say "new line" for one Return or "new paragraph" for two.

How do I add a period with Mac dictation?

In Apple Dictation, say "period" or "full stop". In SpeechBee, say "full stop"; "period" stays a word.

Why does Mac dictation type "comma" instead of a comma?

Usually the command ran into the sentence. Pause briefly before saying it, and check that you're dictating in the language the command belongs to.

Can I turn off automatic punctuation in Mac dictation?

Yes, in System Settings, Keyboard, under Dictation, if your Mac offers the option for your language.

Keep reading

Sources

Checked on 14 October 2026.