---
title: "Mac dictation punctuation commands: new line, new paragraph, comma and more"
description: "The spoken commands for punctuation and line breaks in Apple Dictation on a Mac, the ones SpeechBee understands, and why “period” and “full stop” behave differently. With tips for when a command gets typed as a word."
url: "https://speechbee.app/guides/mac-dictation-punctuation-commands"
---

# 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.

> ### The short version
>
> - **Line breaks:** say "new line" (one Return) or "new paragraph" (two Returns).
> - **Punctuation:** say "comma", "question mark", "exclamation point" or "colon". In Apple Dictation, "period" ends a sentence.
> - **In SpeechBee,** say "full stop" for a full stop. "Period" stays a word, so "a short period of time" isn't broken.

## 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:

| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| new line | One Return |
| new paragraph | Two 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:

| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| new paragraph | Two Returns |
| new line | One Return |
| bullet point | A 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.

## 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.

## 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

- [How to dictate on a Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/how-to-dictate-on-mac)
- [Mac dictation shortcut](https://speechbee.app/guides/mac-dictation-shortcut)
- [Dictate in more than one language](https://speechbee.app/guides/multilingual-dictation-mac)

## More on dictation

- [Every dictation guide and comparison](https://speechbee.app/guides/voice-typing-mac)
- [Offline dictation on Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/offline-dictation-mac)
- [Voice prompts in Cursor](https://speechbee.app/guides/voice-prompts-cursor-mac)
- [Talk to ChatGPT on Mac](https://speechbee.app/guides/voice-to-chatgpt-mac)
- [Google Docs voice typing](https://speechbee.app/guides/voice-typing-google-docs)
- [Voice typing on iPhone keyboards](https://speechbee.app/guides/voice-typing-iphone-keyboard)
- [Every read-aloud guide and comparison](https://speechbee.app/guides/read-text-aloud)

## Sources

Checked on 14 October 2026.

- [Apple: Commands for dictating text on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/mh40695/mac)
- [Apple: Use Dictation on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac)
- SpeechBee's command list from the app's shared dictation rules, version 0.3.17
- SpeechBee facts from our [homepage](https://speechbee.app/) and [privacy policy](https://speechbee.app/privacy)