To use a dictation command on a Mac, say its name while you dictate. For example, say "comma", "period" or "new paragraph", and Dictation inserts the character or break instead of the word. This Mac dictation commands list covers the US English commands for punctuation, symbols, line breaks, capitals and emoji. To edit text or control apps by voice ("delete that", "select all"), you need Voice Control, which is covered in the second half of this page.
The commands work in any text field where you can type. You don't switch modes: Dictation listens for them in the same stream as your words.
Before you start
Dictation has to be on. Open System Settings, click Keyboard, and turn on Dictation. The Shortcut menu in that section shows the key that starts and stops dictation, and you can change it there. For the full setup, see our guide on how to use dictation on Mac.
Three things affect whether commands work:
- Language. The command words below are for English. Other dictation languages use their own words, and some commands aren't available in every language.
- Automatic punctuation. On recent macOS versions, Dictation can add commas, periods and question marks by itself in supported languages. If your Keyboard settings show an Auto-punctuation switch in the Dictation section, you can turn it off and punctuate only by voice.
- Pauses. Say the command as its own word, with a short pause before it. "Send it tomorrow [pause] period" is recognized more reliably than running the command into the sentence.
Mac dictation commands list: punctuation
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| period (or "full stop") | . |
| comma | , |
| question mark | ? |
| exclamation point (or "exclamation mark") | ! |
| colon | : |
| semicolon | ; |
| apostrophe | ' |
| hyphen | - |
| dash | a dash, longer than a hyphen |
| ellipsis | … |
| 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 bracket / close bracket | [ ] |
| open brace / close brace | { } |
Quotes work in pairs. Say "quote", the quoted words, then "end quote". "She said quote see you Monday end quote" comes out as She said "see you Monday".
Symbol, currency and math commands
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| ampersand | & |
| asterisk | * |
| at sign | @ |
| forward slash | / |
| backslash | \ |
| underscore | _ |
| percent sign | % |
| hashtag | # |
| degree sign | ° |
| dollar sign | $ |
| euro sign | € |
| pound sterling sign | £ |
| yen sign | ¥ |
| copyright sign | © |
| registered sign | ® |
| trademark sign | ™ |
| plus sign | + |
| equals sign | = |
| greater than sign | > |
| less than sign | < |
In ordinary sentences, Dictation usually writes spoken amounts and percentages as figures on its own, so you mostly need these commands when you want the symbol by itself.
Formatting commands: new lines, tabs and capitals
| Say | What it does |
|---|---|
| new line | Starts a new line, like pressing Return once |
| new paragraph | Starts a new paragraph |
| tab key | Inserts a tab |
| caps on / caps off | Capitalizes the first letter of every word between the two commands |
| all caps | Puts the next word in capitals |
| all caps on / all caps off | Puts every word between the two commands in capitals |
| no space on / no space off | Joins the words between the two commands with no spaces |
Two examples:
- "caps on annual budget review caps off" gives Annual Budget Review, useful for headings and titles.
- "no space on my file name no space off" gives myfilename.
If a formatting command comes out as plain words, check the dictation language and your pauses first (see the fixes below).
Emoji commands
To insert an emoji, say its name followed by the word "emoji":
- "heart emoji"
- "thumbs up emoji"
- "car emoji"
Use the emoji's standard name. If Dictation types the words instead, try a plainer name ("cat emoji" rather than a nickname), or insert it from the Character Viewer: in a text field, press ⌃⌘Space (Control-Command-Space).
Emoji by voice isn't available in every language or region.
Voice Control commands for editing and controlling your Mac
Plain Dictation only enters text. It doesn't select, delete or correct words, and it can't click buttons. For that, macOS has Voice Control, an accessibility feature with a long list of spoken commands for editing text, opening apps and clicking.
To turn it on:
- Open System Settings.
- Click Accessibility, then Voice Control.
- Turn on Voice Control. The first time, macOS may download files it needs.
- Click Commands to see the full list for your macOS version and language.
While Voice Control is running, you can also say "show commands" to open that list.
Voice Control commands for text
| Say | What it does |
|---|---|
| select [phrase] | Selects that phrase |
| select all | Selects all text in the field |
| delete that | Deletes the selection or the last thing you dictated |
| replace [phrase] with [phrase] | Swaps one phrase for another |
| correct that | Shows alternatives for the selected text |
| capitalize that | Capitalizes the selection |
| undo that / redo that | Undoes or redoes the last change |
| copy that / cut that / paste that | Copies, cuts or pastes |
Voice Control commands for apps and the screen
| Say | What it does |
|---|---|
| open [app name] | Opens an app |
| quit [app name] | Quits an app |
| click [item name] | Clicks a button or menu item you can see, by its name |
| show numbers | Puts a number on every clickable item; then say the number |
| show grid | Overlays a numbered grid so you can click anywhere |
| scroll up / scroll down | Scrolls the frontmost window |
| go to sleep / wake up | Pauses and resumes listening |
| command mode / dictation mode | Listens only for commands, or only for text |
You can still dictate text and punctuation while Voice Control is on. The difference is that you can also fix mistakes without touching the keyboard. Our comparison of Voice Control vs Dictation on Mac goes into when each one fits.
Dictation or Voice Control: which to use
| Dictation | Voice Control | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Typing by voice, then fixing errors with the keyboard | Hands-free use, including editing and clicking |
| How you start it | The Dictation shortcut in Keyboard settings | Turned on in Accessibility settings, then listening until you say "go to sleep" |
| Punctuation and formatting by voice | Yes | Yes |
| Select, delete, replace by voice | No | Yes |
| Click buttons and open apps | No | Yes |
Pick Dictation if you mostly type and want to talk through a long message, then tidy it up by hand. Pick Voice Control if you need to keep your hands off the keyboard, or you keep reaching for the trackpad after every sentence to fix a word.
If a command gets typed as a word
- The command ran into the sentence. Dictation decides from context whether "period" is a command or a word. Pause briefly before the command and say it on its own.
- The dictation language isn't English. English command words only work with an English dictation language. Open System Settings, click Keyboard, and check Languages in the Dictation section (click Edit to change them). If you dictate in more than one language, make sure the right one is active before you start.
- The command isn't supported in your language or region. Emoji names and some formatting commands vary. Apple's Dictation help page explains language support for your Mac.
- You used an editing command in plain Dictation. "Delete that", "select…" and "undo that" are Voice Control commands, so Dictation types them as text. Turn on Voice Control or edit with the keyboard.
- Punctuation shows up where you didn't ask for it. That is automatic punctuation, not your command. Turn off Auto-punctuation in Keyboard settings if your Mac has it, and punctuate by voice only.
- Nothing is typed at all. Then the problem is the microphone, permissions or the shortcut, not the commands. Our guide to fixing Mac dictation covers those causes.
FAQ
How do I make a new line with Mac dictation?
Say "new line" for a single line break or "new paragraph" to start a new paragraph. Pause before the command so it isn't read as part of your sentence.
Can I delete a word by voice while dictating?
Not with plain Dictation. Turn on Voice Control, then say "delete that" to remove the last thing you dictated, or "select [word]" followed by "delete that".
Where can I see every command my Mac supports?
Open System Settings ▸ Accessibility ▸ Voice Control and click Commands, or say "show commands" while Voice Control is running. That list matches your macOS version and language, so it is more reliable than any list online, including this one.
Do these commands work in other dictation apps?
Not necessarily. The commands belong to Apple's speech engine, and other apps use their own. Our app Gubb, for example, transcribes into a Gubb note using a Whisper model (on your Mac or through your own OpenAI API key), so Apple's command list doesn't apply there. If you mainly dictate quick notes, our guide on how to dictate notes on Mac compares the options.