Windows voice typing commands work in any text box. Press Win+H, speak, and say punctuation by name ("period", "comma", "question mark"). Fix mistakes with short phrases like "delete that", "select that" or "go after [word]". To stop, say "stop listening" or "pause voice typing".
Clicking, scrolling and opening apps by voice is handled by a separate Windows 11 tool called Voice Access, which has its own commands. Once it's running, say "what can I say" to see the full list.
Which commands work depends on your language and Windows version. Microsoft keeps the current list on its voice typing support page. The tables below cover the commands you'll use most.
Voice typing or Voice Access: which one you need
| Voice typing (Win+H) | Voice Access | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Types what you say into the current text field | Controls the whole PC by voice, and also dictates |
| How to start it | Press Win+H in a text field | Turn it on in Settings |
| Commands | Punctuation, editing, cursor moves, key presses | Clicking, scrolling, windows, apps, plus editing |
| Windows version | Windows 11 (Windows 10 has an older Win+H dictation tool) | Windows 11 |
| Best for | Writing emails, documents, messages | Using the whole computer hands-free |
If you only want to write by voice, voice typing is enough. Use Voice Access when you also need to click buttons, switch apps or scroll without a keyboard or mouse.
Start and stop voice typing
- Click into a text field, such as a Word document, Notepad or a box in your browser.
- Press Win+H (Windows logo key + H). The voice typing bar appears and starts listening.
- Speak your text, including any punctuation commands.
- To stop, say "stop listening" or "pause voice typing", or click the microphone button.
To move through the voice typing menu with the keyboard, press Win+Alt+H.
Windows voice typing commands for punctuation
Say the name of the mark and voice typing inserts the symbol instead of the word.
| Say | Inserts |
|---|---|
| "period" | . |
| "comma" | , |
| "question mark" | ? |
| "colon" | : |
| "semicolon" | ; |
| "apostrophe" | ' |
| "open quote" / "close quote" | " " |
| "open parenthesis" / "close parenthesis" | ( ) |
| "open bracket" / "close bracket" | [ ] |
| "hyphen" or "dash" | - |
For a line break, say "press Enter" (see the key commands below).
Symbols
| Say | Inserts |
|---|---|
| "at sign" | @ |
| "ampersand" | & |
| "asterisk" | * |
| "percent sign" | % |
| "dollar sign" | $ |
| "plus sign" | + |
| "pound sign" or "hashtag" | # |
| "underscore" | _ |
| "forward slash" | / |
| "backslash" | \ |
If a symbol doesn't come out right, say "start spelling", say the symbol, then say "stop spelling".
Let Windows add punctuation for you
On Windows 11, the voice typing bar has a settings (gear) button with an Auto punctuation switch. With it on, Windows adds periods, commas and question marks based on how you speak. You can still say punctuation commands when the result is wrong.
Auto punctuation suits long, natural sentences. Spoken commands give you exact control over lists, codes or anything with unusual punctuation.
Editing commands
These act on the text you just dictated, or on words near the cursor.
| To do this | Say |
|---|---|
| Select what you just said | "select that" |
| Select a specific word or phrase | "select [word or phrase]" |
| Select a unit of text | "select the next three words", "select the previous two paragraphs" |
| Clear the selection | "clear selection" or "unselect that" |
| Delete what you just said, or the selected text | "delete that" or "strike that" |
| Spell a word letter by letter | "start spelling", then the letters, then "stop spelling" |
Spelling mode is the fix for names, product codes and email addresses that voice typing keeps getting wrong.
Cursor and key commands
| To do this | Say |
|---|---|
| Move to just after a word or phrase | "go after [word or phrase]" |
| Move to the start of the last dictation | "move to the start of that" |
| Move to the end of the last dictation | "go to the end of that" |
| Move back by a unit | "move back to the previous word", "go up to the previous paragraph" |
| Move forward by a unit | "move forward to the next word", "go down to the next paragraph" |
| Press a key | "press Enter", "press Backspace", "tap Tab" |
Keys you can press by voice: Tab, Enter, End, Home, Page Up, Page Down, Backspace and Delete.
Voice Access commands
Voice Access is the Windows 11 tool for controlling your whole PC by voice.
Turn on Voice Access
- Open Settings.
- Search for "voice access".
- Turn on Voice access. The first time, Windows downloads speech files for your language.
- A Voice Access bar appears at the top of the screen and shows whether it's listening.
Commands to control Voice Access itself
| To do this | Say |
|---|---|
| See every available command | "what can I say" |
| Pause listening | "voice access sleep" |
| Resume listening | "voice access wake up" |
| Turn it off | "turn off voice access" |
Commands to control apps and the screen
| To do this | Say |
|---|---|
| Open an app | "open [app name]", e.g. "open Notepad" |
| Switch to an open app | "switch to [app name]" |
| Minimize or maximize the current window | "minimize window", "maximize window" |
| Close the current window | "close window" |
| Click a button or link by its name | "click [item name]", e.g. "click Send" |
| Show numbers on every clickable item | "show numbers", then say the number |
| Show a grid to click anywhere on screen | "show grid", then say grid numbers to zoom in |
| Scroll | "scroll down", "scroll up" |
| Press a key | "press [key]", e.g. "press Enter" |
Commands to edit text in Voice Access
| To do this | Say |
|---|---|
| Select text | "select [word or phrase]" |
| Delete the selection or last dictation | "delete that" |
| Undo | "undo that" |
| Copy, cut, paste | "copy that", "cut that", "paste that" |
| Fix a misheard word | "correct [word]", then pick from the suggestions |
If a command here doesn't respond, say "what can I say". That list matches your language and Windows version, which no web page can promise.
Tips for getting commands recognized
- Pause briefly before and after a command. If you run "delete that" into the middle of a sentence, it can be typed as words.
- Fix mistakes right away. "Delete that" and "select that" act on your most recent dictation, so use them straight after the error.
- Use spelling mode for unusual words. "Start spelling" is faster than repeating a name three times.
- Use a headset or a microphone close to your mouth. Room noise makes short command phrases harder to pick out.
If voice commands don't work
The command is typed as words ("period" appears as text). Pause before and after the command and say it again. Command support also depends on your voice typing language, so check Microsoft's support page for the languages that support editing commands.
Win+H does nothing, or just types "h". Click into a text field first, because voice typing opens only where you can type. If it still fails, see Windows voice typing not working for the full set of fixes.
Commands are misheard. Check that the right microphone is selected in Settings > System > Sound, under Input. Then move closer to the microphone or cut background noise.
Voice Access commands don't respond. Look at the bar at the top of the screen. If Voice Access is asleep, say "voice access wake up" or click its microphone button. If you're unsure of the wording, say "what can I say".
There's no Voice Access on your PC. Voice Access is a Windows 11 feature. On Windows 10, Win+H dictation is the built-in option.
Dictating into a notes app instead
We make Gubb, a notes and productivity app for Mac and Windows with speech to text. It works differently from everything above. It records you, then puts the transcript into the open Gubb note. It doesn't respond to spoken commands like "delete that", and it doesn't type into other apps. With a downloaded local model, transcription runs on your computer, in English only, and covers the first 30 seconds of each recording.
For voice commands, spoken punctuation or dictation into Word, email or a browser, Windows voice typing and Voice Access are the right tools, and they're free. Gubb suits a different job: short spoken notes that land next to your checklists, timers and clipboard history in one window.
FAQ
Do these commands work on Windows 10?
Windows 10 has an older Win+H dictation tool. Auto punctuation and Voice Access are Windows 11 features.
Is there a list of commands built into Windows?
In Voice Access, yes: say "what can I say". For voice typing, Microsoft's support page has the current list.
What are the equivalent commands on a Mac?
Mac dictation uses its own phrases. See our Mac dictation commands list.
New to voice typing? Start with how to use voice typing on Windows for setup, languages and microphone settings.