Mac dictation commands: Apple's full list, and how to delete
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
Mac dictation commands are words you say while Dictation is listening, and Apple lists 65 of them in eight groups: punctuation such as comma, question mark and open parenthesis, layout such as new line and new paragraph, capitals such as caps on and all caps, and symbols from dollar sign to copyright sign.
The list has no command to delete or backspace. On an Apple silicon Mac you can press Delete without stopping Dictation, and Voice Control adds spoken editing. Below are all 65 commands in tables, then in one box you can copy, then how YapToText's commands differ. I built YapToText, so read that section, and the figures that show it, with that in mind. The lists come from Apple's Mac User Guide as I read it on October 3, 2026.
Download for free. No account, nothing locked, macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon. Source on GitHub.
On this page: 11 sections
Steps
- Click where you want the text and start Dictation.
- Say your sentence, and say a command such as comma or question mark where the mark belongs.
- Say new line or new paragraph to break lines; they appear when you finish.
- Say caps on before a phrase to put it in Title Case, and caps off to go back.
- Press Esc to stop Dictation.
Say a command while you dictate
- You: Start Dictation, say your sentence, and say the command where the mark belongs: the meeting moved to Friday comma so I will call you then period.
- macOS: Types the mark in place of the word. New line and new paragraph appear when you finish dictating.
- Check: The mark is in your text. If the word was typed instead, go to if a command types the word instead.
In supported languages, Dictation also adds commas, periods and question marks on its own, which Apple calls Auto-punctuation. If you would rather place every mark yourself, turn it off under Dictation in System Settings, Keyboard. Say the mark where it goes, and Dictation types it.
Punctuation commands
Apple lists these as always available while you dictate. On macOS 14 and 15 the square brackets are called open bracket and close bracket.
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| apostrophe | An apostrophe |
| open square bracket | [ |
| close square bracket | ] |
| open parenthesis | ( |
| close parenthesis | ) |
| open brace | { |
| close brace | } |
| open angle bracket | < |
| close angle bracket | > |
| colon | : |
| comma | , |
| dash | A dash, longer than a hyphen |
| ellipsis | … |
| exclamation mark | An exclamation mark |
| hyphen | A hyphen |
| period, point, dot or full stop | . |
| question mark | ? |
| quote | An opening quotation mark |
| end quote | A closing quotation mark |
| begin single quote | An opening single quote |
| end single quote | A closing single quote |
| semicolon | ; |
Formatting and capital letters
Formatting
| Say | What it does |
|---|---|
| new line | Starts a new line |
| new paragraph | Starts a new paragraph |
| tab key | Moves the cursor to the next tab stop |
| numeral | Formats the next phrase as a number |
| roman numeral | Formats the next phrase as a Roman numeral |
| no space on | Formats the next phrase without spaces |
| no space off | Goes back to normal spacing |
Capitals
| Say | What it does |
|---|---|
| caps on | Formats the next phrase in Title Case |
| caps off | Goes back to normal capitals |
| all caps | Puts the next word in capitals |
| all caps on | Puts the next phrase in capitals |
| all caps off | Goes back to normal capitals |
The on and off commands work as a pair: say the on command, the phrase, then the off command. Saying all caps on is as close as dictation gets to shouting.
Symbols, math, currency and emoticons
Symbols
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| ampersand | & |
| asterisk | * |
| at sign | @ |
| backslash | \ |
| forward slash | / |
| caret | ^ |
| center dot | A small center dot |
| large center dot | A large dot |
| degree sign | ° |
| hashtag or pound sign | # |
| percent sign | % |
| underscore | _ |
| vertical bar | | |
Math
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| equal sign | = |
| greater than sign | > |
| less than sign | < |
| minus sign | A minus sign |
| multiplication sign | x |
| plus sign | + |
Currency
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| dollar sign | $ |
| cent sign | ¢ |
| pound sterling sign | £ |
| euro sign | € |
| yen sign | ¥ |
Emoticons and trademarks
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| smiley face | :-) |
| frowny face | :-( |
| winky face | ;-) |
| cross-eyed laughing face | XD |
| copyright sign | © |
| registered sign | ® |
| trademark sign | ™ |
Emoji
In some languages you can also say an emoji's name followed by the word emoji, such as heart emoji or car emoji, and Dictation types the emoji.
Copy the whole list
Every command from the tables above, one per line, grouped the same way. Paste it into a note, or print it and keep it next to the keyboard.
Say: Any of these while Apple's Dictation is listening.
apostrophe
open square bracket
close square bracket
open parenthesis
close parenthesis
open brace
close brace
open angle bracket
close angle bracket
colon
comma
dash
ellipsis
exclamation mark
hyphen
period (or point, dot, full stop)
question mark
quote
end quote
begin single quote
end single quote
semicolon
new line
new paragraph
tab key
numeral
roman numeral
no space on
no space off
caps on
caps off
all caps
all caps on
all caps off
ampersand
asterisk
at sign
backslash
forward slash
caret
center dot
large center dot
degree sign
hashtag (or pound sign)
percent sign
underscore
vertical bar
equal sign
greater than sign
less than sign
minus sign
multiplication sign
plus sign
dollar sign
cent sign
pound sterling sign
euro sign
yen sign
smiley face
frowny face
winky face
cross-eyed laughing face
copyright sign
registered sign
trademark signWhat happens: Each phrase types its mark, or does its formatting job, at the spot where you say it. On macOS 14 and 15, say open bracket and close bracket for the square brackets.
Delete and fix words without a delete command
Apple's Dictation has no spoken delete or backspace: the commands it lists as always available are the ones above. Three things work instead.
- Press Delete as you go. On an Apple silicon Mac you can type while Dictation keeps listening, so Delete works without stopping it, and Dictation picks up again when you stop typing.
- Click a blue word. Words Dictation was unsure of are underlined in blue. Click one and choose the alternative, or type or dictate the right word.
- Edit by voice with Voice Control. Voice Control, under Accessibility, can edit text by voice: say Show numbers, then a command such as Delete or Uppercase followed by the number of a line or word, or say Replace cat with dog. While it is on, standard Dictation is not available, so it is one or the other. The guide to typing on a Mac without hands pairs Voice Control with a dictation app.
To see every Voice Control text command on your Mac, choose Apple menu, System Settings, Accessibility, Voice Control, then click Commands. With Voice Control on, saying Show commands lists the ones that fit what you are doing. Dictation adds words, and your keyboard or Voice Control takes them away.
If a command types the word instead
Climb this ladder, smallest step first:
- Say the phrase as Apple lists it. The commands are the exact phrases in the tables, so say open parenthesis as written.
- Wait for new lines. New line and new paragraph appear when you finish dictating, so stop before you decide they failed.
- Check your language. Emoji by name works only in some languages, and Dictation's features vary by language and region.
- Check for Voice Control. If it is on, you are dictating through Voice Control, and its own command list applies. Say Show commands to see it.
How YapToText's commands differ
YapToText, the free dictation app I built, uses most of the same words, with one deliberate difference: a one-word command such as comma, period or colon needs the word insert in front of it, so ordinary speech never turns into a symbol by accident. I dictate every day because my hands make typing difficult, and a stray mark in the middle of "that period of time" is exactly what the rule stops. The setting is Require the word “insert” before a command, on by default, on the Commands page.
| You want | Apple's Dictation | YapToText, by default |
|---|---|---|
| A comma | Say comma | Say insert comma |
| A question mark | Say question mark | Say question mark at the end of a clause |
| A new line | Say new line | Say new line |
| A smiley | smiley face types :-) | insert smiley face types the emoji |
| To take back the last thing you said | No spoken command; press Delete | Say scratch that within 30 seconds of the text landing |
| Capitals | caps on, all caps | Quick Edit: select the text, tap Right Option, say capitalize this, and tap again |
| A long pause | Ends Dictation after 30 seconds | Keeps listening until you tap the key |
YapToText ships 45 punctuation commands, 158 emoji commands and 5 snippets, such as today's date, and you can edit, add or switch off any of them on the Commands page. The speech model punctuates ordinary speech by itself too. If you use YapToText, the full list and its rules are on the spoken punctuation help page, and names it keeps mishearing belong in Dictionaries.
The short version
- Say the name. comma, question mark, new paragraph, caps on: Apple lists 65.
- Copy the list. The box above has every one, ready to print.
- Delete by hand or with Voice Control. Dictation has no spoken delete, and on Apple silicon you can press Delete as you go.
- In YapToText, add insert. insert comma and insert period, by default.
Learn the ten commands you use most, and keep the box for the rest. If a command on Apple's list does not work on your Mac, or I have one wrong, open an issue on GitHub. Every one gets read.
Download for free. No account, nothing locked, macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/commands-for-dictating-text-on-mac-mh40695/mac (checked 2026-10-03)
- https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/mac (checked 2026-10-03)
- https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-voice-control-commands-mh40719/mac (checked 2026-10-03)
- https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-dictation-mh40584/14.0/mac/14.0 (checked 2026-10-03)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-03)
Questions
What are the dictation commands on a Mac?
Words you say while Dictation listens: punctuation such as comma and question mark, new line and new paragraph, caps on and all caps, and symbols such as dollar sign and at sign. Apple lists 65 of them in its Mac User Guide.
How do you delete with dictation on a Mac?
Not by voice in Apple's Dictation, which has no delete command. On an Apple silicon Mac, press Delete while Dictation keeps listening, or use Voice Control, which can delete by voice.
Is there a backspace command for Mac dictation?
No. Apple's command list has no backspace or delete. Voice Control, a separate Apple feature, has spoken editing commands.
How do I add punctuation when dictating on a Mac?
Say the mark's name where it goes, such as comma, period or question mark. In supported languages, Auto-punctuation also adds commas, periods and question marks for you.
Is there a PDF of Mac dictation commands?
Apple publishes the list as a page in its Mac User Guide, Commands for dictating text on Mac. The copy box on this page holds every command from it, ready to paste into a note or print.
How do I make a new line with Mac dictation?
Say new line for one Return, or new paragraph for two. They appear when you finish dictating.