Word dictation commands on a Mac: the shortcut, punctuation, editing and formatting
By Ryleigh Newman · Published
In Word on a Mac, press Option F1 to start Dictate, or click Home, then Dictate. Then speak, and say commands such as period, new line, delete that and bold that as you go. Dictate needs a Microsoft 365 subscription and a signed-in account, and Microsoft says your speech is sent to Microsoft to produce the text.
I built YapToText, a free dictation app that works in Word and every other Mac app, so read the last section with that in mind. Everything about Word here comes from Microsoft's support page for Dictate, read on October 10, 2026.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Start and stop Dictate in Word
- Sign in to Microsoft 365 in Word, on a Mac with a working microphone.
- Open a document and press Option F1, or click Home, then Dictate.
- Wait for the Dictate button to turn on and start listening.
- Speak. Click the Dictate button again when you are done.
If the Dictate button is missing, Microsoft's first check is that you are signed in with an active Microsoft 365 subscription. If it is grayed out, check that the document is not read-only. The Word dictation guide covers the fixes and two free ways to dictate into Word.
Punctuation
A selection from Microsoft's English command list for Dictate in Word, read October 10, 2026. Commands differ by language.
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| period, or full stop | . |
| comma | , |
| question mark | ? |
| exclamation mark, or exclamation point | ! |
| colon | : |
| new line | A new line |
| open quotes, close quotes | Quotation marks |
| hyphen | A hyphen |
| ellipsis, or dot dot dot | ... |
| open parentheses, close parentheses | ( ) |
Editing and selecting
- delete that, or scratch that. Removes what you just said.
- delete, then a word or phrase. Removes that word or phrase.
- delete last, with a number of words or sentences. Removes that many, from 1 to 100.
- backspace. Deletes one character, or a number you say.
- undo. Undoes the last action.
- select, then a word or phrase. Selects it. select that selects what you just said.
- insert space. Adds a space.
Formatting
- bold that, italicize that, underline that. Formats what you just said. Name a word or phrase instead of that to format it.
- capitalize, uppercase, lowercase. Each takes that, or a word or phrase.
- remove bold, remove italics, remove underline. Takes formatting off.
- align center, align left, align right. Aligns the paragraph.
- increase indent, decrease indent. Moves the indent.
- clear formatting. Removes all of it.
Microsoft's page has the full list, including lists, comments and symbols: Dictate your documents in Word.
Where your voice goes
Microsoft's page says the service does not store your audio or transcribed text, and that your speech is sent to Microsoft and used only to give you the text. So Word's Dictate needs an internet connection, and it is part of a paid subscription.
Dictating into Word without the subscription
Two free routes work in Word on a Mac. Apple's Dictation is built in. YapToText, mine, is a free app from the Mac App Store that types into Word and anywhere else your cursor is: tap Right Command, talk, tap again. It runs the speech model on your Mac, so nothing is sent anywhere and it works offline.
It handles commands differently from Word. Instead of saying each mark, you talk normally and its cleanup step adds punctuation and capitals. scratch that as your next dictation removes the last one, and for formatting or rewording you select the text, tap Right Option, and say the change. It does not apply Word formatting such as bold by voice. The spoken punctuation page explains how to place a mark yourself when you want to.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
The short version
- Start. Option F1, or Home, then Dictate. Microsoft 365 required.
- Punctuation. Say period, comma, question mark, new line.
- Fix. delete that, undo, select that.
- Format. bold that, italicize that, capitalize that.
- Free and offline. Apple's Dictation, or YapToText.
If Microsoft changes a command, open an issue on GitHub and I will update this page. Every one gets read.
This app is completely free. You don't have to make an account. There are no subscriptions, no difficult downloads, and nothing is locked. Made for Apple silicon Macs. Source on GitHub.
Related
Sources
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/dictate-your-documents-in-word-3876e05f-3fcc-418f-b8ab-db7ce0d11d3c (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://github.com/ryleighnewman/YapToText (checked 2026-10-10)
- https://apps.apple.com/us/app/yaptotext/id6786382289 (checked 2026-10-10)
Questions
What is the dictation shortcut in Word on a Mac?
Option F1 starts Dictate in Word for Mac. You can also click Home, then Dictate.
How do I dictate punctuation in Word?
Say the mark's name, such as period, comma, question mark or new line, while Dictate is listening.
How do I delete a word by voice in Word?
Say delete followed by the word, or delete that to remove what you just said.
Why is there no Dictate button in Word on my Mac?
Dictate needs an active Microsoft 365 subscription and a signed-in account.
Can I dictate in Word for free on a Mac?
Yes, with Apple's built-in Dictation or a free app such as YapToText, both of which type into Word.