When you dictate text on macOS, you can use specific commands to format your writing, insert punctuation, use capitalization, and add symbols—including mathematical symbols and currency signs like the euro sign. The commands listed below are always available when using dictation.
In some languages, you can even insert emojis by dictating, for example, saying “heart emoji” or “car emoji.” In supported languages, Dictation also automatically adds certain punctuation marks as you speak.
If your goal is to write text and control your Mac using voice commands instead of a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad, you can use Voice Control. When Voice Control is enabled, you can use it to dictate text; however, standard macOS dictation will not be available.
Punctuation
| Command |
Result |
| apostrophe |
‘ |
| open brackets |
[ |
| close brackets |
] |
| open parenthesis |
( |
| close parenthesis |
) |
| open brace |
{ |
| close brace |
} |
| open angle bracket |
< |
| close angle bracket |
> |
| colon |
: |
| comma |
, |
| dash |
– |
| ellipsis |
… |
| exclamation point |
! |
| hyphen |
– |
| period / dot |
. |
| question mark |
? |
| open double quotes |
“ |
| close double quotes |
“ |
| open single quotes |
‘ |
| close single quotes |
‘ |
| semicolon |
; |
Typography
| Command |
Result |
| ampersand |
& |
| asterisk |
* |
| at sign |
@ |
| backslash |
|
| forward slash |
/ |
| caret |
^ |
| middle dot |
・ |
| large middle dot |
● |
| degree sign |
° |
| pound sign / hash tag |
# |
| percent sign |
% |
| underscore |
_ |
| vertical bar / pipe |
| |
Formatting
| Command |
Result |
| new line |
Starts a new line. |
| numeral |
Formats the next phrase as a number. |
| roman numeral |
Formats the next phrase as a roman numeral. |
| new paragraph |
Starts a new paragraph. |
| no space |
Formats the next phrase without spaces. |
| space |
Restores default spacing. |
| tab key |
Moves the cursor to the next tab stop. |
Capitalization
| Command |
Result |
| caps lock on |
Formats the next phrase in uppercase. |
| caps lock off |
Restores default lettering. |
| all caps |
Formats the next word in all caps. |
| all caps on |
Formats the next phrase in all caps. |
| all caps off |
Restores default lettering. |
Math Symbols
| Command |
Result |
| equals sign |
= |
| greater than sign |
> |
| less than sign |
< |
| minus sign |
– |
| multiplication sign |
x |
| plus sign |
+ |
Currency
| Command |
Result |
| dollar sign |
$ |
| cent sign |
¢ |
| pound sign |
£ |
| euro sign |
€ |
| yen sign |
¥ |
Emoticons
| Command |
Result |
| smiley face |
🙂 |
| sad face |
🙁 |
| wink face |
😉 |
| laughing face |
XD |
Intellectual Property
| Command |
Result |
| copyright sign |
© |
| registered sign |
® |
| trademark sign |
™ |
See also
Dictate your messages and documents on Mac
If Dictation on Mac doesn’t work as expected
