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Commands for dictating text on Mac

When you dictate text, you can use commands for punctuation, formatting, and capitalization, and symbols for math, currency, emoticons, and intellectual property. The commands listed below are always available while you’re dictating text.

If you need additional commands to edit and format text and to control your Mac, use Voice Control. For example, you can speak commands to select or delete text, capitalize or italicize words, or press the Return key. See Control your Mac and apps using Voice Control.

* This document is a local version of this Apple Support Document

Punctuation

Command

Result

apostrophe

open bracket

[

close bracket

]

open parenthesis

(

close parenthesis

)

open brace

{

close brace

}

open angle bracket

<

close angle bracket

>

colon

:

comma

,

dash

ellipsis

exclamation mark

!

hyphen

-

period/point/dot/full stop

.

question mark

?

quote

end quote

begin single quote

end single quote

semicolon

;

Typography

Command

Result

ampersand

&

asterisk

*

at sign

@

backslash

\

forward slash

/

caret

^

center dot

large center dot

degree sign

°

hashtag/pound sign

#

percent sign

%

underscore

_

vertical bar

|

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 on

Formats the next phrase without spaces.

no space off

Resumes default spacing.

tab key

Moves the cursor to the next tab stop.

Capitalization

Command

Result

caps on

Formats the next phrase in Title Case.

caps off

Resumes the default case lettering.

all caps

Formats the next word in ALL CAPS.

all caps on

Formats the next phrase in ALL CAPS.

all caps off

Resumes the default case lettering.

Mathematical

Command

Result

equal sign

=

greater than sign

>

less than sign

<

minus sign

-

multiplication sign

x

plus sign

+

Currency

Command

Result

dollar sign

$

cent sign

¢

pound sterling sign

£

euro sign

yen sign

¥

Emoticons

Command

Result

smiley face

:-)

frowny face

:-(

winky face

;-)

cross-eyed laughing face

XD

Intellectual property

Command

Result

copyright sign

©

registered sign

®

trademark sign

See also Dictate messages and documents on Mac
If your Mac doesn’t recognize text and commands you speak

 

 

 

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