Voice Typing Punctuation Commands: Complete Reference Guide
Master every punctuation command for professional voice typing. Learn how to add periods, commas, question marks, and 30+ symbols using simple voice commands.
Last updated: November 12, 2025
Table of Contents
Punctuation is the single biggest challenge facing voice typing beginners. While speaking naturally comes easy, remembering to say "comma" and "period" feels awkward and unnatural at first. Many users abandon voice typing entirely because their unpunctuated dictation becomes an unreadable wall of text. However, mastering punctuation commands is simpler than most people think—it requires learning just 8-10 essential commands that cover 95% of everyday writing. This comprehensive guide provides every punctuation command you need, organized from basic to advanced, with practical examples showing exactly how to integrate punctuation into your natural speech flow. Whether you're dictating emails, documents, or creative content, these commands will transform your raw dictation into professionally formatted text without touching your keyboard.
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Transcript
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1. Basic Punctuation Commands
These eight commands handle 95% of everyday punctuation needs. Master these first before moving to advanced symbols.
| Say This | Get This | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "Period" or "Full stop" | . | "I went to the store period" |
| "Comma" | , | "First comma second comma third" |
| "Question mark" | ? | "How are you question mark" |
| "Exclamation point" or "Exclamation mark" | ! | "That's amazing exclamation point" |
| "Colon" | : | "Remember this colon always be prepared" |
| "Semicolon" | ; | "I like apples semicolon you like oranges" |
| "Apostrophe" | ' | "It apostrophe s raining" |
| "Hyphen" or "Dash" | - | "Well hyphen known author" |
How to Say Punctuation Naturally
The key to smooth punctuation is saying it immediately after the word it follows, without pausing: "I went to the store comma bought groceries comma and came home period" should flow as naturally as speaking the sentence without punctuation. Don't say "I went to the store... comma... bought groceries" with awkward pauses—maintain your natural speaking rhythm and treat punctuation commands as part of the sentence flow.
Beginner Exercise
Practice this sentence with proper punctuation flow:
"I need three items colon milk comma eggs comma and bread period Please buy them today period"
Result: I need three items: milk, eggs, and bread. Please buy them today.
2. Sentence Ending Punctuation
These commands not only add punctuation but also signal sentence boundaries, helping the recognition engine capitalize the next word automatically.
Period / Full Stop
Say "period" or "full stop" to end declarative sentences. Most voice recognition systems automatically capitalize the next word after a period.
Say: "The meeting starts at noon period I'll bring the documents period"
Result: The meeting starts at noon. I'll bring the documents.
Question Mark
Say "question mark" immediately after the last word of your question. The next word will automatically capitalize.
Say: "Can you help me question mark I need assistance period"
Result: Can you help me? I need assistance.
Exclamation Point
Say "exclamation point" or "exclamation mark" to add emphasis and end sentences. Use sparingly for genuine emphasis rather than routine statements.
Say: "That's incredible exclamation point I can't believe it exclamation point"
Result: That's incredible! I can't believe it!
Ellipsis (Three Dots)
Say "ellipsis" or "dot dot dot" to create trailing-off or suspenseful effects in your writing.
Say: "I was thinking ellipsis maybe we could try a different approach"
Result: I was thinking... maybe we could try a different approach
3. Special Symbols and Characters
Beyond basic punctuation, these commands handle quotes, parentheses, mathematical symbols, and special characters commonly used in professional and technical writing.
Quotation Marks
Open quote / Quote: "
Close quote / End quote: "
Say: "She said open quote hello world close quote"
Result: She said "hello world"
For single quotes (apostrophes as quotation marks), say "open single quote" and "close single quote."
Parentheses and Brackets
| Say This | Get This |
|---|---|
| "Open parenthesis" / "Left paren" | ( |
| "Close parenthesis" / "Right paren" | ) |
| "Open bracket" / "Left bracket" | [ |
| "Close bracket" / "Right bracket" | ] |
| "Open brace" / "Left brace" | { |
| "Close brace" / "Right brace" | } |
Mathematical and Special Symbols
| Say This | Get This | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "At sign" | @ | Email addresses |
| "Hashtag" / "Pound sign" | # | Social media tags |
| "Dollar sign" | $ | Prices and currency |
| "Percent sign" | % | Percentages |
| "Ampersand" / "And sign" | & | Company names |
| "Asterisk" / "Star" | * | Footnotes, emphasis |
| "Plus sign" | + | Addition |
| "Equals sign" | = | Equations |
| "Slash" / "Forward slash" | / | Dates, URLs |
| "Backslash" | \ | File paths |
| "Underscore" | _ | Filenames, variables |
4. Formatting Commands
These commands control text layout, capitalization, and paragraph structure—essential for professional document formatting.
Line and Paragraph Breaks
| Say This | Result |
|---|---|
| "New line" | Moves to next line (like pressing Enter once) |
| "New paragraph" | Creates paragraph break (like pressing Enter twice) |
Capitalization Commands
Control capitalization for proper nouns, emphasis, or stylistic purposes:
- "Cap" or "Capitalize" — Capitalizes the next word: "cap hello" → Hello
- "All caps" + word + "off caps" — Creates all-caps text: "all caps urgent off caps" → URGENT
- "No caps" — Forces lowercase (platform-dependent)
Spacing Commands
"No space" — Removes space before next word
Example: "at no space sign" → at@ (useful for email addresses)
"Space bar" — Inserts a space (rarely needed as spaces are automatic)
Practical Formatting Example
Say: "Dear cap sarah comma new paragraph I wanted to follow up on yesterday apostrophe s meeting period new paragraph Best regards comma new line cap john"
Result:
Dear Sarah,
I wanted to follow up on yesterday's meeting.
Best regards,
John
5. Advanced Punctuation Techniques
Once you've mastered basic punctuation, these advanced techniques help you handle complex writing scenarios with voice commands.
Compound Punctuation
Some situations require multiple punctuation marks together. Say them in sequence:
Comma + Quote: "He said comma open quote hello close quote"
Result: He said, "hello"
Question Mark + Quote: "She asked comma open quote where are you question mark close quote"
Result: She asked, "where are you?"
Parenthetical Statement: "I visited Seattle open parenthesis Washington close parenthesis last year"
Result: I visited Seattle (Washington) last year
Email Address Dictation
Dictating email addresses and URLs requires careful punctuation. Use "no space" between components:
Say: "john dot smith at sign company dot com"
Better: "john no space dot no space smith no space at sign no space company no space dot no space com"
Result: john.smith@company.com
List Formatting
Create properly formatted lists by combining punctuation and formatting commands:
Say:
"Shopping list colon new line
Milk new line
Eggs new line
Bread new line
Butter"
Result:
Shopping list:
Milk
Eggs
Bread
Butter
Complex Sentence Structures
Professional writing often requires complex punctuation. Practice these patterns:
Example 1 (Semicolon with conjunction):
"I love reading semicolon however comma I rarely have time period"
Result: I love reading; however, I rarely have time.
Example 2 (Colon with list):
"You need three things colon patience comma practice comma and persistence period"
Result: You need three things: patience, practice, and persistence.
6. Platform-Specific Differences
While most punctuation commands work universally, some platforms have unique commands or alternative phrasings. Understanding these differences helps you adapt quickly when switching between devices or applications.
Google Docs Voice Typing
- Supports all standard punctuation commands
- Excellent at automatic capitalization after periods
- Use "new line" for single line breaks
- Alternative: "full stop" works for periods
Microsoft Word Dictation
- Similar command set to Google Docs
- Supports "go to next line" as alternative to "new line"
- Strong formatting command support
- May require "numeral" before numbers to prevent word spelling
Windows Speech Recognition
- Uses "period" rather than "full stop" primarily
- Requires "new line" for line breaks (not "enter")
- Good support for "correct that" command to fix errors
Mac Dictation
- Excellent punctuation command recognition
- Both "period" and "full stop" work reliably
- Strong support for special characters
- Enhanced dictation (enabled in settings) provides more commands
Web-Based Tools (Like Ours)
- Use browser's built-in speech recognition (Web Speech API)
- Punctuation support depends on Chrome's speech engine
- Best results with clear pronunciation of commands
- May require manual punctuation insertion for symbols
Pro Tip: Test Your Platform
Spend 5 minutes testing punctuation commands on your specific platform. Some commands have alternative phrasings ("full stop" vs "period"), and knowing which works best on your system saves frustration during actual dictation.
7. Practice Exercises
Mastering punctuation requires practice until commands become automatic. These progressive exercises build your punctuation fluency.
Exercise 1: Basic Sentence Punctuation
Practice dictating these sentences with proper punctuation:
1. "I went to the store period"
2. "Do you like coffee question mark"
3. "That's amazing exclamation point"
4. "I bought apples comma oranges comma and bananas period"
5. "She said comma quote hello close quote period"
Exercise 2: Email Composition
Dictate this complete email with all punctuation:
"Dear cap sarah comma new paragraph Thank you for your email about the project timeline period I can complete the research by Friday comma but I'll need until Monday for the final report period new paragraph Please let me know if this works for you period new paragraph Best regards comma new line cap john"
Target: A properly formatted email with greeting, body paragraphs, and closing.
Exercise 3: Complex Punctuation
Practice advanced punctuation patterns:
1. "I love reading semicolon however comma I rarely have time period"
2. "She asked comma open quote where are you question mark close quote"
3. "You need three things colon patience comma practice comma and persistence period"
4. "The deadline open parenthesis March 15 close parenthesis is approaching fast period"
Exercise 4: Speed Integration
Dictate continuously for 2 minutes on any topic, incorporating punctuation naturally without stopping. The goal is to make punctuation commands feel like part of your natural speech flow rather than separate commands. Focus on maintaining rhythm and momentum.
Weekly Practice Plan
- Day 1-2: Basic punctuation (period, comma, question mark) — 10 minutes daily
- Day 3-4: Add quotes and apostrophes — 10 minutes daily
- Day 5-6: Complex punctuation (colon, semicolon, parentheses) — 15 minutes daily
- Day 7: Integrated practice with real-world content (emails, documents) — 20 minutes
Real-World Punctuation Scenarios
Professional Email
Dictate:
"Hi cap mark comma new paragraph I wanted to follow up on yesterday apostrophe s meeting period Could you send me the budget spreadsheet question mark I need it for tomorrow apostrophe s presentation period new paragraph Thanks exclamation point new line cap sarah"
Result: Properly formatted professional email with greeting, body, and closing.
Meeting Notes
Dictate:
"Meeting cap agenda colon new line Discuss Q4 targets new line Review budget changes new line Plan next quarter apostrophe s strategy new paragraph Action items colon new line cap sarah hyphen complete research by Friday new line cap mark hyphen send budget spreadsheet"
Result: Organized meeting notes with structured lists and assignments.
Creative Writing
Dictate:
"She walked slowly down the dark street comma her footsteps echoing in the silence period open quote Is anyone there question mark close quote she called out comma but only silence answered period The fog grew thicker comma wrapping around her like a cold blanket period"
Result: Narrative text with dialog, descriptive commas, and atmosphere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to pause before saying punctuation commands?
No, say punctuation commands immediately after the word they follow without pausing. Pausing disrupts your flow and actually makes recognition harder. Say "I went to the store comma bought groceries" as one continuous phrase rather than "I went to the store... [pause]... comma... [pause]... bought groceries." Natural, continuous speech with integrated punctuation commands produces the best results and fastest dictation speeds.
Why aren't my punctuation commands working?
Common causes include: (1) Speaking too quickly or mumbling the command, (2) Using incorrect command names for your platform (try "period" vs "full stop"), (3) Background noise interfering with recognition, (4) Poor microphone quality or positioning, (5) Not having the latest updates for your dictation software. Try speaking punctuation commands slightly slower and more clearly than regular words until the system reliably recognizes them. Also verify your platform's specific punctuation command list, as some platforms use different terminology.
Can I edit punctuation after dictating?
Yes, it's often faster to dictate continuously and add or fix punctuation during a review pass rather than stopping frequently during dictation. For major punctuation (periods, commas, question marks), try to include them while dictating to maintain proper sentence structure and capitalization. For minor punctuation refinements, edit afterward. Many professional dictators use a hybrid approach: dictate with basic punctuation (period, comma, question mark), then add advanced punctuation (semicolons, colons, parentheses) during editing.
How do I dictate multiple punctuation marks in a row?
Say each punctuation command in sequence: "What are you doing question mark exclamation point" produces "What are you doing?!" For quotations with ending punctuation, say the punctuation before the closing quote: "She said comma open quote I'll be there period close quote" produces 'She said, "I'll be there."' Practice these compound punctuation patterns slowly at first, then gradually increase speed as the patterns become automatic.
Are punctuation commands the same in all languages?
No, punctuation commands vary by language and platform. When dictating in Spanish, French, German, or other languages, the commands are typically spoken in that language. For example, in Spanish you'd say "punto" (period), "coma" (comma), "signo de interrogación" (question mark). The punctuation marks themselves are often the same, but the voice commands differ. Some platforms also handle language-specific punctuation automatically (like inverted question marks in Spanish: ¿). If you dictate in multiple languages, learn the punctuation commands for each language you use regularly.
Master Punctuation with Practice
Start practicing punctuation commands today with our free voice typing tool. In just one week of daily practice, you'll dictate with natural punctuation flow.
Try Our Free Voice Typing Tool