OS X Yosemite: Commands for dictating text
When you’re dictating, there are many commands that you can use. For example, you can insert any punctuation mark by saying its name, such as “comma” or “period.” The commands listed here help you while dictating text and are always on.
If you’re using Enhanced Dictation, there are additional commands for editing, formatting, and navigating that you can turn on or off in the Dictation section of Accessibility preferences. For more information about these commands, see Dictation pane of Accessibility preferences.
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 | ™ |