Glossary
Spoken punctuation
Spoken punctuation is saying the name of a punctuation mark, such as comma or question mark, so that dictation software writes that mark into the text. It is the manual alternative to automatic punctuation.
Updated October 16, 20264 cited facts, each traced to its source
Also called verbal punctuation, dictated punctuation.
Spoken punctuation is saying the name of a mark, such as "comma", "period" or "question mark", so that dictation software writes the symbol rather than the word. You choose each mark yourself, which makes it the precise way to punctuate by voice.
You say the name of the mark
The rule is simple, though the exact command names vary a little between products. On iPhone, you add punctuation by saying the name of the mark, for example "exclamation point" 1. Microsoft's English command table for Dictate in Word lists period, comma, question mark, exclamation mark and new line as spoken punctuation or formatting 2.
For example, saying "Thanks for your help exclamation point" should produce "Thanks for your help!" on iPhone, and "Can you send it question mark" should produce "Can you send it?". The mark replaces the spoken name, so you do not type the word "exclamation" into your text.
Speaking the marks is an old idea
Dictation needs a way to mark punctuation, and spoken marks are one answer. A 2019 paper on audio punctuation and readability says that a telegraphic style with explicit dictation of the punctuation marks was foreseen for dictation systems 3.
Spoken punctuation gives control, at the cost of flow
Spoken punctuation is exact. You get the mark you chose, in the place you chose it. The cost is that every mark is a word you must say, and a sentence with many commas becomes a stream of command names. Editing works the same way. In Microsoft 365 Dictation, saying "delete" by itself removes the last word or punctuation mark before the cursor 4, so a wrong mark can be removed without retyping the sentence.
Use spoken punctuation for text where a wrong mark changes the meaning, such as a formal letter, a contract clause or a list of figures. For casual messages, automatic punctuation is often enough.
Related terms
- Automatic punctuation: the software adds commas, periods and question marks without a spoken name.
- Dictation: speaking so that software writes your words as you say them.
- Voice command: a spoken instruction that acts on the text, such as delete.
Guides that cover it
Evidence
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Related terms
- Dictation and Voice Typing: How to Talk Instead of TypeThe topic this term belongs to
- Automatic punctuationAutomatic punctuation is when speech software infers commas, periods and question marks from your speech and inserts them without a spoken command. It can be switched on or off, and it works only in supported languages.
- DictaphoneA Dictaphone is a machine that records a speaker's voice so that another person can play it back and type it later. The name began as a brand, and it became the everyday word for dictation machines.
- DictationDictation is speaking your words so that software writes them as text, usually into the app that has the cursor. Phones and computers now include it, and people also call it voice dictation or voice typing.
- Dictation foot pedalA dictation foot pedal is a footswitch that controls playback of a recording, so a typist can start, pause and rewind audio without using their hands. It is the traditional control for transcribing dictation.
- Digital dictationDigital dictation is recording speech as digital audio, then sending the file to a typist or to speech recognition software for transcription. It replaced tape with files that can be encrypted, uploaded or routed for processing.
- Filler wordsFiller words are sounds and words such as um, uh, like and you know that speakers produce while they plan what to say next, without adding content. Many dictation tools can remove them automatically, and research on transcripts found they can be deleted without compromising meaning.
- HomophoneA homophone is a word pronounced the same as another word but different in meaning, spelling or both, such as to, too and two. Dictation software has to choose the right spelling from context, so homophones are one of the most common errors in dictated text.
- Noise-canceling microphoneA noise-canceling microphone is designed to filter ambient noise, so it picks up mainly the speaker's voice. It can help dictation in noisy rooms, but it does not remove all noise, and it is different from the active noise cancellation in headphones.
- Oral compositionOral composition is working out and shaping a text by speaking it, whether to a dictation tool, to a recorder or silently in thought. Research on letters finds that planning takes most of the time, however the text is produced, so speaking mainly changes how the words get onto the page.
- Push-to-talkPush-to-talk is a dictation mode in which you hold a key while you speak and release it to stop, so the software writes only the speech made while the key is down. Some tools also offer tap-to-start and tap-to-stop.
- ShorthandShorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases the speed of writing compared with longhand. Trained writers used it to take dictation before recording machines, and it still underpins court reporting.
- Voice commandA voice command is a spoken instruction that the software carries out, such as delete or stop listening, rather than writing the words as text. Dictation tools must separate commands from dictated words, and the rules differ by product.
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