Does Mac dictation add punctuation automatically?

Yes, in the languages Apple supports for it. Mac Dictation inserts commas, periods and question marks as you speak, with no spoken command ^{1 2}. Apple's Mac command page says the same feature adds "certain punctuation" automatically. The user guide names three marks. Apple's pages do not list the others, so say any other mark by its name.

Whether the feature applies to you depends on your language and region, and on a setting you can change. The sections below cover each of those, with the figures from Apple's lists.

Commas, periods and question marks are added in supported languages

Apple's user guide for Dictation on Mac says that Dictation "automatically inserts commas, periods, and question marks for you as you dictate" ¹. That is the most specific statement Apple makes, and it names only three marks. Colons, semicolons, exclamation marks and brackets are not in that sentence, so do not expect them to appear by themselves.

The phrase "in supported languages" matters. Apple lists the variants that get automatic punctuation ³, and only those variants get it. If your language is not on the list, Dictation will not add these marks, and you should say each one.

Spoken names still work for the marks you need to say. The command list maps "period", "question mark" and "quote" to their marks ⁴, and it gives "colon" and "semicolon" their own names ⁵. For the exact names, see Mac dictation commands and punctuation.

Auto-punctuation covers 33 of Dictation's 63 language variants

Apple's feature availability page lists Dictation in 63 language and regional variants ⁶. Its auto-punctuation list has 33 variants ³. That is 33 out of 63, or 52 percent of the Dictation variants ⁷, so roughly half of them get the feature.

These counts are variants, not separate languages. "English (United States)" and "English (United Kingdom)" count as two of them. Apple's English auto-punctuation list has 11 variants, including English (United States) and English (United Kingdom) ⁸. If you dictate in English on a Mac set to the United States or the United Kingdom, you are on the list.

Check your own variant before you rely on the feature. Apple's macOS feature availability page lists the current entries, and it changes between macOS versions.

Switch auto-punctuation off when a stray mark would be wrong

You can turn the feature off. Apple's user guide says to choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Keyboard in the sidebar, then go to Dictation and turn off Auto-punctuation ¹. The menu names can change between macOS versions, so check them against your own system.

Switch it off when a comma or a question mark would change the meaning or the format. Common cases are code, a list of values, a form field, or text that you will paste into a document with its own punctuation rules. In these cases it is simpler to dictate the marks you want by name, or to type them.

We found no accuracy figure for automatic punctuation on Apple's pages. Read the first draft closely, because an automatic mark can land in the wrong place. Where a comma matters, say "comma" yourself and check that Dictation did not add a second one.

Some marks always need their names

The marks you need to say still work through the command list. Say "colon" or "semicolon" for those ⁵. Say "period" for a full stop. Apple's table maps "period", "point", "dot" and "full stop" to the same mark ⁴, so "point" can give a full stop when you wanted the word. Use "period" when you mean the mark, and say the whole word when you mean the word.

You do not need a special mode for the spoken names, so automatic and spoken punctuation can appear in the same sentence. Dictate the sentence, then check it.

What to do

1. Open System Settings, go to Keyboard, then Dictation, and check that Auto-punctuation is on if you want the three marks added.
2. Confirm that your language and region are on Apple's auto-punctuation list, and that you are using a supported Dictation language.
3. Say the marks that are not added automatically by name, such as "colon" and "semicolon".
4. Turn the feature off for code, lists and forms, where an unwanted comma or question mark causes a problem.
5. Read the result before you send or save it, and correct any mark that was added in the wrong place.

For the same question about other tools, see does voice typing add punctuation automatically. For the spoken question mark, see how to say a question mark when dictating. Related Mac answers are how to start a new line with Mac dictation and how to delete a word with Mac dictation. The automatic punctuation entry explains the term, and the spoken punctuation entry covers the names you say.