How do you dictate numbers, dates and symbols?

You dictate numbers and symbols with spoken commands, and dates with plain words or with the keyboard. On Windows voice typing, you can say most numbers and punctuation characters directly ¹. On a Mac, the numeral command formats the next phrase as a number ². Symbols have spoken names, such as "dollar sign" and "percent sign". None of the command lists we read has a command for dates, so for a date you either say the words or type the date afterward.

Numbers: say them on Windows, or use the numeral command on a Mac

Windows voice typing lets you dictate "most numbers and punctuation by saying the number or punctuation character" ¹. The page says "most", not all, so check any long number, such as an account or reference number, before you rely on it.

On a Mac, the numeral command formats the next phrase as a number, and roman numeral formats it as a Roman numeral ². The command changes how the phrase is written, so test it on a short phrase first. Apple's page does not show example output, and a formatted number may not look like the spoken words you expect.

For codes and file names, where spaces would be wrong, the Mac command no space on formats the next phrase without spaces, and no space off resumes the default spacing ³. Use it for a short code, then say "no space off" before the next sentence.

Word's English command list has no numeral command. Its "number/pound sign" entry types the # symbol, not a number ⁴. If you need digits in a Word document, say the number as words and change it afterward, or type the digits.

Symbols: say the symbol's name

Apple says that when you dictate on a Mac, you can enter punctuation, capital letters and symbols, "including symbols for math, currency, and more" ⁵. The names are the ones the page lists, and they differ by platform, so check the exact phrase for your app.

The table lists the phrases read on 2026-10-16 from Apple's Mac page and Microsoft's Word page, plus the iPhone punctuation list. "Not checked" means the page read did not include that symbol, not that the symbol is missing.

Dates: say them in words, or type them afterward

None of the four command lists we read has a command for dates. Apple's Mac page covers numbers, symbols and formats, but no date format. Microsoft's Word page covers punctuation, symbols and lists, but no date command. Windows voice typing describes numbers and punctuation characters, not dates.

The practical method is to dictate the date in words, such as "the third of March", and then change the format by hand. You can also dictate the words and type the digits, which is faster for a long document with many dates. The keyboard is the reliable fallback for any value that matters.

Check numbers before you send them

A misheard digit is harder to see than a misheard word, because a number that looks right may be wrong. Recognition accuracy also depends on the microphone, and in recognition studies a distant microphone performs much worse than a close one ⁷. For numbers that matter, use a close microphone, speak each digit clearly, and read the number back in the document.

Dictation can also type a command as text when you did not mean it, so a spoken "numeral" or "no space on" can appear in the document. Read the result before you move on.

What to do

1. On Windows, say the number or the symbol character, and check any long number afterward.
2. On a Mac, say numeral before a phrase when you need it as a number, and test it first.
3. For a symbol, say its spoken name from the table, such as "dollar sign" or "percent sign", and check that the symbol appeared.
4. For dates, dictate the words, then fix the format or type the digits.
5. For codes and file names, use no space on and no space off on a Mac, and check the result.

For the other marks, see how to say a question mark when dictating. For new lines and paragraphs, see how to start a new paragraph by voice. For capital letters, see how to capitalize a word when dictating. The full punctuation list is in the dictation punctuation guide. For the term, see the entry on spoken punctuation, and for the wider subject, the dictation overview.

Sources and limits

The command lists were read on 2026-10-16 and may change with the platform version. Number and symbol support also differs by language, so an English command may not work in another language. Google Docs is not covered, because its help page did not open during this review.