How do you dictate punctuation on iPhone?

Say the name of the mark where it belongs. On iPhone, saying period, comma or exclamation point types the symbol ^{1 2}. For the three most common marks, you may not need to say anything at all, because in supported languages iPhone adds commas, periods and question marks as you speak ³. Most of the work is deciding which of the two approaches to use, and then checking a test sentence.

Turn on Dictation, then say the mark where it goes

Spoken punctuation only works when Dictation is on. To turn it on, open Settings, tap General, then tap Keyboard, and turn on Enable Dictation ⁴. Then follow these steps:

1. Tap a text field, such as a message or a note.
2. Start Dictation from the keyboard and start speaking.
3. Say the mark's name at the point where it belongs. For example, "Meet at noon exclamation point" types a sentence ending in !.

Apple's command list includes these marks by name: period, comma, exclamation point, question mark, dollar sign, and the parentheses ². The full list is on the iPhone dictation commands guide, which also covers the marks that are not in this summary.

Automatic punctuation adds the three most common marks

Automatic punctuation is the part of the feature that often surprises people. In supported languages, the phone inserts commas, periods and question marks without a spoken command ³. That means a plain sentence such as "I will be there at six" can come out with a period added, without you saying anything.

If you prefer full control, turn the feature off. Go to Settings, then General, then Keyboard, and turn off Auto-Punctuation ⁵. With it off, nothing is added unless you say it.

The Apple pages we checked do not say what happens if you say "comma" while automatic punctuation is on. This guide does not claim an answer. Test it in your language with a short sentence and look at the result before you rely on either method.

It depends on your language and your iPhone

Three conditions decide what you get.

• Language. Automatic punctuation applies to supported languages only. The spoken marks depend on the language too: Apple says the No space command is not available in every language ⁶. Google makes a similar warning for Gboard: punctuation might not be available in all languages ⁷. If you use Gboard on your iPhone instead of Apple's keyboard, check its list for your language.
• Dictation model. With Apple Intelligence in iOS 27, Dictation uses an on-device model to improve spelling, punctuation and capitalization, but only in English on the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air or later ⁸. The upgrade is listed only for those models, so on other iPhones do not expect the same punctuation results.
• Your own phrasing. A spoken command goes through the same recognition as any other word. If the phone hears the command as a different word, the mark will not appear, so read your text back before you send it.

What to do

Use this order, and do not change more than one setting at a time.

1. Dictate a short test sentence with the marks you use most, such as a period at the end and an exclamation point.
2. If commas and periods appear where you did not want them, turn off Auto-Punctuation and say the marks you need.
3. If you keep the feature on, say only the marks it does not add, such as exclamation point or dollar sign. For the question mark, say it right after the last word of the question, as explained in how to say a question mark when dictating.
4. Read the result once before you send it. For a longer check, see how to proofread dictated text.

If the problem is the words rather than the marks, the answer is different. The spelling of names and special terms is covered in why iPhone dictation spells your name wrong, and changing a word after you dictate it is covered in how to delete words with iPhone dictation.

Related reading

For the rules that apply to every spoken mark, see the glossary entries on automatic punctuation and spoken punctuation. For the same question on Android, see how to dictate punctuation on Android. For the rest of the phone commands, read the overview of dictation on phones and tablets.