How do you press Enter with Mac dictation?

On a Mac, the key most people call Enter is labelled Return, and Apple's pages use that name. Dictation has no command called "enter", and Apple's list of Dictation commands does not include one. The documented way to get the same result is to say "new line", which Apple describes as the same as pressing Return once, or "new paragraph", the same as pressing Return twice ¹. Pressing the Return key on the keyboard while Dictation is listening is not a route that Apple's current Dictation page describes. Test it on your own Mac before you depend on it.

Saying "new line" is the documented way to press Return

The two phrases are formatting commands in Apple's list of Dictation commands ², and that list is always available while you dictate ³. They produce the same breaks as the keys do. "New line" starts a new line, and "new paragraph" starts a new paragraph, which leaves a blank line between the two blocks of text.

The break does not appear as you speak. Apple's page says that "The new line or new paragraph appear when you're done dictating" ⁴. Keep dictating after you say the phrase. When you stop, check where the breaks landed.

For the step-by-step version, including where to say the phrase, see how to start a new line with Mac dictation.

The Return key is not on Apple's current list of ways to finish

Apple's macOS 27 page says that when you have finished, you press the Escape key, the Microphone key (if available), or the Dictation keyboard shortcut ⁵. Dictation also stops by itself when it detects no speech for 30 seconds ⁶. The Return key is not in either list.

Apple's older guide for macOS Ventura did list it. The Ventura 13 page said that when you are done, you can press the dictation keyboard shortcut, the Return key, or click Done in the feedback window ⁷. So Apple once named Return as a way to finish dictating.

The table shows what Apple wrote, not what your Mac does. A Return press on macOS 27 might still insert a line break, or it might end the session. Apple's pages do not say which.

Apple silicon Macs let you keep using the keyboard while you dictate

On a Mac with Apple silicon, Apple says that you can still use the keyboard while you speak; there's no need to stop dictation ⁸. That sentence covers the keyboard in general. It does not name the Return key, so it does not prove that Return inserts a break during dictation. Apple's page also does not say anything about Intel Macs in this sentence.

If you want to type between sentences, read can you type while dictating on a Mac. It covers how the cursor behaves while you type.

Test the Return key on your own Mac before you rely on it

Apple's pages do not settle what Return does in the middle of dictation on macOS 27. A short test takes about a minute:

1. Open TextEdit or Notes and click where the text should go.
2. Start Dictation with the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut. Our guide to how to use Dictation on a Mac covers the start keys.
3. Say a sentence, press Return once, then say a second sentence.
4. Check two things: whether a line break appeared, and whether Dictation is still listening.
5. Press Escape to stop, then read the text.

Repeat the test on each Mac you use, because the result depends on the macOS version and the app. Apple's keyboard note names Apple silicon only, so an Intel Mac needs its own test. If the result is not what you need, use "new line" or "new paragraph" instead.

What to do

1. For a line break, say "new line" where the break belongs. For a blank line between paragraphs, say "new paragraph".
2. Keep dictating. Do not expect the break to show until you stop.
3. Stop with Escape, the Microphone key or the Dictation shortcut, then check the breaks.
4. If you want a keyboard Return during dictation, run the test above first.
5. For a mark rather than a break, say its name, such as "comma" or "question mark". The full list is in our guide to Mac dictation commands.

The phrases are a voice command in the sense that you speak them and Dictation acts on them rather than typing them. For how Dictation handles the marks, see does Mac dictation add punctuation automatically. For the whole subject, read Dictation on Mac.