Voice Commands
TalkWriter understands spoken commands for punctuation and formatting. Instead of pausing to type a period or comma, just say it while dictating.
Punctuation Commands
Say these words while dictating and TalkWriter inserts the corresponding punctuation:
| Say This | TalkWriter Types | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "period" or "full stop" | . | "End of the sentence period" → "End of the sentence." |
| "comma" | , | "First comma second" → "First, second" |
| "question mark" | ? | "How are you question mark" → "How are you?" |
| "exclamation mark" or "exclamation point" | ! | "That's amazing exclamation mark" → "That's amazing!" |
| "colon" | : | "Here is the list colon" → "Here is the list:" |
| "semicolon" | ; | "First part semicolon second part" → "First part; second part" |
| "dash" or "hyphen" | - | "well dash known" → "well-known" |
| "ellipsis" | ... | "and then ellipsis" → "and then..." |
When AI Polish is enabled, TalkWriter adds periods, commas, and question marks based on context. Voice commands are useful when you want specific punctuation that the AI might not choose on its own (like colons, semicolons, or ellipses).
Formatting Commands
| Say This | TalkWriter Types | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "new line" | Line break | Starts text on a new line |
| "new paragraph" | Double line break | Starts a new paragraph |
| "open parenthesis" | ( | |
| "close parenthesis" | ) | |
| "open quote" | " | |
| "close quote" | " |
Number and Symbol Commands
| Say This | TalkWriter Types |
|---|---|
| "at sign" | @ |
| "hashtag" or "hash" | # |
| "ampersand" | & |
| "percent" or "percent sign" | % |
| "dollar sign" | $ |
AI Polish also handles numbers intelligently. Saying "twenty-five" will often produce "25" in the output. Saying "three hundred dollars" becomes "$300".
Tips for Voice Commands
- Speak the command clearly. Do not mumble punctuation commands — say them at the same volume as the rest of your dictation.
- Pause slightly before and after commands. A brief pause helps TalkWriter distinguish between a command and a regular word.
- Trust AI Polish first. For basic punctuation (periods, commas, question marks), AI Polish usually gets it right without explicit commands.
- Use commands for precision. Voice commands are most valuable when you want a specific symbol (colon, semicolon, parentheses) that AI Polish might not infer from context.
Command Reference (Quick Table)
| Category | Command | Symbol |
|---|---|---|
| Punctuation | period | . |
| comma | , | |
| question mark | ? | |
| exclamation mark | ! | |
| colon | : | |
| semicolon | ; | |
| dash | - | |
| ellipsis | ... | |
| Formatting | new line | ↵ |
| new paragraph | ↵↵ | |
| Brackets | open parenthesis | ( |
| close parenthesis | ) | |
| open quote | " | |
| close quote | " | |
| Symbols | at sign | @ |
| hashtag | # | |
| ampersand | & | |
| percent sign | % | |
| dollar sign | $ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I actually want to say the word "period" in my text? Context usually helps TalkWriter distinguish. If you say "the Renaissance period" the AI recognizes "period" as a word, not a command. If you say "end of the sentence period" it recognizes the command.
Do voice commands work in all languages? Voice commands for punctuation are primarily supported in English. In other languages, rely on AI Polish for automatic punctuation.
Can I create custom voice commands? Custom voice commands are not currently supported. Use Snippets for reusable text blocks that you want to insert frequently.
Do voice commands work with AI Polish turned off? Voice commands are processed as part of the speech-to-text and AI pipeline. With AI Polish off, command recognition may be less reliable.
Was this helpful? Let us know at support@talkwriter.ai