Punctuation

In Dictation mode, Spelling mode, and Numbers mode, you can say the names of punctuation marks that Dragon Dictate should type.

There is a broad difference between saying a punctuation mark in Dictation mode and saying it in Spelling or Numbers mode:

In Spelling or Numbers mode, Dragon Dictate types the symbol and that’s all.

But in Dictation mode, Dragon Dictate will attempt to insert intelligent automatic spacing. (For example, it will probably put a space before “open quote” and after “close quote”.) You may be able to prevent this by switching No Space on. But for finest control, use Spelling mode.

Also, Spelling mode has a larger repertory of punctuation marks (and of other things you can say to type them, such as the names of letters and numbers).

Spaces

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Space Bar
All three
Space character
New Line
Next Line

All three
Single return character
New Paragraph
Next Paragraph

All three Double return character
Tab Key
All three Tab character

Stops

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Period . All three
US dialect only
Full Stop
Dot
. All three
UK dialect only
Period Paragraph . Dictation, Numbers Full stop or period followed by double return character
Exclamation Mark ! All three
Exclamation Point ! All three US dialect only
Inverted Exclamation Point ¡ Dictation, Spelling

Inverted Exclamation Mark ¡ Spelling
Question Mark ? All three
Inverted Question Mark ¿ Dictation, Spelling

Pauses and Joins

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Hyphen - All three
No space before or after in Dictation mode
Soft Hyphen
Spelling Unicode 173, optional hyphen (not every application interprets this correctly)
Comma , All three
Semicolon ; All three
Colon
Colon Mark (Dictation mode only)
: All three
Center Dot
Middle Dot (Spelling mode only)
· Dictation, Spelling

Dash -- Dictation, Spelling Two hyphens
Em-Dash --- Dictation Three hyphens
En-Dash -- Dictation Two hyphens
Em-Dash Spelling Unicode 8212, a true em-dash
En-Dash Spelling Unicode 8211, a true en-dash

Apostrophe and Quotes

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Apostrophe ' Dictation, Spelling Straight apostrophe (no preceding space)
Apostrophe-Ess 's Dictation, Spelling Straight apostrophe
Open Single Quote
Begin Single Quote
Spelling Left curly single quote
Close Single Quote
End Single Quote
Spelling Right curly single quote
Single Quote ' Spelling Straight single quote
Open Single Quote
Begin Single Quote
' Dictation Straight single quote (preceding space)
Close Single Quote
End Single Quote
' Dictation Straight single quote (no preceding space, like apostrophe)
Open Quote
Begin Quote
Spelling Left curly double quote
Close Quote
End Quote
Spelling Right curly double quote
Quote
Quotation Marks
" Spelling Straight double quote
Open Quote
Open Quotes
Begin Quote
Begin Quotes
Open Double Quote
Open Double Quotes
Begin Double Quote
Begin Double Quotes
" Dictation Straight double quote (preceding space)
Close Quote
Close Quotes
End Quote
End Quotes
Close Double Quote
Close Double Quotes
End Double Quote
End Double Quotes
" Dictation Straight double quote (no preceding space)
Open Euro Quote
Open Euro Quotes
« Dictation, Spelling
Close Euro Quote
Close Euro Quotes
» Dictation, Spelling
Begin Angle Quote
Begin Angle Quotes
Open Angle Quote
Open Angle Quotes
« Spelling
End Angle Quote
End Angle Quotes
Close Angle Quote
Close Angle Quotes
» Spelling

Enclosures

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Open Paren
Left Paren
Open Parenthesis
Left Parenthesis
( All three

Close Paren
Right Paren
Close Parenthesis
Right parenthesis
) All three

Open Bracket
Left Bracket
( Dictation, Spelling Non-US dialects, like parenthesis
Close Bracket
Right Bracket
) Dictation, Spelling Non-US dialects, like parenthesis
Open Bracket
Left Bracket
[ Dictation, Spelling US dialect, like square bracket
Close Bracket
Right Bracket
] Dictation, Spelling US dialect, like square bracket
Open Square Bracket
Left Square Bracket
[ Dictation, Spelling
Close Square Bracket
Right Square Bracket
] Dictation, Spelling
Open Brace
Left Brace
Open Curly Brace
Left Curly Brace
Open Curly Bracket
Left Curly Bracket
{ All three
Close Brace
Right Brace
Close Curly Brace
Right Curly Brace
Close Curly Bracket
Right Curly Bracket
} All three
Open Angle Bracket
Left Angle Bracket
< Dictation
Close Angle Bracket
Right Angle Bracket
> Dictation
Open Angle Bracket
Left Angle Bracket
Spelling Unicode 8249, left angle quote
Close Angle Bracket
Right Angle Bracket
Spelling Unicode 8250, right angle quote

Quotation Marks

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Put Quotes Around The Word
Put Quotes Around The Selection
Put Quotes Around The Words X Through Y
"text"
“selected text“
“text X through text Y”
Dictation
Put Double Quotes Around The Word
Put Double Quotes Around The Selection
Put Double Quotes Around The Words X Through Y
“text”
“selected text“
“text X through text Y”
Dictation
Put Quotation Marks Around The Word
Put Quotation Marks Around The Selection
Put Quotation Marks Around The Words X Through Y
“text”
“selected text“
“text X through text Y”
Dictation
Put Single Quotes Around The Word
Put Single Quotes Around The Selection
Put Single Quotes Around The Words X Through Y
‘text’
’selected text’
‘text X through text Y’
Dictation
Put Straight Quotes Around The Word
Put Straight Quotes Around The Selection
Put Straight Quotes Around The Words X Through Y
"text"
"selected text"
"text X through text Y"
Dictation
Put Single Straight Quotes Around The Word
Put Single Straight Quotes Around The Selection
Put Single Straight Quotes Around The Words X Through Y
'text'
'selected text'
'text X through text Y'
Dictation
Put Parentheses Around The Word
Put Parentheses Around The Selection
Put Parentheses Around The Words X Through Y
(text)
(selected text)
(text X through text Y)
Dictation
Put Curly Brackets Around The Word
Put Curly Brackets Around The Selection
Put Curly Brackets Around The Words X Through Y
{text}
{selected text}
{text X through text Y}
Dictation
Put Braces Around The Word
Put Braces Around The Selection
Put Braces Around The Words X Through Y
{text}
{selected text}
{text X through text Y}
Dictation
Put Square Brackets Around The Word
Put Square Brackets Around The Selection
Put Square Brackets Around The Words X Through Y
[text]
[selected text]
[text X through text Y]
Dictation
Put Brackets Around The Word
Put Brackets Around The Selection
Put Brackets Around The Words X Through Y
[text]
[selected text]
[text X through text Y]
Dictation
Put Angle Brackets Around The Word
Put Angle Brackets Around The Selection
Put Angle Brackets Around The Words X Through Y
<text>
<selected text>
<text X through text Y>
Dictation
Spanish Exclamation Marks Around The Word
Spanish Exclamation Marks Around The Selection
Spanish Exclamation Marks The Words X Through Y
¡text!
¡selected text!
¡text X through text Y!
Dictation
Put Spanish Question Marks Around The Word
Put Spanish Question Marks Around The Selection
Put Spanish Question Marks Around The Words X Through Y
¿text?
¿selected text?
¿text X through text Y?
Dictation

Money

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Cents Sign
Cent (Spelling mode only)
¢ All three
Dollar Sign
Dollar (Spelling mode only)
$ All three
Sterling Sign
Sterling
£ Spelling
Pound Sterling Sign £ Dictation US dialect
Pound Sign £ Dictation, Spelling Non-US dialects
Yen Sign
Yen (Spelling mode only)
¥ Dictation, Spelling
Euro Sign
Euro (Spelling mode only)
Dictation, Spelling
Guilder Sign
Guilder (Spelling mode only)
ƒ Dictation, Spelling

Arithmetic

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Equals Sign
Equal (Spelling mode only)
= Dictation, Spelling
Plus Sign
Plus (Spelling mode only)
+ All three

Minus Sign - All three

Plus or Minus Sign
Plus or Minus (Spelling mode only)
± Dictation, Spelling
Plus Minus Sign
Plus Minus
± Spelling
Multiplication Sign × Dictation
Multiply Sign
Multiply
Times sign
Times
× Spelling
Division Sign ÷ Dictation, Spelling
Divide Sign
Divide
÷ Spelling
Less Than Sign
Less Than (Spelling mode only)
< Dictation, Spelling
Greater Than Sign
Greater Than (Spelling mode only)
> Dictation, Spelling
Percent Sign
Percent (Spelling mode only)
% All three

Point . Dictation, Spelling
Logical Not Sign
Logical Not (Spelling mode only)
¬ Dictation, Spelling
Not Sign
Not
¬ Spelling
Superscript One ¹ Dictation, Spelling
Superscript Two ² Dictation, Spelling
Squared
Square
² Spelling
Superscript Three ³ Dictation, Spelling
Cubed
Cube
³ Spelling
One-Half Sign ½ Dictation, Spelling
Half Sign
Half
One Half
½ Spelling
One-Quarter Sign ¼ Dictation, Spelling
Quarter Sign
Quarter
One Quarter
¼ Spelling
Three Quarters Sign ¾ Dictation, Spelling
Three Quarters ¾ Spelling

Octothorpe

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Pound Sign
Pound (Spelling mode only)
# Dictation, Spelling US dialect only
Number Sign
Number (Spelling mode only)
# Dictation, Spelling US dialect only
Hash Sign
Hash (Spelling mode only)
Hash Mark (Spelling mode only)
# Dictation, Spelling In Dictation mode, works only in non-US dialects
Sharp Sign
Sharp (Spelling mode only)
# Dictation, Spelling In Dictation mode, works only in non-US dialects

Other Common Symbols

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Ampersand
And-Sign
Ampersand Sign (Spelling mode only)
& Dictation, Spelling
Asterisk
Star (Spelling mode only)
* All three

At Sign
At (Spelling mode only)
@ Dictation, Spelling
Backslash \ Dictation, Spelling
Backquote
Backtick (Dictation mode only)
` Dictation, Spelling
Caret
Hat (Spelling mode only)
^ Dictation, Spelling
Copyright Sign
Copyright (Spelling mode only)
© Dictation, Spelling
Degree Sign
Degree (Spelling mode only)
° Dictation, Spelling
Ellipsis
Dot-Dot-Dot
... Dictation, Numbers
Three dots
Ellipsis Spelling Unicode 8230, true ellipsis mark
Forward Slash
Slash
/ All three

Large Center Dot Dictation Unicode 8226, bullet
Logical And && Dictation
Logical Or || Dictation
Optional Ess (s) Dictation
Paragraph Sign
Paragraph (Spelling mode only)
Dictation, Spelling
Registered Sign
Registered (Spelling mode only)
® Dictation, Spelling
Registered Trademark Sign
Registered Trademark
® Spelling
Section Sign
Section (Spelling mode only)
§ Dictation, Spelling
Tilde ~ Dictation, Spelling
Trademark Sign
Trademark (Spelling mode only)
Dictation, Spelling
Underscore _ All three

Vertical Bar
Bar (Spelling mode only)
| Dictation, Spelling

Rarities

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Alternate Comma Spelling Unicode 8218, lowered single quote
Angstrom å Spelling
Broken Vertical Bar ¦ Spelling
Dagger Spelling
Single Dagger Sign Dictation
Double Comma Dictation, Spelling Unicode 8222, lowered double quote
Double Dagger Spelling
Double Dagger Sign Dictation
Feminine Ordinal ª Spelling
Feminine Ordinal Sign ª Dictation
Macron Sign
Macron (Spelling mode only)
¯ Dictation, Spelling
Masculine Ordinal º Spelling
Greek Mu µ Dictation, Spelling
Micro µ Spelling
Micron
Micro Sign
µ Dictation
Per Thousand
Permille
Spelling
Permille Sign Dictation

Smilies

What You Say Result Mode Comments
Smiley Face
Smiley
:-) Dictation
Frowny Face
Frowny
:-( Dictation
Winky Face
Winky
;-) Dictation
Laughing Face :oD Dictation
Winky Laughing Face ;oD Dictation