Siri dictation can be used on any Apple device. From the iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers, through to the HomePod and Apple Watch.
Dictation can be used instead of a keyboard for entering text into many default and third-party apps. Ideal if you want to use dictation on your device for sending messages, emails, or taking notes.
In this article we’ll show you how to:
- Enable dictation on your iPhone.
- Dictate text by using the “Hey Siri” voice command, or tapping the microphone button.
- Edit words as you dictate.
- Finish dictation.
- Correct spelling and grammar.
- Delete text using Siri.
- Change the keyboard language.
Finally, at the end of this article is a visual guide listing many of the most popular dictation commands you can use with Siri.
How to enable dictation on your iPhone
Ensure Dictation is turned on by opening the Settings app and tapping General > Keyboard > Enable Dictation. The switch should be toggled to the On position.
In iOS 16, Apple introduced the Auto-Punctuation feature. When switched on, Siri will attempt to insert commas, periods, and question marks where it thinks you need them as you dictate. The results can be a little unpredictable at times, so if you find it’s not working well for you, turn it off in Settings.
How to dictate text using Siri
Say “Hey Siri”
You can start dictating by using the “Hey Siri” voice command. This is the simplest method when you want to use a specific app, or send a message to a contact.
Hey Siri, send a text message to Dad.
Hey Siri, send an email to Jason.
If you say something that that involves using a particular app, like Mail or Messages, Siri will automatically ask you what you would like to say next without the need to mention dictation.
Tap on the Microphone button
You can also start dictating by tapping the microphone icon at the bottom right of the on-screen keyboard when it is open in an app. In iOS 16, the microphone button also appears in the text entry field in the Messages app.
How to speak when dictating
As you talk, the words you say appear on the screen. Speak clearly and at a normal pace.
Include punctuation and formatting by saying what you want as you speak. For example:
Hi Jane comma new line I will be there soon exclamation point
Becomes…
Hi Jane,
I will be there soon!
Note, with the iOS 16 auto punctuation feature enabled, you may not have to say ‘comma’.
How to edit text when dictating
iOS 16 introduced the ability to switch between talking and typing seamlessly. If you’re already dictating, simply tap on the screen next to the text to start typing instead. Just start speaking again to continue with dictation, there’s no need to press the microphone button again. (In iOS 15 and below, you will still have to tap the microphone icon when you want to continue dictating).
This works really well in practice and makes editing text as you dictate a doddle.
You can also make the cursor behave more like a computer trackpad.
Press and hold the space bar and the keyboard will be disabled. Then tap on the cursor, and move it around the screen to your desired location. This is particularly useful if you have a lot of text to edit.
How to finish dictating
To finish your dictation, stop speaking, Siri will stop automatically if there is a period of silence.
Alternatively, tap on the small microphone icon with an ‘x’ next to it if it appears next to the cursor.
How to correct dictation spelling and grammar
If Siri isn’t sure a word it heard is spelled correctly, a blue line will appear underneath it to prompt you to check it for accuracy.
Using iOS 16
- To make a correction: tap on the underlined word, then select the correct spelling.
- To replace a word: double-tap it and say the new word.
- To replace a section: select what you want to replace and speak the new words.
- To add more text: tap where you would like to add new text, then speak again.
Using iOS 15 and below
- To make a correction: tap on the underlined word, then select the correct spelling.
- To replace a word: double-tap it, tap the microphone button, say it again, then tap the keyboard button to stop dictation.
- To replace a section: select what you want to replace, then tap the microphone button and speak again, then tap the keyboard button to stop dictation.
- To add more text: tap where you would like to add new text, tap the microphone button, then speak again, then tap the keyboard button to stop dictation.
Deleting text using Siri dictation
Dictation on iOS doesn’t include a way to delete letters, words, or lines of text. However, from iOS 13 upwards, an accessibility feature called Voice Control can be enabled. This opens up many more ways to communicate with your iPhone verbally, one of them being the ability to delete text while dictating.
To enable Voice Control:
- Open Settings > Accessibility > Voice Control.
- Toggle to On.
You can now use certain phrases to delete text.
Delete previous character.
Delete word.
If you give a voice instruction Siri doesn’t understand, a notification will appear at the top of the screen with suggested phrases.
How to change the dictation language
To change the language that dictation uses on your iPhone, press and hold the microphone button when the keyboard is showing, then slide your finger up to select the language you want to use. If no additional languages are available, select Dictation Settings, then tap on Keyboards to add further options.
Siri Dictation Commands List
If you’ve used any sort of voice recognition software before, many of these commands will be familiar.
Emoji
iOS 16 introduced the ability to insert an emoji when dictating a text or sending a message. Simply say “emoji” after the name of the symbol as you speak.
| Command | Result |
|---|---|
| Happy face emoji | 🙂 |
| Banana emoji | 🍌 |
| Heart emoji | ❤️ |
Basic Formatting
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
| New line | Move to the next line |
| New paragraph | Start a new paragraph |
| Cap | Capitalize the next word |
| Example | I like ‘cap’ sunshine > I like Sunshine |
| Caps on … caps off | Capitalize a section of text |
| Example | ‘caps on’ twenty types of flower ‘caps off’ > 20 Types of Flower |
| All caps on … all caps off | Make part of what you say uppercase |
| Example | I ‘all caps on’ love summer ‘all caps off’ > I LOVE SUMMER |
| No caps | Make the next word lowercase |
| Example | I like ‘no caps’ Capitals > I like capitals |
| No caps on … no caps off | Make sure part of what you say is all lowercase |
| Example | We like the cities ‘no caps’ London and Sydney ‘no caps off’ the most > We like the cities London and Sydney the most |
| Space bar | Prevent a hyphen from appearing in a normally hyphenated word |
| No space | Prevent a space between words |
| No space on … no space off | Prevent a section of text from having spaces between words |
Punctuation
iOS 16 introduced automatic punctuation, like commas and periods, where it thinks you need it, based on how you speak. You can still insert your own punctuation using the following commands.
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
| “Period” or “full stop” | Place a “.” at the end of a sentence |
| Dot | . |
| Example | The number pi is three ‘dot’ one four > The number pi is 3.14 |
| Point | . |
| Example | The ‘point’ number pi is three ‘point’ one four > The point number pi 3.14 (note the subtle difference between saying ‘point’ and ‘dot’ dot works between words) |
| “Ellipsis” or “dot dot dot” | … |
| Comma | , |
| Double comma | ,, |
| “Quote” or “quotation mark” | “ |
| “Quote … end quote” or “quote … close quote” | Place quotes around a section of text |
| Example | She said ‘quote’ see you next week ‘end quote’ > She said “see you next week” |
| Apostrophe | ‘ |
| Exclamation point | ! |
| Inverted exclamation point | ¡ |
| Question mark | ? |
| Inverted question mark | ¿ |
| Ampersand | & |
| Asterisk | * |
| Open parenthesis or ‘left paren’* | ( |
| Close parenthesis or ‘right paren’* | ) |
| Open bracket | [ |
| Close bracket | ] |
| Open brace | { |
| Close brace | } |
| Dash | – |
| Example | This – is – my – cheese (note the difference in spacing between this and when saying hyphen) |
| Hyphen | – |
| Example | This ‘hyphen’ is ‘hyphen’ my ‘hyphen’ cheese > This-is-my-cheese (note the difference in spacing between this and when saying dash) |
| Em dash | — |
| Underscore | _ |
| E.g. (pronounced as “e g”) | e.g. |
| Example | ‘e g’ when you learn to ride a bike > E.G. when you learn to ride a bike |
| i.e. (pronounced as “i e”) | i.e. |
| Example | ‘i e’ when you learn to ride a bike > I.e. when you learn to ride a bike |
Symbols
Dictate currency and mathematical symbols.
| Command | Action |
|---|---|
| Percent sign | % |
| Copyright sign | © |
| Registered sign | ® |
| Section sign | § |
| Dollar sign | $ |
| Cent sign | ¢ |
| Euro sign | € |
| Yen sign | ¥ |
| Degree sign | ∘ |
| Caret | ^ |
| At sign | @ |
| Pound sterling sign | £ |
| Pound sign | # |
| Greater than sign | > |
| Less than sign | < |
| Forward slash | / |
| Backslash | \ |
| Vertical bar | | |