## https://sprecho.ai/help/formatting-and-ai/dictating-voice-commands-reliably — Dictating voice commands reliably

> Why "new line" sometimes ends up as words in your text and how to stop it — the short pause before the command, the exact wording, and the full command list.

*Updated: 2026-08-24* *Plans: free, pro, enterprise*

Voice commands work reliably in Sprecho, but they depend on two things: a **short
pause before them** and the **exact wording**. Miss either and the command ends up
in your text as words.

If you are currently seeing "new line" or "comma" sitting in the middle of a
sentence, it is almost always one of those two.

### The short pause before the command

This is the single most important point on this page.

Finish your sentence, pause for **about half a second**, then say the command. The
pause does not need to be long. It is the natural beat you already take when you
finish a thought.

| This works | This ends up as words |
|---|---|
| "I would like to say" · *short pause* · "new paragraph" · *short pause* · "Life is good" | "I would like to say new paragraph life is good" |

The reason: Sprecho decides from context whether "new line" is a command or part
of your sentence. That is deliberate, because in "the new line in the table" you
want the words, not a break. The pause is the signal that tells the two apart.

The same pause helps afterwards: a brief moment **after** the command, before you
carry on, makes recognition even clearer.

### The exact wording

The second common cause is a short form that does not exist.

| Correct | Not recognised |
|---|---|
| "new paragraph" | "paragraph" |
| "new line" | "line" or "line break" |
| "open quote" / "close quote" | "quotation marks" |
| "open bracket" / "close bracket" | "in brackets" |

"Paragraph" on its own is an ordinary noun, as in "the third paragraph of the
contract". That is why it is deliberately **not** a command. Say "new paragraph"
and you get a blank line.

### The full command list

This works in German, English and Portuguese.

| You say | You get |
|---|---|
| period · full stop | `.` |
| comma | `,` |
| colon | `:` |
| semicolon | `;` |
| question mark | `?` |
| exclamation mark | `!` |
| open quote / close quote | typographic quotation marks |
| open bracket / close bracket | `(` `)` |
| section sign | `§` |
| slash | `/` |
| hyphen | `-` |
| underscore | `_` |
| new line | line break |
| new paragraph | blank line |

A command word used as an ordinary noun stays a word. "Under point three" does
not become punctuation, and the words around a command are all kept.

### You do not need to dictate punctuation

The most common reason commands cause trouble at all: they get dictated out of
habit when they are not needed.

Sprecho adds commas, full stops, question marks and capitalisation on its own,
from the meaning of the sentence. You can speak three paragraphs without saying
"comma" once. Only dictate a mark when you want it **exactly there**, such as in a
legal citation or a parenthetical aside.

If you are coming from an older dictation program, you are often fighting a model
that would have placed the comma anyway. Speak a complete thought normally,
release the key, and look at what comes out. Usually it is already right.

### If it still does not work

If the command still lands in your text despite the pause and the correct
wording, check this:

- **Are you saying the command clearly?** Swallowed endings turn "new line" into
  something that is not a recognised phrase.
- **Is the right language selected?** A German command inside an
  English-configured dictation is treated as text. See
  [Choose and switch your dictation language](/help/dictation/choose-and-switch-your-dictation-language).
- **Is the command at the very start or end?** It is executed there too, but a
  pause still helps recognition.

If you are generally getting more paragraphs than you dictated, that is a
question of the formatting model rather than of commands. See
[Set a writing style per app](/help/formatting-and-ai/set-a-writing-style-per-app)
and
[Automatic punctuation and filler word removal](/help/formatting-and-ai/automatic-punctuation-and-filler-word-removal).

### FAQ

#### Why does Sprecho write "new line" into my text as words?
Because the command was attached straight onto the sentence with no pause. Leave a short pause of about half a second before the command and it will be recognised and executed.

#### Is the command "paragraph" or "new paragraph"?
It is "new paragraph". The word "paragraph" on its own is not a command and stays in the text as an ordinary word.

#### Do I need a pause before every comma?
No. Sprecho punctuates automatically. You only need the pause when you want to force a specific mark at a specific position.