Dictated text without punctuation is hard to read. You end up with one long line and then fix it by hand. SpeakType lets you say the punctuation as you talk, and it types the marks at your cursor. It works in the text box you are already using, like an email, a web form, a chat or a comment box.

These steps follow the extension’s listing as of November 2026. It is free, and it works in Chrome and on Chromebooks.

Before you start

SpeakType recognizes 47 languages, but spoken punctuation only works in six: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian. If you dictate in another language, you will still get your words, but you will have to add the punctuation by hand. In that case this guide will not help much.

SpeakType uses Chrome’s built-in speech recognition, so how well it hears you depends on that engine.

Dictate with punctuation

  1. Add SpeakType to Chrome.
  2. Click into the text box where you want the words to go.
  3. Press Alt+Shift+D and start talking.
  4. Say the punctuation where you want it to appear. For example: “Thanks for the update comma I will reply tomorrow period”.
  5. Say “question mark” at the end of a question.
  6. Say “new line” to start a new line. This is useful for greetings, sign-offs and short lists.
  7. Say “stop listening” when you are done.

The listing says there are more spoken commands than these, but comma, period, question mark and new line cover most everyday writing.

A few habits help. Speak the mark as its own word, with a short pause before it. Say the punctuation as you go. Going back to add it later is slower. Keep sentences short so a period lands where you expect it.

Fix mistakes by voice

You do not have to reach for the keyboard every time something goes wrong.

  • Say “delete that” to correct a mistake by voice.
  • Say “cap next” to capitalize the next word. This is handy for names or the start of a line.
  • Say “stop listening” to end dictation.

SpeakType inserts text at the cursor and never rewrites what is already in the box. That is good for safety, since an earlier paragraph will not change under you. It also means that if you want to fix a word further back, you need to click there and edit it yourself.

Where it works

The listing says SpeakType works in web apps and rich-text editors, including React and Vue apps and contenteditable editors.

It is built for text boxes on the web. If you want to dictate into a program outside the browser, it is the wrong tool.

Keep a copy of what you said

Everything you dictate is also saved in the side panel notepad. If you typed into the wrong box, open the side panel and copy the text from there. You can also dictate a rough draft into one box, then copy the clean version from the notepad into the place where it belongs.

A quick routine for longer messages

  1. Click into the box and press Alt+Shift+D.
  2. Dictate one paragraph at a time, saying “period” at the end of each sentence and “new line” between paragraphs.
  3. Use “delete that” if something comes out wrong.
  4. Say “stop listening”, then read the whole message once before you send it.

Add SpeakType to Chrome