Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Dictation capitalizes mid-sentence

When I use dictation, if I pause in the middle of a sentence, It often capitalizes the word I say after the pause. In that last sentence, I paused three times and it made the mistake once (It). Since most of my interaction with the computer is through dictation, This happens with annoying frequency. Why does it make this mistake and how do I stop it from doing it?


Thank you!

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11.4

Posted on Jun 8, 2021 2:42 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Jun 9, 2021 6:18 PM

I see this happen most often in web page text fields where Keyboard Dictation can't access the preceding text and therefore defaults to capitalizing the first character of the utterance as if it's starting a new sentence. If you provide information about the specific text field in the page or app in which you are dictating, and if it's a web page the browser are you using, this may help Apple investigate? As a test, do you see the same issue when dictating in TextEdit?

4 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Jun 9, 2021 6:18 PM in response to Ian Chamandy1

I see this happen most often in web page text fields where Keyboard Dictation can't access the preceding text and therefore defaults to capitalizing the first character of the utterance as if it's starting a new sentence. If you provide information about the specific text field in the page or app in which you are dictating, and if it's a web page the browser are you using, this may help Apple investigate? As a test, do you see the same issue when dictating in TextEdit?

Jun 9, 2021 9:48 AM in response to Ian Chamandy1

Howdy,


Reading your issue, I thought this might be an issue where the Mac was interpreting your pauses as the end of one sentence and the start of another, thus capitalizing after the pause. (Although it looks like it is inserting commas instead of periods, is that a hint?)


However, I was unable to duplicate the issue even with all the autocorrection I could find enabled. I tested with TextEdit, Pages and Notes, turned on "Correct spelling automatically" and "Capitalize words automatically" in System Preferences > Keyboard > Text and in App > Preferences and under the Edit Menus > Spelling and Grammar, with Grammar correction on where available. I couldn't get it to think a pause indicated a new sentence. I tested with Keyboard Dictation as well as Voice Control Dictation.


That said, what happens if you turn off those autocorrection features? Does it still capitalize after a pause?


ivan



Dictation capitalizes mid-sentence

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.