Punctuation that sticks: what we fixed and how to get best results

You notice punctuation when it goes wrong. A missing period. A doubled space. A proper noun that breaks a sentence.

Here is a plain update on what we changed, how to test it, and a few habits that make long dictation read clean on the first pass.

What changed recently

• Input conditioning got stricter. We normalize loudness and trim low rumble a little earlier in the pipeline. This helps the recognizer place sentence breaks more consistently in noisy rooms.
• Finalization timing is steadier. Ending a long session now gives the last block a clean pass before it prints, which keeps end‑of‑sentence punctuation from drifting.
• Short‑pause handling is gentler. We avoid mid‑phrase periods that used to show up after quick breaths.
• Capitalization at sentence start is more consistent. You should see fewer lowercase starts after a period or question mark.

If you used Voice Type back in spring, try it again now with a real paragraph. Most people see fewer edits.

A quick test

Read this line into a blank document.

Aeloria and Kyran left Eldmere at dawn. They crossed the Kintara ridge before the fog rolled in. Skystack Nova ships next week.

You should see proper sentence breaks and capitalization without saying the words “period” or “new line”. If you work in a loud room, try the same line once more while keeping the mic a touch closer.

Tips that help on any mic

• Pause a hair longer at full stops. Half a beat is enough. It gives the model a clean signal to commit the sentence.
• Say list punctuation when it matters. For tight lists or code snippets, saying “comma” out loud removes guesswork.
• Keep the mic level steady. Large swings in volume can look like sentence breaks.

Custom words

If you use product names or terms that are not in a dictionary, add them. Names that repeat become anchors for the model and reduce edits in long notes.

Optional rewrite

If you want extra polish, you can turn on LLM rewrite with your own key. The text is sent directly from your Mac to the provider you choose. We do not proxy it. Many people use rewrite only for final formatting or tone.

If you hit a case we missed

We want the raw transcript to read well without tricks. If you have a short clip that fails in a specific way, send it to us as text (no audio needed). Tell us your macOS version and mic. We will try to reproduce it and tune the input rules.

Thanks to everyone who left blunt reviews. They make the product better. If you wrote about punctuation or spacing and try the latest build, we would love to hear if it now reads clean for you.