The problem with VoiceInk

I just purchased VoiceInk, so I don't know much about the app yet. Generally, all of these apps require you to edit the prompt for the specific mode. If you go to your modes and adjust the prompt to include obeying commands with examples like `new line` or `colon`, it should theoretically work. Give it a try

The cool thing about VoiceInk, in my experience, is that it gets the punctuation right 90% of the time. I don’t have to say “period” or “comma” anymore, which is why I like it. It detects my speech cadence and puts punctuation in the right place .

This seems like a skill-issue. Just don't dictate punctuation anymore. Let the LLM handle fixing the punctuation.

This is how you use voice assistants like Siri -- telling it what punctuation to apply. It's not how you use a transcription tool.

i'd test this as two separate modes before giving up on it. one mode should be normal dictation where you stop saying punctuation and let it infer commas/periods. the other should have a very explicit prompt like: when i say 'period', output '.', when i say 'new paragraph', start a new paragraph, and never write those command words literally. if the second mode still writes the words out, then it is probably a real VoiceInk workflow gap rather than you using it wrong.

I actually think VoiceInk 2.0 addresses this with their default Dictation enhancement turned on. It’s in the prompt, no?

Your preference isn’t wrong—explicit punctuation is an accessibility and workflow habit, and a dictation app should support both styles. One useful test is to dictate both “that was a difficult period in my life” and a sentence where “period” is meant as a command. If the app only offers global word replacement, I wouldn’t enable it because it can corrupt real prose. The robust fix is a command-aware mode or prompt with contextual examples, not a blind replacement.

All these replies from folks who probably never had to use voice transcription before LLMs starting doing it (as a medical person, have been dictating for decades and those prompts were inherently necessary for the transcriptionist and it's just an engrained habit at this point it feels unnatural to transcribe normally no matter how hard I force the issue). OP I COMPLETELY get it and it's a frustration I have with the app as well. The v2.0 did have something making those prompts work correctly for those like us but i've not been able to get it to work consistently. I don't find that the app does a consistent job with punctuation and definitely doesn't handle new paragraphs, etc so I'm right there with you. One person suggested putting rules in place and that's probably the right answer but I've not yet taken the opportunity to try it. Might circle back and try that again as I've not found another yet that I prefer otherwise. VoiceInk has been very good outside of that.