Spoken formatting commands: new line, new paragraph

Spoken formatting commands add structure while you dictate, without touching the keyboard. Say new line for a line break, new paragraph for a paragraph break, and parentheses and end parentheses around a side note. A deterministic pass applies those three even with cleanup off. Quote and end quote need cleanup on.

By Eric Friedman. Last updated 2026-09-06.

What spoken commands does Parlo understand?

Four commands work today, and Parlo applies each one exactly where you say it:

Say the command as part of your sentence. You do not need to pause before or after it.

Parlo is conservative about what counts as a command, so an ordinary sentence never misfires. "Parentheses" only turns into a formatting mark once you say its closing marker, "end parentheses" or "close parentheses." Say "parentheses" alone and it stays a plain word. "New line" and "new paragraph" are also refused right after an article such as "a," "the," "this," or "another." A sentence like "we are launching a new line of products" stays one plain sentence instead of breaking in two.

Why does a deterministic pass matter?

Commands run through two different systems. New line, new paragraph, and parentheses go through a deterministic pass built into cleanup. That pass is separate from the on-device language model that removes filler sounds and false starts. It looks for the exact command phrase and applies it directly. Those three commands hold up even if the language model is unavailable, or if "Use AI cleanup" is off in Settings.

Quote and end quote work differently. Only the language model converts them into quotation marks, as one of its cleanup instructions. Turn "Use AI cleanup" off, and "quote" and "end quote" stay spoken words in your note instead of punctuation marks.

How do you dictate a note with structure?

A short example shows how the pieces fit together:

1. Start dictating normally: "Meeting notes for Tuesday."
2. Say "new paragraph" before a new topic: "new paragraph Budget review is next week."
3. Wrap a side note: "parentheses ask finance for the updated numbers end parentheses."
4. Wrap something someone said: "quote we should ship Friday end quote," with cleanup on.

The note that lands in your feed already has the line breaks, paragraph break, parentheses, and quotation marks in place.

Here is what a few common commands turn into once cleanup has run:

Is there a command for bullet points?

No. Parlo does not have a "bullet" command today. If you want a bulleted list, dictate each item and separate them with "new line." Then add the bullet marks by hand, or run the Bullets transform on the note afterward from the feed. The Bullets transform is a separate, on-device step, not a spoken command.

Do commands work with a transform like Email or Bullets?

Spoken commands shape the raw dictation before any transform runs. A transform like Email or Bullets starts from the note as it landed, commands included, and may restructure the text from there. Email assembles a greeting, body, and closing; Bullets reflows lines into a list. Either transform can drop or reshape a parenthetical or a quoted phrase as part of that restructuring. It is rebuilding the note, not just editing around your commands.

What should you expect the first time you try commands?

Say a command the same way you say any other word, right inside the flow of your sentence. Parlo does not pause to confirm it heard "new paragraph" or "parentheses." There is no on-screen indicator while you are still talking, either. The structure only becomes visible once the dictation finishes and the note lands in your feed. It arrives already broken into lines and paragraphs, with parentheses and quotation marks in place.

The deterministic pass also tidies up after itself. Extra spaces left behind by a command get collapsed. Parlo never leaves a stray space in front of a comma or period that followed right after a command word. You do not have to add or remove spacing by hand around a command; the pass handles that as part of applying it.

What are the honest limits of spoken commands?

Only new line, new paragraph, and parentheses run on the deterministic pass. Quote needs the on-device language model, so it needs "Use AI cleanup" on and the model available on your device. There is no heading command, no bold or italic command, and no way to define a command of your own today. The list is exactly the four in the table above, nothing more.

Parlo is also deliberately cautious about false positives. "New line" and "new paragraph" are refused right after a determiner like "a" or "the." "Parentheses" only converts once you say its closing marker. That caution means an ordinary sentence is very unlikely to misfire into unwanted formatting. It also means a command spoken awkwardly, blended into the next word, may not be recognized at all.

What if Parlo does not catch a command?

Say the command clearly as its own words, not blended into another word. If a command is missed, edit the note by hand afterward. Tap the note in your feed to open it for editing at any time.