How to write email by voice on a Mac

Email is where dictation pays off most: lots of words, a predictable shape, and a reader who doesn't care whether you typed it.

#What Sayburst does with an email

Here's what Parakeet heard when we dictated a short email, and what Sayburst inserted in Email mode:

Heard: "Um hi Sam, uh the draft is ready for review new paragraph. Can you look at it before Friday? Thanks, Alex."

Inserted:

Hi Sam,

The draft is ready for review.

Can you look at it before Friday?

Thanks,
Alex

The "um" and "uh" are gone, "new paragraph" became a paragraph break, and the greeting and sign-off have their own lines. That runs on your Mac in milliseconds — no AI service involved.

#Setting it up

1. In Settings › Writing, click Use Suggested Rules. Mail and Outlook get Email mode; Slack and Messages get Message mode.
2. Using Gmail in a browser? Pick Email from the menu bar before you dictate — that choice applies to the next dictation.
3. Add the names you write to most in Settings › Dictionary.

#Dictating a good email

• Say the greeting first, then pause. "Hi Sam," — pause — then the body.
• Use "new paragraph" between ideas. It reads better than one long block.
• End with your sign-off. "Thanks, Alex" becomes two lines.
• Review before sending. Dictation is fast; a five-second read catches the occasional wrong word.

Questions people ask

Can dictation format an email properly?

Sayburst's Email mode puts the greeting and sign-off on their own lines and splits paragraphs when you say “new paragraph”. It runs on your Mac without an AI service.

Does it work in Gmail in the browser?

Yes. Sayburst pastes into whatever field has focus, including Gmail and Outlook in Safari, Chrome or Brave.