The terminal is where many developers spend a significant portion of their day. Git commands, Docker operations, SSH sessions, file management — all done by typing commands. But what if you could speak them?
Whisperer's Code Mode works in Terminal, iTerm2, Warp, and any other terminal emulator on your Mac.
Why Voice in the Terminal?#
Terminal commands are often long and error-prone. That's 72 characters of precise typing. One typo and it fails. With voice dictation:
“docker compose dash f docker dash compose dot prod dot yml up dash dash build dash d dash dash remove dash orphans”
docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml up --build -d --remove-orphansWhisperer produces the exact command. Code Mode handles the dashes and dots correctly.
Setting Up Terminal Dictation#
Create a terminal profile
In Whisperer settings, create a per-app profile for your terminal (Terminal.app, iTerm2, or Warp)
Enable Code Mode
Enable Code Mode for this profile to handle dashes, dots, and special characters correctly
Start dictating
Hold Fn in your terminal and start speaking your commands
Common Terminal Commands by Voice#
Git Commands#
“git checkout dash b feature slash snake case add user auth”
git checkout -b feature/add_user_auth“git commit dash m quote fix authentication timeout for expired sessions quote”
git commit -m "fix authentication timeout for expired sessions"“git log dash dash oneline dash n ten”
git log --oneline -n 10File Operations#
“mkdir dash p src slash components slash auth”
mkdir -p src/components/auth“find dot dash name quote star dot ts quote dash type f”
find . -name "*.ts" -type fDocker Commands#
“docker exec dash it snake case postgres container psql dash u postgres”
docker exec -it postgres_container psql -u postgresSSH and Remote#
“ssh dash i tilde slash dot ssh slash id rsa user at one nine two dot one six eight dot one dot one hundred”
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa user@192.168.1.100Tips for Terminal Dictation#
Say "dash" for hyphens
Code Mode interprets "dash" as -
Say "dash dash" for long flags
Produces -- for long command-line flags
Say "dot" for periods
Useful for file extensions and IP addresses
Say "slash" for path separators
Produces / for file paths
Say "tilde" for home directory
Produces ~ for home directory shortcuts
Say "star" for wildcards
Produces * for wildcard patterns
Say "pipe" for piping
Produces | for command piping
Combining with Natural Language#
You can mix natural language and code syntax in a single dictation. For example, when writing a script comment before a command:
“hash space to do add error handling for network failures”
# TODO add error handling for network failuresWhen Voice Shines in Terminal#
Voice dictation is particularly powerful for:
- Long complex commands that are tedious to type
- Commands with many flags like
docker,kubectl,ffmpeg - File paths that are long and error-prone
- Commit messages and documentation
- When you're reading logs and need to type a command without switching context
Terminal-Specific Considerations#
- Whisperer inserts text at the cursor position — it works with any shell (zsh, bash, fish)
- For multi-line commands, use toggle mode instead of hold-to-talk
- The streaming preview appears in the Whisperer HUD, not in the terminal itself
- Tab completion still works normally between voice inputs
Related: How to Dictate Code on Mac, Code Mode, Voice Coding Guide. See pricing and all features.
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