Successful communication for any business requires good grammar. Most organizations require audio transcription or conversion of audio recordings of meetings, podcasts, video conferences and interviews into text for diverse purposes such as knowledge sharing, boosting SEO, faster access to content in the recording, and more. Whether the conversion is done using automatic speech recognition (ASR), or by relying on an audio transcription company, it is critical to ensure that the content is free of grammatical errors.
Grammatical errors to note when transcribing audio are –
Punctuation
- Proper punctuation ensures readability and clarity
- It helps convey the meaning of what was said
Apostrophes
- Know to distinguish between possessive forms (‘s) and plural forms (s)
Similar sounding words or homophones
- ‘There’, ‘Their’ and ‘They’re’ are common examples of homophones
- Other examples: Wear and where, Loose and lose, Knot and not
Conjunctions
- To use conjunctions right, connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences
- Avoid starting a sentence with a conjunction
Spelling
- Wrong spelling can lead to incorrect entry of information
Specific words
- Know the meanings of words to ensure correct transcription
Tense
- Use the correct tense in the transcript
To avoid such grammatical errors, companies need to invest in a high-quality microphone and other audio equipment that can ensure clarity in the recording and reduce the risk of transcription mistakes. Transcribers should also double check or proofread the document before they are finalized. To catch spelling mistakes, read the transcript aloud or read it backward. The right writing tool can help to identify mistakes while transcribing. Also, make sure to turn off autocorrect, as it will not recognize certain errors. The practical option is to outsource the task to a professional online transcription company that provides the services of skilled transcriptionists with proper language skills.
