Right the first time
Add a name or a term once and Sonix prioritizes it on every new file, so the people, products and jargon in your recordings come back spelled the way you spell them.
Reviewed by David Dat Nguyen, CXO Last updated
Custom dictionary
Your names.
Your terms.
Spelled right.
Teach Sonix the names, jargon and brand terms your recordings use, and every new transcript comes back spelling them the way you do.
One main dictionary on every account, more when different work needs different words, and a word you add while editing is remembered next time.
30 free minutes on every new account, no credit card.See pricing
Up to 400 terms per dictionary
Every plan, trial included
Pick dictionaries at upload
Add a term once, read it right every time
A custom dictionary tells the transcription engine which spellings to prefer before it hears a word.
A list for every kind of work
Keep one dictionary per client, case, project or show. When you upload, pick the dictionaries that fit the file and Sonix merges their words.
Add words as you edit
Select a word in the transcript and press Ctrl+D, or click the book icon. It joins your main dictionary and the next file gets it right.
Your own vocabulary
Three kinds of teams, three kinds of dictionaries.
Legal teams
Case names, parties and Latin that no general model has heard enough of.
- Party, witness and attorney surnames, exactly as they appear in the filings
- Terms of art such as voir dire, habeas corpus, res judicata, in camera
- One dictionary per matter, picked when the deposition audio is uploaded
Medical teams
Drug names and procedures, spelled the way the chart spells them.
- Medications such as metoprolol, apixaban, levothyroxine
- Procedures and conditions such as cholecystectomy, atrial fibrillation
- Clinician and department names used in your rounds and dictation
Companies
Product names, codenames and acronyms that only your team uses.
- Product and feature names with their house capitalization
- Internal project codenames and team acronyms
- Customer and partner names heard on sales and support calls
How the dictionary works
The settings and limits, as they are in the product today.
- One main dictionary on every accountDefault
- Open Custom dictionary from the sidebar. The main dictionary applies to every upload unless you pick others.
- One word or phrase per line, up to 400400
- Each dictionary holds up to 400 words or phrases. Short entries of a word or two work best.
- Several dictionaries, chosen at uploadAt upload
- Once you have more than one, the upload form asks which dictionaries to use. Pick several and their words are merged for that file.
- Add from the editorCtrl+D
- Select a word in any transcript and press Ctrl+D or click the book icon to add it to the main dictionary.
- Spelling preferenceUS / AU / UK
- Transcription settings choose American, Australian or British spelling for the main dictionary. Dictionary words always take priority.
- The APIKeywords
- Send a comma-separated keywords list with an upload and it is used instead of the account dictionary for that file.
Questions teams ask about
custom dictionaries
How would a medical team use a custom dictionary day to day?
Add the medications, procedures and clinician names your recordings mention, one per line, and every new dictation or consult comes back spelling them as the chart does. Keep a separate dictionary per department if their vocabularies differ, and pick it when you upload. Recordings that contain protected health information belong on Medical Sonix, which adds a signed Business Associate Agreement.
Can a law firm keep one dictionary per client or case?
Yes. Create a dictionary per matter with the party names, witnesses and terms of art for that case. When you upload a deposition or a hearing, the upload form asks which dictionaries to apply, and you can select more than one. Their words are merged for that file.
How many words can I add?
Up to 400 words or phrases per dictionary, one per line. Short entries work best: a surname, a product name, a two-word term. Create another dictionary rather than one very long list.
Does it fix transcripts I already have?
No. The dictionary is read when a transcription starts, so it shapes new uploads. For a file that is already done, fix the word in the editor and press Ctrl+D to add it, so the next recording gets it right.
Does it work in every language?
On most of the 54+ languages Sonix transcribes, yes. It does not apply to recordings transcribed as multi-language files, and a few languages run on engines that do not read it. Check the transcript of a short test file first if your work depends on specific terms.
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Add ten names from your last recording, upload it, and read the difference. 30 free minutes, no credit card.
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