Multilingual Transcription: Transcribing Audio in Languages Other Than English
CorrectNow Editorial Team · 5 min read
A lot of the world's recorded speech is not in English. Family recordings, interviews, sermons, lectures and business calls happen in Hindi, Spanish, Arabic, Tamil, Portuguese and many other languages, and often in a mix of two or more.
Multilingual transcription follows the same basic steps as English transcription, but a few extra points matter: choosing the language, handling scripts, dealing with mixed-language speech and deciding whether you need a translation. This guide covers each one.
Transcription and translation are different jobs
Transcription writes down what was said, in the language it was said. Translation turns that text into another language. Keeping the two separate gives better results, because you can check the transcript against the audio before anything is translated.
On CorrectNow, the audio to text page writes the speech in the language spoken; it does not translate. If you need English, transcribe first, review the text, and then use the translator.
Check that the language is supported
Support for languages varies between tools, and quality can vary between languages within the same tool. Widely spoken languages generally have more training data behind them. For less common languages or regional dialects, expect to do more correction and test a short sample before committing to a long recording.
If a tool asks you to choose the language, pick the one that is spoken most in the recording. If it detects the language automatically, make sure the opening seconds are clear speech in the main language.
Recording quality matters even more in a less common language, because the software has fewer patterns to fall back on when a word is unclear. A quiet room, a close microphone and one speaker at a time will often make a bigger difference than switching tools.
Handling scripts and spelling
Many languages have their own script, such as Devanagari for Hindi, Arabic script for Arabic, or Tamil script for Tamil. A good transcript uses the language's normal written form. Make sure your device and the place you paste the text can display the script correctly, and that fonts are installed if you plan to print.
Some people prefer a romanised version, with the words written in Latin letters. That is a separate step, and there is often more than one accepted way to romanise a word, so agree on a style before you start.
Check punctuation conventions too. Languages differ in how they punctuate questions, quotations and lists, so the transcript should follow the rules of the language spoken, not English habits carried over by default.
Mixed-language speech
Many speakers switch between languages, sometimes within one sentence. This is completely normal, but it is harder for speech recognition. A tool may write an English word in the other language's script, or mishear it as a similar-sounding local word.
Decide how you want borrowed words to appear: in their original script, or in the script of the main language. Then apply that choice consistently when you review.
- Review mixed-language passages slowly against the audio.
- Keep a list of recurring names and terms and how you will spell them.
- Note unclear words with a timestamp rather than guessing.
Review with a fluent reader
If you do not speak the language well yourself, ask a fluent speaker to check the transcript against the recording. Machine transcription can produce text that looks plausible to a non-speaker but contains wrong words, missing words or incorrect grammar.
For legal, medical, immigration or other official purposes, use a qualified human transcriber or translator. An automatic draft can save time, but it should not be the final word.
Give your reviewer the audio and the transcript together, plus a list of the names and terms you already know. Ask them to mark unclear passages instead of guessing, so you know which parts of the text are reliable.
Proofread, then translate if needed
Once the words are right, check spelling, grammar and punctuation in the original language. CorrectNow detects the language automatically, handles mixed-language text and explains each correction, so it can be used on transcripts in many languages.
If you need a translation, translate the corrected transcript, not the raw draft. Errors in the source text tend to multiply in translation.
Keep the original-language transcript alongside the translation. If a reader later questions a sentence, you can go back to the source text and the audio to check what was actually said.
Frequently asked questions
Can I transcribe audio that is not in English?
Yes, with a tool that supports the language. The transcript will be written in the language spoken.
Will the tool translate my audio into English?
Transcription does not translate. Transcribe the audio first, check the text, then translate it as a separate step.
What about recordings that mix two languages?
Mixed speech can be transcribed, but expect more errors in the switching points. Review those passages carefully against the audio.
Is automatic transcription enough for official documents?
No. For legal, medical or official use, have a qualified person review or produce the transcript.
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