How do I change the spelling on my Android talk to text?

Talk-to-text, also known as speech-to-text or voice dictation, allows users to speak into their phone or device and have their speech converted into text. This technology utilizes advanced speech recognition algorithms to analyze the acoustic properties of speech and match it to words in its vocabulary database (Stanford News, 2016). Talk-to-text can allow users to compose messages, notes, emails and other text much faster than typing on a mobile keyboard.

However, the technology is still imperfect and speech recognition errors can occur, leading to incorrect words or spellings in the transcribed text. This is due to aspects like background noise, unclear pronunciation, or limitations in the speech recognition system’s vocabulary and language modeling. As talk-to-text algorithms continue improving, the error rate is decreasing but occasional mistakes still happen. This section will discuss the settings available for refining and personalizing talk-to-text to improve spelling and recognition accuracy.

Access Settings

To access the settings for talk-to-text on an Android device, you will need to open the Settings app. According to the Gboard Help article on the Google Support site, the steps are:

Open the Settings app on your Android device.
Tap on System or General Management.
Tap on Language & input.

Tap on On-screen keyboard.
Tap on Gboard.
Tap on Voice typing.

This will open the settings for talk-to-text in Gboard which will allow you to customize and control the voice typing capabilities.

Language Settings

The language settings allow you to set the primary language used for speech recognition on your Android device. This ensures the phone understands your speech accurately.

To change the language in your speech settings:

Open your Android device’s Settings app.
Tap on System.
Select Languages & input > Virtual keyboard > Gboard.

Tap Languages.
Select the language you want to use as your primary language for speech recognition.

Setting your primary language to one you are most comfortable speaking will improve accuracy. The speech recognition relies on language models and will be best optimized for your primary tongue.

Offline Speech Recognition

One of the key features of Android’s speech recognition is the ability to download languages for offline use. This allows you to use voice typing and commands without an internet connection. According to Google text to speech: download, languages – CCM.net, here’s how to download additional languages:

1. Go to Settings > System > Languages & input > Virtual keyboard > Gboard > Languages.

2. Tap “Add language” and select the languages you want to download.

3. For each language, toggle “Offline speech recognition” on. This will download the speech pack for offline use.

4. Once downloaded, you can use voice typing and commands in that language without an internet connection. The speech packs do take up storage space, so only download what you need.

If you have trouble downloading speech packs, check your internet connection or device storage space. You may need to free up space for the download to complete successfully.

Personalized Recognition

One of the best ways to improve accuracy of Android’s talk-to-text is to personalize it to your voice. Android’s speech recognition engine uses advanced neural network models to convert speech to text. These models are initially trained on thousands of different voices. By using your voice and adapting the model specifically to your speech patterns, accuracy can be greatly improved.

To personalize speech recognition on Android:

Go to Settings > System > Languages & input > Virtual keyboard > Google Voice Typing

Tap “Improve voice recognition”
Follow the on-screen instructions to record audio samples of your voice

The more audio samples you provide, the better the speech recognition engine can adapt to your unique voice characteristics. For optimal accuracy, try to record samples in different environments and contexts. After training the model, you should notice significantly improved transcription of your speech into text.

According to research from WorkinTool, personalizing the speech model reduced word error rate by around 40% compared to the generic model. With a personalized model tailored to your voice, Android talk-to-text can reach over 95% accuracy under good conditions.

Punctuation Settings

You can configure how punctuation is handled when using talk-to-text on your Android device. By default, punctuation like periods, commas, question marks, and exclamation points are not automatically added as you speak. However, you can change the settings to have basic punctuation automatically inserted.

To adjust punctuation settings in Gboard:

Open the Gboard app.
Tap on Settings.
Select Voice typing.

Toggle on “Automatic punctuation” to have commas, periods, and questions marks automatically added as you talk.

You can also turn on “Faster punctuation” which will allow you to speak punctuation commands like “period” or “comma” to insert them on the fly (source: https://support.google.com/android/thread/159539289/speech-to-text-spelling-out-punctuation-when-i-dictate?hl=en).

Samsung devices also allow you to customize punctuation insertion in greater detail through the Samsung keyboard settings (source: https://www.notta.ai/en/blog/how-do-i-activate-voice-to-text-on-android).

Adjusting these settings can help ensure punctuation is inserted correctly when using Android’s talk-to-text feature to improve readability.

Capitalization

Controlling capitalization in Android talk to text can be done through the settings. Go to Settings > System > Languages & input > On-screen keyboard > Gboard > Text correction. Here you will find options for “Auto-capitalization” and “Capitalize pronoun.” Enabling auto-capitalization will capitalize the first letter of each sentence automatically. The capitalize pronoun option will capitalize pronouns like “I” and “You.”

If auto-capitalization is not working properly, make sure to check for updates to Gboard in the Play Store. Sometimes updates can fix issues with capitalization. You can also try toggling the auto-capitalization setting off and back on to reset it.

According to some users, certain keyboard apps like Gboard have issues properly capitalizing names or words after punctuation [1]. Using the Samsung keyboard or switching to a 3rd party keyboard like SwiftKey may help.

Overall, controlling capitalization comes down to enabling the auto-capitalization feature in your keyboard settings and choosing a keyboard that works best for your needs.

Background Noise

Background noise can interfere with Android’s talk-to-text feature and cause inaccurate transcriptions. Here are some tips for reducing background noise:

Use noise cancelling headphones or earbuds to dampen ambient sounds around you. Quality headphones with active noise cancellation like the Sony WH-1000XM3 can dramatically cut down on background noise.

Find a quieter spot to use talk-to-text. Move away from loud crowds, machinery, or other distracting sounds. A room with soft furnishings can absorb more noise.

Use the noise suppression setting in Android’s Sound Amplifier accessibility feature. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Amplifier and drag the “Noise Reduction” slider to the right to cut down on ambient noise picked up by your phone’s microphone [1].

Try noise cancelling and noise suppression apps like Krisp and Reverb that can filter out background noise in real time.

Speak loudly and clearly, and enunciate each word fully. This helps the microphone pick up your voice above the ambient noise.

Speaking Tips

To get the best results from Android’s talk-to-text feature, speaking clearly and precisely is key. Here are some tips for speaking clearly:

Enunciate words fully. Don’t mumble or trail off at the ends of words. Over-enunciate if needed.
Speak at a natural pace, not too fast or slow. The system needs time to process what you’re saying.
Speak in a clear, level voice. Raising or lowering your voice too much can confuse the system.

Announce punctuation if desired, saying “period”, “comma”, “question mark”, etc.
Phrase sentences grammatically. Talk to your phone conversationally as you would to another person.
Reduce background noise if possible by moving to a quieter area before dictating.

With some practice speaking clearly in this way, most users can achieve 95% accuracy or better using Android’s integrated talk-to-text. Check your typed transcripts periodically for errors. You can make corrections manually by typing or through voice commands.

Conclusion

Adjusting your Android talk-to-text settings can help to improve its spelling accuracy. In summary, check your speech recognition language and dialect, enable personalized recognition if available, and try speaking clearly and avoiding background noise, for the best speech recognition spelling on your device.

Some final tisp: speak in a normal, steady voice using clear pronunciation. Hold your phone closer to you while speaking. It may also help to switch to offline or wired headset speech recognition, instead of relying solely on your handset’s microphone. Try cleaning up background noise around you, as that can interfere with the system capturing your voice accurately. And consider setting your phone’s keyboard to autocorrect your typical speech misspellings and substitutions.