Why is my dictation not accurate, and how to fix it
Most dictation problems are one of five things, and four of them take a minute to fix. The fifth needs better software.
- The five causes, in order of likelihood
- Mic distance matters more than mic price
- Modern AI engines vs the built-ins
ugh tell maya i can't make saturday dinner work blew up and i feel terrible but can we do next week instead
Hey Maya, I can't make Saturday dinner, work blew up. Really sorry. Can we do next week instead?
Tap a style. Same thought, a different landing.
Check the physical layer first
Distance and noise dominate accuracy. Talk within arm's length of the mic, or use earbuds with a decent microphone, and move away from fans, music, and echoey rooms. If you compare the same sentence on your phone's mic versus old Bluetooth earbuds, the difference is often dramatic: many earbuds record voice at walkie-talkie quality.
Then the settings
Make sure the dictation language matches what you actually speak, including regional variants. Update your keyboard or speech services. If you mix languages mid-sentence, pick the engine that handles that; most built-ins do not, and modern AI transcription models like the ones Speechy uses handle mixed speech far better.
When the words are right and the text is still wrong
Often the transcription is accurate and the result is still unusable: no punctuation, no paragraphs, your false starts transcribed faithfully. That is not an accuracy problem, it is a writing problem. An AI formatting pass, which is exactly what Speechy adds, removes the filler, fixes the structure, and returns text you can actually send.
More than transcription, it frames the message.
Speak or type the messy version, and Speechy hands back the sendable one: the right tone, structure and context, in whatever app you're already in.
The message, not the transcript
Most voice apps stop at words on a page. Speechy gives you the message: the right tone, length and language, ready to send.
24 styles, one tap
Flirty, Firm, Diplomatic, Professional, Gen Z and 19 more. Keep your 5 on the keyboard and switch mid-conversation.
A real keyboard on iPhone and iPad
Every layout you use, with autocorrect and suggestions, plus the mic. On Mac, one shortcut in any app. Windows and Android are on the way.
Think in one language, send in another
Speak the way you think and send it in your keyboard's language, or any of 12.
Good questions, straight answers.
Why does my dictation keep getting words wrong?
In order of likelihood: mic too far away, background noise, a low-quality Bluetooth mic, wrong language setting, or an outdated speech engine. Fix those before blaming yourself.
Which dictation engine is most accurate?
Large AI models (the Whisper family and successors) generally beat built-in OS engines, especially with accents and mixed languages. Speechy uses these models on every platform.
Stop rewriting your thoughts.
Say the messy version. Send the clean one. Your first 10 messages are free, no account, no card.