How AI Transcription Actually Works
Modern speech recognition doesn't just convert sounds to words. It uses context — the surrounding words, common phrases, and even the topic of conversation — to decide what you probably said.
This means small changes in how you record can make a big difference in accuracy. Here's what we've learned from thousands of Soria users.
The Environment Matters More Than Your Microphone
You don't need a professional mic. Your phone's built-in microphone is perfectly fine for voice notes. What matters much more is background noise.
What helps:
- A quiet room with the door closed
- Holding the phone 15–20 cm from your mouth
- Avoiding wind (step inside or cup your hand around the mic)
What hurts:
- Busy cafés or open offices
- Car road noise (parked is fine, driving is harder)
- Fans, air conditioners, or music playing nearby
If you're in a noisy environment, speak slightly louder than normal. The AI can filter out consistent background noise but struggles with intermittent sounds like conversations or traffic.
Speak Naturally, But With Intention
You don't need to slow down or adopt a "radio voice." In fact, speaking naturally produces better results because the AI's language model is trained on natural speech patterns.
That said, a few small habits help:
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Finish your sentences. Trailing off mid-thought ("So I was thinking we should maybe, uh... anyway") confuses the model.
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Pause instead of saying "um." A brief silence is easily handled. Filler words sometimes get transcribed as actual words.
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Say names and numbers clearly. "John Smith" is easy. "J'nSmth" at high speed is not. Same with phone numbers or addresses — a tiny pause between groups helps.
Use the Special Words Feature
This is the single biggest accuracy improvement most users overlook.
Soria lets you add "special words" — names, brand terms, acronyms, or domain-specific jargon that the AI might not recognize. When you add "Kubernetes," "Figma," or your colleague's unusual name, the model specifically looks for those terms.
Go to Settings → Special Words and add anything you mention regularly that isn't a common English word.
Structuring Longer Recordings
For recordings over two minutes, a little structure goes a long way:
"Topic: Q3 marketing review. First, the campaign results. We saw a 12% increase in..."
Starting with a topic sentence helps both the AI and your future self when searching through notes later. The summary feature also produces better results when it can identify the main topic early on.
If you're covering multiple topics, say "Next topic" or "Moving on to..." between sections. Soria's action item detection picks up on these transitions.
Language and Accent Considerations
Soria supports 13 languages, and the AI handles most accents well. A few things to keep in mind:
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Stick to one language per recording. Code-switching (mixing languages mid-sentence) reduces accuracy in both languages.
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Set your recording language correctly. If you speak Korean, make sure the language setting matches — the AI uses completely different models per language.
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Proper nouns in another language (like saying an English brand name while speaking Korean) are usually handled well, especially if you've added them as special words.
When Transcription Goes Wrong
Even the best AI isn't perfect. Here are common issues and how to handle them:
| Problem | Likely Cause | Fix | |---------|-------------|-----| | Wrong word that sounds similar | Homophone confusion | Edit manually, add to special words | | Missing words | Speaking too quickly | Re-record at normal pace | | Garbled section | Background noise spike | Edit or re-record that section | | Wrong language detected | Language setting mismatch | Check recording language in settings |
You can always edit the transcript directly in Soria. Your edits are saved alongside the original audio, so you never lose the raw recording.
The 80/20 Rule of Transcription Quality
For most people, doing just two things will solve 80% of accuracy issues:
- Record in a reasonably quiet place
- Add your frequently-used special words
Everything else — speaking pace, mic distance, sentence structure — contributes marginal improvements. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. A voice note with 95% accuracy captured in the moment is infinitely more valuable than a perfect note you never made.