> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vowen.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Transcription Quality

> Fixing accuracy issues with speech-to-text.

## Low Accuracy / Many Errors

### Try a Better Model

The #1 fix for accuracy issues is using a better model:

| Current Model           | Upgrade To                          |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Tiny                    | Base.en or Small                    |
| Base.en                 | Small or Medium                     |
| Any local model         | Groq Whisper Large v3 (free, cloud) |
| Any model (non-English) | Large v3 or Groq Large v3           |

### Set Language Explicitly

If you use Auto-detect, switch to a fixed language:

1. Go to **Settings > Language**
2. Select your primary language
3. Auto-detect can occasionally pick the wrong language, reducing accuracy

### Enable AI Enhancement

AI Enhancement catches and fixes most remaining transcription errors. Enable it in **Settings > Recording > Enhance with AI**.

## Specific Issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Words getting mixed up when speaking fast">
    * Slow down slightly — rapid speech is harder for all STT models
    * Switch to a cloud model (Groq, Deepgram) which handle fast speech better
    * Use a larger local model (Medium or Large v3 Turbo)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Technical terms misspelled">
    Add them to your Custom Vocabulary:

    1. Go to **Settings > Dictionary**
    2. Add the terms (product names, jargon, proper nouns)
    3. The model uses these as hints during transcription

    For consistent misspellings, create a Thread replacement: **Settings > Dictionary > Threads**
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Non-English accuracy is poor">
    * Use a multilingual model (NOT .en variants)
    * Try Large v3 or Groq Whisper Large v3
    * Set the language explicitly (don't use auto-detect)
    * For Indian languages, try Sarvam AI Saaras v3
    * Parakeet supports 25 European languages well
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Output repeats or loops">
    Repetitive output is a known model behavior that happens occasionally:

    * Re-record the phrase
    * Try a different model
    * Enable AI Enhancement (it detects and removes repetitions)
    * This is more common with smaller models — upgrade if it happens frequently
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Random 'Thank you' or hallucinated text">
    This is a Whisper model quirk when processing silence:

    * Start speaking immediately when you press the shortcut
    * Don't hold the shortcut in silence before speaking
    * Update to the latest Vowen version (improved junk detection)
    * Enable cloud silence detection in Settings > Recording
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Only first word or period is captured">
    The recording might be too short:

    * Hold the shortcut for the full duration of your speech
    * Don't release too quickly
    * Check that your shortcut isn't conflicting with another app
    * On Windows, check that the Command key isn't part of your shortcut (known issue with left Command)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Accuracy was better with Wispr Flow">
    Wispr Flow uses cloud-based models by default. To match their quality:

    1. Use Groq Whisper Large v3 as your transcription model
    2. Enable AI Enhancement with Gemini Flash Lite or Groq Llama
    3. Add Custom Instructions matching your writing style

    This combination produces results comparable to Wispr Flow's output.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Comparing Your Setup

If you're unsure whether your setup is optimal, here's what most satisfied users use:

**macOS (fast + accurate):**

* Speech: Parakeet or Groq Whisper Turbo
* AI: Gemini Flash Lite (free) or Groq Llama 3.3 70B

**Windows (fast + accurate):**

* Speech: Groq Whisper Large v3 Turbo
* AI: Gemini Flash Lite (free)

**Maximum accuracy (any platform):**

* Speech: Groq Whisper Large v3
* AI: GPT-4o or Claude Sonnet