How fast is speech recognition software?

Whether you’re a doctor transcribing consultations, a lawyer dictating case info on the go, or a professional in any other fast-paced industry- the quicker you can get through your paperwork, the better. That’s why, in recent years, more and more organisations have been adopting speech recognition software. Along with a slew of other benefits, it significantly speeds up the documentation process, allowing users to be far more efficient in their work day.

But is speech recognition software really that fast? It’s a fair question; most people these days are very fast typists, and might be skeptical of just how much time digital dictation can save.

Not only is it faster than typing, but speech recognition software goes a whole lot further than automated transcriptions. So, in today’s blog, we’ll be looking at the speed of speech recognition platforms, as well as the different platforms available for specific industries.

Is speech recognition software faster than typing?

On average, most people type 40 words per minute. This obviously varies, especially depending on the requirements of your job (a professional typist would naturally be faster). But even if you’re averaging far more than 40 words per minute, you’re unlikely to be anywhere close to modern speech recognition platforms. Nuance Dragon Medical One (DMO), for example, can transcribe up to 150 words per minute. The equivalent platform for the legal sector, Dragon Legal Anywhere (DLA) guarantees similar speeds, regardless of the amount of industry-specific jargon included in transcriptions.

So, unless you’re literally a world record holder (305 words per minute, if you were wondering!), digital transcription is four times faster than manual typing if you’re using the latest Nuance software.

Why don’t more people use speech recognition?

Another fair question. Despite the advancements that speech recognition has made in the past decade or so, many would still deem it quite a niche industry. But in certain sectors, like healthcare, this is far from the case.

The NHS is currently facing a monumental strain, which in large part is caused by mountains and mountains of paperwork and processes that should’ve been automated years ago. That’s why, every year, more and more people working in the healthcare sector are turning to Dragon Medical One. It can trim down hours of repetitive admin in any given work week, and because of this, medical professionals are frequently lauding the software, including those with dyslexia, who frequently inform us that they can’t imagine how they ever coped without DMO.

Is speech recognition only for the medical industry?

We’ve mostly been discussing Dragon Medical One thus far, but Nuance speech recognition software isn’t just for the medical sector. There’s the legal equivalent, Dragon Legal Anywhere, but there’s also Dragon Professional Anywhere. Some organisations in the legal sector rely on DPA, as well as local government, emergency services, and professional services. You can view our full range of software and hardware, including Philips and OM System, on our website.

Conclusion: how fast is speech recognition software?

Put simply, speech recognition software is… very fast. 150 words per minute, to be exact- four times faster than the average typing speed. If you’re a medical professional, a legal professional, or you’re in any job that entails heaps of admin, speech recognition can save you multiple hours every week, improve turnaround times, and free you up for all the more important work.