dictation
dictation — noun
- dictationsingular
- dictationsplural
1. the act of saying words out loud so that another person can write them down, or
the act of saying words out loud so that another person can write them down, or so that a device can convert the speech into text
The doctor's secretary took dictation for thirty minutes every morning to update patient records.
collocation: take dictation
Elena used a voice-recording app for dictation while driving home from work.
dictation with voice-recording app
Legal assistants often need fast typing skills for court-room dictation sessions.
The manager switched to dictation software after her wrist injury made typing painful.
Kenji turned on the dictation feature on his phone to compose messages hands-free.
- transcription
focuses on the act of converting recorded audio into written text, rather than live dictation
- voice input
technology-focused; refers to speaking to a device rather than to a person
- shorthand
a specific note-taking system used for fast dictation, not the dictation itself
文法句型
take dictation
dictation + noun (software/feature/device)
用法筆記
Typically uncountable; used with the verb 'take' in professional settings (take dictation). In technology contexts, it often appears as a modifier (dictation software, dictation feature).
常見錯誤
2. a classroom exercise in which a teacher reads a passage aloud and students write
a classroom exercise in which a teacher reads a passage aloud and students write it down, used especially to practise listening and spelling in a language course
The French teacher gave the class a dictation to practise verb endings.
collocation: give a dictation
Fatima practised Portuguese dictation every evening to improve her spelling and listening skills.
dictation as regular practice activity
The students exchanged their papers and corrected each other's dictation mistakes.
In today's dictation, the teacher read a short story about a lost dog.
Dictation exercises helped the children learn the difference between 'their' and 'there'.
- spelling test
narrower focus on correct spelling rather than overall listening comprehension
- listening quiz
broader term that may not involve writing down every word
文法句型
give + a dictation
have + a dictation
dictation + on/about [topic]
用法筆記
Countable; you give or have a dictation. Common in A2–B1 language classrooms. The focus is on listening comprehension and accurate spelling rather than on note-taking.
常見錯誤
3. the written result of someone speaking and another person writing it down, or th
the written result of someone speaking and another person writing it down, or the text produced through speech-to-text conversion
The secretary filed the dictation from yesterday's board meeting in the cabinet.
the dictation (countable) meaning the text
Amara reviewed the dictation before sending it to the client for approval.
The lawyer asked for a printed copy of the morning's dictation to check for errors.
The dictation from the interview was over twenty pages long.
The journalist compared her recording to the published dictation for accuracy.
- transcript
more general term for any written record, not necessarily produced by dictation
- transcription
emphasises the conversion process; often used for technology-produced text
- manuscript
broader literary term; does not imply the text was dictated
文法句型
the dictation of/from [source]
a dictation + preposition
用法筆記
Can be countable (a specific transcribed document: 'the dictation from the meeting') or uncountable (the material in general: 'pages of dictation'). Frequently used with 'from' or a possessive to indicate the source.