dictation

IPA/dɪkˈteɪʃn/
KK[dɪktˈeʃən]IPA/dɪkˈteɪʃn/

dictation — noun

  • dictationsingular
  • dictationsplural

1. the act of saying words out loud so that another person can write them down, or

1.nounB1
Definition

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

Example

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

Common collocations
  • take dictation
  • do dictation
  • dictation software
  • dictation feature
  • dictation session
  • voice dictation
  • court-room dictation
Synonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

take dictation

dictation + noun (software/feature/device)

Usage Note

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).

Common Mistakes

The manager did a dictation of the letter.
The manager dictated the letter.
'dictation' is the activity, not a single instance of speaking.
I need to learn dictation to become a secretary.
I need to learn to take dictation to become a secretary.
The verb 'take' is the natural collocation.

2. a classroom exercise in which a teacher reads a passage aloud and students write

2.nounA2
Definition

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

Example

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

Common collocations
  • dictation exercise
  • dictation test
  • dictation practice
  • give a dictation
  • have a dictation
  • do a dictation
  • correct a dictation
Synonyms
  • spelling test

    narrower focus on correct spelling rather than overall listening comprehension

  • listening quiz

    broader term that may not involve writing down every word

Grammar Patterns

give + a dictation

have + a dictation

dictation + on/about [topic]

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

The teacher gave us a dictatorship.
The teacher gave us a dictation.
'Dictatorship' is a form of government; 'dictation' is a classroom exercise.

3. the written result of someone speaking and another person writing it down, or th

3.nounB2
Definition

the written result of someone speaking and another person writing it down, or the text produced through speech-to-text conversion

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • dictation from [meeting/interview]
  • morning's dictation
  • review the dictation
  • file the dictation
  • pages of dictation
Synonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

the dictation of/from [source]

a dictation + preposition

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

I saved the dictation from my phone.' (unclear meaning)
I saved the transcription from my dictation app.
When referring to a text file produced by speech recognition, 'transcription' may be clearer.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Dictation refers to saying words aloud so someone else writes them down — it is a live, person-to-person or person-to-device activity. Transcription, by contrast, typically starts from an existing recording and converts it to text, often after the fact. Note-taking involves writing down key ideas rather than every word, so it is selective rather than verbatim. Shorthand is a specialised fast-writing system used specifically to keep up with dictation speed, so it is a tool for dictation rather than a synonym. Voice input is the modern technology term for speaking to a device that converts speech to text in real time. For example: 'The secretary learned Gregg shorthand to keep up with the lawyer's dictation' versus 'She used transcription software to turn the recorded interview into a report.'

transcription ↗note-takingshorthandvoice input

Common collocations

Nouns

  • dictation exercise
  • dictation practice
  • dictation session

Phrases

  • at/from dictation
  • through dictation

Prepositions

  • from dictation
  • in dictation
  • by dictation

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Dictation comes from the Latin verb 'dictare' (to say repeatedly, to keep saying), which is the frequentative form of 'dicere' (to say, to tell). It passed into English through Old French 'diccion' during the medieval period. The core meaning — speaking words so someone else can write them — has stayed remarkably stable since the 16th century. The classroom-test sense developed in the 1800s as language teaching expanded in European schools.