transcribe

IPA/trænˈskraɪb/
KK[trænskrˈaɪb]IPA/trænˈskraɪb/

transcribe — verb

  • transcribepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • transcribeshe / she / it
  • transcribedpast simple
  • transcribing-ing form

1. To write down exactly what someone says, sings, or plays, so that the content is

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

To write down exactly what someone says, sings, or plays, so that the content is kept as a written record — for example, turning an interview recording into text or copying a handwritten letter onto a computer.

Example

Baraka transcribed the lecture recordings for students who could not attend.

transitive: transcribe + direct object (recording/speech)

The interview was transcribed and submitted as evidence in the court case.

passive: be transcribed

Common collocations
  • transcribe an interview
  • transcribe a recording
  • transcribe notes
  • transcribe a lecture
Synonyms
  • copy

    broader — can mean reproducing anything visually without the source being audio

  • write out

    more informal; suggests writing something in full, not necessarily from a different medium

  • record

    broader — can mean audio/video recording, not just writing down

Grammar Patterns

transcribe + direct object (speech/recording/document)

be transcribed + (by agent)

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal or professional contexts such as journalism, law, medicine, and academic research. The object is typically spoken or recorded material (an interview, a lecture, a dictation).

Common Mistakes

❖ "She transcribed a new email for her boss" (if she composed it herself). ✅ "She transcribed the voicemail message her boss left." — transcribe implies copying from a source; writing something original is composing, not transcribing.

2. To change written material or a musical work into a different version — for inst

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

To change written material or a musical work into a different version — for instance, moving from one script to another, or rewriting a piece so a different instrument can play it, while preserving the core content.

Example

The choir director asked Lara to transcribe the piano score for soprano voices.

infinitive: ask + to transcribe + [composition] + for [different voice/instrument]

The novel was transcribed into simplified Chinese characters for young readers.

passive: be transcribed into [alternative script]

Common collocations
  • transcribe for guitar
  • transcribe into braille
  • transcribe for orchestra
  • transcribe into a different script
Synonyms
  • arrange

    common in music; suggests adapting for different instrumentation while preserving the piece's character

  • convert

    more general; does not carry the musical or script-specific nuance

  • adapt

    can imply more creative freedom than transcribe

Grammar Patterns

transcribe + [composition] + for [instrument/medium]

be transcribed + into [alternative format]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: in this sense the target format changes (e.g. different instruments, different writing system), whereas sense 1 simply produces a written version of spoken or played content. Often used in music and translation contexts.

Common Mistakes

❖ "The pianist transcribed the sonata" (without specifying the new form). ✅ "The pianist transcribed the sonata for a woodwind trio." — always state the target instrument or format to make the meaning clear.

3. To write a word, sentence, or speech sound using a special set of symbols that r

3.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

To write a word, sentence, or speech sound using a special set of symbols that represent pronunciation, such as those in the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Example

The Arabic word was transcribed into IPA symbols for the pronunciation guide.

passive: be transcribed into [phonetic system]

Élise transcribed the regional dialect sounds using the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Common collocations
  • transcribe using IPA
  • transcribe into phonetic notation
  • transcribe speech sounds
  • transcribe a dialect
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

transcribe + [word/sound] + using [phonetic system]

be transcribed + into [phonetic notation]

Usage Note

Subject is typically a linguist, phonetician, or language student. This sense is rare in everyday conversation and appears mostly in academic linguistics or dictionary-making.

Common Mistakes

❖ "You should transcribe this word." (ambiguous with senses 1 and 2). ✅ "You should transcribe this word using phonetic symbols to show how it is pronounced." — specify the method (phonetic symbols) to distinguish this sense.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Copy, write out, record, and note down all overlap with transcribe in the sense of putting something into writing. However, transcribe carries a specific nuance: it means reproducing spoken, recorded, or written material as faithfully as possible. Copy is broader — you can copy a drawing or a sentence from a board without any audio source. Write out suggests writing something in full (e.g. “write out the answers”) but does not imply a source in a different medium. Record is much wider: you can record a video, a temperature, or a financial transaction. Note down is informal and implies a quick personal jotting, not careful verbatim reproduction. In practice: “She transcribed the ninety-minute interview verbatim” emphasizes faithful conversion from audio to text, whereas “She noted down the main ideas” is more casual and selective.

copy ↗write out ↗record ↗note down

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Transcribe comes from the Latin word ‘transcribere’, formed from ‘trans-’ meaning ‘across’ and ‘scribere’ meaning ‘to write’. So its literal meaning is ‘to write across’ — that is, to copy from one place or form to another. It entered English in the 1500s.