transcription

IPA/trænˈskrɪpʃn/
KK[trˌænskrˈɪpʃən]IPA/trænˈskrɪpʃn/

transcription — noun

  • transcriptionsingular
  • transcriptionsplural

1. a written version of spoken words or music that has been produced by listening t

1.nounB2
Definition

a written version of spoken words or music that has been produced by listening to an audio source and writing down what is heard

Example

The court reporter prepared a transcription of the witness's testimony.

collocation: transcription + of + [speech/document]

Noa kept a transcription of the podcast interview for future reference.

Common collocations
  • produce a transcription
  • prepare a transcription
  • exact transcription
  • verbatim transcription
  • transcription of a speech
Synonyms
  • transcript

    refers only to the written product, not the process of creating it

  • copy

    broader term — any reproduction, not necessarily of audio or speech

  • record

    can be written or audio; less specific about the mode of conversion

Antonyms
  • original

    the source recording or speech before it was written down

Grammar Patterns

transcription + of + [speech / music / recording]

Usage Note

Often paired with 'of' to identify the source material. Overlaps with 'transcript', but 'transcription' can refer to either the process or the resulting document, while 'transcript' refers only to the final written copy.

Common Mistakes

I need a transcription of the lecture' (when the process is irrelevant).
I need a transcript of the lecture.
Use 'transcript' when you only mean the written copy, not the process of creating it.

2. the activity of turning spoken language, music, or handwritten material into a w

2.nounB2
Definition

the activity of turning spoken language, music, or handwritten material into a written or typed form

Example

The transcription of the old family letters took Ritu several weeks.

collocation: transcription + of + [document] as subject

Aoi is working on the transcription of her grandmother's audio memoirs.

Common collocations
  • the transcription of
  • work on a transcription
  • transcription process
  • manual transcription
  • automatic transcription
Synonyms
  • transcribing

    the verbal noun form; more informal and action-oriented

  • copying

    broader meaning — any duplication, not just speech-to-text

  • recording

    can mean writing down, but more commonly refers to audio capture

Grammar Patterns

the transcription + of + [document / recording]

Usage Note

Typically uncountable or used with a definite article ('the transcription of...'). Distinguish from sense 1 (WRITTEN COPY): sense 1 refers to the finished document; sense 2 refers to the act or process of creating it.

Common Mistakes

I finished the transcription yesterday' (ambiguous whether it means the document or the process).
I finished transcribing the audio yesterday.
Use the verb form to make the process meaning clear.

3. a rewritten form of a musical work that allows it to be performed on an instrume

3.nounC1
Definition

a rewritten form of a musical work that allows it to be performed on an instrument or by a voice different from the one originally intended

Example

Brooke played a piano transcription of the violin concerto at the recital.

collocation: transcription + for + [instrument]

The composer created a new transcription of the symphony for a chamber ensemble.

Common collocations
  • piano transcription
  • transcription for guitar
  • make a transcription
  • write a transcription
  • transcription of a concerto
Synonyms
  • arrangement

    allows more creative reinterpretation; broader than transcription

  • adaptation

    general term for changing a work to suit a different medium

  • version

    neutral term for any alternative form of a piece

Antonyms
  • original

    the piece as first composed, before any adaptation

Grammar Patterns

transcription + for + [instrument]

transcription + of + [original piece]

Usage Note

Common in classical and jazz contexts. The instrument the piece is adapted for is introduced by 'for' (a transcription for flute). A transcription aims to preserve the original character, whereas a looser 'arrangement' allows more freedom.

Common Mistakes

She played a piano arrangement of the violin sonata' (when the notes are closely preserved).
She played a piano transcription of the violin sonata.
Use 'transcription' when the adaptation stays faithful to the original notes; 'arrangement' implies greater creative changes.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Transcription' and 'transcript' are the closest pair — both refer to a written version of speech or music — but 'transcription' can also describe the process of creating the document, while 'transcript' refers only to the finished result. 'Copy' is a much broader term that covers any reproduction (a copy of a book, a copy of a file) and lacks the specific meaning of converting audio to text. 'Record' is broader still and can refer to audio recordings, written notes, or official documents. In academic and legal settings, 'transcript' is preferred for the final document of a lecture or trial; 'transcription' is preferred when emphasising the conversion process, as in 'the transcription of the tapes took two days.'

transcript ↗copy ↗record ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • speech transcription
  • audio transcription
  • meeting transcription
  • music transcription

Adverbs

  • accurately transcribed
  • manually transcribed
  • automatically transcribed
  • faithfully transcribed

Phrases

  • make a transcription
  • produce a transcription
  • work on a transcription
  • do a transcription

Prepositions

  • transcription of
  • transcription from
  • transcription into

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From Latin 'transcriptio' meaning 'a copying over', formed from 'transcribere' (to copy), which combines 'trans-' (across, over) and 'scribere' (to write). The word entered English through French in the 16th century, originally referring to a written copy of a document.