How to Add Custom Words for Technical Terms in Sonicribe
Master Sonicribe's custom vocabulary feature to perfectly transcribe technical jargon, brand names, programming terms, and industry-specific language every time.
Sonicribe Team
Product Team
Table of contents
Why Custom Words Matters
Ever dictated "Kubernetes" and gotten "Cooper Netties"? Or said "GraphQL" only to see "Graphic Wool"? Standard speech-to-text struggles with:
- Technical jargon (API, SDK, OAuth, CI/CD)
- Brand names (PostgreSQL, FastAPI, Tailwind)
- Made-up words (your product names, character names)
- Acronyms specific to your industry
- Names of people you mention frequently
Sonicribe’s vocabulary settings can help with specialized terms, but corrections are still needed. Speech and optional AI formatting use cloud services.
How Custom Words Works
Sonicribe’s vocabulary workflow uses online processing; verify the output rather than assuming a term is always recognized:
1. You define words explicitly — Full control over what's recognized
2. Processing is cloud-based — audio is sent to online services; review privacy requirements
3. Instant recognition — No training period required
4. Smart replacements — Transform spoken phrases into formatted output
Adding Your First Custom Word
Step 1: Open Words
Choose Words in Sonicribe's sidebar. The word list is separate from Settings, so you can add a spelling hint without changing your microphone or recording preferences. Keep a short list of the names and terms you want to add.
Step 2: Add a Word
Enter a term in New word or sentence and choose Add to word list. For an exact text swap, use Replace with... and enter the written replacement. For example, a recurring recognized phrase such as "type script" can become "TypeScript."
Use New group to organize related entries and Move to group to place them together. Add a few terms, then try a sentence that uses them naturally.
Step 3: Test It
Press your transcription hotkey (default: Shift+Z), say "I deployed to Kubernetes," and watch the magic happen.
Read more: Custom Words for Legal Terms: Court, Contracts & Compliance
Essential Words for Developers
Here are the most commonly needed technical terms. You can add these manually or import a developer word/replacement CSV:
Programming Languages & Frameworks
| Spoken | Written | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| "react" | React | Capitalized framework name |
| "next js" | Next.js | With correct styling |
| "typescript" | TypeScript | Proper casing |
| "javascript" | JavaScript | Proper casing |
| "python" | Python | Capitalized |
| "node js" | Node.js | Styled correctly |
| "tailwind" | Tailwind CSS | Full name |
| "postgres" | PostgreSQL | Full name |
| "mongo db" | MongoDB | Correct casing |
Developer Tools
| Spoken | Written |
|---|---|
| "git hub" | GitHub |
| "git lab" | GitLab |
| "docker" | Docker |
| "kubernetes" | Kubernetes |
| "v s code" | VS Code |
| "x code" | Xcode |
| "homebrew" | Homebrew |
| "npm" | npm |
| "yarn" | Yarn |
Common Acronyms
| Spoken | Written |
|---|---|
| "api" | API |
| "sdk" | SDK |
| "rest api" | REST API |
| "graphql" | GraphQL |
| "oauth" | OAuth |
| "jwt" | JWT |
| "ci cd" | CI/CD |
| "aws" | AWS |
| "gcp" | GCP |
Smart Replacements: Beyond Single Words
The real power of custom vocabulary is smart replacements—transforming spoken phrases into formatted output:
URLs and Links
| Spoken | Written |
|---|---|
| "my calendar link" | https://cal.com/yourname |
| "company website" | https://yourcompany.com |
| "github profile" | https://github.com/username |
| "linkedin" | https://linkedin.com/in/yourname |
Code Snippets
| Spoken | Written |
|---|---|
| "console log" | console.log() |
| "use state hook" | useState() |
| "use effect hook" | useEffect() |
| "async function" | async function |
| "arrow function" | () => {} |
Email Signatures
| Spoken | Written |
|---|---|
| "my email signature" | Best regards,\nJohn Smith\nSenior Developer |
| "quick sign off" | — John |
Common Phrases
| Spoken | Written |
|---|---|
| "let's hop on a call" | Let's schedule a call to discuss. |
| "LGTM" | Looks good to me! |
| "will do" | I'll take care of that. |
Build Word Groups for Your Work
Use these subjects as starting ideas for groups you create in Words:
1. Software Development: Programming languages, frameworks, and project names
2. Medical/Healthcare: Anatomy and terminology for fictional training examples
3. Legal: Procedures, citation phrases, and recurring document terms
4. Finance: Accounting terms, product names, and reporting abbreviations
5. Sales: CRM terms, product spellings, and customer-facing phrases
6. Construction: Materials, tools, and project terminology
7. Logistics: Shipping terms, locations, and supplier names
Create and Reuse a Group
1. Open Words → New group and give it a recognizable name.
2. Add terms through New word or sentence → Add to word list.
3. Use Replace with... for a deliberate phrase expansion.
4. Select the group under Styles → select a style → Voice → Word groups.
Prepare larger word/replacement lists in a spreadsheet and use Import CSV. Export a small sample first to follow the same columns, then keep the spreadsheet as a practical reference for your team.
Organizing Your Words
As your vocabulary grows, organization matters:
Use Categories
Create categories that match your work:
Read more: Custom Words for Programming: APIs, Frameworks & Libraries
- Company — Brand names, product names, colleague names
- Project — Current project-specific terms
- Clients — Client names and their product terms
- Code — Programming-specific vocabulary
Select Groups for a Style
Open Styles, choose the relevant style, and select Voice → Word groups. Check the groups that fit your task, such as project names for a coding style or client terms for Email. With all groups unchecked, the style uses every word.
Export and Import
Use Words → Export CSV to save word/replacement pairs. Review the file in a spreadsheet and keep a descriptive filename for the project or date.
On another Mac, choose Words → Import CSV and select that file. Review the imported entries, organize useful groups, and select them in the relevant style's Voice section. Exporting a small sample first gives you the column format to follow.
Style-Specific Word Groups
Choose the groups that fit the writing task in each style's Voice section.
Example: Coding Prompt
1. Create a "Development" group in Words.
2. Add the libraries, tools, and project names you mention.
3. Select Styles → Coding Prompt → Voice → Word groups.
4. Choose your Development group.
5. Under Where → Linked apps → Add app, connect VS Code if you want to use this style there.
Your coding drafts can now use the terms that belong to the project. Dictate a sentence with a library name and a method name, then review the result in context.
Example: Email
1. Build groups for client and product names.
2. Open Styles → Email → Voice → Word groups and select them.
3. Use Where → Linked apps for Mail or Linked websites for a browser-based email service.
4. Dictate the recipient, request, and dates you want in the draft.
Keep the word list focused on recurring terms and use Rewrite for the message's structure and tone.
Read more: How to Review AI Processing and Privacy Boundaries
Best Practices
1. Start Small
Don't try to add 500 words on day one. Add terms as you encounter misrecognitions.
2. Be Specific with Spoken Forms
If Whisper misrecognizes "Terraform" as "Terra Form," add:
- Spoken: "terra form"
- Written: "Terraform"
Listen to how you naturally say words—that's your spoken form.
3. Use Phonetic Alternatives
For words with multiple pronunciations:
| Spoken | Written |
|---|---|
| "postgres" | PostgreSQL |
| "postgre sql" | PostgreSQL |
| "post gres" | PostgreSQL |
Add all variations pointing to the same output.
4. Leverage Smart Replacements
The biggest time-savers are phrase replacements:
Read more: Sonicribe vs Descript: Dictation vs Content Editing
- "my zoom link" → Your actual Zoom URL
- "my phone number" → Your formatted phone number
- "standard disclaimer" → Your legal boilerplate
5. Review and Prune
Monthly, review your vocabulary:
- Remove terms you no longer use
- Update outdated links/information
- Consolidate duplicate entries
Troubleshooting
Word Not Being Recognized
- Check spelling of spoken form (lowercase, as you say it)
- Try adding phonetic alternatives
- Verify the category is enabled
Replacement Not Working
- Ensure exact spoken form match
- Check for spaces (vs. no spaces) in multi-word phrases
- Verify the entry isn't disabled
Words Slowing Down Transcription
This shouldn't happen with normal vocabulary sizes (under 1000 words). If it does:
1. Export your vocabulary
2. Check for duplicates
3. Remove unused entries
The Power of Personalized Transcription
Custom vocabulary transforms Sonicribe from a general transcription tool into your personal dictation assistant. The more you customize, the faster and more accurate your workflow becomes.
Technical vocabulary can reduce correction effort, but review terms and URLs before using a draft. Sonicribe processes audio through cloud services rather than entirely on your Mac.
Your vocabulary is your data. Keep it private, keep it powerful.
Ready to build your perfect vocabulary? Download Sonicribe and start customizing today.
Related Reading
Find a workflow for your next draft.
Explore voice-to-text examples, custom formatting, and the cloud plans. Sonicribe requires a verified Google account and an internet connection. Sonicribe Cloud is for Apple Silicon Macs. Check release details for current download availability; a Windows installer is not available yet.
