You should be aware of similar-sounding and other confusing words and spell them or dictate them clearly. Some words should always be spelled to avoid confusion or to make sure an inattentive transcriptionist does not transcribe the word incorrectly.
Here are just a few words of which you should be aware:
| accede : stick to agreementexceed : surpass | accept : receiveexcept : exclude | adapt : adjustadept : proficient |
| adverse : opposedaverse : not interested | affect : change, influenceeffect : (v) to bring about(n) result, impression | all right : all rightalright : outdated usage |
| allude : refer to indirectlyelude : avoid | allusion: insinuationillusion: apparition | already: previouslyall ready: everything prepared |
| altar : place of worshipalter : to change | appraise : valueapprise : inform, notify | assistants: helpersassistance: help |
| capital :seat of government; moneycapitol : building where legislative body meets | cease: stopseize: apprehend | cite: speak ofsight: vision
site: location |
| complement: collectioncompliment: praise | continual : happens frequently in time: close successioncontinuous : uninterrupted | council: praiseconsul: ambassador
console: comfort counsel: advice |
| descent: declinedissent: disagree | disapprove: condemndisprove: discredit | elicit: extractillicit: illegal |
| eligible: qualifiedillegible: indecipherable | emigration : moving from a countryimmigration : moving to a country | eminent : outstanding, reveredimminent : threatening to happen soon |
| farther: forwardfurther: additionally | floe : large sheet of floating iceflow : move, run freely, circulate | formally: in a dignified wayformerly: previously |
| imply : speaker implies (suggests)infer : hearer infers (perceives) | incidence: occurrenceincidents: situations | lay : to set down, to place or put an item downlie : to recline |
| passed: go bypast: earlier | principal : first in authority; main participant; amount of a debt less interestprinciple : basic truth or assumption | pray : to ask for by prayer or supplicationprey : animal hunted or caught for food; victim |
| residence: dwellingresidents: occupants | right: correctrite: ceremony
wright: worker write: compose |
their: posessive form of “them”they’re: they are
there: at that place |
| stationary : not moving: fixedstationery : writing material: letterhead, envelopes, etc. | suit : a set of clothes; legal actionsuite : number of items making up a set, series, or sequence | waiver : the giving up of a claimwaver : to hesitate; also tremble or quaver |
| through: by way ofthrew: tossed | whose: of or relating to whomwho’s: who is | your: of or relating to youyou’re: you are |
Some words seem to be difficult to hear clearly when transcribing. Even a thorough knowledge of terminology, medicine and anatomy will not help if a transcriptionist cannot hear if the doctor said “inter” or “intra” as these prefixes can legitimately precede many words and make sense in context. Make sure to emphasize the ending with words like this, as in “inTRA,” “inTER.” You could also say “intra, that’s “RA.” (Saying each letter separately.) The transcriptionist will know to what you are referring. Whenever possible, do not use contractions. Avoiding contractions can even improve the accuracy of transcription from poor dictators. For instance, a poorly-enunciated “doesn’t need” can sound like “duzzzneed” which can sound exactly like “does need.” If this error is made and not caught one can only imagine the different life-threatening situations that could occur. This nightmare can be avoided by dictating clearly “does not need.”
Since even small words can change the whole intent of a report or thought, it is very important to get into the habit of saying them clearly. Even not clearly saying, or not saying loudly enough, words like “in,” “an,” “on,” “and,” “if,” “off,” “of,” “has,” or “is,” can send a transcriptionist into a frenzy.
Here is just a short list of words that should always be said clearly to avoid errors:
• has / had / have
• hyper / hypo
• in / an / on / and
• intra / infra
• intra / inter
• is / as / has
• of / off
• super / supra
Source: UK Typing