Speech-to-Text
Definition
Speech recognition converts spoken language from a recording into machine-processable text.
Automatic speech recognition converts spoken audio signals into text or token sequences.
Simply explained
You speak something, and the system writes down the recognized words as text.
Why it matters in practice
The term helps to select, develop, evaluate AI systems in a well-founded manner and realistically assess their technical risks.
Example from business
A service transcribes support calls and marks uncertain passages for human review.
Limits and pitfalls
- Accents, noise, and technical vocabulary increase errors; personal audio data require appropriate protection.
Origin & history
Speech recognition evolved from statistical hidden Markov models to deep neural networks that increasingly process speech end-to-end.
Use in mid-sized companies
- Possible application: A service transcribes support calls and marks uncertain passages for human review.
Frequently asked questions
What does speech recognition (speech-to-text) mean?
Automatic speech recognition converts spoken audio signals into text or token sequences. What should be considered? Accents, noise, and technical vocabulary increase errors; personal audio data require appropriate protection.
Sources
- Connectionist Temporal Classification · Graves et al., Connectionist Temporal Classification
Source checked on 10.10.2026. Editorial application examples are hypothetical; no evidence of real customer results.
Editorially reviewed on: