Generic

 English  Written  Domain  

Conventions  (Simplified)  
Contents  
TRANSCRIPTION  QUALITY  ......................................................................................................................................  3  
Typo  ...................................................................................................................................................................  3  
Context  error  ......................................................................................................................................................  3  
Added  or  missing  words  .....................................................................................................................................  4  
Substitution  ........................................................................................................................................................  5  
Spacing  ...............................................................................................................................................................  5  
PUNCTUATION  .......................................................................................................................................................  6  
Fragments  versus  sentences  ..............................................................................................................................  6  
Commas  .............................................................................................................................................................  8  
Intonation  marks  ..............................................................................................................................................  11  
Colon  and  quotation  ........................................................................................................................................  12  
Spoken  punctuation  .........................................................................................................................................  13  
FORMAT  ...............................................................................................................................................................  14  
Number  ............................................................................................................................................................  14  
Currency  and  unit  .............................................................................................................................................  20  
Date  and  time  ...................................................................................................................................................  22  
Address  ............................................................................................................................................................  24  
Web  ..................................................................................................................................................................  24  
If  a  URL  is  spelled  out  in  individual  letters,  transcribe  without  spaces  between  individual  letters.  ................  25  
Abbreviation  .....................................................................................................................................................  26  
AGREED  SPELLING  ................................................................................................................................................  26  
Spelling  out  ......................................................................................................................................................  26  
Interjections  .........................................................................................................  Error!  Bookmark  not  defined.  
Proper  names  ...................................................................................................................................................  27  
Brand  and  product  ...........................................................................................................................................  28  
Media  title  ........................................................................................................................................................  29  
Multiple  spellings  .............................................................................................................................................  29  
DIFFICULT  UTTERANCES  .......................................................................................................................................  30  
Skipping  a  prompt  ............................................................................................................................................  30  
Hesitations  and  truncations  .............................................................................................................................  30  
Background  and  foreground  speech  ....................................................................  Error!  Bookmark  not  defined.  

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 Foreign  language  ..................................................................................................  Error!  Bookmark  not  defined.  
Accents  .............................................................................................................................................................  32  
 

   

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 TRANSCRIPTION  QUALITY  
Typo  
A  typo  results  in  the  unintentional  creation  of  a  non-­‐word.  

Avoid  making  any  typographical  errors.  Carefully  check  your  work  before  marking  items  as  "complete".  

I'm  on  on  Facebook.    

Not: I'm  on  on  Facebok.  

That's  really  weird.    

Not:  That's  really  wierd.  
 

Use  the  proper  capitalisation  for  standard  words  that  require  it.  

She  is  South  African.    

Not:  She  is  south  african.  

That  is  a  tabby  cat.    

Not:  That  is  a  Tabby  cat.

Navigate  home.    
Not:    Navigate  Home.  
 

Context  error  
A   context   error   occurs   when   a   real   word   is   used   incorrectly   or   when   the   incorrect   form   of   a   word   is   used.   This  
includes  homophones  and  punctuation,  among  other  things.

I  ate  apples.    
Not:  I  eight  apples.  

your  favourite  movie    

Not:  you're  favourite  movie

Whose  ugly  jumper  is  that?    

Not:  Who's  ugly  jumper  is  that?

You're  my  best  friend.    

Not:  You  re  my  best  friend.

Don't  judge  a  book  by  its  cover.    

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 Not:  Don't  judge  a  book  by  it's  cover.

Transcribe  what  is  actually  spoken.  Use  context  to  help  with  spelling  and  homophone  disambiguation.  Look  up  
words  if  you  are  unsure.  

He  went  over  there.      

Not:  He  went  over  their.  

Have  you  seen  the  polar  bear  exhibition?    

Not:  Have  you  seen  the  polar  bare  exhibition?  
 
Do  not  correct  speaker's  grammar  if  they  intentionally  say  something,  even  if  what  they  say  does  not  follow  
the  standard  grammatical  rules  of  the  transcription  language.  

She  isn't  cool.   “she  isn't  cool”  

Not:  She  ain't  cool.  

She  ain't  cool.   “she  ain't  cool”  

Not:  She  isn't  cool.
 

Added  or  missing  words  

Do  not  transcribe  words  that  are  not  spoken,  even  if  they  are  obviously  intended  by  the  speaker.  Avoid  putting  
words  in  the  speaker's  mouth.  However,  do  transcribe  implied  times  and  units  of  currency.

I  want  to  go  see  X-­‐Men  movie.   Do  not  add  the  omitted  article  "the".  

R78  is  way  too  much  for  a  cinema  ticket.   “seventy  eight  is  way  too  much  for  a  cinema  
ticket”  

Set  alarm  for  6:50.   “set  alarm  for  six  fifty”  

 

Transcribe  all  words  spoken,  even  if  they  are  not  intended  by  the  speaker.  For  interjections  and  non-­‐speech  
vocalisations,  refer  to  Agreed  Spelling  >  Interjections  and  Difficult  Utterances  >  Hesitations  and  Truncations.  

YouTube  YouTube  YouTube  

How  many  raspberries  blueberries  are  there?   Speaker  clearly  corrected  themselves  after  
"raspberries".

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Substitution  
A   substitution   error   occurs   when   another   standard   word   is   transcribed   instead   of   what   was   meant   by   the  
speaker.  If  what  the  speaker  said  falls  into  another  category  (Context  Error,  Proper  Name,  Media  Title,  etc.),  
see  the  relevant  section.  

Take  me  to  Pizza  Hut.   “take  me  to  pizza  hut”  
Not:  Take  me  to  Domino's.    

Star  Wars  characters   “star  wars  characters”  

Not:  Star  Trek  characters  
 

Spacing  
Use  only  one  space  between  words  and  sentences.

What  is  the  tallest  building  in  Cape  Town?    

Not:  What  is  the  tallest  building  in  _Cape  Town?  

I  think  so.  Let's  just  try.    

Not:  I  think  so.  _Let's  just  try.  

For  most  types  of  punctuation,  do  not  put  a  space  between  the  preceding  word  and  the  punctuation.

Are  you  coming?    

Not:  Are  you  coming  ?  

Shut  up!    
Not:  Shut  up  !  

Hello,  this  is  Dr.  Smith.    

Not:  Hello  ,  this  is  Dr  .  Smith  .    
 
 

For   quotation   marks   and   similar   punctuation,   put   a   space   before   the   opening   punctuation,   but   not   necessarily  
after  the  closing  punctuation.  

Antonio  said,  "I  love  you."    

Not:  Antonio  said,  "  I  love  you.  "  

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 Translate  "dog"  into  Japanese.    
Not:  Translate  "dog"into  Japanese.  

How  do  you  pronounce  "o  n  o  m  a  t  o  p  o  e  i  a"?   “how   do   you   pronounce   o   n   o   m   a   t   o  

Not:  How  do  you  pronounce  "o  n  o  m  a  t  o  p  o  e  i  a"  ?   p  o  e  i  a”  
 

  PUNCTUATION  
Fragments  versus  sentences  
Add  punctuation  where  needed,  but  err  on  the  side  of  keeping  it  minimal.  

Full  sentences  should  start  with  an  uppercase  letter  and  end  with  a  punctuation  mark.  

In  general,  a  complete  sentence  contains  a  subject  and  a  verb.  

He  works  from  home  today. Includes  subject  and  verb  and  sounds  
like  a  whole  utterance.  

And  I  don't  even  like  him.   Includes  subject  and  verb.  Sounds  like  a  
whole  utterance  rather  than  just  a  
conjunction  to  a  larger  sentence.  

Going  to  the  guy  next  door. Sounds  like  a  whole  utterance,  the  
subject  pronoun  was  left  out  by  the  
speaker.  

Sometimes   a   phrase   which   is   not   obviously   grammatically   a   sentence   should   nevertheless   be   treated   as   a  
sentence   because   of   its   context,   e.g.   if   it's   an   answer   to   a   specific   question,   or   if   it's   an   example   where  
dropping  the  subject  sounds  completely  natural  as  a  complete  sentence.  

Who  are  you  talking  about?  The  guy  next  door.   Two  speakers.  "The  guy  next  door."  is  an  
answer  to  a  specific  question.  
 

the  guy  next  door   No  context  to  suggest  this  is  a  sentence;  
treat  it  as  a  fragment.  

images  of  dogs   Google  search  for  images  

 

Coming  to  the  party  tomorrow?    

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 weather  in  London   This  is  asking  for  information,  but  the  most  
likely  interpretation  is  as  a  sentence  
fragment  on  its  own.  

The   words   "yes",   "yeah",   "no",   and   similar   items   expressing   affirmative   or   negative,   should   generally   be  
considered  as  complete  sentences  when  on  their  own.  

Yes.    
Not:  yes  

Are  you  going  for  lunch?  Yes.    

Interjections,   greetings,   and   farewells   said   in   isolation   should   be   considered   complete   sentences   and  
punctuated  as  such.  

Damn.   interjection  

Hi.   greeting  

Sure.  Bye.   This  includes  both  a  yes/no  word  and  a  

farewell,  with  a  long  pause  between.  

Cheers  to  my  best  friend.   Here,   "cheers"   is   not   being   used   as   an  
interjection  on  its  own,  but  rather  the  entire  
sentence  is  being  used  as  an  interjection.  
 

Do  not  capitalise  or  punctuate  phrases  that  are  intended  to  be  used  by  the  speaker  as  a  web  search,  not  as  full  
sentences.  

how  to  bake  potatoes  

Not:  How  to  bake  potatoes.  

pictures  of  Cape  Town    

Not:  Pictures  of  Cape  Town.  

highest  grossing  movies  from  Australian  directors  set  in    

ancient  Rome  
Not:   Highest   grossing   movies   from   Australian   directors  
set  in  ancient  Rome.  

Leonardo  DiCaprio  filmography    

Not:  Leonardo  DiCaprio  filmography.  

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 Incredibles  Monsters,  Inc.  WALL-­‐E  studio    
Not:  Incredibles  Monsters,  Inc.  WALL-­‐E  studio.  
Not:  Incredibles,  Monsters,  Inc.,  WALL-­‐E,  studio.  
Not:  Incredibles.  Monsters,  Inc.  WALL-­‐E.  studio  
 
 

Capitalise  sentence  fragments  that  sound  like  the  beginning  of  a  sentence.  Add  end  punctuation  to  sentence  
fragments   that   sound   like   the   end   of   a   sentence.   For   fragments   that   do   not   clearly   sound   like   the   beginning   or  
end  of  a  sentence,  leave  out  capitalisation  and  punctuation.  Note  that  sentence  fragments  may  be  a  result  of  
cut-­‐off  audio  samples.  

What  do  you  think?  It's  not  as  if   Begins  as  complete  sentence  and  ends  
mid-­‐stream.  

a  lot  harder.  It  doesn't  make  any  sense.   Fragment  is  the  end  of  a  sentence.  
 

more  emotional,  so  remember  that's  just  part  of  it.   Begins  mid-­‐stream  but  ends  completely;  
  part  of  complete  sentence.  

really  difficult,  so  don't  get  discouraged.   Audio  was  cut  off  at  the  beginning.  
 

I'm  going  to  the  coffee  shop.  I'll  order  a  How  much  is  a   Do  not  put  a  full  stop,  hyphen,  or  ellipsis,  
cappuccino?   even  if  another  sentence  follows.  

How  much  is  the  Where  is  the   Both  sound  like  beginnings  of  sentences.  

Where  is  the  Where  is  the  beach?   Repeated  beginning  of  the  sentence.  

were  leaving  but  then  decided  to   Sounds  like  the  middle  of  a  sentence;  
beginning  and  end  were  cut  off.  

I  borrowed  the  shoes.  bought  them   Unclear  whether  "bought  them"  is  the  
end  of  a  sentence  or  a  stand-­‐alone  
fragment,  so  default  to  formatting  it  as  a  
fragment.  

I  borrowed  the  shoes.  Loved  them.   "Loved  them."  is  clearly  a  complete  
sentence  with  an  omitted  subject.  
 

If   an   utterance   is   not   clearly   a   sentence   according   to   the   above   rules   and   examples,   do   not   capitalize   or  
punctuate  it  as  a  sentence.

Commas  

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Only  use  commas  where  required.  Err  on  the  side  of  minimal  punctuation.  Do  not  rely  on  intonation.

Where  is  the  nearest  store?   Even  if  the  speaker  uses  long  pauses  in  these  places,  
Not:  Where  is,  the  nearest,  store?   do  not  use  a  comma.  There  are  places  where  
commas  are  allowed  or  required,  but  this  example  
contains  neither.  
 
 

For   complete   sentences   that   follow   a   single   word   or   phrase   that   focuses   the   meaning   of   a   sentence,   put   a  
comma  after  the  single  word  or  phrase.  

Apartheid  Museum,  is  it  closed? Apartheid  Museum  is  a  phrase  that  focuses  the  
meaning  of  the  sentence.  

Pumpkin,  fruit  or  vegetable?   topic-­‐comment  

Now  bagels,  I  like.   topicalisation  

 

Put   a   comma   after   common   sentence   openers   such   as   prepositional   phrases,   adverbials,   and   introductory  
clauses.  

Now  that  you  mention  it,  we  should  buy  some   introductory  clause  
supplies.  

While  we're  at  it,  where  were  they  when  we   introductory  clause  
needed  them?  

Interestingly,  both  parties  took  place  on  the   adverbial    

same  day.  

On  Wednesday,  it  was  sunny.     prepositional  phrase    

On  the  other  hand,  we  sometimes  have   prepositional  phrase  

beautiful  weather  in  July.  
 

Use   a   comma   when   a   sentence   starts   with   a   discourse   word,   interjection,   or   yes/no   word.   However:   If   there   is  
a  long  pause  between  a  discourse  word,  interjection,  or  yes/no  word  and  a  full  sentence  that  follows  it,  treat  
that  initial  word  as  a  separate  sentence.  

Well,  I  thought  you  had  company.     Discourse  word.  Other  examples  of  discourse  
words  in  English  include  "but",  "so",  "actually",  
and  "also".  

Sorry,  babe.   Interjection.  Other  examples  of  interjections  

include  "wow",  "hey",  "haha",  and  others.  

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 Wow,  that's  great.     Interjection  

Ok,  I'll  follow  your  lead.   Yes/no  word.  Other  examples  of  these  types  
items  include  "yes",  "no",  "sure",  and  others.  

Hello,  my  name  is  Grace.   Common  opener    

Yes,  I  do.   Yes/no  word.  

Sure,  I  can  do  that.   No  pause  after  "sure".  

Sure.  I  can  do  that.   Substantial  pause  after  "sure".  

Well,  that's  really  nice.   Use  a  comma  when  there  is  no  pause,  or  when  
there  is  a  pause  that  isn't  long.  

Well.  That's  really  nice.   Use  a  full  stop  when  there  is  a  substantial  
pause  after  "well".  
 

Use  commas  before  tag  questions  and  sentence-­‐final  "too",  "also",  "please",  "however",  "sorry",  etc.  

That  was  interesting,  wasn't  it?    

I  might  wash  my  shirt  again,  too.    

I  love  you  too,  mate.   No  comma  before  "too"  when  not  sentence-­‐
final.  

Pass  me  the  salt,  please.    

Me,  too.   Even  though  the  utterance  is  short,  the  "too"  in  
final  position  requires  a  comma  before  it.  

See  you  tonight,  then.   "Then"  falls  into  this  category  when  it  means  
"in  that  case",  but  not  when  it  means  "at  that  
time".  
 

In  a  series  of  three  or  more  items,  use  a  comma  after  each  item,  even  if  it  comes  before  the  word  "and"  or  "or"  
(known  as  the  Oxford  comma  or  serial  comma).  

I  like  golf,  tennis,  and  badminton.  

Not:  I  like  golf,  tennis  and  badminton.  
Not:  I  like  golf  tennis  and  badminton.  

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 Do  you  want  to  eat  Indian,  Chinese,  or  Lebanese  food  
tonight?  
Not:  Do  you  want  to  eat  Indian,  Chinese  or  Lebanese  
food  tonight?  
Not:  Do  you  want  to  eat  Indian  Chinese  or  Lebanese  
food  tonight?  
 

The   phrase   "Ok   Google"   in   isolation   is   transcribed   without   a   comma   or   end   punctuation.   When   the   phrase  
appears  before  longer  utterances,  place  a  comma  after  "Google".

Ok  Google    

Ok  Google,  pictures  of  olive  trees    

Ok  Google,  show  me  Pete's  contact  info.    

Ok  Google,  when  is  Easter  Day  this  year?    

 

Intonation  marks  
Capitalise  and  punctuate  the  following  as  questions:  1)  All  queries  syntactically  built  as  questions,  regardless  of  
intonation.  2)  All  queries  which  sound  like  they  are  being  used  as  questions,  regardless  of  sentence  structure.  

Are  you  serious?   Intonation  sounds  more  like  a  statement  than  a  

question.  

At  3:00  a.m.?   Utterance  uses  rising  intonation  

And  Kate  is  coming,  too?   Utterance  uses  rising  intonation  

weather  in  Pretoria   Query  uses  rising  intonation,  but  is  most  likely  a  
web  search  rather  than  a  true  question.  
 

If  a  speaker  uses  clearly  exclamatory  intonation,  use  an  exclamation  mark.  If  there  is  any  doubt,  err  on  the  side  
of  using  a  full  stop.  

You  stink!    

Yay!   Speaker  sounds  enthusiastic.  

Yay.   Speaker  sounds  unenthused.  

You  are  such  a  chicken.   Spoken  dispassionately.  

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 Hope  you  have  a  lovely  holiday!   Spoken  with  enthusiasm.    

Have  a  nice  day.   Spoken  with  a  pleasant  neutral  tone.  

I  got  an  A  in  my  biology  exam!   Spoken  with  enthusiasm.  

 

Colon  and  quotation  

Use   a   comma   between   reported   speech   verbs   and   direct   quotations.   Do   not   put   punctuation   within   quotation  
marks  unless  the  punctuation  belongs  to  the  reported  speech.  

My  friend  said,  "alligator  crocodile".   The  word  "say"  is  the  most  common  reported  
Not:  My  friend  said,  "alligator  crocodile."   speech  verb  in  English,  but  other  words  ("ask",  
"respond",  "reply")  can  be  used  for  reported  
Not:  My  friend  said  "alligator  crocodile."  
speech.  
Not:  My  friend  said  "alligator  crocodile".  
 

If  the  text  in  quotation  marks  qualifies  as  a  sentence,  punctuate  as  if  it  were  its  own  utterance.  Do  not  alter  its  
end   punctuation   even   if   the   quote   is   within   a   sentence.   Do   not   add   excess   punctuation   after   end   quotation  
marks.  

Henry  said,  "Let's  meet  at  3:00."   The  word  "say"  is  the  most  common  reported  
Not:  Henry  said,  "Let's  meet  at  3:00.".   speech  verb  in  English,  but  other  words  ("ask",  
"respond",  "reply")  can  be  used  for  reported  
speech.  

Mark  asked,  "Are  we  meeting  at  3:00?"    

Not:  Mark  asked,  "Are  we  meeting  at  3:00?".  

Did  David  say,  "Meet  me  there."    

Not:  Did  David  say,  "Meet  me  there."?  

Josh  was  like,  "I'll  be  there.  I  promise."  without  The  "be  like"  construction  introduces  a  direct  
even  checking  his  calendar.   quotation,  so  a  comma  is  needed.  

Say  "onomatopoeia".   Omit  the  comma  if  the  verb  is  in  the  imperative.  
 

Use   a   colon   but   no   quotation   marks   in   quotative   voice   actions   when   the   quote   follows   the   command.   Use  
quotation  marks  when  the  quote  is  in  the  middle  of  the  sentence.  

Translate  into  French:  How  are  you?   The  quote  follows  the  command,  so  use  a  
colon.  

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 Translate  "What's  your  name?"  into  French.   The  quote  is  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence,  so  use  
quotation  marks.  

How  do  you  say  "I  love  you."  in  French?   Omit  commas  after  "say"  verbs  in  translation  
  requests.  

How  do  you  say  in  Japanese:  I  want  coffee.    

To   example@gmail.com:   Hey,   how   was   your    

day?  

Send  email  to  example@gmail.com  saying:  Hey,    

how  was  your  day?  

Other  symbols  
When  two  opposing  teams  are  mentioned,  include  a  hyphen  between  their  names.  

Are  you  going  to  the  Central  Cheetahs-­‐Stormers  

match?  

   

Spoken  punctuation  
For  spoken  punctuation,  write  out  the  full  word  between  curly  brackets.  Do  not  add  punctuation  symbols  after  
spoken   punctuation.   Be   careful   with   homonyms.   Don't   spell   out   internal   punctuation   like   hyphens   in   a   web  
page.  

How  are  you  {question  mark}     “how  are  you  question  mark”  
Not:  How  are  you?    
Not:  How  are  you  question  mark  
Not:  How  are  you  question  mark?  

Ok  {dot}  {dot}  {dot}     “ok  dot  dot  dot”  

 

Sue   is   at   the   concert   with   Carolina   tonight,   and   I  “sue  is  at  the  concert  with  carolina  tonight  and  i  
have   to   pick   up   Ivan   {period}   If   I'm   late,   could  have  to  pick  up  ivan  period  if  i'm  late  could  you  
you   take   Jordan   over   to   your   house   {question  take  jordan  over  to  your  house  question  mark”  
mark}    
Not:  Sue  is  at  the  concert  with  Carolina  tonight,  
and  I  have  to  pick  up  Ivan.  If  I'm  late,  could  you  

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 take  Jordan  over  to  your  house?    
Not:  Sue  is  at  the  concert  with  Carolina  tonight,  
and   I   have   to   pick   up   Ivan   period   If   I'm   late,  
could   you   take   Jordan   over   to   your   house  
question  mark  
 

I  live  in  apartment  4-­‐A.   “i  live  in  apartment  four  dash  a”  
 

If  a  word  that  can  refer  to  a  punctuation  mark  is  spoken  in  isolation,  it  should  be  written  out  between  curly  
brackets.  

{colon}    

{underscore}   “underscore”  
Not:  _  
 

Treat  spoken  punctuation  as  you  would  regular  symbols,  and  capitalise  the  following  sentence  as  normal.  

I'm  leaving  now  {full  stop}  How  long  is  the  drive?  “i'm  leaving  now  full  stop  how  long  is  the  drive”  
 
 

FORMAT  
Number  
Cardinals  and  ordinals  from  0  to  9  are  written  with  letters  (except  for  measures  and  currency  -­‐  see  Currency  
and  Unit).  Use  digits  for  cardinals  and  ordinals  10  and  above,  even  if  they  are  coordinated  with  numbers  under  
10.  Transcribe  all  decimal  numbers  as  digits.  

There  are  nine  students  in  the  class.   numbers  less  than  10  

There  are  13  students  in  the  class.   numbers  greater  than  9  

I  have  two  blue  ducks  and  12  pink  chickens.   Follow  this  rule  even  if  the  noun  phrases  with  

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 numbers  are  coordinated.  

This  is  my  third  marriage.    

20th  anniversary    

3.14   ”three  point  one  four”  

When   two   or   more   numbers   refer   to   the   same   noun,   and   one   number   is   10   or   greater,   transcribe   both   as  
numerals.  

They  got  9  or  10  goldfish  from  the  pet  store.    

We're  going  to  need  four  wheelbarrows  and  14    

shovels.  

They  speak  three  or  four  languages  each.    

There  were  7  to  14  orange  trees  in  the  orchard.    

 

If  a  large  number  consists  of  only  a  number  followed  by  "million",  "billion",  "trillion",  or  higher,  then  transcribe  
as  a  numeral  plus  word.  Otherwise,  transcribe  as  numerals.  

7  billion   “seven  billion”  

a  million  geese   “a  million  geese”  

1  million  geese   “one  million  geese”  

1,000  geese   “one  thousand  geese”    

“a  thousand  geese”  
 

7.18  billion   “seven  point  one  eight  billion”  

R1.5  million   “one  and  a  half  million  rand”  

Not:  one  and  a  half  million  rand   For   mixed   numbers   before   "million",   "billion",  
Not:  1  and  1/2  million  rand   etc.,  use  decimals.  
Not:  1  and  a  half  million  rand
 

Write  lists  of  numbers  with  digits  and  without  commas.

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 1  0  1  2  3  5  8  13   “one  zero  one  two  three  five  eight  thirteen”  

5  4  3  2  1  blast  off   list  of  numbers,  no  comma  if  just  counting  

For  long  numbers  (4+  digits)  indicating  quantity,  use  comma  [,]  as  a  thousand  separator.  

10,000   “ten  thousand”  

 
Where   a   number   is   said   in   isolation   and   is   ambiguous   (e.g.   between   a   time,   currency,   or   year)   transcribe  
without  formatting.  

630   “six  thirty”  

Not:  R6.30  
Not:  6:30  
Not:  6.30  

I'll  meet  you  at  6:30.   “i'll  meet  you  at  six  thirty”  

699   “six  ninety  nine”  

This  costs  R6.99.   “this  costs  six  ninety  nine”    

1350   “thirteen  fifty”  

Wake  me  up  at  13:50.   “wake  me  up  at  thirteen  fifty”  

1999   “nineteen  ninety  nine”  

You  will  need  to  pay  R19.99  per  month.   “you   will   need   to   pay   nineteen   ninety   nine   per  
month”  
 

Transcribe  numbers  accompanied  by  a  suffix  in  the  following  way:  

If  you  fight  in  this  bar,  you  will  be  86ed.   “if  you  fight  in  this  bar  you  will  be  eighty  sixed”  

The  San  Francisco  49ers  played  terribly.   “the  san  francisco  forty  niners  played  terribly”  

Philadelphia  76ers   “philadelphia  seventy  sixers”  

 

Write  sports  scores  separated  by  a  hyphen  and  without  any  spaces.  

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 The  Stormers  win  8-­‐2.   “the  stormers  win  eight  two”  

It's  2-­‐0  at  half-­‐time.   “it's  two  nil  at  half  time”  
 

In  maths  expressions  or  units  &  measures,  transcribe  fraction  words  using  numerals  and  slashes.  

They  need  1/4  kg  of  sugar.   “they  need  a  quarter  of  a  kilo  of  sugar”  
Not:  They  need  a  quarter  of  a  kilo  of  sugar.   Don't  include  "of  a"  or  "a"  before  or  after  the  
Not:  They  need  a  1/4  kg  of  sugar.   fraction  in  the  transcription.  Also,  be  careful  not  
to  include  spaces  or  pre-­‐combined  fraction  
Not:  They  need  1  /  4  kg  of  sugar.  
characters.  
Not:  They  need  ¼  kg  of  sugar.  
Not:  They  need  0.25  kg  of  sugar.  

In  3/4  km,  turn  right.   “in  three  quarters  of  a  kilometre  turn  right”  
Not:  In  three  quarters  of  a  kilometre,  turn  right.   Don't  include  "of  a"  or  "a"  after  the  fraction.  
Not:  In  3/4  of  a  kilometre,  turn  right.  
Not:  In  3/4  of  a  km,  turn  right.  

2/3  x  5/16   “two  thirds  times  five  sixteenths”  

Not:  two  thirds  x  five  sixteenths    
Not:  two  thirds  times  five  sixteenths  
Not:  2/3  times  5/16  

We  need  a  1/4-­‐m  plank  of  wood.   “we  need  a  quarter  of  a  metre  plank  of  wood”  
This  is  a  prenominal  use,  so  you  include  the  "a"  
and  a  hyphen  after  the  fraction.  
 

For  mixed  numbers  in  maths  and  units  &  measures,  do  not  use  "and  a"  between  the  number  and  the  fraction.  

3  1/2  km   three  and  a  half  kilometers  

The  koala  weighed  12  1/3  kg  yesterday.   The   koala   weighed   twelve   and   a   third   pounds  
yesterday.  

5  1/2-­‐month-­‐old   “five  and  a  half  month  old”  

Not:  5  and  1/2-­‐month-­‐old  
Not:  5  and  a  1/2-­‐month-­‐old  
Not:  5.5-­‐month-­‐old  
Not:  5  1/2  month  old  

1/3  +  3  1/2   “one  third  plus  three  and  a  half”  

Not:  1/3  +  3  and  1/2  
Not:  1/3  +  3  and  a  1/2  

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 Not:  1/3  +  3  and  a  half  
Not:  1  /  3  +  3  and  1  /  2  

When  referring  to  items  (not  units  or  measures),  write  fractions  out  in  words.  With  mixed  numbers,  write  the  
whole  number  part  out  in  words  if  it  is  under  ten,  otherwise  write  it  with  numerals.  

Give  me  half  of  the  pie.   “give  me  half  of  the  pie”  
Not:  Give  me  1/2  of  the  pie.  
Not:  Give  me  0.5  of  the  pie.  

five  sixteenths  of  an  apple   “five  sixteenths  of  an  apple”  
Not:  5/16  of  an  apple  
Not:  0.3125  of  an  apple    

I'm  half  sure.    

Not:  I'm  1/2  sure.  
Not:  I'm  0.5  sure.  

He  half  smiled  at  me  on  the  tube.   Here   "half"   is   used   more   figuratively,   and   it   is  
written  out  as  a  word.

12  and  a  half  apple  pies  were  made.   “twelve  and  a  half  apple  pies  were  made”
Not:  12.5  apple  pies  were  made.  
Not:  twelve  and  a  half  apple  pies  were  made.  
 

For  mixed  numbers  that  represent  currency  amounts,  always  use  decimals.  

Could  you  lend  me  R2.50?   “could  you  lend  me  two  and  a  half  rand”  

She  bought  the  beach  house  for  R7.5  million.   “she  bought  the  beach  house  for  seven  and  a  
half  million  rand”  
 

Transcribe   percentages   using   numerals   and   the   %   sign.   (In   the   unlikely   case   that   you   encounter   a   number   of   a  
million  or  greater  used  as  a  percentage,  spell  it  out.)  

2%  milk    

1  million  percent    

When  numbers  appear  in  prenominals  (units  preceding  nouns),  use  hyphen.  Transcribe  as  digits  if  paired  with  
units;  otherwise,  write  them  out  in  words  if  they  are  under  10.  

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 3-­‐m  wave   three  meter  wave  

four-­‐door  Toyota   four  door  Toyota  

It  was  a  R100  handbag.   “it  was  a  hundred  rand  handbag”  

Because   the   rand   symbol   precedes   and   is  

attached   to   the   quantity,   there   is   no  
opportunity  to  add  a  hyphen  here.  

If   a   number   appears   in   a   context   which   calls   for   a   certain   formatting   in   your   language,   use   that   formatting.  
Otherwise,  default  to  the  general  rule  for  transcribing  numbers.  

Use  roman  numerals  only  when  part  of  an  official  name  or  title.  

World  War  II   “world  war  two”  

King  Henry  VIII   “king  henry  the  eighth”  

 

Transcribe  seasons  and  episodes  of  television  shows  with  numerals.  

season  3  episode  2   “season  three  episode  two”  

If  it  is  a  product  type,  use  the  common  written  form.  

4x4   “four  by  four”  

as  in  a  car  type  

.22  calibre   “twenty  two  calibre”  

 

Transcribe  phone  numbers  using  the  most  common  format  in  the  transcription  language.  

Transcribe  phone  numbers  as  you  would  write  them  down  in  their  natural  blocks.  Use  Google  to  establish  the  
locale  and  local  conventions,  such  as  use  of  dashes.  

+27  21  886  1234   “plus   two   seven   two   one   eight   eight   six   one   two  
three  four”  
South  African  number

012  556  5678   “zero  one  two  five  five  six  five  six  seven  eight”  
“oh  one  two  five  five  six  five  six  seven  eight”  

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 South  African  number  

Transcribe   alpha-­‐digit   sequences   (product   codes   etc.)   in   their   most   natural   way   (possibly   several   ways  
accepted).  Do  not  transcribe  something  which  is  identifiable  as  a  credit  card  number  (see  Difficult  Utterances  >  
Skipping  a  Prompt).  

XT  660  or  XT660    

 

If  it  really  sounds  like  a  math  expression,  then  transcribe  it  with  numbers  and  symbols,  with  spaces  in  between.  

5  ÷  6  ^  3   “five  divided  by  six  to  the  power  of  three”  

“five  divided  by  six  to  the  third”  
“five  divided  by  six  cubed”  

What  is  5  x  6?   “what  is  five  times  six?”  

Not:  What  is  five  times  six?  
Not:    What  is  5  times  6?  
Not:    What  is  5  *  6?  

√3   “square  root  of  three”  

“the  square  root  of  three”  

How  much  is  8  hours  x  £12?   “how  much  is  eight  hours  times  twelve  pounds”  

How   much   is   three   alligators   divided   by   two  Does  not  sound  like  a  true  maths  expression  
iguanas?   with  useful  units.  

Currency  and  unit  

Transcribe  currencies  as  commonly  written  in  the  transcription  language.  

Use   symbols   for   currency   amounts   in   dollars,   euros,   and   pounds   (sterling).   Use   the   symbol   "$"   if   they   say  
dollar(s),  "€"  if  they  say  "euro(s)",  and  "£"  if  they  say  "pound(s)"  or  "pound(s)  sterling".  

$10   “ten  dollars”  

It  only  cost  €5.   “it  only  cost  five  euros”  

20  |  P a g e  
 
 How  much  is  £20  in  rand?   “how  much  is  twenty  pounds  in  rand”  

For  degrees,  use  the  °  symbol.

It’s  20°.   “it's  twenty  degrees”  

It's  20°  C.   “it's  twenty  degrees  celsius”  

  “it's  twenty  degrees  centigrade”  

It's  -­‐1  in  Bloemfontein.   “it's  minus  one  in  bloemfontein”  

Abbreviate  all  units  that  follow  numeric  values.

My  family  bought  10  L  of  orange  juice.   “my  family  bought  ten  litres  of  orange  juice”

 
 

Transcribe  all  numeric  values  preceding  units  in  numeral  form,  even  if  under  10.  

The  charity  received  £1  million  in  donations.    

Not:   The   charity   received   £1,000,000   in  
donations.  

The  kitten  weighed  1  kg.    

I  lived  there  for  6  months.  

For   lengths,   widths,   and   heights:   use   "x"   instead   of   any   preposition,   but   only   when   numbers   are  
unaccompanied  by  units.  

Luggage  size  is  20x20x40.   “luggage  size  is  twenty  by  twenty  by  forty”  

I  need  a  2x4.   “i  need  a  two  by  four”  

I  need  a  40  cm  by  70  cm  mirror.   “i  need  a  three  foot  by  seven  foot  mirror”  

21  |  P a g e  
 
 Search  for  1024x768  computer  wallpapers.   “search  for  ten  twenty  four  by  seven  sixty  eight  
computer  wallpapers”  
 

Common  measurements  of  weight  and  volume  

pound  -­‐  lb   ounce  -­‐  oz   quart  -­‐  q  

litre  -­‐  L   teaspoon  -­‐  tsp   tablespoon  -­‐  tbsp  

gram  -­‐  g   milligram  -­‐  mg   kilogram  -­‐  kg  

kilo  -­‐  kg   cubic  unit  -­‐  ³   cubic  metre  -­‐  m³  

cubic  inch  -­‐  in³      

Date  and  time  

Transcribe  dates  as  they  are  said.  

July  the  12th  1964   “july  the  twelfth  nineteen  sixty  four”  

July  12th  1964   “july  twelfth  nineteen  sixty  four”  

12th  July  1964   “twelfth  july  nineteen  sixty  four”  

in  the  summer  of  78   “in  the  summer  of  seventy  eight”  

the  12th  of  July   “the  twelfth  of  july”  

3rd  of  January   “third  of  january”  

Monday  the  2nd  of  March   “monday  the  second  of  march”  

July  in  1964   “july  in  nineteen  sixty  four”  

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 reminiscent  of  the  90s   “reminiscent  of  the  nineties”  

Wednesday  March  6th   “wednesday  march  sixth”  

Exception:   When   the   date   is   spoken   as   a   sequence   of   numbers,   transcribe   as   such.   Don't   transcribe   zeros  
unless  the  speaker  pronounces  them.  

7/12/2010   “seven  slash  twelve  slash  twenty  ten”  

07/12/2010   “oh  seven  slash  twelve  slash  twenty  ten”  

The  expiry  date  is  05/6/2012.   “the   expiry   date   is   oh   five   six   two   thousand   and  
twelve”  
 

Use  the  natural  form  for  transcribing  times  whenever  possible.  

Write  times  in  (h)h:mm  format  whenever  possible,  unless  it  would  look  unnatural  to  do  so.  

3:00   “three  o'clock”  

I'll  see  you  at  4.   “i'll  see  you  at  four”  

3:15   “three  fifteen”  

6:05   “six  oh  five”  

3:15   “quarter  past  three”  

1:50   “ten  to  two”  

18:00   “eighteen  hundred  hours”  

a  few  minutes  after  3   “a  few  minutes  after  three”  

I'll  be  home  between  7  and  8.   “i'll  be  home  between  seven  and  eight”  

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 around  8ish   “around  eightish”

Looks  unnatural  with  8:00ish.  

 

Use  p.m.  and  a.m.  if  spoken.  

12:00  p.m.   “twelve  o'clock  p  m”  

7  a.m.   “seven  a  m”  

Set  alarm  for  6:28  a.m.   “set  alarm  for  six  twenty  eight  a  m”  

Address  
Favor  full  spellings  over  abbreviations  where  natural,  but  use  abbreviations  when  explicitly  spoken.  

Use   the   most   natural   written   form   for   addresses,   depending   on   the   locale   and   context.   If   speaker   uses   an  
abbreviated   form,   transcribe   the   abbreviated   form   without   an   accompanying   full   stop.   (The   same   holds   for  
street  suffixes  like  "Ave".)  

Cafe  de  Alegria,  Hopwood  Road  

Cape  Town  City  Hall,  Cape  Town  

He  lives  on  Church  Street.  

652  Church  Street,  Pretoria  

33   Bird   Street   Stellenbosch,   Western   Cape,  

7600  

They  spent  last  summer  in  Mpumalanga.  

 

Web  
Write  URLs,  email  addresses,  and  Twitter  hashtags  as  they  are  spoken  and  don't  capitalize  them.

www.google.co.za   “w  w  w  dot  google  dot  c  o  dot  z  a”  

amazon.com   “amazon  dot  com”  

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 http://123.com   “h  t  t  p  colon  slash  slash  one  two  three  dot  com”  

mike@example.org   “mike  at  example  dot  org”  

It's   been   a   beautiful   adventure.   #selfie  “it's   been   a   beautiful   adventure   hashtag   selfie  
#newzealand   hashtag  new  zealand”  

#hungry  Where's  my  pizza?   “hashtag  hungry  where's  my  pizza”  

I'm  so  #hungry  I  could  eat  a  whole  pizza.   “i'm  so  hashtag  hungry  i  could  eat  a  whole  pizza”  

Do  not  correct  speaker  errors  such  as  transcribing  a  slash  when  the  user  actually  says  “backslash”.  

http://nytimes.com   “h  t  t  p  colon  slash  slash  n  y  times  dot  com”  

http:\\mail.yahoo.com   “h   t   t   p   colon   backslash   backslash   mail   dot   yahoo  

dot  com”  
 

If   the   speaker   drops   a   "w"   or   dots   and   it's   an   obvious   URL,   you   should   correct   these   errors.   If   the   speaker  
doesn't  say  the  "w"s  at  all,  do  not  add  them.  

www.amazon.com   “w  w  dot  amazon  dot  com”  

If   the   user   mistakenly   says   "ww",   transcribe  

"www".  

google.co.uk   “google  dot  co  u  k”  

Also   transcribe   the   dot   in   an   obvious   URL,   even   if  

the  speaker  did  not  include  it.  

www.buzzfeed.com   “w  w  w  buzzfeed  dot  com”  

www.facebook.com   “w  w  facebook  dot  com”  

 

If  a  URL  is  spelled  out  in  individual  letters,  transcribe  without  spaces  between  individual  letters.  

www.pinterest.com   “w  w  w  dot  p  i  n  t  e  r  e  s  t  dot  c  o  m”  

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Abbreviation  
Capitalize  and  abbreviate  titles  for  people  only  when  they  precede  proper  names.  

I  know  Dr.  Schuster.  

Dr.  Dre  

My  doctor  says  to  exercise  more.  

Mrs.  Jones  isn't  available.  

Hey  mister,  she's  my  sister.  

Karl  Rove  Jr.  was  there.  

She's  a  junior  this  year.  

I  saw  President  Obama  on  TV  today.  

Barack  Obama  is  the  president  of  the  United  

States.  

I  have  to  meet  Professor  Smith  today.  

I  really  like  my  professor.  

AGREED  SPELLING  
Spelling  out  
If  a  word  is  spelled  or  obvious  pauses  are  made  between  letters,  spell  it  into  letters  as  it  is  said  (often  done  for  
foreign   names   or   businesses,   for   example).   Use   lowercase   letters   for   the   spelled-­‐out   portion.   This   rule   does  
not  apply  to  acronyms  or  initialisms,  or  to  spelled-­‐out  web  or  email  addresses.  

ostco  c  o  s  t  c  o   Person  said  "costco"  and  then  spelled  it.  

words  ending  in  i  n  g   “words  ending  in  i  n  g“  

a  b  c  d  e  f  g  h  i  k  l  m  n  o  p  q  r  s  t  u  v  w  x  y  z   spelled  out  alphabet  

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 CEO   “c  e  o“  

All  VIPs  will  sit  in  front.   spelled  out  "v  i  p"  with  plural  "s"  

ASAP   Pronounced  the  word  "ASAP",  or  spelled  out  "a  s  a  

p".  

Proper  names  
Use  official  spelling,  capitalisation,  and  punctuation  for  proper  names.  Google  them  and  pay  attention  to  the  
correct   format.   Official   format   and   spelling   of   a   proper   name   may   supercede   the   usual   written   transcription  
conventions  detailed  in  this  document.  

Defer  to  official  spellings  of  celebrity  names.  

The  5.6.7.8's   Spelled  this  way  in  privacy  policy.  

will.i.am    

Kristin  Scott  Thomas   The  celebrity  spells  her  name  differently  from  the  
more  common  "Kristen".  

Khloé  Kardashian  and  Kourtney  Kardashian   These  celebrities  spell  their  names  differently  from  
the  more  common  "Chloe"  and  "Courtney".  
 

Spell   and   capitalise   holidays   as   they   are   formatted   within   the   answer   box   above   the   list   of   Google   Search  
results.  If  no  box  appears,  defer  to  Wikipedia's  formatting,  and  if  there  is  no  Wikipedia  article,  use  the  most  
common  format  according  to  Google  Search  results.  

On   Christmas   Eve,   she's   going   to   be   at   her  

friend's  party.  

When  is  Eid  al-­‐Fitr  this  year?  

Happy  Hanukkah!  

Hope  you  have  a  wonderful  Christmas  and  a  

happy  New  Year.  
 

Capitalize  words  used  as  titles  and  names  when  they  are  used  that  way.  

I'm  going  on  holiday  with  Mum,  Dad,    

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 Grandma,  Grandad  and  James.  

I'm  going  on  holiday  with  Louise,  her  mum,   Note  that  family  words  like  "sister",  "brother",  and  
her  sister  and  my  mum.   "cousin"  are  generally  not  used  as  names  or  titles.  
Neither  are  common  terms  of  endearment  (dude,  
babe).  Only  capitalise  family  nouns  like  "mum"  and  
"dad"  when  they  can  be  replaced  with  a  name.  
 

Brand  and  product  

Format   proper   names   as   they   are   most   commonly   formatted   on   the   entity's   website   (especially   official  
documents),  if  available,  or  the  Wikipedia  or  IMDb  page.  In  cases  of  ambiguity,  defer  to  their  privacy  policy.  If  
no  other  sources,  use  top  Google  hits.  

He  works  at  Amazon.    

I   heard   Yahoo   and   T-­‐Mobile   just   agreed   a    

deal.  

YouTube    

Find  me  on  LinkedIn.    

 

Use   a   company’s   website   to   find   official   spellings   and   capitalisations   of   their   name.   If   a   business   name   follows  
camel  case  (e.g.  easyJet)  or  has  a  lowercase  first  letter  followed  by  a  capitalised  second  letter  (e.g.  eHarmony),  
follow  that  business's  convention.  

Woolworths   Although   stylised   "WOOLWORTHS",   use   official  

spelling.  

BT  Games    

eHarmony,  eBay,  iPhone    

NatWest,  LinkedIn,  LazyTown   camel  case  

 

The   phrase   "Ok   Google",   as   well   as   possible   derivatives   such   as   "Ok   Google   Now"   and   "Ok   Glass",   are   all  
spelled  "ok".  

Ok  Google    

Ok  Google  Now    

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 Ok  Google,  where  is  Dulce  Cafe?    

Ok  Google,  pumpkins    

Ok.    

Ok,  David.    

Ok  Bernard,  let's  get  going.    

 

Media  title  
Refer  to  the  Google  Play  Store  for  official  spellings  of  media  titles.  For  film/television,  IMDb  is  also  available.  If  
an  utterance  is  ambiguous  between  a  media  title  and  a  sentence  or  web  search,  use  your  judgment  for  which  
is  more  likely.  If  truly  unclear,  default  to  sentence  or  web  search.  
 
 
Capitalise  media  titles  the  way  they  are  typically  capitalised.  
 
 
Capitalise  all  title  words  except  articles,  conjunctions  and  prepositions  unless  they  are  the  first  word.  
 
 
Do  not  use  quotation  marks  for  media  titles.  

Play  Diamonds  by  Rihanna.  

screenshots  of  Call  of  Duty:  Black  Ops  2  

 

Multiple  spellings  
Write  commonly  accepted  contractions  as  usual.  Transcribe  contractions  when  you  hear  them  spoken.  

I'm  running  late.    

I  am  running  late.   Speaker  clearly  said  two  distinct  words.  

What's  going  on?    

What  is  going  on?   Speaker  clearly  said  two  distinct  words.  

ain't    

The  rabbit's  behind  the  fence.    

 

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Use  standard  spelling  for  reductions  that  commonly  occur  in  normal  running  speech,  like  "want  to",  "going  to"  
for  "wanna",  "gonna".  

I  want  to  go.   “i  wanna  go”  

He's  going  to  go.   “he's  gonna  go”  

What  you  up  to?   “whatcha  up  to”  

It's  alright  over  there,  isn't  it?   When  "innit"  is  used  specifically  as  a  tag  question,  
expand  to  "isn't  it".  
 

DIFFICULT  UTTERANCES  
Skipping  a  prompt  
If  the  prompt  cannot  be  understood,  skip  it  (tag  it  as  [skip]).  It  is  preferable  to  skip  rather  than  mistranscribe.  
 
 
Skip  the  utterance  if  it:  contains  at  least  some  word(s)  that  cannot  be  understood;  is  in  a  different  language  
typically  not  understood;  contains  no  speech;  contains  only  laughter;  contains  singing;  contains  only  
synthesised  speech  (e.g.  the  voices  of  Google  Now  or  Siri)  and/or  pre-­‐recorded  speech  (e.g.  TV  or  radio).  
 
 
For  utterances  that  contain  both  user-­‐generated  speech  and  pre-­‐recorded  or  synthesised  speech,  transcribe  
user-­‐generated  speech  and  ignore  the  pre-­‐recorded/synthesised  speech.  

What's  the  weather  in  Pretoria?   User  asks,  "What's  the  weather  in  Pretoria?"  
Machine  responds,  "The  weather  in  Pretoria  is  27  
degrees  and  sunny."  
 

Hesitations  and  truncations  

Do  not  transcribe  false  starts  unless  they  are  complete  words.

unpopular   “unpop-­‐  unpopular”  

bigger  than   “bi-­‐  bigger  than”  

big  bigger  than   “big-­‐  [pause]  bigger  than”  

 

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If  a  user  repeats  a  sentence  for  the  sake  of  the  phone,  format  the  repetition  as  a  sentence  if  it's  restating  (as  a  
sentence)  what  the  person  has  said.  

Search  for  baby  foxes.  Search  for  baby  foxes.    

Show  me  the  weather  in  Johannesburg.    

Show  me  Johannesburg's  weather.  

What  tools  can  you  use  to  weed  a  garden?   If  the  repeated  phrase  is  part  of  the  sentence  that  
weed  a  garden   just  happens  to  form  a  sentence  on  its  own  
(possibly  under  a  different  interpretation),  format  
it  as  a  fragment.  While  "weed  a  garden"  can  be  a  
command,  it  is  ambiguous  and  is  most  likely  a  
fragment  in  this  context.  
 

Complete  words  that  have  been  truncated  only  if  a  very  small  portion  of  the  word  is  missing  (one  syllable  or  
less  in  a  multisyllable  word)  and  it  is  obvious  what  the  word  should  be.  In  cases  of  ambiguity,  do  not  transcribe  
the  cut-­‐off  word.  Do  not  put  punctuation  at  the  end  of  truncated  words.  

I  live  in  Pretoria   “i  live  in  pretori”  

Final  sound  "i"  was  truncated.  

chicken  pot   “chicken  pot  pi-­‐”

Unclear  whether  they  would  have  said  "pie"  or  
"pies".

Team  Fortress  video  game   “-­‐eam  fortress  video  game”  

 

If  a  truncation  occurs  mid-­‐quote,  use  an  end  quotation  mark  even  if  there  is  possibly  more  intended  content.  

Erica  said,  "We  should  totally"   “erica  said  we  should  totally-­‐”
End  of  quote  was  truncated.  Include  closing  
quotation  mark.  
 

Transcribe  repeated  words  as  many  times  as  uttered,  but  [skip]  if  a  phrase  is  repeated  more  than  five  times.

I  want  to  buy  buy  a  raincoat.   “i  want  to  buy  ummm  buy  a  raincoat”  

[skip]   “hello  hello  hello  hello  hello  hello”  

 

For  numbers,  stick  to  what  is  uttered,  even  if  you  know  this  is  not  all  the  speaker  is  going  to  say.  

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 Xbox  three  six   “xbox  three  six-­‐”  
 

Do  not  transcribe  filler  words  unless  intended  by  the  speaker  to  be  transcribed.  Never  lengthen  them.  

Is  that  your  smartphone?   “is  that  your  uh  smartphone”  

If  you  say  so.   “[sigh  or  loud  breath]  if  you  say  so”  
Sounds  like  a  full  sentence.  

He  was  like,  "uh"   “he  was  like  uhhhh”  

He  was  like  totally  interested.  

 

Accents  
Correct   non-­‐standard   pronunciations   to   their   standard   ones.   Non-­‐standard   pronunciations   could   be   from  
speakers  of  regional  dialects,  language  learners,  or  speakers  from  different  countries.  

Where  is  that?   Person  said  "that"  with  a  "d"  sound,  but  it  should  
Not:  Where  is  dat? still  be  spelled  as  standard.  

Thank  you.   Person  said  "thank  you"  in  French  accent,  using  an  
Not:  Sank  you. "s"  instead  of  a  "th"  sound.  
 

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