
1. The word transcription – defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary as “the act or process of making a written, printed, or typed copy of words that have been spoken” – has been in common use since the 17th Century (first known use was in 1598). It probably originated from the Latin word transcribere (trans- ‘across’ + scribere ‘write’). 2. Did you know that normally we speak at a rate of 150 to 170 words per minute? That’s on average 10,000 words an hour! 3. A professional transcriber can type between 80 and 100 words per minute. However, based on a clear audio, a 1 hour interview takes between 4 and 6 hours to transcribe. 4. Not so long ago (in fact when I started transcribing I used one of these dinosaurs), transcibers used cassette tape transcription machines to transcribe interviews and audio recordings. These relics were used to transcribe interviews recorded on “huge” analogue… Continue reading…