Custom Vocabulary: Improve Transcription Accuracy for Your Specialized Terms
The Custom Vocabulary feature in Hedy helps you get more accurate transcriptions by teaching the app to recognize specialized terms, names, acronyms, and jargon that are important to you and your work.
What is Custom Vocabulary?
Custom Vocabulary allows you to add specific words and phrases that Hedy should recognize during transcription. This is especially useful for:
Technical terms (e.g., "Kubernetes", "GraphQL", "OAuth")
Company-specific acronyms (e.g., "KPI", "OKR", "SaaS")
Product names (e.g., "iPhone", "ChatGPT", "Salesforce")
People's names (e.g., "Satya Nadella", "Elon Musk")
Industry jargon (e.g., "synergy", "pivot", "scalability")
How It Works
When you add terms to your custom vocabulary:
During Recording: Hedy's speech recognition engine (Whisper) receives your custom terms as context, helping it correctly transcribe specialized vocabulary
After Transcription: The AI uses your vocabulary to better understand context when generating summaries, key points, and action items
Across Devices: Your custom vocabulary syncs automatically across all your devices when you're signed in
Getting Started
Accessing Custom Vocabulary
Open the Hedy app
Navigate to Meeting Settings
Find the Custom Vocabulary section
Toggle the switch to enable the feature
Adding Terms
Add Individual Terms
Type your term in the text field
Click the Add button
The term appears in your vocabulary list immediately
Import Multiple Terms
Click the Import button
Paste your terms (comma-separated or one per line)
Click Import to add all terms at once
Example import format:
API, DevOps, Kubernetes, Firebase
or
API DevOps Kubernetes Firebase
Managing Your Vocabulary
View Your Terms
All terms appear in a scrollable list
See your current term count (e.g., "25/100 terms")
Terms are displayed alphabetically
Remove Terms
Click the delete icon (🗑️) next to any term to remove it
Use Clear All to remove all terms at once
Export Your Vocabulary
Click the Export button
Your terms are copied to the clipboard as comma-separated text
Save them in a document for backup or sharing
Best Practices
Choose Terms Wisely
Focus on frequently used terms that are often mistranscribed
Add proper nouns like company names and people's names
Include acronyms that you use regularly
Add technical terminology specific to your field
Formatting Guidelines
Length: Keep terms between 2-50 characters
No special characters: Avoid
< > { } [ ] \ | ~ `Case doesn't matter: "API" and "api" are treated as the same term
Spaces allowed: Multi-word terms like "machine learning" are supported
Stay Within Limits
Maximum 100 terms: This ensures optimal performance
No duplicates: The system automatically prevents duplicate entries
Regular maintenance: Review and update your vocabulary periodically
Common Use Cases
Software Development
API, REST, GraphQL, Kubernetes, Docker, GitHub, CI/CD, DevOps, Agile, Scrum, JavaScript, Python
Sales & Marketing
CRM, ROI, KPI, SEO, SEM, CTR, CPC, B2B, B2C, pipeline, funnel, churn rate, MRR, ARR
Healthcare
HIPAA, EMR, telemedicine, diagnosis, prognosis, symptoms, medication, dosage, clinical trial
Finance
EBITDA, P&L, ROE, IPO, M&A, hedge fund, portfolio, derivatives, cryptocurrency, blockchain
Troubleshooting
Terms Not Being Recognized
Check spelling: Ensure terms are spelled correctly
Verify feature is enabled: Check the toggle switch in settings
Allow processing time: New terms may take a moment to take effect
Restart recording: Stop and start a new recording session
Sync Issues
Sign in required: Custom vocabulary only syncs when you're signed in
Check internet connection: Sync requires an active connection
Force refresh: Pull down on the vocabulary list to refresh
Import Errors
Check format: Ensure terms are comma-separated or one per line
Remove special characters: Clean up any prohibited characters
Verify term count: Imports that exceed 100 total terms will be rejected
Tips for Maximum Effectiveness
Start small: Add 10-20 of your most important terms first
Test and refine: Record a session and see which terms need to be added
Share with team: Export and share vocabulary lists with colleagues
Update regularly: Add new terms as your projects and focus areas change
Use consistent spelling: Pick one spelling for terms with variants
Privacy & Security
Your data is private: Custom vocabulary is stored securely in your account
Encryption: Terms are encrypted in transit and at rest
No sharing: Your vocabulary is never shared with other users
Delete anytime: Remove terms or disable the feature whenever you want
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need to be online to use custom vocabulary?
A: The vocabulary works offline once synced. You need to be online and signed in for initial setup and cross-device sync.
Q: Can I use custom vocabulary in different languages?
A: Yes, you can add terms in any language that Hedy supports for transcription.
Q: Will custom vocabulary slow down transcription?
A: No, the feature is optimized to have minimal impact on transcription speed.
Q: Can I share my vocabulary with team members?
A: Currently, vocabulary is personal to each account. Use the export feature to share your list with others who can then import it.
Q: What happens if I exceed 100 terms?
A: The app will prevent adding more terms once you reach the limit. Remove unused terms to make room for new ones.