Dragon Dictation software: the nursery rhyme test

Just for fun we decided to use voice recognition software to see how good it is at transcribing a classic nursery rhyme. Specifically, we wanted to evaluate the software’s transcription accuracy, as determined by spelling and recognition of contextual relevance. We tested the ‘Dragon Dictation ‘ app (developed by Nuance, the industry leader) on my Ipad. The results speak for themselves. … drumroll… Man trumps machine when it comes to audio transcription accuracy.

 

 

• Here is the actual audio recording that was used in the test – of one of our team reading the nursery rhyme ‘Old Mother Hubbard’

The correct transcript of ‘Old Mother Hubbard’:

Old Mother Hubbard / Went to the cupboard / To fetch her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there / The cupboard was bare, / And so the poor dog had none.
She took a clean dish / To get him some tripe;  / But when she came back / He was smoking a pipe.
She went to the grocer’s / To buy him some fruit; / But when she came back /He was playing the flute.
She went to the baker’s / To buy him some bread; / But when she came back / The poor dog was dead.
She went to the undertaker’s / To buy him a coffin; / But when she came back / The poor dog was laughing.
She went to the hatter’s / To buy him a hat; / But when she came back / He was feeding the cat.
The dame made a curtsey, / The dog made a bow; / The dame said, “Your servant.” / The dog said, “Bow wow!

What ‘Dragon Dictation’ voice recognition software heard:

Old mother Hubbard / went to the cupboard / such a portable boat
which in their / cupboard was bare / so the poor dog had not
still clean distance / and five / when she came back / and smoking a pipe
she was the grossest / by and fruit / punch him back  / to Springfld
she was the biggest / buy him some bread / which came back / for those that
Chuans undertakers / vinyl coffin / which came back / for that was not
was the hottest / environment / which came / back to the cat
didn’t mean a crazy / dog me about / games and your servants / dalton Bawa