AI / Voice
Speech-to-Text (STT)
Speech-to-Text (STT) converts spoken audio into text that a voice agent can interpret, store as a transcript, and use in downstream actions.
Speech-to-Text (STT) converts spoken audio into text that a voice agent can interpret, store as a transcript, and use in downstream actions.
Speech-to-Text, or STT, converts spoken audio into written text. In a voice-agent call, it provides the words that language understanding, conversation logic, and connected tools can work with. The resulting text may also become part of the call transcriptTranscriptA transcript is the written record generated from a spoken conversation, typically showing what the caller and agent said during a call., summary, or CRMCRMA CRM is the system used to manage leads, contacts, accounts, opportunities, activity, ownership, and follow-up. record.
How STT fits into a voice conversation
The phone audio is streamed to a speech-recognition system, which estimates the words being spoken as the call continues. The conversation system then interprets that text and selects the next response or action. STT is therefore the listening layer. It does not decide what the caller means, which route to take, or what the agent should say.
What affects transcription quality
- Background noise, poor connections, overlapping speech, and low microphone quality.
- Names, addresses, acronyms, product terms, and unfamiliar pronunciations.
- Language and accent coverage in the selected recognition model.
- Endpointing settings that decide when an utterance has ended.
A transcription can be useful without being a perfect legal record. Teams should test the real call path, review important extracted values, and confirm high-consequence information when needed. Thoughtly's testing workflowWorkflowA workflow is a defined sequence of steps, decisions, actions, delays, and outcomes used to complete a business process. recommends live calls because text-only testing cannot reveal background-noise, interruption, or timing behavior.
Frequently asked questions
Is speech-to-text the same as NLU?
No. STT produces the words. NLUNLUNatural Language Understanding (NLU) is the capability that extracts meaning, intent, entities, and context from a person's spoken or written language. or an LLMLarge Language Model (LLM)A large language model (LLM) is a machine-learning model trained on large text collections to interpret and generate language from prompts and context. interprets the meaning, intent, and relevant details in those words.
Is a transcript always exact?
No. A transcript is derived from recognition output and may contain errors. Important names, numbers, permissions, and commitments may require confirmation.