Proper Pronunciation and Word Differentiation for Medical Transcriptionists

Help your transcriptionist transcribe more accurately; speak clearly, enunciate properly and provide appropriate clarification for some tricky words.

Please speak clearly

Here are a few words that should always be said clearly to avoid errors:

adeno / adreno fasciculation / vesiculation has / had / have hema / hemo hyper / hypo

in / an / on / and intra / infra intra / inter is / as / has linguo / laryngo

of / off para / peri pyelo / pyloro super / supra uretero / urethro / utero

Also words ending in “n’t” or “s” (plurals) can be hard to understand.  Please emphasize.

Dictating sound-alike or confusing words

You should be aware of similar-sounding and other confusing words and spell them or dictate them clearly. Some words should always be spelled to avoid confusion.

Here’s a sampling of them:

accede: stick to agreement exceed: surpass	accept: receive except: exclude	adapt: adjust adept: proficient
adverse: opposed averse: not interested	affect: change, influence effect: (v) to bring about (n) result, impression	all right: all right alright: outdated usage
allude: refer to indirectly elude: avoid	allusion: insinuation illusion: apparition	already: previously all ready: everything prepared
altar: place of worship alter: to change	appraise: value apprise: inform, notify	assistants: helpers assistance: help
capital: seat of government; money capitol: building where legislative body meets	cease: stop seize: apprehend	cite: speak of sight: vision site: location
complement: collection compliment: praise	continual: happens frequently in time: close succession continuous: uninterrupted	council: praise consul: ambassador console: comfort counsel: advice
descent: decline dissent: disagree	disapprove: condemn disprove: discredit	elicit: extract illicit: illegal
eligible: qualified illegible: indecipherable	emigration: moving from a country immigration: moving to a country	eminent: outstanding, revered imminent: threatening to happen soon
farther: forward further: additionally	floe: large sheet of floating ice flow: move, run freely, circulate	formally: in a dignified way formerly: previously
imply: speaker implies (suggests) infer: hearer infers (perceives)	incidence: occurrence incidents: situations	lay: to set down, to place or put an item down lie: to recline
passed: go by past: earlier	principal: first in authority; main participant; amount of a debt less interest principle: basic truth or assumption	pray: to ask for by prayer or supplication prey: animal hunted or caught for food; victim
residence: dwelling residents: occupants	right: correct rite: ceremony wright: worker write: compose	their: possessive form of “them” they’re: they are there: at that place
stationary: not moving: fixed stationery: writing material: letterhead, envelopes, etc.	suit: a set of clothes; legal action suite: number of items making up a set, series, or sequence	waiver: the giving up of a claim waver: to hesitate; also tremble or quaver
through: by way of threw: tossed	whose: of or relating to whom who’s: who is	your: of or relating to you you’re: you are

To improve your transcription results start applying our pronunciation tips when dictating and clarify the above confusing words. Our transcriptionists appreciate the added effort and you may see a decrease in errors in your final results.

Check our medical transcription dictation tips next month for information on privacy legislation.