--- {"title": "How to record terminology notes for translators in 2026", "description": "A practical guide for translators to record terminology notes with dictation or typing, organize glossary entries, compare tools and avoid common mistakes.", "url": "https://xpdaily.com/how-to-record-terminology-notes-for-translators/", "date": "2026-10-23"} --- A practical guide for translators to record terminology notes with dictation or typing, organize glossary entries, compare tools and avoid common mistakes. Translators can record terminology notes by dictating into a glossary tool, typing manually, or using speech recognition. QuickDictate types dictated terms into whichever window has focus. [^1] Choose a method that fits your workflow and review entries regularly for consistency. | Option | How it captures terms | Cost and requirements | |---|---|---| | Manual typing in spreadsheet or glossary tool | You enter terms and translations by hand | Depends on the tool you choose | | Windows Speech Recognition | Check current Windows documentation for dictation features and availability | Check current Windows documentation for requirements and cost | | Dragon Professional | Check current product details for supported features and system requirements | Check current licence terms and pricing | | QuickDictate | Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using; hold a key while you talk or press once to start and stop; supports cloud providers and local models [^1][^1][^1][^1] | Free for personal and noncommercial use; cloud providers bill you directly; commercial use needs separate licence [^1][^1] | | Online terminology platforms with dictation | Check each tool's documentation for dictation support | Check each service for pricing, language support and privacy terms | ## What you need before you start Recording terminology notes takes only a few things. - **A place to store terms.** A glossary file, spreadsheet, translation memory tool, or simple text document all work. What matters is that the term, its translation, and any context live in one place. - **A way to capture text quickly.** You can type, dictate, or copy from source texts. Dictation lets you speak terms into the window you are using. [^1] - **A consistent format.** Decide on fields such as source term, target term, subject area, and notes before you begin. Consistency makes the glossary searchable later. - **Access to your working languages.** If you dictate, your speech service must support the languages you work with. Cloud providers bill you directly for their service. [^1] Local models need no internet connection or API key. [^1] - **A Windows 10 or 11 PC.** QuickDictate runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. [^1] Other tools may have different requirements. Set aside a few minutes at the start of a project to set up your glossary structure. A clear structure saves time during translation. ## Step by step These steps work with any capture method, including typing by hand. 1. **Open your glossary or terminology tool.** Make sure you can add entries before you start capturing terms. 2. **Choose your capture method.** You can type each term, dictate into the active field, or copy from a source document. 3. **Set up dictation if you use it.** Pick a cloud provider such as ElevenLabs, Deepgram, OpenAI, AssemblyAI, DashScope, or Google, and enter your API key. [^1] Or choose Local and install a model such as Whisper Large v3 Turbo for offline use. [^1] 4. **Assign a hotkey for dictation.** Hold a key while you talk, or press once to start and once to stop. You can change both keys. [^1] 5. **Focus the target field.** Click the cell or text box where the term should appear. What you say is typed into whichever window has focus, such as an editor, chat box, terminal, or web form. [^1] 6. **Dictate the term and its translation.** Speak clearly. With five cloud providers, words appear while you are still talking. [^1] 7. **Use custom vocabulary for difficult terms.** List words and phrases that are sent to the provider to help it recognize them. A replacement table fixes spellings such as "Chat GPT" to "ChatGPT". [^1] 8. **Apply per-app profiles if needed.** Profiles can change the provider, language, vocabulary, and formatting depending on which app is in focus. [^1] 9. **Review the entry.** Check spelling, capitalization, and context. Saying "scratch that" discards the text you just dictated instead of inserting it. [^1] 10. **Save and continue.** Browse and filter your last 50 dictations in Settings if you need to revisit a recent entry. The history survives a restart or self-update. [^1] Repeat for each term. A short review at the end of each session keeps the glossary clean. ## Tools that can do it You do not need special software for this. Here are options to consider. **Manual typing in a spreadsheet or glossary tool.** You can enter each term and translation by hand. Check the tool you choose for its current price and limits. **Windows speech recognition.** Check the current Windows documentation for supported dictation features, languages and availability before choosing this option. **Dragon Professional.** Check the current product details for supported languages, terminology features, system requirements and licence costs before choosing it. **QuickDictate.** QuickDictate is made by the team that publishes this site. QuickDictate is a Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using. [^1] You hold a key while you talk, or press it once to start and once to stop, and you can change both keys. [^1] What you say is typed into whichever window has focus, such as an editor, chat box, terminal, or web form. [^1] You can use ElevenLabs, Deepgram, OpenAI, AssemblyAI, DashScope, or Google, and that provider bills you directly. [^1] Choose Local in Settings and install a speech model such as Whisper Large v3 Turbo; dictation then needs no internet connection or API key. [^1] With five of the cloud providers, words appear while you are still talking. [^1] You can list words and phrases that are sent to the provider to help it recognize them, and a replacement table fixes spellings such as "Chat GPT" to "ChatGPT". [^1] Profiles can change the provider, language, vocabulary, and formatting depending on which app is in focus. [^1] You can browse and filter your last 50 dictations in Settings, and the history survives a restart or self-update. [^1] Saying "scratch that" discards the text you just dictated instead of inserting it. It is the only voice command shipped. [^1] While you are dictating, other apps' audio is muted or turned down, and it goes back to its old level when you stop. [^1] If you sign in, you can sync preferences such as hotkeys and language between PCs. API keys, audio, and transcripts are never synced. [^1] QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. [^1] Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. [^1] From v0.9.0 on, it is source-available under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0: free for personal and other noncommercial use, and commercial use needs a separate licence. Releases up to v0.8.0 were MIT. [^1] It runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. There is no Mac or Linux version. [^1] It is delivered as an .exe file on GitHub, with a built-in updater that works silently; it can also be built from source. [^1] **Online terminology tools.** Check each tool's current documentation for dictation support, language options, terminology fields, privacy terms and pricing before choosing one. ## Common mistakes to avoid **Skipping a consistent format.** Entering terms in different structures makes the glossary hard to search later. Agree on fields before you start. **Dictating without checking recognition.** Speech services can mishear technical terms. Use custom vocabulary lists and review each entry. [^1] **Mixing languages in one field.** Keep source and target terms in separate columns or fields. Mixed entries break search and export. **Forgetting context notes.** A term without subject area or usage notes may be useless in a different project. Add a short context line each time. **Letting the glossary grow unchecked.** Duplicate or outdated entries slow you down. Schedule a monthly cleanup. **Assuming one tool fits every project.** A spreadsheet may suit a small job. A translation memory tool may suit a large team. Match the tool to the project size. **Ignoring audio feedback.** While you are dictating, other apps' audio is muted or turned down, and it goes back to its old level when you stop. [^1] If you need to hear a reference audio while dictating, check your tool's settings. **Relying only on cloud services for sensitive terms.** Client confidentiality may require offline dictation. Local models need no internet connection or API key. [^1] ## Frequently asked questions ### How to record terminology notes faster while translating? Dictate terms directly into your glossary tool using a hotkey. QuickDictate types what you say into whichever window has focus, so you can stay in your translation environment. [^1] Cloud providers bill you directly for their service. [^1] Local models need no internet connection or API key. [^1][^1][^1][^1] ### Can QuickDictate handle specialized terminology for medical or legal translation? You can list words and phrases that are sent to the provider to help it recognize them, and a replacement table fixes spellings such as "Chat GPT" to "ChatGPT". Profiles can change the provider, language, vocabulary, and formatting depending on which app is in focus. [^1][^1] ### Does QuickDictate work offline for confidential client projects? Choose Local in Settings and install a speech model such as Whisper Large v3 Turbo; dictation then needs no internet connection or API key. [^1] API keys, audio, and transcripts are never synced. [^1][^1] ### What is the cost of using QuickDictate for terminology work? QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. [^1] Commercial use needs a separate licence under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0. [^1][^1] ### Which operating systems support QuickDictate for terminology recording? It runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. There is no Mac or Linux version. It is delivered as an .exe file on GitHub, with a built-in updater that works silently; it can also be built from source. [^1][^1] QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. [^1] - [Visit QuickDictate](/go/start) ## Sources [^1]: QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)