# transcription

/ˌtɹænsˈkɹɪpʃən/ (US) · /tɹænskɹˈɪpʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/transcription
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. written record of speech

noun · CEFR B2

a written copy of words that were originally spoken or recorded.

For teachers: a written or printed representation of something originally spoken or recorded. Often used in legal or journalistic contexts.

- The court reporter provided a full transcription of the witness's testimony.
- The researchers spent weeks creating a detailed transcription of the interviews to ensure every nuance of the dialect was preserved for analysis.

Usage: Often used with the preposition 'of'.

### 2. linguistic symbols

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the use of special symbols to show exactly how a word is pronounced.

For teachers: the representation of speech sounds in written form using a phonetic alphabet. Usually refers to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

- The dictionary includes a phonetic transcription to help you with pronunciation.
- Broad transcription provides a general idea of pronunciation, whereas narrow transcription captures specific articulatory details using diacritics.

Teaching tip: In linguistics, distinguish between 'broad' and 'narrow' transcription when discussing phonetics.

### 3. musical arrangement

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a piece of music rewritten so it can be played by a different instrument.

For teachers: the adaptation of a musical composition for an instrument or medium other than that for which it was originally written.

- He played a piano transcription of a famous orchestral piece.
- Liszt's transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies allowed these massive works to be performed in private homes on a single piano.

Usage: Typically takes the preposition 'for' (e.g., a transcription for solo violin).

### 4. biological process

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the process where a cell makes a copy of a gene's DNA into RNA.

For teachers: the first step of gene expression, in which a particular segment of DNA is copied into RNA by the enzyme RNA polymerase.

- Transcription is a vital part of how our bodies use genetic information.
- Errors during the transcription process can lead to the production of dysfunctional proteins, potentially resulting in genetic disorders.

## Examples

- She finished the transcription of the interview.
- The researcher spent the afternoon listening to the recording and typing out the transcription.
- Accurate transcription of the ancient manuscript required years of study in paleography and comparative linguistics.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.