Vocabulary and snippets
Teach Whiskers your jargon; expand short triggers into longer text.
Two related features in Settings → Dictionary:
- Custom Vocabulary — tells the transcription model about words it wouldn't know (names, jargon, product terms).
- Text Replacements (Snippets) — short triggers that expand into longer text after transcription.
Custom Vocabulary
When the model encounters an unfamiliar word — a colleague's surname, a product code — it guesses. Vocabulary gives it a hint.
For local models (Parakeet, Whisper), vocabulary is passed as context. For AI Enhancement, terms are flagged so the LLM preserves them.
Adding words
- Settings → Dictionary → Custom Vocabulary.
- Type words in the input, comma-separated.
- Click Add Words.
Words appear as chips. Click the X on any chip to remove.
Custom Vocabulary panel with chips for Kubernetes, microservices, GraphQL, OAuth, and an input field for adding more
What to add
| Add | Don't add |
|---|---|
| Unusual spellings (your last name) | Common dictionary words |
| Product / company / project names | Single common letters |
| Domain acronyms (NSAID, GraphQL) | Bulk-pasted wordlists |
| Multi-word phrases ("Q3 roadmap") | Words the model already handles |
Focused beats comprehensive. Vocabulary works best as a curated list of words that keep coming out wrong.
Examples
Developers: Kubernetes, microservices, GraphQL, TypeScript, WebSocket, OAuth, JWT, monorepo
Medical: myocardial infarction, hypertension, NSAID, ACE inhibitor, contraindication
Company: AcmeCorp, WidgetPro, Q3 roadmap, cross-functional, OKR
Text Replacements (Snippets)
Snippets are post-transcription expansions. You say a short trigger; Whiskers swaps in a longer string before pasting.
| You say | Pasted |
|---|---|
myaddr | 123 Main Street, Anytown, CA 90210 |
sig | Best regards,\nJohn Smith\nSenior Developer |
asap | as soon as possible |
thx | Thank you |
Creating a snippet
- Settings → Dictionary → Text Replacements.
- Add Replacement.
- Fill in When transcribed as (trigger) and Replace with (expansion).
- Save.
Text Replacements panel listing several snippet pairs with toggle switches, and an Add Replacement button at the top
Tips
- Keep triggers short (2–5 chars) and uncommon.
sigworks;thedoes not. - Test by dictating a sentence containing the trigger.
- Toggle individual snippets off temporarily without deleting.
Import / export
CSV import/export for both Vocabulary and Snippets — useful for backup or sharing across machines.
Vocabulary CSV:
word
Kubernetes
microservices
GraphQL
Snippets CSV:
trigger,expansion
myaddr,123 Main Street Anytown CA 90210
sig,"Best regards,\nJohn Smith"
thx,Thank you
Use quotes around expansions with commas. Save as UTF-8.
Combining the two
Use them together — vocabulary keeps technical terms accurate at transcription time; snippets expand abbreviations after.
Example: add k8s to vocabulary so it transcribes correctly. Add a snippet k8s → Kubernetes. Say "check the k8s docs" and Whiskers pastes "check the Kubernetes docs."