SpeakWrite Review: What Is It Really Like to Work as a Transcriptionist?

If I were looking for a work-from-home job where I could put my typing skills to use without having to sell something to strangers all day, transcription would definitely catch my attention. That is why I decided to take a closer look at SpeakWrite.

This SpeakWrite Review is written from the perspective of someone considering the work as a transcriptionist. In this review, I will explain what the job would actually be like for the person sitting at the computer doing the work—not what it sounds like in a company advertisement.

Plus, before spending time applying I would want to know a few things: Is this a transcription job for beginners? Or, is it better for those with experience?

Can this realistically become useful income, or would I spend half my day typing for what feels like three cents and a lukewarm cup of coffee?

SpeakWrite Review: What Would I Actually Do?

The basic idea behind transcription is straightforward. I would receive an audio or video recording, listen to it, and type what is being said.

Of course, “listen and type” makes it sound easier than it really is.

People mumble. People talk over each other. Background noises happen. Someone says “um” approximately 47 times in three minutes. Then there are accents, unfamiliar terminology, poor audio quality and speakers who apparently believe punctuation is something other people should worry about.

In this SpeakWrite Review, that is one of the first things I would keep in mind.

SpeakWrite handles transcription work involving areas such as legal, court, financial, insurance, interviews, meetings, protective services and body-camera material.

That means the work is not simply typing casual conversations.

I would need to concentrate carefully and follow the company’s formatting and accuracy requirements.

The attraction for me is that the work is based on a skill I can improve. I am not depending entirely on convincing somebody to buy something, like in a telemarketing job for example.

My job would essentially be:

• Listen carefully
• Type accurately
• Follow formatting requirements
• Research unfamiliar terms when necessary
• Complete assignments within the expected turnaround
• Protect confidential information
• Maintain the required quality level

That sounds simple on paper.

The keyboard may disagree.

What Skills Would I Need?

If I were considering this work, I would want reasonably strong typing ability before applying.

I would also need:

• Good listening skills
• Strong spelling and grammar
• Attention to detail
• Patience
• Basic computer skills
• The ability to work independently
• Good time management
• The ability to concentrate for extended periods

This SpeakWrite Review also makes me look at something many people overlook: typing speed isn’t everything.

Accuracy matters enormously. You can improve your typing accuracy here.

Typing 80 words per minute doesn’t help much if I have to go back and correct 25 mistakes every paragraph.

SpeakWrite Review: Who Can Apply?

One of the more interesting things I found while researching this SpeakWrite Review is that SpeakWrite accepts experienced typists who reside in the United States or Canada.

That immediately makes it more relevant to me as someone in Canada.

If SpeakWrite is not available in your country you could try any of the following transcription companies. I wrote reviews on each one below.

• 3Play Media Review
• Tigerfish Review
• Daily Transcription Jobs
• Speechpad Transcription Job Review
• CastingWords Review

However, I would not interpret that as meaning absolutely anybody can apply and automatically start earning money.

There is an evaluation process.

The company looks for people who can demonstrate the required typing and transcription abilities. Applicants have time to complete the evaluation after approval to proceed.

So if I were applying, I would treat the evaluation seriously. You can apply for SpeakWrite here.

I would not approach it like one of those websites where I click three buttons, answer whether I like puppies, and suddenly receive a welcome email saying I have been hired.

Transcription is a skill-based job.

Can a Beginner Do It?

This is where things get interesting.

Someone does not necessarily need specific legal transcription experience to be considered for the general typist position. That does not mean I could have absolutely no useful skills and expect the company to teach me everything from scratch.

I would still need to type well and demonstrate that I can produce accurate work.

For me, that distinction matters.

If I already type regularly, have good English skills and can concentrate, I would consider applying even if I had never worked professionally as a transcriptionist. For that matter, if your English skills are very good you might consider other types of work such as making money writing short content.

My SpeakWrite Review takeaway here is that a lack of a specific transcription job title on my résumé would not automatically stop me from investigating the opportunity.

SpeakWrite Review: What Equipment Would I Need?

One advantage I see in this SpeakWrite Review is that the equipment requirements aren’t necessarily outrageous.

I would need a computer and a reliable internet connection, and SpeakWrite requires Windows for its software. A Mac may be possible if Windows can be installed and run properly.

That is important because I would check my computer before doing anything else.

I wouldn’t want to spend time going through an application only to discover that my computer and the required software don’t cooperate.

A foot pedal is another piece of equipment commonly associated with transcription. Before I started looking into foot pedals I wanted to know how to choose the best foot pedal.

The good news for a person testing the waters is that a foot pedal isn’t necessarily something I would rush out and buy before knowing whether I was accepted.

The sensible approach would be to get through the application and training process first.

My Basic Equipment Checklist

If I were preparing for transcription work, my checklist would look something like this:

Equipment	What I’d Want
Computer	Reliable Windows computer
Internet	Stable connection
Headphones	Comfortable enough for long sessions
Keyboard	Comfortable and responsive
Foot pedal	Helpful for transcription controls
Workspace	Quiet and distraction-free
Backup	Reliable internet or backup plan

 

This part of my SpeakWrite Review is important because working from home does not mean working from anywhere.

I might technically be able to work at the kitchen table, but if somebody is vacuuming beside me while a dog is barking and the television is running in the background, my transcription career could become an experiment in creative guessing.

SpeakWrite Review: How Does the Pay Work?

Pay is obviously one of the biggest questions in any SpeakWrite Review.

According to the company’s information, standard base compensation is currently listed at $0.005 per word, or one-half cent per word.

There can also be bonuses and incentives, including shifts that offer an additional percentage bonus.

The important thing I would understand is that per-word pay is not the same thing as an hourly wage.

If I type 1,000 words, that does not necessarily mean I am being paid for every minute I spent listening, rewinding, researching names or fixing formatting.

This is where a realistic SpeakWrite Review needs to avoid making transcription sound like magical easy money.

Suppose I am paid $5 for 1,000 transcribed words.

If I can accurately complete those words in one hour, that works out very differently than if the audio takes me three hours because it is difficult to understand.

My effective hourly rate would therefore depend heavily on:

• My typing speed
• My listening ability
• Audio quality
• Speaker clarity
• Familiarity with the subject
• How much editing is required
• How quickly I can navigate the transcription software
• How much unpaid time I spend researching or correcting

That is probably the single biggest calculation I would make before committing.

Why Audio Length Can Be Misleading

A 30-minute recording does not mean I will spend exactly 30 minutes working.

It could take considerably longer.

A beginner might need several times the recording length depending on the quality and complexity of the audio.

As I gained experience, I would expect my speed to improve.

That means I would not judge the opportunity solely by the advertised per-word rate.

I would judge it by what I could realistically earn per hour after I became efficient.

SpeakWrite Review: Can I Choose My Own Hours?

In this SpeakWrite Review, let’s talk about job flexibility.

SpeakWrite says typists choose their own shifts and can access the schedule ahead of time.

The company operates around the clock, every day of the year.

For someone who needs flexibility, that could be useful.

I could potentially build transcription around other responsibilities rather than having somebody standing over my shoulder demanding that I be online at exactly 8:03 Tuesday morning. Another possibility, especially if you want to earn in more ways than one, is to mix transcribing with a few of the best microtask job platforms.

There are still requirements.

Typists must schedule at least 15 hours per month and no more than 12 hours per day.

So I would think of this as flexible work rather than completely unrestricted work.

Could It Work as a Side Job?

This is where I see a potentially practical use.

If I already had another source of income and wanted to add some work-from-home hours, transcription could fit into a schedule where I had blocks of time available.  However, if transcription isn’t your thing, there are other types of simple online jobs you can do from home.

For example, I might decide to work several hours on certain evenings and add some weekend hours.

Before writing this SpeakWrite Review question I asked myself , “Can I work whenever I want?”

I also had to decide if  I could consistently reserve enough time to make this worthwhile.”

SpeakWrite Review: What About Turnaround Times?

Flexibility doesn’t mean I could take an assignment and disappear for three days.

Clients expect relatively fast turnaround, and jobs are generally expected to be completed within the recommended time ratio.

That means time management would matter.

If I accepted work, I would want to know how much time I realistically had available before taking on more.

This is another reason I would not overload myself at the beginning.

A beginner might think, “I’ll take everything!”

Then four hours later, after listening to the same sentence seven times, the beginner may be staring at the computer wondering whether becoming a professional goat farmer would be less stressful.

My SpeakWrite Review approach would be to start conservatively, learn the workflow and increase my workload as my speed improved.

SpeakWrite Review: What I Like About the Opportunity

There are several things I would consider positives.

First, it is work that can be done remotely.

Second, it is based on a practical skill rather than requiring me to constantly find customers.

Third, there is scheduling flexibility.

Fourth, the company has been operating for many years, dating back to 1997.

Those factors don’t guarantee that the work will be right for me, but they give me reasons to investigate it.

If you want to read what other people say about SpeakWrite check out the SpeakWrite reviews page.

SpeakWrite Review: What Would Make Me Hesitate?

The biggest concern for me would be the effective hourly rate.

Per-word compensation sounds simple until I actually sit down and calculate how long a difficult assignment takes.

I would also think about the mental concentration required.

Transcription isn’t something I could necessarily do while watching television.

Well, technically I could, but the resulting transcript might contain a fascinating subplot involving characters who were never actually mentioned.

Another concern is availability.

Even with flexible scheduling, there is no guarantee that every hour I want to work will produce exactly the amount of income I have in mind.

That is why I would treat transcription as income I need to evaluate through actual experience rather than assuming a certain monthly figure.

SpeakWrite Review: What About Confidentiality?

This is another area I would take seriously.

Transcription can involve sensitive material, particularly when work includes legal, financial, insurance, court or protective-services content.

If I were doing this work, confidentiality would not be something I treated casually.

I would have a private workspace and make sure other people could not easily hear or access the material.

I would also follow the company’s procedures carefully.

A work-from-home job does not mean I can casually discuss assignments with friends or leave confidential documents sitting on the kitchen counter beside the toaster.

In my SpeakWrite Review, confidentiality is part of being professional.

SpeakWrite Review: What Would My Typical Workday Look Like?

If I were accepted, I imagine my workday would be fairly structured.

I would start by checking the available assignments and deciding which shift or work period fit my schedule.

Then I would prepare my workspace, put on headphones and begin.

The basic cycle would probably be:

• Listen
• Type
• Pause
• Rewind
• Check
• Correct
• Continue
• Repeat

And repeat.

And repeat.

And repeat.

That repetition is not necessarily a bad thing. Some people genuinely prefer predictable, independent work.

I think this SpeakWrite Review shows that transcription could appeal to somebody who likes working quietly rather than constantly interacting with customers.

SpeakWrite Review: What Would I Do Before Applying?

Before applying, I would test myself.

I would find a short audio clip and try transcribing it without constantly stopping.

Then I would check my accuracy.

I would also see how long it actually took me.

This little experiment could tell me more than simply reading ten articles about transcription.

If a five-minute recording takes me 45 minutes and leaves me exhausted, I have learned something important.

If I can work through it comfortably and improve after a few attempts, that tells me something too.

My SpeakWrite Review conclusion at this stage would be that self-testing is worthwhile before investing significant time.

I Would Also Check My Computer

Because Windows is required for the company’s software, I would verify compatibility first.

I would also make sure I had enough storage, a dependable internet connection and headphones I could comfortably wear for extended periods.

I would not buy a pile of expensive equipment before I knew I was going to use it.

SpeakWrite Review: Is It Worth Considering?

I would describe the opportunity as something worth investigating rather than something I would blindly jump into.

The biggest factor would be whether my personal typing speed, accuracy and efficiency allowed the per-word compensation to translate into an acceptable effective hourly rate.

That is something only real experience could establish for me.

The flexibility is appealing.

The remote nature is appealing.

The fact that Canadian and American residents can apply is appealing to me as well.

But none of those things eliminates the reality that transcription requires concentration and speed.

My SpeakWrite Review would therefore focus less on the headline pay rate and more on what I could actually earn for my time.

SpeakWrite Review FAQ

Is SpeakWrite available to Canadians?

Yes. SpeakWrite accepts experienced typists who reside in the United States or Canada.

Do I need professional transcription experience?

Specific legal transcription experience is not necessarily required for the general typist position, but applicants still need to demonstrate the required skills.

How much does SpeakWrite pay?

The company’s currently listed standard base rate is $0.005 per word, with some shifts potentially offering bonuses or incentives.

Does SpeakWrite pay hourly?

The compensation structure is based on words rather than a standard hourly wage. That means my actual hourly earnings would depend on how efficiently I can complete assignments.

Can I choose my own hours?

SpeakWrite allows typists to choose shifts, although there are minimum and maximum scheduling requirements.

Do I need a foot pedal?

A foot pedal can be useful for transcription, but it is not something I would rush to purchase before getting through the application and training process.

Does SpeakWrite offer medical transcription?

No. SpeakWrite states that it does not offer medical transcription or data-entry positions.

Can I work from home?

Yes. The position is designed as remote work, which is one of the main reasons I would consider it.

Is transcription easy?

I wouldn’t call it easy. The basic concept is simple, but producing accurate transcripts quickly requires concentration, listening skills, typing ability and practice.

Can transcription become a full-time income?

That depends on the individual, available work, typing speed, accuracy, efficiency and the amount of time a person can consistently devote to it. I would not assume a specific income level until I had actual experience.

SpeakWrite Review: My Final Thoughts From a Potential Transcriptionist

After looking at the opportunity from the worker’s side, I can see why transcription appeals to people who want remote work without sales calls or constant customer interaction.

The work is straightforward to understand, the schedule offers flexibility and Canadian applicants can be considered.

At the same time, I would go into it with realistic expectations.

My SpeakWrite Review would not be based on the idea that I can simply sit down, type whatever I hear and instantly make great money.

The real question is efficiency.

Can I listen accurately?

Can I type quickly?

Can I maintain concentration?

Can I handle difficult audio?

Can I meet deadlines?

And most importantly, can I turn the time I spend working into an hourly rate that makes sense for me?

Those are the questions I would answer before deciding whether transcription deserves a regular place in my work schedule.

If I were interested in trying SpeakWrite, I would start by checking the current requirements, testing my own transcription ability and making sure my computer meets the technical requirements.

I would also avoid spending a bunch of money upfront.

I would apply first, see whether I could pass the evaluation and learn what the actual workflow feels like.

That is ultimately what this SpeakWrite Review comes down to for me.

I see it as a legitimate type of work worth investigating for someone with strong typing and listening skills, but I would treat it as work—not easy money.

And honestly, that is probably a good thing.

I’d rather have somebody tell me I need to actually work than promise me I can make $5,000 a month while wearing pajamas and drinking coffee.

Because if that were really how it worked, my coffee mug would already have a financial advisor.

Final SpeakWrite Review Takeaway

For a Canadian or American looking for remote transcription work, SpeakWrite is an opportunity I would put on my research list.

I would pay particular attention to the application requirements, current compensation, available shifts and the amount of time it takes me personally to complete audio.

The SpeakWrite Review lesson for me is simple: don’t judge transcription by the number attached to the per-word rate alone.

Judge it by the relationship between time, accuracy, speed and actual earnings.

If those numbers work for me, then transcription could be worth pursuing.

If they don’t, at least I would know before spending months wondering where all my spare time went.

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