Google Voice fails at Voicemail Transcriptions

Published by patrick on 30 Jul 2009 16:32 -0700. 1 Comment. Tags:

Today I received an email saying that I could now sign up for Google Voice. So I signed up for it and got a number, and I decided to test out it’s Voicemail Transcriptions. I recorded something and it turned out sort of okay, except that it couldn’t transcribe my French. Maybe it can’t understand French, or I have a bad accent. I don’t know.

And then I had a friend record something. And Google Voice kind of failed.

She recited a passage from a Wikipedia Article:

Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory, born Isabella Augusta Persse, was an Irish dramatist and folklorist. With William Butler Yeats and others, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, and wrote numerous short works for both companies. Lady Gregory produced a number of books of retellings of stories taken from Irish mythology. Born into a class that identified closely with British rule, her conversion to cultural nationalism, as evidenced by her writings, was emblematic of many of the changes to occur in Ireland during her lifetime.

Here is what Google Voice transcribed it as:

it is about our cost lady gregory on his about casa price listen ours thomases infocell artist with william butler you’d sent others she calls out of the irish literary theater and i’ll be theater and road new my short works for both companies baby gregory you produce the number of look for the free telling the stories taken from the irish mythology went to a class that identify closely with british will her conversion to calls from nationalism as evidence by her writings list and grammatical many of of the changes super and i went there in her lifetime

For reference, you can listen to the voicemail and see what you think.

1 Responses to “Google Voice fails at Voicemail Transcriptions”

  1. Marie 2010-02-26 22:12:42

    Personally, I think your French isn't bad. It's wonderful.
    Quite tres bon.
    Personally, I think Google is taking on too much projects nowadays (ex. Google buzz) that it has, in this instance at least, failed to pay close attention to the quality of the services they provide.
    I hope this isn't the first of what would be called the Google Death Knell. I really like this company and hope to work for it someday.

Leave a Reply
Comment Guidelines ↓
  • Please provide your name, you may use an alias if you wish to remain anonymous.
  • Comments with obviously fake emails will be deleted.
  • If you do not have a website, please leave that field blank.
  • Please keep comments related to topic. No spam please!
  • Please use proper grammar and spelling or your post may be edited or deleted.
  • If possible, please comment in English.
  • Un-related and spam comments will be deleted.

You may fill in this CAPTCHA to by-pass comment moderation.

Top ↑