Why can’t Siri/dictation hear the word Covid?

[DavidInSydney]

Three years after Covid started, Siri still can’t hear this word. It comes up as covert or covet. Surely these days it’s a commonly used word.

I remember reading that they used to monitor conversations to try to improve Siri and dictation, but that stopped a few years ago, because some of the conversations were upsetting to the listeners, or invaded privacy.

I think they need to get back to monitoring and improving. I’m surprised how poorly Siri works sometimes, after all these years.

Does anyone know, is dictation any better on Android?

 

[russell_314]

As much as I dislike Siri and dictation I don't have any problems with the word Covid. I I'm dictating this now on my Mac and I tested my iPhone. It didn't have any issues with that word either.

Now if you want to see a fun bug with dictation try to dictate something on a Mac between sentences. It will type whatever you're dictating at the start of the paragraph multiple times. It looks like Bart Simpson writing something over and over on the chalkboard

 

[Jumpie]

Three years after Covid started, Siri still can’t hear this word. It comes up as covert or covet. Surely these days it’s a commonly used word.

I remember reading that they used to monitor conversations to try to improve Siri and dictation, but that stopped a few years ago, because some of the conversations were upsetting to the listeners, or invaded privacy.

I think they need to get back to monitoring and improving. I’m surprised how poorly Siri works sometimes, after all these years.

Does anyone know, is dictation any better on Android?

Try setting a timer for 50 mins. I either have to do 49 or 51 otherwise it’s 15 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

[iStorm]

Siri is picking up "covid" fine for me too (in the US).

The way Siri dictates depends on which keyboard you are using. Based on your username, I'm guessing you are in Australia and using the 'English (Australia)' keyboard. I switched to the Australian keyboard, and now it picks it up as "corvid", though I don't have an Australian accent to say it properly. It was able to pick up "covid nineteen" though (typed out as COVID-19).

Perhaps try saying "covid nineteen" to give Siri more context and see if that works for you; or see if your accent works fine with the US keyboard. (To add languages, go into Keyboard settings, add the 'English (US)' keyboard; then when dictating, long press the microphone icon and change the language there.)

Try setting a timer for 50 mins. I either have to do 49 or 51 otherwise it’s 15 🤦🏼‍♂️

I've noticed this too. I've found that it works fine when adding a bit of a pause between "fifty" and "minutes". If the two words are run together, then we are essentially saying "fifteem", which probably sounds closer to "fifteen" than "fifty".

 

[Tagbert]

Try setting a timer for 50 mins. I either have to do 49 or 51 otherwise it’s 15 🤦🏼‍♂️

I tried with with a slight pause for emphasis after "50" before I say "minute". That seems to let it catch it and not default to the most likely similar sound of "15".