Do you enjoy solving puzzles? Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, cryptograms, even jigsaw puzzles? Very often, completing a transcription assignment is much like solving a puzzle. There are clues buried in each dictation voice file that will help figure out a word, phrase, or more. 

To solve these puzzles, there are various tools available, many of which are at your fingertips. The dictionary is always a good starting point. For medical transcription, a medical dictionary is essential. Google is always ready to assist and often makes suggestions when you are close but not quite there. There are websites, word lists, and more that can help to produce an error-free transcribed document, one that contains no guesses, and no blanks. 

Onelook.com is an excellent resource. When listening to a dictation file, sometimes a word creates a stumbling block. Perhaps it is a word you never heard before or a word that is spoken so quickly that deciphering it is difficult. Onelook can help. Onelook, you see, accepts wildcards. Search for the letters you believe are included and use an asterisk or two to indicate mystery letters. Onelook will produce a list of all words that meet those specifications. 

In the search box, enter *epithelial.” One look will produce a list of 20 words that end with epithelial. One of them is probably the word you are looking for. Let us try another. In the search box, type p*ceph*. Onelook found 332 words that fit. Too many choices?  Narrow down the choices. Possibly the mystery word begins with “por.” Try it. Type por*ceph*. Now there are 17 choices. Your word just may be there. Listen again to the voice file and see if you can find a perfect fit. 

Onelook can even find simple phrases for you. In addition to wildcards, leave a blank to indicate a space between two words (or more). Type * infection in the search box. Click ENTER and there are 288 choices. Perhaps that infection starts with a T. Try t* infection. Remember the blank tells onelook it is more than one word. In fact, onelook brings up 12 possibilities and hopefully the correct word is now before you. 

Solve some of your transcription puzzles with onelook.com.