How to fix voice dictation issues on iPhone 16 Pro Max?

Question

Level 1

4 points

How to fix voice dictation issues on iPhone 16 Pro Max?

Are you having as much trouble as I am with voice dictation? I have a muscle disorder and it is difficult to type my emails text and notes. I have had multiple iPhones in the past and the voice dictation was fabulous now I buy this phone the 16 Pro Max and it gets more wrong than it gets right it changes words I can watch it type them and then change them right before you send it. The microphone stops working midsentence so you have to turn it off and turn it back on and go back to dictating which means that the whole time the phone is writing. I have to keep my eyes on it. I speak extremely clearly every past iPhone typed 99% of everything I said correctly this phone doesn’t type 10% of what I’ve said correctly the punctuation is terrible if I tell it to put a period it just stops and pauses and doesn’t put in the period or the? Or The, it skips entire sentences that I say it turns the words backwards it doesn’t learn like the old ones did every single time I say a couple of people‘s names like my husband his name is Lee and it types less left Leicester. it literally takes some of the words and turn them into garbage words that aren’t words or words that make no sense. I personally think that Apple has to know that they’re having this many problems every time I google it it comes back and says yes many people are complaining over these issues so why aren’t they fixing it or why don’t you give me my money back the dictation is literally useless and this is going to change our minds on any more upgrades to another Apple product. We used Samsung phones for about 10 or 12 years and then my son convinced us to go over to Apple. I thought it was an extraordinarily difficult phone to learn. There’s no back button on Apple WHY ????? I look something up and Siri will give me several choices to choose from I pick one and then I have to type the question all over again because I can’t go back and look at any of the other websites pertaining to the subject. they know they have this problem and that tons of people are complaining over the lack of a back button. Doesn’t a back button makes sense ? Mark put a back button on the phone. My husband has an iPhone 15 Pro Max. I tried dictating his text messages and once again it gets about 99% of what I say right so he has discovered how to switch our phones and that’s what we’re gonna do. I’m gonna take his two year old 15 pro max and he’s gonna take my brand new six month old 16 Pro Max because it * if you’re having this problem, please make sure you make a comment that you’re having this issue too so that Apple will pay attention to us and get it fixed.

[Edited by Moderator]

Original Title: Voice dictation 16 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Max, iOS 18

Posted on Sep 7, 2025 11:48 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Sep 7, 2025 11:36 PM in response to CLVLGV

When using dictation on an iPhone, pronunciation and accent play a big role in how accurately your speech is interpreted. If your accent differs from the default language model’s expectations, you might often see errors like “sill” being interpreted as “seal,” “muntin” as “mountain,” or “bowing” as “being.”

Using a trusted dictionary to learn and practice the correct pronunciation can help improve dictation accuracy.

For example, if you’re unsure how a word like "sill" is pronounced, you can look it up in the Oxford Dictionary (or any dictionary of your choice) and listen to the audio pronunciation. You’ll notice the subtle differences in vowel sounds, stress, and intonation — all of which can impact how your iPhone interprets your speech.

Try dedication with the words Ship and Sheep.

Pronunciation of "sill":

The "s" sounds like the "s" in "say"
The "ɪ" sounds like the "ɪ" in "ship"
The "l" sounds like the "l" in "look"

Pronunciation of "seal":

The "s" sounds like the "s" in "say"
The "iː" sounds like the "iː" in "sheep"
The "l" sounds like the "l" in "look"

You can usually find both UK and US pronunciations, so you can pick the one closest to your accent. Practicing these can help avoid mistakes like "seal" being interpreted instead of "sill."

If your iPhone dictation consistently types "Kruse" instead of "cruise," here's how you can correct it:

Train the Dictation System
1. Use dictation in a text field (like Messages or Notes) and say "cruise."
2. When it types "Kruse," manually edit it to "cruise."
3. Repeat this a few times. Over time, the dictation system may learn your preference.
Add a Text Replacement
1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
2. Tap the + button to add a new replacement.
3. In the Phrase field, type "cruise."
4. In the Shortcut field, type "Kruse."
5. Now, whenever "Kruse" is mistakenly typed, it will autocorrect to "cruise."
Check Contact Names: (Since K is typed in Capital)
1. If "Kruse" is a contact in your address book, the system might prioritize it.
2. Go to Contacts and check for any entries named "Kruse." If it's not needed, consider editing or removing it.

Here are a few things that can help improve dictation accuracy:

Set the Correct Language and Region: Go to Settings > General > Language & Region and make sure both your language and region match your accent and speaking style. For example, if you speak English with an Indian accent, setting it to "English (India)" can help.
Add a Secondary Dictation Language: If you often switch between languages or accents, add another language in Settings > Keyboard > Dictation Languages. This allows the system to recognize and adapt to the differences more effectively.
Retrain Siri’s Voice Recognition (Kind of): While you can’t directly “retrain” Siri’s voice recognition in a traditional way, you can improve Siri and dictation’s understanding by resetting Siri’s voice data and starting fresh:
1. Go to Settings > Siri & Search, turn off Listen for "Hey Siri" and Press Side Button for Siri, then turn them back on and go through the voice setup again.
2. This can sometimes help if Siri (and by extension, dictation) has gotten used to incorrect interpretations of your voice.
Speak Clearly and Pace Yourself: Pausing slightly between words and avoiding rushing through long sentences can help dictation keep up and catch every word properly.
Check for Background Noise: High levels of background noise can interfere with voice recognition, so if you’re dictating in a noisy environment, moving to a quieter space can help.
Use Punctuation Commands: Sometimes misinterpretations happen because the system isn’t sure when one thought ends and another starts. Using clear punctuation like saying “period,” “comma,” or “new paragraph” can help structure your sentences better and improve overall recognition.

Reply