> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://superwhisper.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Gibberish, repeated, or made-up text

> Fix transcripts with words you never said, repeated phrases, or AI additions. Start with silence removal, then trim your vocabulary.

Words you never said, repeated phrases, or content the AI added on its own are called hallucinations. They come from one of two stages:

1. **Voice transcription**: your spoken words become text
2. **AI processing**: the text is processed according to the mode

> [!TIP]
>
> Open the dictation in [History](https://superwhisper.com/docs/get-started/history.md) and compare the raw transcription with the AI result to see which stage produced the problem.

***

## Transcription hallucinations

Hallucinations at the transcription stage have two main causes:

> [card] Silence
>
> Periods of silence can confuse the transcription model, causing it to generate words or sentences that weren't spoken.

> [card] Vocabulary
>
> The vocabulary prompt sent to the transcription model can sometimes lead to confusion, especially when too many custom words are added.

***

### Fix: check that silence removal is on

![Advanced settings Audio processing card with Silence removal and Dynamic normalization](https://mintcdn.com/superwhisper/SFDRA4G70egO6eAv/images/screens/mac/settings-audio-processing.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=SFDRA4G70egO6eAv\&q=85\&s=1c867097832eeb3225d8ad167c6d9ce4)

**1. Open advanced settings**

Go to **Settings → Configuration** and click **Advanced settings** at the bottom of the page.

**2. Enable Silence removal**

Under **Audio processing**, make sure **Silence removal** is on. It cuts silent periods from your audio before transcription, which can reduce silence-related hallucinations. It is on by default in macOS 2.18.3 and later.

***

### Fix: trim your vocabulary

If hallucinations continue after enabling **Silence removal**, check your **Vocabulary** settings and keep only essential terms. The transcription model performs best with a short, focused list.

> [card] [Vocabulary best practices](https://superwhisper.com/docs/get-started/interface-vocabulary.md)
>
> How vocabulary and replacements improve transcription accuracy.

> [card] [Transcribed in the wrong language](https://superwhisper.com/docs/common-issues/language-detection.md)
>
> Dictation transcribed in the wrong language can also come from vocabulary.

***

## AI processing hallucinations

At the AI processing stage, hallucinations look like:

* The AI answers a question you didn't ask
* Your dictated text is formatted incorrectly
* Comments or content appear that weren't part of your dictation

These have three usual causes:

***

### Custom mode prompts

Built-in modes ship with tuned instructions. In custom modes, the prompt is yours, and hallucinations usually come from:

* Imprecise instructions
* Missing examples
* Conflicting directives

> [card] [Prompting tips](https://superwhisper.com/docs/modes/custom.md#prompting-tips)
>
> How to structure instructions, provide examples, and avoid the common causes of unexpected output.

***

### Model capability

Models vary in capability. Larger cloud models handle complex requests with fewer hallucinations. Smaller local models need more specific prompting. If a mode hallucinates with one model, try a more capable one.

***

### Context problems

Context features improve results, but they can also mislead the AI:

* **Application context**: if the active input field holds a lot of text or irrelevant content, it can confuse the AI
* **Clipboard context**: text copied accidentally during dictation gets sent as context

To limit this, enable context only in modes that need it, and avoid copying unrelated text while dictating.

> [card] [Context awareness](https://superwhisper.com/docs/common-issues/context.md)
>
> How each context type works, when it's captured, and how to fix related issues.


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