Text Processing Options
StarWhisper applies several text processing steps to your transcription before delivering the final result. Each option can be toggled independently in Settings → Transcription.
Processing Pipeline
Your speech goes through these steps in order:
- Whisper AI transcribes speech to raw text
- Dictation commands are processed (see Dictation & Voice Commands)
- Custom vocabulary corrections are applied
- Capitalization is applied
- Number formatting is applied
- Smart punctuation is applied
- Filler words are removed (if enabled)
- AI Text Formatting polishes the result (if enabled, Pro only)
Capitalization
Three modes available in Settings → Transcription → Text Capitalization:
| Mode | Description | Example Input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitalize sentences (default) | First letter of each sentence capitalized | "hello world. how are you" | "Hello world. How are you" |
| As-is from Whisper | No modification, uses whatever Whisper outputs | (varies) | (varies) |
| All lowercase | Forces everything to lowercase | "Hello World" | "hello world" |
Number Formatting
Two modes in Settings → Transcription → Number Format:
| Mode | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Convert to digits (default) | Spoken numbers become numerals | "twenty three" → "23", "one hundred" → "100" |
| Keep as words | Numbers stay as spoken | "twenty three" remains "twenty three" |
Smart Punctuation
When enabled (default), automatically converts:
| Input | Output | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Straight quotes ("") | Curly quotes ("") | Smart quotes |
| Double hyphen (--) | Em dash (—) | Em dash |
| Three dots (...) | Ellipsis (…) | Ellipsis character |
Include Timestamp
When enabled, prepends a timestamp to each transcription:
Example: [14:32:05] Meeting notes from the afternoon session...
Useful for meeting notes, interview transcripts, or any situation where you need to track when something was said.
Remove Filler Words
When enabled, automatically removes common filler words from your transcription:
- "um", "uh", "ah", "oh"
- "like" (when used as filler)
- "you know"
This cleaning happens before AI formatting, so filler words won't waste your AI formatting credits.
AI Text Formatting PRO
AI Text Formatting sends your transcription through an AI language model (GPT-4o-mini) for intelligent post-processing. This adds paragraph breaks, fixes grammar, and formats text according to your chosen style.
Formatting Styles
| Style | What It Does | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-detect | Automatically determines the best format | General use |
| Adds greeting, paragraphs, and closing | Composing emails | |
| Notes / Bullet Points | Organizes into bullet points and headings | Meeting notes, brainstorming |
| Formal Letter | Adds salutation, structure, and formal closing | Business correspondence |
| Paragraphs Only | Adds paragraph breaks at natural topic changes | Long dictation, essays |
Performance Note
AI Text Formatting adds 1–3 seconds of delay after recording stops. The text is sent to a server for processing. For quick notes or chat messages, consider disabling this feature. See Quality & Performance for more details.
How to Enable
- Right-click circle → Settings → Transcription tab
- Toggle "AI Text Formatting" (requires Pro plan)
- Select your preferred formatting style from the dropdown
Text processing options in the Transcription tab