PatientNotes can automatically detect the language being spoken during your session — no need to manually configure anything in most cases. This article explains how it works, which languages are supported, and what to do if your language isn't automatically detected.
How automatic language detection works
When you record a session, PatientNotes listens to a sample of the audio and identifies the spoken language before transcription begins. This means your notes are transcribed in the correct language without you having to select it each time.
Supported languages for automatic detection
Automatic detection works reliably for the following languages:
🌟 Best accuracy
English (Australian, UK, US)
Spanish
French
German
Portuguese (including Brazilian Portuguese)
Italian
✅ Good accuracy
Arabic
Mandarin Chinese
Hindi
Indonesian
Japanese
Korean
Dutch
Polish
Russian
Swedish
Turkish
Ukrainian
Catalan
Czech
Danish
Finnish
Greek
Hebrew
Thai
Vietnamese
And more
What if my language isn't automatically detected?
If you work in a language not listed above, or you find that detection isn't working as expected, you can manually select your language from the language dropdown in your session settings. This ensures accurate transcription regardless of whether automatic detection supports your language.
👉 To set your language manually: open the session settings and select your preferred language from the dropdown list before recording.
Tips for best results
Speak clearly and at a natural pace — this helps detection work faster and more accurately.
If you regularly use a specific language, setting it manually in your preferences means you'll never have to think about it again.
If you're unsure whether your language is supported for auto-detection, just select it manually from the dropdown to be safe.
Need help?
If you're having trouble with language detection or transcription accuracy, reach out to our support team via the chat icon — we're happy to help.