What is Word Error Rate? (WER)
2 min read · Bolcho
The standard accuracy metric for speech-to-text: the percentage of words the system got wrong.
Word Error Rate explained
Word error rate counts insertions, deletions, and substitutions against a correct transcript. Lower is better. WER is much higher for accented, code-switched Indian speech than for clean English, which is why Indic-tuned STT matters.
Why it matters for voice AI in India
Understanding word error rate helps you build voice agents that actually work for Indian callers, genuine languages, low latency, and near-cost pricing. Bolcho is built around exactly these fundamentals.
See it in a real agent
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Frequently asked questions
What does Word Error Rate mean?
The standard accuracy metric for speech-to-text: the percentage of words the system got wrong.
Why does word error rate matter in voice AI?
Word error rate counts insertions, deletions, and substitutions against a correct transcript. Lower is better. WER is much higher for accented, code-switched Indian speech than for clean English, which is why Indic-tuned STT matters.