Mongolian Speech Recognition Accuracy Benchmark (2026)
We tested 6 speech-to-text engines on Mongolian audio. See word error rate (WER) results for Duudlaga Flow, Google Voice Typing, Apple Dictation, ElevenLabs, Sonix, and Voiser.
Why We Ran This Benchmark
There is no publicly available, independent benchmark for Mongolian speech recognition accuracy. Most tool comparisons rely on English-language datasets like LibriSpeech or Common Voice, which tell you nothing about Mongolian performance. We set out to measure real-world word error rate (WER) for every tool that claims to support Mongolian speech-to-text in 2026.
This benchmark is intended to give Mongolian-speaking professionals, developers, and researchers a factual basis for choosing a speech recognition tool.
Methodology
Test Corpus
We selected 10 published Mongolian news articles from major outlets (Montsame, Unuudur, News.mn) covering politics, economy, sports, technology, and daily life. From these articles, we extracted 50 sentences totaling approximately 1,200 words. The sentences were chosen to represent a range of:
- Formal news language and conversational phrasing
- Common Mongolian vocabulary and domain-specific terminology (legal, economic, sports)
- Proper nouns (Mongolian place names, personal names, organization names)
- Sentences of varying length (8 to 35 words)
Recording Process
One native Mongolian speaker (male, standard Khalkha dialect) recorded all 50 sentences in a quiet room using a Rode NT-USB Mini microphone at 16kHz, 16-bit mono WAV. Each sentence was recorded as a separate audio file. The same recordings were used across all tools to ensure a controlled comparison.
Tools Tested
We tested six tools that support Mongolian speech input as of April 2026:
- Duudlaga Flow (v1.2, desktop app, macOS) -- dedicated Mongolian dictation application
- Google Voice Typing (via Google Docs, Chrome browser)
- Apple Dictation (macOS 15 Sequoia, built-in dictation with Mongolian enabled)
- ElevenLabs Scribe (cloud API, via web dashboard file upload)
- Sonix (cloud transcription service, file upload)
- Voiser (cloud transcription service, file upload)
Scoring
We calculated word error rate (WER) using the standard formula:
WER = (Substitutions + Insertions + Deletions) / Total Reference Words
The reference text was the original published article text. WER was computed per sentence, then averaged across all 50 sentences. Punctuation errors were scored separately and are not included in the WER figure.
Benchmark Results
| Tool | WER (%) | Mongolian Punctuation | Desktop Auto-Type | System-Wide | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duudlaga Flow | ~5% | Yes | Yes | Yes | $3.99/mo |
| ElevenLabs Scribe | ~8% | Partial | No | No | Pay-per-minute API |
| Voiser | ~10% | No | No | No | From $10/mo |
| Sonix | ~12% | No | No | No | $10/hr or subscription |
| Google Voice Typing | ~15% | No | No | Google Docs only | Free |
| Apple Dictation | ~25% | No | No | Apple apps only | Free |
Interpreting the Results
Duudlaga Flow achieved the lowest WER at approximately 5%. It handled proper nouns, compound Mongolian words, and domain-specific terminology with the fewest errors. It was also the only tool that produced correct Mongolian punctuation marks (Mongolian uses distinct quotation marks and specific comma placement rules).
ElevenLabs Scribe came in second at approximately 8% WER. Its model produced strong results for general Mongolian speech, but it struggled more with proper nouns and less common vocabulary. ElevenLabs is a cloud transcription API -- you upload audio files and receive text back. It is not a desktop dictation tool and cannot type into applications.
Voiser achieved approximately 10% WER. Like ElevenLabs, it is a cloud transcription service where you upload recordings. It does not offer desktop dictation or system-wide auto-typing.
Sonix at approximately 12% WER delivered acceptable results for bulk transcription. Sonix is designed for transcribing long audio files (interviews, meetings) rather than real-time dictation. It does not integrate with desktop workflows.
Google Voice Typing at approximately 15% WER was the best free option, but its accuracy gap is significant. It only works inside Google Docs and does not support system-wide dictation.
Apple Dictation at approximately 25% WER had the highest error rate. Apple's Mongolian language model appears to be undertrained compared to other tools. It frequently misrecognized common words and produced garbled output for longer sentences.
Key Distinction: Transcription Services vs. Desktop Dictation
This benchmark tested accuracy only. But accuracy is just one factor. There is a fundamental difference between cloud transcription services and desktop dictation tools:
Cloud transcription services (ElevenLabs Scribe, Sonix, Voiser) require you to record audio, upload the file, wait for processing, and then copy the text. They are designed for transcribing existing recordings -- interviews, podcasts, meetings. They do not type text into your applications in real time.
Desktop dictation tools (Duudlaga Flow, Google Voice Typing, Apple Dictation) let you speak and see text appear where your cursor is. Among these, only Duudlaga Flow works system-wide across all applications. Google Voice Typing is limited to Google Docs. Apple Dictation works in Apple apps but has the lowest accuracy.
If your goal is to dictate text while working in any application on macOS or Windows, Duudlaga Flow is the only option that combines high accuracy with system-wide auto-typing.
Limitations of This Benchmark
- The test corpus consists of written news text read aloud. Spontaneous speech (with disfluencies, filler words, and self-corrections) would likely produce higher WER across all tools.
- We tested one male speaker with standard Khalkha dialect. Regional dialect speakers may see different results.
- WER was measured on a single test date. Cloud-based models may improve over time as providers update their systems.
- Sample size is 50 sentences. A larger corpus would increase statistical confidence.
We plan to repeat this benchmark semi-annually and expand the test to include multiple speakers and spontaneous speech samples.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most accurate Mongolian speech-to-text tool in 2026?
Based on our benchmark of 50 Mongolian sentences, Duudlaga Flow achieved the lowest word error rate at approximately 5%. ElevenLabs Scribe was second at approximately 8%, but it is a cloud transcription API, not a desktop dictation tool. For desktop dictation with system-wide auto-typing, Duudlaga Flow is the most accurate option available.
How does Google Voice Typing compare to Duudlaga Flow for Mongolian?
Google Voice Typing had a word error rate of approximately 15% on our Mongolian test corpus, compared to approximately 5% for Duudlaga Flow. Beyond accuracy, Google Voice Typing only works inside Google Docs. Duudlaga Flow works in any application on macOS and Windows, auto-typing the transcribed text at your cursor position.
Can ElevenLabs or Sonix replace desktop Mongolian dictation?
No. ElevenLabs Scribe and Sonix are cloud transcription services designed for uploading audio files and receiving text output. They do not offer real-time desktop dictation or system-wide auto-typing. If you need to speak and have text appear in your current application, you need a desktop dictation tool like Duudlaga Flow.