Construction terminology can be transcribed, but names, codes, accents and project shorthand need review. Test the terms that matter on your own project before relying on a transcript.
Common terms are not the hard part
A speech system may recognise a familiar word such as formwork or screed one day and miss it in a different sentence, with a different speaker or microphone. Context can help, but it is not a guarantee. The result can change with background noise, speech pace, the recording path and the words around the term.
The risk is usually higher for the information a generic language model has not seen often: supplier names, equipment IDs, a superintendent's surname, lot numbers and project nicknames. Treat those as details to check, not details the system will simply learn forever.
Speak the important abbreviation twice
If an acronym matters, say the full term as well. "RFI, request for information" is clearer than hoping the letters land correctly. The same approach works for numbers: state the number, pause, then repeat it if a wrong digit would change the record.
That is not a trick for one app. It is a useful recording habit for any voice workflow. A short pause after a name or code gives you a much easier review later.
How should you test site vocabulary in LARD?
LARD is being tested as a voice-led site logging tool, but its public beta page does not document a terminology model or publish an accuracy figure. Treat project vocabulary as something to test in the current build, not as a solved problem.
Record realistic samples on the devices your crew will use. Include the names, codes, abbreviations and trade terms that matter on the job, then compare the transcript with the recording before rolling out the process.
Review before the record leaves the site
Open the entry and check the words that could alter meaning: names, dates, locations, quantities, instructions and incident details. Correct anything unclear. A reviewed entry is easier to understand than raw audio and a better basis for the next step in the workflow.
Do not turn that into a legal conclusion. Whether a record is useful in a dispute depends on the issue, the surrounding evidence, the forum and the applicable law. Read about voice-recorded reports and legal evidence for that separate question.
Product features and availability can change during beta. Confirm the current workflow before relying on it for a project.
Sources and further reading
OpenAI's speech-to-text guide describes the relevant provider capability. LARD's beta waitlist is the public product availability page. For recording conditions, read whether dictation works on noisy construction sites.