Fisher English
Need a transcript, not a dataset? Drop the file here.
The first 20 minutes of any recording are transcribed free: a recording up to 20 minutes transcribes in full, a longer one is previewed, and a pack from $6 (500 minutes) transcribes the rest and opens every export, and credits never expire.
2000h of telephone conversations — scaled-up successor to Switchboard.
Best for conversational English ASR training at scale. Pricing: paid.
What it is
Fisher English Parts 1+2 (LDC2004S13/LDC2005S13) is ~2000 hours of US English conversational telephone speech — the standard high-quantity conversational-ASR corpus. LDC paid.
Watch out for: LDC license · paid · 8 kHz telephone speech. Cite: Cieri et al., LREC 2004.
Install / use
Go to Fisher English catalog.ldc.upenn.eduWhat people actually do with Fisher English-style transcription
The tool is the means. These are the jobs — each one priced at published rates, each one wired up on its own page.
Features
| Speaker diarization | Yes |
| Word-level timestamps | No |
| Streaming / real-time | No |
| Languages supported | 1 |
| HIPAA eligible | No |
Fisher English vs Whipscribe
| Feature | Fisher English | Whipscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open source | Transcription APIs |
| Pricing | paid | $6–$24 one-time packs (credits never expire) · first 20 minutes free |
| Speaker identification | Yes | Named in the summary, key quotes and chapters |
| Word timestamps | No | Yes |
| Streaming | No | No |
| Languages | 1 | 99 |
| Platforms | LDC | Web, API, MCP |
Alternatives to Fisher English
Frequently asked about Fisher English
How much does Fisher English cost?
Fisher English is a paid product. Pricing changes; verify on the vendor's own page before budgeting.
Does Fisher English work on Mac, Windows and Linux?
Fisher English runs on LDC. It is not listed for other platforms; check the vendor for anything beyond LDC.
How do I install Fisher English?
Download the installer for your platform from https://catalog.ldc.upenn.edu/LDC2004S13 # LDC membership. No terminal needed.
How many languages does Fisher English support?
Fisher English lists 1 languages.
Does Fisher English identify different speakers?
Yes — Fisher English has speaker diarization, so a two-person interview comes back with each speaker labelled.
Does Fisher English give word-level timestamps?
No — Fisher English produces segment or sentence timing only, so subtitle cues can land mid-word.
Can Fisher English transcribe live audio?
No — Fisher English works on finished files, not a live stream.
Is Fisher English HIPAA compliant?
Fisher English does not claim HIPAA compliance. For PHI, run it on infrastructure you control or choose a service that will sign a BAA.
What are the limitations of Fisher English?
LDC license · paid · 8 kHz telephone speech. Cite: Cieri et al., LREC 2004.
Who is Fisher English best for?
Conversational English ASR training at scale.
Does Fisher English run offline?
Fisher English runs on your own machine — it is open source, so nothing leaves the computer unless you configure it to.
Can I use Fisher English in the browser?
No — Fisher English is a LDC application, not a web app. You install it rather than sign in to it.
Who makes Fisher English?
Fisher English is made by LDC.
What kind of tool is Fisher English?
In this directory Fisher English is filed under dataset as a open-source tool.
What are the alternatives to Fisher English?
There is a side-by-side page at /tools/fisher-alternatives comparing Fisher English with the closest tools in the same category on price, platform and features.
Whipscribe is a hosted transcription service. If you want transcripts without running infrastructure, paste a URL or drop a file in the form below — you'll have a transcript in seconds.
Transcribe your recordings
Running Fisher English yourself? Send the same file here and compare the transcript. Transcribe any language, any recording · Transcription services from $0.29 an hour · Transcribe from any meeting or recording platform · How to transcribe, step by step
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