Voice access transcribes "zero point five" as "oh point 5" instead of "0.5"

Question

Voice access transcribes "zero point five" as "oh point 5" instead of "0.5"

Robert Allen 0

Trying to enter data in google sheets.
Sometimes I say "point five" or "zero point five" and it transcribes correctly as "0.5" but sometimes as "oh point 5" or "0. .5".
Any tips for fixing this?

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1 answer

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Answer 1

Emma1-N 12,030 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Welcome Robert Allen,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum.

To better understand the problem, could you please clarify a few details before we troubleshoot further?

Which Voice Access language are you using (for example, English - United States, English - United Kingdom, etc.)?
Does the issue occur only in Google Sheets, or does the same transcription happen in other applications such as Notepad?
When "zero point five" is transcribed incorrectly, does it happen consistently after a particular word or context, or does it appear completely random?
Have you already downloaded the latest speech model updates through "Settings" > "Accessibility" > "Speech" > "Voice access"?

As a quick test, please try opening Notepad and dictate the following phrases 10-15 times:

zero point five
point five
zero point six

Let me know whether the incorrect outputs (such as "oh point 5" or "0. .5") also occur there.

Emma1-N 12,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-18T07:59:13.52+00:00

Hello Robert Allen,

I just wanted to check if my previous response addressed your question correctly. If there is anything I may have misunderstood, I would truly appreciate it if you could provide a bit more detail to help me better understand your needs.
Robert Allen 0 Reputation points

2026-07-26T00:52:21.29+00:00

The problem is replicated in notepad. It seems to be random with transcription occurring correctly around 60 to 70% of the time. here is a screen recording including audio so that you can see the issue. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dcRTNjWjOojt-rV8KcQhCweV79JFlnFd/view?usp=sharing
Robert Allen 0 Reputation points

2026-07-26T01:01:20.8833333+00:00

And here is a screen recording showing your notepad test: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hmaU-E4u3sdg4IBPjlWxAgUCJN44zroq/view?usp=sharing
Robert Allen 0 Reputation points

2026-07-26T01:02:09.1266667+00:00

it seems to be more reliable when you comically exaggerate the Z in zero.
Emma1-N 12,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-28T07:01:30.0633333+00:00
Hello Robert Allen,
Thank you for response:

Recreate the Voice Access configuration:

Turn off Voice Access.

Restart the PC.

Turn Voice Access back on and complete the setup again.

Create a temporary local Windows user account and test Voice Access there. This helps determine whether the issue is caused by a problem within the current user profile.
Emma1-N 12,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-07-29T04:22:37.7233333+00:00

Hello Robert Allen,

Is there any update from you? Please let me know, I will be here to assist you.
Robert Allen 0 Reputation points

2026-08-04T00:25:17.6733333+00:00

I restarted my PC and created a new user account and I'm still able to reproduce the issue exactly the same with a new account and a fresh setup of Voice Access.
Emma1-N 12,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-05T07:58:34.9166667+00:00

Hello Robert Allen,

Please ask the OP to go to Settings > Speech and try a few different voices, then test again to see if the issue still occurs. Also, under Managed Voices, please add another voice with the same locale and test with that voice as well.
Robert Allen 0 Reputation points

2026-08-06T01:40:52.7166667+00:00

OK I tried changing the voice output to a different voice and the issue with voice input is still occurring. Have you been able to replicate this on your end?
Emma1-N 12,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-07T07:14:45.76+00:00

Hello Robert Allen,

Thanks for confirming. I tested this on my end as well and observed similar results. Based on my testing, speech recognition may occasionally interpret phrases such as "point five" or "zero point five" differently depending on factors such as pronunciation, context, audio quality, and the speech recognition engine's processing.

At this time, we are not aware of any setting or reliable workaround that would prevent these occasional speech-to-text transcription errors. We understand the inconvenience and appreciate you reporting it.