Fact · Dictation
0 to 25percent faster than novices
People with years of dictation experience composed letters between 0 and 25 percent faster than novices, depending on how complex the letter was.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“Dictators with years of experience are from 0 to 25 percent faster than novices, depending upon the complexity of the letters.”
Writing, dictating, and speaking letters, John D. Gould and Stephen J. Boies, Science, 1978, Abstract.
Open the original (DOI 10.1126/science.201.4361.1145)- What it measures
- Business letters of varying complexity composed by dictation in the IBM study.
- What it does not show
- Business letters only; measures composing time, not typing or editing time.