> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stenox.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Parakeet (Local)

> State-of-the-art local transcription with NVIDIA Parakeet

"og:title": "Stenox Docs"

<Warning>
  This is a **TRANSCRIPTION** provider. It converts your speech to text.
  For AI enhancement like grammar correction, see [AI Enhancement Providers](/providers/overview#ai-enhancement-providers).
</Warning>

## Overview

Parakeet is NVIDIA's state-of-the-art speech recognition model, optimized for Apple Silicon via CoreML. It achieves significantly better accuracy than Whisper while running locally on your Mac's Neural Engine — no internet required.

**Key Benefits:**

* **Best Accuracy** — 6% word error rate (vs Whisper's 7.4%)
* **100% Private** — Audio never leaves your Mac
* **Offline** — Works without internet connection
* **Free** — No API keys, no usage costs
* **Fast** — Optimized for Apple Neural Engine

## Privacy & Security

Parakeet processes everything locally on your Mac:

* Audio is captured and transcribed on-device
* No data sent to cloud services
* No internet connection required
* No API keys or accounts needed
* Perfect for sensitive or confidential content

<Tip>
  Parakeet is ideal for anyone who wants the best transcription accuracy without compromising privacy.
</Tip>

## No API Key Required

Like WhisperKit, Parakeet requires **no setup**:

1. Select Parakeet in Stenox Settings
2. Download your preferred model
3. Start dictating immediately

No registration, no API keys, no authentication.

## Available Models

| Model           | Size     | Speed     | Accuracy | Languages     |
| --------------- | -------- | --------- | -------- | ------------- |
| **Parakeet v2** | \~2.5 GB | Very Fast | Best     | English only  |
| **Parakeet v3** | \~2.5 GB | Very Fast | Best     | 25+ languages |

<Note>
  **Recommended:** Parakeet v2 for English-only use. Parakeet v3 if you need multilingual support.
</Note>

### Model Selection Guide

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Parakeet v2 - Best for English" icon="medal">
    **Best for:**

    * English-only dictation
    * Highest accuracy available
    * Professional writing and technical content

    NVIDIA's TDT (Token-and-Duration Transducer) architecture provides state-of-the-art English transcription.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Parakeet v3 - Multilingual" icon="globe">
    **Best for:**

    * Non-English languages (25+ supported)
    * Multilingual dictation
    * Same accuracy as v2 with language flexibility

    Supports languages including Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and more.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Setup Instructions

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Stenox Settings">
    Click the Stenox icon in your menu bar and select **Settings**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Models tab">
    Go to the **Models** tab in the Settings window.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Parakeet">
    Under **Transcription Provider**, select **Parakeet** from the dropdown.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a model">
    Select your preferred model:

    * **Parakeet v2** (recommended for English)
    * **Parakeet v3** (multilingual)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Download the model">
    Click **Download** and wait for the model to download (\~2.5 GB).

    The model is stored locally and optimized for CoreML on first use.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start dictating">
    Once download completes, you can start using Parakeet immediately!
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Performance

Parakeet runs on your Mac's Apple Neural Engine for fast, efficient processing:

* **Processing speed:** \~190x real-time on Apple Silicon (M-series chips)
* **Typical latency:** 2-3 seconds for 10 seconds of audio
* **First use:** May take a minute to compile the CoreML model (one-time)

<Note>
  **Apple Silicon required.** Parakeet uses CoreML and the Apple Neural Engine, which are only available on M1 and later Macs.
</Note>

## Storage Requirements

* **Model size:** \~2.5 GB per model
* **Location:** Managed by FluidAudio framework

You can delete models you're not using to free up space via the Models tab in Settings.

## Parakeet vs WhisperKit

| Feature       | Parakeet      | WhisperKit      |
| ------------- | ------------- | --------------- |
| Accuracy      | Best (6% WER) | Good (7.4% WER) |
| Speed         | Very Fast     | Fast            |
| Model Size    | \~2.5 GB      | 142 MB - 483 MB |
| Languages     | English + 25+ | 100+            |
| Intel Mac     | No            | Yes             |
| Neural Engine | Yes (CoreML)  | Yes (CoreML)    |

**Choose Parakeet** when you want the best accuracy and have an Apple Silicon Mac.
**Choose WhisperKit** when you need smaller models, Intel Mac support, or 100+ language coverage.

## When to Use Parakeet

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Best local accuracy" icon="medal">
    State-of-the-art transcription running entirely on your Mac.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Privacy is critical" icon="lock">
    Healthcare, legal, financial, or any sensitive content.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Working offline" icon="wifi-slash">
    Airplanes, remote locations, or unstable internet.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Professional use" icon="briefcase">
    High-accuracy transcription for professional writing and documentation.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Model download fails" icon="cloud-arrow-down">
    * Check your internet connection
    * Ensure you have at least 3 GB of free disk space
    * Try downloading again — downloads support resuming
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="First transcription is slow" icon="hourglass">
    * The CoreML model needs to compile on first use — this is a one-time process
    * Subsequent transcriptions will be much faster
    * You'll see a "Compiling model" toast while this happens
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Wrong language being transcribed" icon="language">
    * For English, use **Parakeet v2** (English-optimized)
    * For other languages, use **Parakeet v3** and set language in Profile settings
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Poor accuracy for technical terms" icon="spell-check">
    * Add terms to [Vocabulary](/setup/vocabulary) for custom replacements
    * Parakeet v2 generally handles technical terms well for English
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Add AI Enhancement" icon="sparkles" href="/providers/llm/mlx-local">
    Use MLX (local) for completely private grammar correction and formatting.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create Profiles" icon="layer-group" href="/profiles/creating-profiles">
    Set up different profiles for different use cases.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Compare with WhisperKit" icon="scale-balanced" href="/providers/transcription/whisperkit-local">
    See how WhisperKit compares for your needs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add Vocabulary" icon="book" href="/setup/vocabulary">
    Add custom words and technical terms for better accuracy.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>