Abbreviation Expansion Prompts | CodeSignal Learn

Abbreviation Expansion Prompts | CodeSignal Learn

System Prompts for Abbreviation Expansion

Welcome back! In the previous lesson, you learned how to use the Whisper API for basic audio transcription and how to send prompts to guide the transcription process. Now, we’ll build on that foundation by focusing on a common real-world challenge: expanding abbreviations automatically in your transcripts using system prompts . This lesson will show you how to write prompts that instruct the transcription AI to replace abbreviations like API or CTO with their full forms throughout the transcript. This is especially useful in business, technical, or medical contexts where clarity is important.

What You'll Learn

In this lesson, you will: Learn how to craft system prompts that expand abbreviations in audio transcriptions. See how to use these prompts with the Whisper API in Python . Explore how to create domain-specific prompts for different industries. Understand how to test and compare transcription results with and without abbreviation expansion. By the end, you’ll be able to write prompts that make your transcripts more professional and easier to understand.

Understanding System Prompts for Abbreviation Expansion

A system prompt is a special instruction you give to AI models to guide their behavior and output. Prompts are commonly used to format output, set tone and style, define roles, control content, and handle language tasks. In this lesson, we use prompts with the Whisper API to provide context and examples that help the model better understand terminology in your audio. When you include text like API means Application Programming Interface, CTO means Chief Technology Officer in your prompt, you're giving the model context about the terms and style you expect in the transcript. For example, you might write: Always expand abbreviations: API = Application Programming Interface, CTO = Chief Technology Officer The model uses this context to make better transcription decisions, potentially writing out full terms instead of abbreviations when it recognizes them in the audio. This is especially helpful when sharing transcripts with people who may not know the abbreviations. System prompts can be general or tailored to a specific field, such as technology or business. The more specific your prompt, the better the AI can follow your instructions.

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Creating and Using Expansion Prompts

Here's how to create an effective expansion prompt and use it: expansion_prompt = """ Always expand these abbreviations to their full terms: API = Application Programming Interface CTO = Chief Technology Officer MVP = Minimum Viable Product CRM = Customer Relationship Management """ # Use it in your transcription response = client.audio.transcriptions.create(model="gpt-4o-transcribe", file=audio_file, prompt=expansion_prompt # Your prompt goes here) See the difference: Without prompt: "The CTO discussed the new API with the team about MVP requirements." With expansion prompt: "The Chief Technology Officer discussed the new Application Programming Interface with the team about Minimum Viable Product requirements." Key tips for effective prompts: Start with a clear instruction ("Always expand...") Use consistent formatting (abbreviation = full term) Include only the most common abbreviations for your domain Keep it focused—domain-specific prompts work better than generic ones

Domain-Specific Prompts and Best Practices

Create focused prompts for better results: # For tech meetings tech_prompt = """ Expand technical terms: API = Application Programming Interface ML = Machine Learning JWT = JSON Web Token """ # For business meetings business_prompt = """ Expand business terms: CTO = Chief Technology Officer ROI = Return on Investment Q1 = First Quarter """ When to use expansion prompts: Professional recordings shared with diverse audiences Meeting minutes for external clients Documentation requiring clarity Legal or compliance recordings When NOT to use them: Brand names (keep "IBM" as "IBM") Well-known acronyms ("USA" stays "USA") Casual conversations where abbreviations are natural

Python

expansion_prompt = """
Always expand these abbreviations to their full terms:
API = Application Programming Interface
CTO = Chief Technology Officer
MVP = Minimum Viable Product
CRM = Customer Relationship Management
"""

# Use it in your transcription
response = client.audio.transcriptions.create(
    model="gpt-4o-transcribe",
    file=audio_file,
    prompt=expansion_prompt  # Your prompt goes here
)

Python

# For tech meetings
tech_prompt = """
Expand technical terms:
API = Application Programming Interface
ML = Machine Learning
JWT = JSON Web Token
"""

# For business meetings  
business_prompt = """
Expand business terms:
CTO = Chief Technology Officer
ROI = Return on Investment
Q1 = First Quarter
"""