Overlapping Speech & [crosstalk] in Transcription



Overlapping Speech & [crosstalk] in Transcription

Clean Verbatim formatting for the TranscribeMe exam

Introduction

Real conversations don’t happen one person at a time. People interrupt, talk over each other, and speak at the same time — and transcription has specific rules for how to handle this.

The main tool for overlapping speech is:

👉 [crosstalk]

But it has to be used correctly, and only when speech truly overlaps.

This guide explains exactly when, where, and how to use [crosstalk] in Clean Verbatim.

✔ 1. What Counts as Overlapping Speech?

Overlapping occurs when:

  • Two or more people talk at the same time

  • Their voices overlap long enough to make part of the dialogue hard to hear

  • You cannot cleanly separate words

✔ Example of overlapping:

Speaker A starts talking, Speaker B jumps in before A finishes.

✔ 2. Use [crosstalk] ONLY When Speech Is Overlapping

This is the most important rule.

✔ Correct use:

A: I was trying to tell him—
B: [crosstalk] No, you weren’t!
A: —that I really didn’t mean it.

❌ Wrong uses:

  • Do NOT use [crosstalk] for interruptions

  • Do NOT use it just because someone starts speaking quickly

  • Do NOT use it when you can still hear everything clearly

✔ 3. Place [crosstalk] in B’s Line (the interrupter)

You don’t put it in the speaker who was interrupted.

Correct:

A: And then I said—
B: [crosstalk] No, that’s not what happened.
A: —that it was fine.

Wrong:

A: [crosstalk] And then I said—
B: No, that’s not what happened.

✔ 4. Do NOT Place [crosstalk] at the Start and End of a Line

Only put it ONCE at the beginning of the overlapping speaker’s line.

❌ Wrong:

B: [crosstalk] No, that’s not what happened. [crosstalk]

✔ Right:

B: [crosstalk] No, that’s not what happened.

✔ 5. Do NOT Describe the Overlap

Never write:

  • [both talking]

  • [talking at same time]

  • [overlap]

  • [interrupts loudly]

The ONLY correct tag is:

👉 [crosstalk]

✔ 6. When NOT to Use [crosstalk]

You do not use it for:

❌ Quick interruptions

That’s a false start or cut-off (“--”), not crosstalk.

❌ Clear audio

If you can still tell what both speakers are saying perfectly, it’s NOT crosstalk.

❌ Backchanneling

“Yeah,” “uh-huh,” “mhm,” etc. while the other person speaks does NOT require [crosstalk].

✔ 7. Special Rule: If the Overlap Makes a Word Unintelligible

Use BOTH tags:

  • [crosstalk] (at the start of the line)

  • [inaudible] (where the words are unclear)

Example:

B: [crosstalk] I was trying to [inaudible] but she kept yelling.

✔ 8. Full Example Transcript

Audio:

A: “So I told her that—”
B: cuts in, talking over A "No, but you didn’t even say anything!"
A: “—that I was sorry.”

Correct Transcript:

A: So I told her that--
B: [crosstalk] No, but you didn’t even say anything!
A: --that I was sorry.

✔ 9. Quick Practice

Fix these lines:

  1. A: I think we should go.
    B: (overlapping) No, wait!

  2. A: I was trying to say—
    B: speaking over A You never told me that!

  3. A: I want to—
    B: No!
    (No overlap, just a quick interruption)

Correct Answers:

A: I think we should go.
B: [crosstalk] No, wait!

A: I was trying to say--
B: [crosstalk] You never told me that!

A: I want to--
B: No!
(This is NOT crosstalk — just a cut-off)

Conclusion

[crosstalk] is simple once you understand the rule:
Use it ONLY when speech overlaps in a way that makes words unclear.

Most exam mistakes come from using it too often — not too little.
Mastering this formatting rule will make your transcripts look clean, accurate, and professional.

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