# Ukrainian speech-to-text API (українська)

> KolWrite transcribes Ukrainian audio and video into Cyrillic text with one REST call: send "language": "uk" and get segments with word timings and speaker labels as JSON, TXT or SRT. Oracle models translate Ukrainian into English or 99 other languages.

Last updated: 2026-10-08 · HTML: https://console.kolwrite.com/speech-to-text/ukrainian

## Transcribe Ukrainian with one request

Set `language` to `uk` and start a job. Poll `GET /transcribe/{jobId}` for the result, or pass a `webhook_url`.

```bash
curl https://app.kolwrite.com/transcribe \
  -H "x-api-key: $KOLWRITE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"audio_url": "https://example.com/interview-uk.m4a", "model": "oracle", "language": "uk", "include_diarization": true, "output_format": "json"}'
```

Translate Ukrainian audio into English in the same job (Oracle models only):

```bash
curl https://app.kolwrite.com/transcribe \
  -H "x-api-key: $KOLWRITE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"audio_url": "https://example.com/interview-uk.m4a", "model": "oracle_mini", "language": "uk", "translate_to": "en", "output_format": "srt"}'
```

## Ukrainian at a glance

| Property | Details |
| --- | --- |
| API code | `uk` |
| Native name | українська |
| Writing direction | Left to right |
| Automatic detection | Yes: omit `language` or send `"auto"` |
| Translate Ukrainian audio into | Any of the 100 supported languages, on Oracle models |
| Translate other languages into Ukrainian | Yes: `translate_to: "uk"` on Oracle models |
| Output | JSON (segments, word timings, speakers), TXT, SRT |
| Price | US$0.48 (Base) to US$3.60 (Oracle Max) per audio hour; US$1.44 on Oracle |

## What to know about Ukrainian transcription

- Ukrainian has letters Russian lacks (і, ї, є, ґ). Always send `uk` explicitly: auto-detection on short clips can confuse Ukrainian and Russian.
- Many speakers mix Ukrainian and Russian (surzhyk). Each job takes one code; send the language that dominates.
- The apostrophe in words such as м'ясо is part of the spelling. Do not strip it during normalization.

## Where teams use Ukrainian transcription

- Journalism and documentation interviews translated with `translate_to: "en"`.
- Ukrainian media and public broadcasting subtitles.
- Community services for Ukrainian speakers abroad.

## Choosing a model

Start with `oracle` (US$1.44 per hour) for production Ukrainian audio. Use `base` (US$0.48) for clean, single-speaker recordings at volume, `oracle_mini` (US$0.96) for the cheapest translation, and `oracle_pro` or `oracle_max` for noisy or difficult audio. KolWrite does not publish a Ukrainian accuracy figure for this API, so test a sample of your own recordings before committing. Full comparison: [models and prices](https://console.kolwrite.com/models).

## Questions and answers

### Should I let the API detect Ukrainian automatically?

Set `language: "uk"`. Ukrainian and Russian are close enough that auto-detection on short audio can choose the wrong one.

### Can I translate Ukrainian audio to English?

Yes, with an Oracle model and `translate_to: "en"`.

### Which characters will the transcript use?

Ukrainian Cyrillic, including і, ї, є and ґ.

## Related pages

- [Russian speech-to-text](https://console.kolwrite.com/speech-to-text/russian)
- [Polish speech-to-text](https://console.kolwrite.com/speech-to-text/polish)
- [English speech-to-text](https://console.kolwrite.com/speech-to-text/english)
- [Language research & linguistics](https://console.kolwrite.com/use-cases/researchers)
- [Media, podcasts & subtitles](https://console.kolwrite.com/use-cases/media)
- [Supported languages](https://console.kolwrite.com/languages/)

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Get an API key: https://console.kolwrite.com/auth · API documentation: https://console.kolwrite.com/public_api_docs · llms.txt: https://console.kolwrite.com/llms.txt