Bert Hyman wrote:

I can copy by ear at 30-35WPM, but can only transcribe at about 20WPM
because I write down each letter as I hear it; copying behind is an
absolute mystery to me, as is the idea of hearing words instead of
individual letters.

It's probably way too late for me to get over 45 years of bad habits,
but how do people achive this state?


Just force yourself into the habit of waiting for each word to complete
before scribbling it down. Your brain will still be listening for the
stuff which arrives while you write. You will miss things at first but
persistence will pay off.

It helps to be able to write without looking at the paper, this is
just a coordination and neatness exercise which you can develop off
air by copying from a book or newspaper to a scratchpad keeping
your eye on the book.