diff --git a/src/components/VoiceSearch/__tests__/VoiceSearch-test.tsx b/src/components/VoiceSearch/__tests__/VoiceSearch-test.tsx
index d381ccb71d..583a4513dc 100644
--- a/src/components/VoiceSearch/__tests__/VoiceSearch-test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/VoiceSearch/__tests__/VoiceSearch-test.tsx
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const defaultProps: VoiceSearchProps = {
   voiceListeningState: {
     status: 'initial',
     isSpeechFinal: false,
+    transcript: '',
   },
   templates: {
     buttonText: 'button',
diff --git a/src/lib/voiceSearchHelper/__tests__/index-test.ts b/src/lib/voiceSearchHelper/__tests__/index-test.ts
index 5143d3ac6d..2ae8a05c03 100644
--- a/src/lib/voiceSearchHelper/__tests__/index-test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/voiceSearchHelper/__tests__/index-test.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ describe('VoiceSearchHelper', () => {
       errorCode: undefined,
       isSpeechFinal: false,
       status: 'initial',
-      transcript: undefined,
+      transcript: '',
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/lib/voiceSearchHelper/index.ts b/src/lib/voiceSearchHelper/index.ts
index 5bdafa47f2..bdd9ebb8a0 100644
--- a/src/lib/voiceSearchHelper/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/voiceSearchHelper/index.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export type VoiceSearchHelperParams = {
 
 export type VoiceListeningState = {
   status: string;
-  transcript?: string;
+  transcript: string;
   isSpeechFinal: boolean;
   errorCode?: string;
 };
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export default function voiceSearchHelper({
     (window as any).SpeechRecognition;
   const getDefaultState = (status: string): VoiceListeningState => ({
     status,
-    transcript: undefined,
+    transcript: '',
     isSpeechFinal: false,
     errorCode: undefined,
   });
diff --git a/src/widgets/voice-search/__tests__/__snapshots__/voice-search-test.ts.snap b/src/widgets/voice-search/__tests__/__snapshots__/voice-search-test.ts.snap
index f423f7c016..da42748063 100644
--- a/src/widgets/voice-search/__tests__/__snapshots__/voice-search-test.ts.snap
+++ b/src/widgets/voice-search/__tests__/__snapshots__/voice-search-test.ts.snap
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ exports[`voiceSearch() Rendering renders during init() 1`] = `
       "errorCode": undefined,
       "isSpeechFinal": false,
       "status": "initial",
-      "transcript": undefined,
+      "transcript": "",
     }
   }
 />
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ exports[`voiceSearch() Rendering renders during render() 1`] = `
       "errorCode": undefined,
       "isSpeechFinal": false,
       "status": "initial",
-      "transcript": undefined,
+      "transcript": "",
     }
   }
 />
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ exports[`voiceSearch() Rendering renders during render() 2`] = `
       "errorCode": undefined,
       "isSpeechFinal": false,
       "status": "initial",
-      "transcript": undefined,
+      "transcript": "",
     }
   }
 />
diff --git a/stories/voice-search.stories.ts b/stories/voice-search.stories.ts
index a8dce262e6..77b77fce95 100644
--- a/stories/voice-search.stories.ts
+++ b/stories/voice-search.stories.ts
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ storiesOf('VoiceSearch', module)
             status({ isListening, transcript }) {
               return `
                 <div class="layer listening-${isListening}">
-                  <span>${transcript ? transcript : ''}</span>
+                  <span>${transcript}</span>
                 </div>
               `;
             },