diff --git a/examples/transcribe_cli.py b/examples/transcribe_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..004f7704
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/transcribe_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,282 @@
+# /// script
+# requires-python = ">=3.11"
+# dependencies = [
+#     "SpeechRecognition[audio,openai]>=3.15.1",
+#     "pynput>=1.8.1",
+# ]
+# ///
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import queue
+import signal
+import sys
+import threading
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+import speech_recognition as sr
+from pynput import keyboard
+
+if hasattr(sys.stdout, "reconfigure"):
+    sys.stdout.reconfigure(line_buffering=True, write_through=True)
+if hasattr(sys.stderr, "reconfigure"):
+    sys.stderr.reconfigure(line_buffering=True, write_through=True)
+
+SAMPLE_RATE = 16_000
+CHUNK_SIZE = 1_024
+MIN_DURATION_SECONDS = 1.0
+MIN_LIVE_SEGMENT_SECONDS = 0.8
+LIVE_SEGMENT_SECONDS = 2.5
+SEGMENT_POLL_SECONDS = 0.2
+MODEL = "gpt-4o-mini-transcribe"
+
+
+@dataclass
+class TranscriptionJob:
+    frame_data: bytes
+    sample_rate: int
+    sample_width: int
+
+
+class SpacebarLiveTranscriber:
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        if not os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY"):
+            raise RuntimeError("OPENAI_API_KEY is not set")
+
+        self.recognizer = sr.Recognizer()
+        self.recognizer.dynamic_energy_threshold = True
+        self.recording = False
+        self._frames = bytearray()
+        self._lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._stop_event = threading.Event()
+        self._capture_thread: threading.Thread | None = None
+        self._segment_thread: threading.Thread | None = None
+        self._source_cm: sr.Microphone | None = None
+        self._source: sr.Microphone | None = None
+        self._processed_bytes = 0
+        self._live_segments: list[str] = []
+        self._job_queue: queue.Queue[TranscriptionJob | None] = queue.Queue()
+        self._worker_thread = threading.Thread(
+            target=self._transcription_worker,
+            daemon=True,
+        )
+        self._worker_thread.start()
+
+    def _capture_loop(self) -> None:
+        assert self._source is not None
+        while not self._stop_event.is_set():
+            try:
+                chunk = self._source.stream.read(self._source.CHUNK)
+            except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001
+                print(f"[audio] {e}", file=sys.stderr)
+                break
+            with self._lock:
+                self._frames.extend(chunk)
+
+    def _segment_loop(self) -> None:
+        assert self._source is not None
+        bytes_per_second = self._source.SAMPLE_RATE * self._source.SAMPLE_WIDTH
+        segment_bytes = int(bytes_per_second * LIVE_SEGMENT_SECONDS)
+
+        while not self._stop_event.wait(SEGMENT_POLL_SECONDS):
+            while True:
+                with self._lock:
+                    available = len(self._frames) - self._processed_bytes
+                    if available < segment_bytes:
+                        break
+                    start = self._processed_bytes
+                    end = start + segment_bytes
+                    segment = bytes(self._frames[start:end])
+                    self._processed_bytes = end
+
+                self._job_queue.put(
+                    TranscriptionJob(
+                        frame_data=segment,
+                        sample_rate=self._source.SAMPLE_RATE,
+                        sample_width=self._source.SAMPLE_WIDTH,
+                    )
+                )
+
+    def _recognize(self, frame_data: bytes, sample_rate: int, sample_width: int) -> str:
+        audio = sr.AudioData(frame_data, sample_rate, sample_width)
+        return self.recognizer.recognize_openai(audio, model=MODEL).strip()
+
+    def _transcription_worker(self) -> None:
+        while True:
+            job = self._job_queue.get()
+            try:
+                if job is None:
+                    return
+
+                duration = len(job.frame_data) / (job.sample_rate * job.sample_width)
+                if duration < MIN_LIVE_SEGMENT_SECONDS:
+                    continue
+
+                try:
+                    text = self._recognize(
+                        job.frame_data,
+                        job.sample_rate,
+                        job.sample_width,
+                    )
+                except sr.UnknownValueError:
+                    continue
+                except sr.RequestError as e:
+                    print(f"❌ live transcription failed: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
+                    continue
+
+                if not text:
+                    continue
+
+                self._live_segments.append(text)
+                print(f"\rLive: {' '.join(self._live_segments)}", end="")
+            finally:
+                self._job_queue.task_done()
+
+    def start_recording(self) -> None:
+        with self._lock:
+            if self.recording:
+                return
+            self._source_cm = sr.Microphone(
+                sample_rate=SAMPLE_RATE, chunk_size=CHUNK_SIZE
+            )
+            self._source = self._source_cm.__enter__()
+            self._frames.clear()
+            self._processed_bytes = 0
+            self._live_segments.clear()
+            self._stop_event.clear()
+            self.recording = True
+            self._capture_thread = threading.Thread(
+                target=self._capture_loop, daemon=True
+            )
+            self._segment_thread = threading.Thread(
+                target=self._segment_loop, daemon=True
+            )
+            self._capture_thread.start()
+            self._segment_thread.start()
+        print("\n🎙️ Recording... (release space to stop)")
+
+    def stop_recording(self) -> None:
+        with self._lock:
+            if not self.recording or self._source is None or self._source_cm is None:
+                return
+            self.recording = False
+            self._stop_event.set()
+            capture_thread = self._capture_thread
+            segment_thread = self._segment_thread
+            source_cm = self._source_cm
+            source = self._source
+            self._capture_thread = None
+            self._segment_thread = None
+            self._source_cm = None
+            self._source = None
+
+        if capture_thread is not None:
+            capture_thread.join(timeout=1.0)
+        if segment_thread is not None:
+            segment_thread.join(timeout=1.0)
+        source_cm.__exit__(None, None, None)
+
+        with self._lock:
+            frame_data = bytes(self._frames)
+            remainder = frame_data[self._processed_bytes:]
+
+        total_seconds = len(frame_data) / (source.SAMPLE_RATE * source.SAMPLE_WIDTH)
+        if total_seconds < MIN_DURATION_SECONDS:
+            print(
+                f"\n⏹️ Recording too short ({total_seconds:.2f}s < {MIN_DURATION_SECONDS:.2f}s)."
+            )
+            return
+
+        bytes_per_second = source.SAMPLE_RATE * source.SAMPLE_WIDTH
+        remainder_seconds = (
+            len(remainder) / bytes_per_second if bytes_per_second else 0.0
+        )
+        if remainder_seconds >= MIN_LIVE_SEGMENT_SECONDS:
+            self._job_queue.put(
+                TranscriptionJob(
+                    frame_data=remainder,
+                    sample_rate=source.SAMPLE_RATE,
+                    sample_width=source.SAMPLE_WIDTH,
+                )
+            )
+        self._job_queue.join()
+
+        final_text = " ".join(self._live_segments).strip()
+        if final_text:
+            print(f"\n✅ Final: {final_text}\n")
+
+    def shutdown(self) -> None:
+        self.stop_recording()
+        self._job_queue.put(None)
+        if self._worker_thread.is_alive():
+            self._worker_thread.join()
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    print("Press Space to record, release to stop. Press Ctrl+C or Esc to exit.")
+    transcriber = SpacebarLiveTranscriber()
+    stop_requested = threading.Event()
+    ctrl_down = False
+
+    def request_stop() -> None:
+        if stop_requested.is_set():
+            return
+        stop_requested.set()
+        transcriber.shutdown()
+
+    def on_press(key) -> None:
+        nonlocal ctrl_down
+        if key in (keyboard.Key.ctrl, keyboard.Key.ctrl_l, keyboard.Key.ctrl_r):
+            ctrl_down = True
+            return
+        if ctrl_down and getattr(key, "char", None) == "c":
+            request_stop()
+            return
+        if key == keyboard.Key.space:
+            transcriber.start_recording()
+
+    def on_release(key):
+        nonlocal ctrl_down
+        if key in (keyboard.Key.ctrl, keyboard.Key.ctrl_l, keyboard.Key.ctrl_r):
+            ctrl_down = False
+            return None
+        if key == keyboard.Key.space:
+            transcriber.stop_recording()
+        if key == keyboard.Key.esc:
+            request_stop()
+            return False
+        return None
+
+    def handle_sigint(signum, frame) -> None:
+        del signum, frame
+        request_stop()
+
+    previous_sigint_handler = signal.getsignal(signal.SIGINT)
+    signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, handle_sigint)
+
+    kwargs = {"on_press": on_press, "on_release": on_release, "suppress": True}
+    try:
+        listener = keyboard.Listener(**kwargs)
+    except TypeError:
+        kwargs.pop("suppress")
+        print(
+            "⚠️ keyboard suppress is unavailable, so pressed spaces may appear in the terminal.",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
+        listener = keyboard.Listener(**kwargs)
+
+    with listener:
+        try:
+            while listener.is_alive() and not stop_requested.wait(0.1):
+                pass
+        except KeyboardInterrupt:
+            request_stop()
+        finally:
+            listener.stop()
+            signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, previous_sigint_handler)
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())