Dragon Naturally Speaking
Articles on Voice Recognition and Dictation
- Tech Tips: Are You Talking to Your Computer Again? by Terry Thompson
A brief history of voice recognition January 2006. - Speech: A Declaration for People with Disabilities
- Tell Me About It: Why Speech Recognition Might or Might Not Be Working For You
- DICTATION: How to Talk to Your Computer
- Writing out loud: Getting the most from speech dictation software
- Let People Hear Your Inner Smile
- Selected Articles from Dragon NatuallySpeaking Quicktorial
- Writing vs. Dictation by Paul Hendrix, Rehabilitation Technologist, Center for Accessible Technology
Tips on Dictating
- Have your reference material in front of you or in your hands.
- If you're not used to dictating, outline what you want to say before you begin.
- Don't look at the computer screen. Don't let it distract you. In fact, turn away from it.
- Go through the microphone setup prior to beginning of a dictation session.
- Concentrate on what you want to say and only pause between sentences, if necessary, to collect your thoughts.
- Position the end of the mic at the corner of your mouth away from any airflow coming from your mouth.
- Feel the mic end and make sure that the flat surface of the mic is facing your mouth.
- Enunciate your words clearly and speak naturally. Remember this is composed speech not conversational speech with ah's and extra an's.
- When dictating, don't over-enunciate your words or hesitate between words.
- Do not say your words too s-l-o-w-l-y or so fast that you slur or mumble.
In the beginning, dictate about 80-90 words per minute and slowly increase it to 100 and then 120 words per minute. Maximum speed is approximatley 130 to 140 words per minute but this requires a great deal of practice to get to this speed while maintaining accuracy.
