When it comes to PCs, we often think the only input methods are the keyboard and mouse. Yet, your voice can be surprisingly effective and fast. This is especially true when you dictate documents using Office Speech Recognition with Microsoft Word. Voice input can also be valuable if you run into issues where typing is difficult because of illness or injury.
When using your voice as an input method for Microsoft Word, there are several points to remember. Don’t expect your voice to fully replace your computer keyboard. Even though it is your voice, the recognition isn’t perfect. You’ll still need to make corrections and edits as before. Just like humans, the software at times misinterprets your speech.
Getting Started with Speech Recognition
The first step is to find a good microphone. For example, don’t use the cheap one that came with your PC and plugs into the audio jack of your PC or sound card. It probably won’t work. Instead, find a quality microphone that plugs into a USB jack. For example, I use the same headset that I wear when making VoIP phone calls. I think I paid $30 for this Logitech headset.
The second step is to make sure you have Office Speech Recognition installed in Microsoft Word. The feature has been around since Word 2002, but isn’t available with all configurations. Specifically, if you use Windows XP and Office 2007, you do not have this functionality. You either need to use the voice recognition program built into Microsoft Vista or use an older version of Microsoft Office.
You can go to the Tools menu and select Speech. If the feature is installed, you will see a small dialogue box like the one below asking you to train the speech recognition system
The 15 minute training process steps you through each area. At the conclusion, the program will open Internet Explorer and go to a Microsoft web page with more details. There is also a nice collection of Word 2003 Speech Recognition “how to”s on the Microsoft site:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/CH062453181033.aspx
During this training there are three main points to remember:
1. You need to be an environment with little background noise.
2. It’s best to speak at a constant and easy pace. The system is better at understanding words in context rather than individual syllables.
3. Don’t worry about making mistakes. If the system doesn’t understand your words during training, you can reread the selection.
Using the Language Bar
After you complete your voice training, you’ll see a small toolbar appear. This is the Language toolbar that provides commands and feedback. The buttons change based on your state. In the screen snap below, the toolbar shows all the buttons, but if I turn off the microphone, some buttons collapse.