Voice Recognition Software

Voice recognition software, also known as speech recognition software, was designed to convert spoken words into written text on a computer. Originally developed for the medical transcription field but has seen been rejected and later adopted by various groups of people including writers and those with disabilities.

The use of voice recognition software didn’t stop at personal computers but rather, has been put into use by commercial industries and placed into items that some of us, use everyday. When you pickup your cellphone and tell it to call mom, speak commands into your Nintendo DS or speak through the hands free setup in your car you are able to do that because of the advancements made in the voice recognition software industry.

How Well Does Voice Recognition Software Work

Unfortunately, voice recognition software has received a bad reputation for being flawed with glitches and errors. Many users report the inability for these types of software to comprehend normal speaking voices, calculate the proper spelling and in some cases even keep pace with the operator, though tremendous advancements are being made to correct these issues.

Developers make claims that these types of software are around ninety-eight percent accurate when used under the proper conditions, those being:

working in a quiet environment with low levels of background noise.
operator speaks clearly and precisely.
operator does not have a heavy accent or speech impediment.

The problem with these claims are that very few people are able to maintain this level of “perfection” while working with the programs. Uncommon words, such as names or slang are often misunderstood or misspelled by the software possibly leaving numerous errors in the finished document.

Don’t let this stop you from using this software though, there are some voice recognition programs that work quite well as you will see later in this article.

Finding a Voice Recognition Software That Works

Dragon Naturally Speaking

As a writer or disabled person, your greatest asset could be a properly functioning voice recognition program, although finding one on your own may be difficult. There are very few noteworthy software of this type on the market today, however there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

One such light is Dragon Naturally Speaking by Nuance. Naturally Speaking has quickly become the worlds best selling voice recognition software and for good reason, the program works exceptionally well. With around a one hundred dollar price tag for the standard edition, this program allows your speech to appear in documents, emails, instant messages and you can even use it to surf the Internet, plus it is amazingly accurate.

Another surprisingly well working voice recognition software is built right into Windows Vista Operating System. That’s right, Vista comes with a built-in speech recognition program right out of the box and it works very good. You can use the program to help you use your computer by asking questions, it adapts to your speaking style and vocabulary, it is available in multiple languages and you can control applications and manage documents all by voice.

So which program do you choose? Well if you already have Vista you might give their voice recognition program a try since it is free, however Dragon Naturally Speaking is the best on the market and well worth the small investment.

Using Voice Recognition Software

If you noticed above we covered some of the functions commonly found in voice recognition software, its also important to note that two programs recommended really do not require any special training to operate and they learn your speaking style so they become even better the more you use them. However, here is a list of functions you can expect to see in most voice recognition applications:

Convert speech to text in most writing applications such as Word and Office.
Format and save documents as well as manage and control other applications on your computer.
Surf the web with voice commands.
Dictate emails and instant messages.
Clarification of words when the program misunderstands what is said.
Adaption to your speaking style and vocabulary.
Text editing and corrections.

All of these features can be used by simply speaking commands into the microphone or headset, freeing your hands and saving you time for other projects.