How to use voice recognition in Windows XP
Windows XP does not have a voice-recognition feature of its own. Instead, this page explains step-by-step how to set up and use the built-in voice-recognition function in Microsoft Office XP and Office 2003 for Windows XP. This takes your speech and turns it into text on the screen or into commands to control your Office XP or Office 2003 programmes. However, it does not allow you to dictate to, or control, other programmes, and lacks the advanced functionality and integration that commercial software can offer.
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Using Microsoft Word 2003 as an example, you can access voice recognition by clicking on the 'Tools' menu and selecting 'Speech', as shown in Fig 1, or press Alt + T and then press H.
Fig 1
Before you can start talking to your computer you must 'enrol', using the 'Microphone Wizard' (shown in Fig 2), by reading a certain amount of text to enable the software to learn how you speak.
Unlike most commercial voice-recognition software, however, the voice recognition in Office is expecting a US English accent. If you speak with a British accent, you'll likely experience much poorer recognition accuracy when you first start using it.
Fig 2
Also, unlike some of the other packages available, this software requires that you use the mouse and keyboard to make corrections when your speech has not been recognised correctly. Because of this, it is not a practical option for someone requiring a 'hands-free' solution.
In addition to the voice-recognition software built into Microsft Office XP and Office 2003 that can be used in Windows XP, there are also widely used packages for sale that offer excellent accuracy and even complete 'hands-free' use. For example, Nuance's Dragon NaturallySpeaking (for information, see the software producer's Dragon NaturallySpeaking webpage) and, formerly, IBM's ViaVoice (no longer supported).
These, and similar software packages, can be very powerful options for people who are not able to use a physical keyboard or mouse, or who just want to speed up their text input. The systems take time to 'train' to recognise the speaker, but with practice it is possible to input text faster than the fastest typist.
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More ways to: Use voice recognition
Voice recognition software - an introduction
An overview of the main features of voice recognition software, how to get started and frequently asked questions.
Factsheet in PDF format | Factsheet in text format
Voice recognition software - advanced features
A comparison of the main voice recognition software packages and the advanced tasks that they can perform.
Factsheet in PDF format | Factsheet in text format
