What is voice recognition?

Voice recognition is an alternative to typing on a keyboard. Put simply, you talk to the computer and your words appear on the screen. The software has been developed to provide a fast method of writing on a computer and can help people with a variety of disabilities. It is useful for people with physical disabilities who often find typing difficult, painful or impossible. Voice-recognition software can also help those with spelling difficulties, including users with dyslexia, because recognised words are almost always correctly spelled.

What is voice recognition software?

Voice-recognition software programmes work by analysing sounds and converting them to text. Once correctly set up, the systems should recognise around 95% of what is said if you speak clearly. Several programmes are available that provide computer speech recognition. These systems have mostly been designed for Windows operating systems, however programmes are also available for Mac OS X. In addition to third-party software, there are also voice-recognition programmes built in to the operating systems of Windows Vista and Windows 7, 8, 10. Most specialist voice applications include the software, a microphone headset, a manual and a quick reference card. You connect the microphone to the computer, either into the soundcard or via a USB or similar connection.

There are two types of speech recognition. One is called speaker–dependent and the other is speaker–independent. Speaker–dependent software is commonly used for dictation software, while speaker–independent software is more commonly found in telephone applications.

Speaker–dependent software works by learning the unique characteristics of a single person's voice, in a way similar to voice recognition. New users must first "train" the voice recognition systems product by speaking to it, so the computer can analyze how the person talks. This often means users have to read a few pages of text to the computer before they can use the voice recogniser.

Speaker–independent software is designed to recognize anyone's voice, so no training is involved. This means it is the only real option for applications such as interactive voice response systems — where businesses can't ask callers to read pages of text before using the system. The downside is that speaker–independent software is generally less accurate than speaker–dependent software.

Voice recognition engines that are speaker independent generally deal with this fact by limiting the grammars they use. By using a smaller list of recognized words, the speech engine is more likely to correctly recognize what a speaker said.

This makes speaker–independent software ideal for most IVR systems, and any application where a large number of people will be using the same system. Speaker dependent software is used more widely in dictation software, where only one person will use the system and there is a need for a large grammar.

What are the voice recognition applications?

The technology is gaining popularity in many areas and has been successful in the following:

• Device control. Just saying "OK Google" to an Android phone fires up a system that is all ears to your voice commands.
• Car Bluetooth systems. Many cars are equipped with a system that connects its radio mechanism to your smartphone through Bluetooth. You can then make and receive calls without touching your smartphone, and can even dial numbers by just saying them.
• Voice to speech transcription. In areas where people have to type a lot, some intelligent software captures their spoken words and transcribe them into text. This is current in the certain word processing software. Voice transcription also works with visual voicemail.

What is dictation software?

With the best dictation software, you can compose memos, emails, speeches, and other writing using voice translator speech to text. Some dictation apps also give you the power to control your computer or mobile device with spoken words, too, letting you open apps and navigate the web when you aren't able to or don't want to with your fingers.

Dictation apps have a variety of use cases. They're well known among the accessibility community, as not everyone has full and dexterous use of their fingers and hands for typing, moving a mouse, or tapping a touchscreen. They're also quite popular with productivity enthusiasts because once you get comfortable dictating, it's typically faster than typing. Dictating also enables multitasking. You can write while walking, cooking, or even breastfeeding.

Some people also find that writing by dictating silences their internal editor. You might be more inclined to get all your thoughts out first and review them later, rather than revising ideas as you form them.

In the last few years, dictation software has become more readily available, easier to use, and much less expensive. Also sometimes called voice-to-text apps or voice recognition apps, these tools turn your spoken words into writing on the screen quickly and accurately.

Some best voice recognition software are standalone software programs while others are features that come inside other apps or operating systems. Take Google Docs Voice Typing, for example. It's a feature inside Google Docs, rather than a standalone app. You can use it to write in Google Docs as well as edit and format your text.