In my previous article I described the voice recognition features that are included in Windows 7. As a test I did not type the article but dictated the content to determine how well the speech recognition works as a replacement for typing. As the test demonstrated the speech recognition is not perfect and made several mistakes but does potential to replace typing.

To use speech recognition on your system you will need to have Windows 7 (Vista also supports voice recognition but I have not tested on that platform) and a microphone. You can use a built-in microphone, if your computer has one, but an external microphone might work better if you are having issues with your voice being recognized.

In addition to having a microphone you will need to train the speech recognition software to recognize your voice and it is also suggested that you follow the tutorial to get started using the software (which will also train the software at the same time).

To setup and test your microphone before starting the tutorial:

1.       Click on Start | then click Control Panel | then select Ease of Access

2.       Click on Set up microphone

3.       Follow the Microphone Setup Wizard to complete the setup

To complete the speech training tutorial follow the steps below. Before starting make sure you microphone is setup and functional. The tutorial will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

4.       Click on Start | then click Control Panel | then select Ease of Access

5.       Click on Speech Tutorial

6.       Once the tutorial has started follow the instructions to complete the process.

After the tutorial you are ready to use speech recognition to navigate your system or dictate documents. The more you use the software the more detailed you profile becomes and the better the system can understand your voice commands and dictation. If you want to work on improving your voice profile without commanding the computer with your voice or dictation then you can use the Train your computer to better understand you application.

This is an application located under Speech Recognition that allows you to read text to the computer to improve the computer’s ability to recognize and understand your voice. To access the voice training application follow the steps below:

1.       Click on Start | then click Control Panel | then select Ease of Access

2.       Click on Train your computer to better understand you

3.       Once the tutorial has started follow the instructions to complete the process.

You are now ready to use the speech recognition features of Windows 7!