Nuance ScanSoft Dragon NaturallySpeaking - 5.0 Quick Start

A Lernout & Hauspie Company

Quick Start

When you see this...

...you can talk
to your favorite

programs!

Installing
Dragon
NaturallySpeaking

See page 2

Teaching
the program
how you speak

See page 4

Beginning
to dictate

See page 8

Command
Quick
Reference

See inside back cover

Dragon NaturallySpeaking lets you talk to your
computer instead of typing. You can talk to Microsoft

®

Internet Explorer®, e-mail, chat, and virtually any other
program in which you normally type. Talking to a
program while Dragon NaturallySpeaking types what
you say is called “dictating.”

Quick Start 03-101-50-01

Essentials

I

f you have an earlier version of Dragon
NaturallySpeaking, see page 15 for upgrade

information.

1. If you’re running a virus checker (for example,

McAfee®VirusScan®or Symantec™Norton
AntiVirus™), turn it off. Sometimes installation
can trigger a false virus report.

2. Put the Dragon NaturallySpeaking CD into

your CD-ROM drive. Setup begins automatically.

If installation does not begin automatically, use
Windows Explorer to find your CD-ROM drive;
then double-click Setup.exe to start the installation.

3. Follow the instructions on your screen to

complete the installation.

The product CD Key you’ll need to complete the

installation is located on a sticker on your CD sleeve.

4. Dragon Systems recommends that you register

online now, if you can, so we can notify you of
product upgrades and other offers.

5. If installation prompts you to restart your

computer, select Yes to restart before you launch
Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

NOTE

PAGE 2

Installing Dragon
NaturallySpeaking

NEW in version 5:
e-mail

D

ictate into popular e-mail programs with

special built-in voice commands. Dragon
NaturallySpeaking works with these and other
popular e-mail applications:

America OnLine®4.0 or 5.0
QUALCOMM

®

Eudora®Pro 4.3

Microsoft Outlook

®

97, 98, or 2000
Microsoft Outlook Express 5
Netscape

®

Messenger®in Netscape

Communicator

®

4.73

Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 5 also has
many new and improved commands for surfing
the web with Microsoft Internet Explorer. For
more information, see the online Help.

Connecting Your
Microphone

R

efer to the following diagram to connect your
microphone to your computer.

Not all systems use the same icons for input and
output jacks. If you have questions, consult the user’s
manual that came with your computer.

1. Insert the RED or PINK plug into the MIC

input jack on your computer sound card. Sound cards
vary, but the microphone jack is usually red and has a
picture of a microphone. If your sound card does not
have a MIC jack, use the LINE IN jack.

2. Insert the BLACK or BROWN plug into the

LINE OUT jack on your computer sound card. If
your sound card does not have a LINE OUT jack,
use the SPEAKER or HEADPHONE jack.

3. If your headset microphone includes an amplifier

box, install batteries in the box. See your microphone
documentation for complete instructions.

NOTE

PAGE 3

Positioning Your
Microphone

T

o talk to programs using Dragon

NaturallySpeaking, you need to speak into the
microphone that came with your software. It’s very
important that the microphone be in just the right
position, so that Dragon NaturallySpeaking can
hear you loud and clear. Whenever you use Dragon
NaturallySpeaking, start by making sure your
microphone is in the right position.

If the microphone is out of place, Dragon
NaturallySpeaking won’t be able to hear you as
clearly and may make more mistakes.

It’s a good idea to sip water when you do a lot
of dictating, so you don’t get hoarse. If you drink through
a straw, you won’t have to move the microphone out of
place.

Positioning a Headset Microphone

Position the microphone about a half-inch
from your mouth and a little off to the side. The
microphone should not touch your mouth, but it
can be almost touching your lips.

It’s okay to touch the foam covering while you’re
adjusting the microphone, but don’t touch the
microphone while you’re talking.

The side of the microphone that you should speak
into may be marked with a colored dot or the word
“Talk.”

If you need to move the microphone out of the
way, you can lift the “boom” up and over your
head, rather than
bending it out of
position or removing
the headset.

Positioning
a Handheld
Microphone

Hold the microphone
one to three inches
from your mouth and
a little off to the side.

If the volume display
on the DragonBar
turns red, try holding
the microphone
slightly farther from
your mouth.

TIP

S

tart Dragon NaturallySpeaking, if it’s not already
running. Here’s how:

Double-click the desktop icon for Dragon
NaturallySpeaking

Or go to the Start menu, point to Programs, and
click Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

The first time you start Dragon NaturallySpeaking,
the program automatically starts the New User
Wizard. This wizard takes you step-by-step through
the process of creating a personal speech profile called
a “user.”

A user stores information the program needs to
recognize your speech, for example, information about
how you pronounce different words. If more than one
person will be using Dragon NaturallySpeaking on
this computer, each one must create a unique user.

The rest of this section explains each step in the New
User Wizard. If you have difficulty with any step, this
section can help answer your questions.

STEP 1:

Create a User

1. Name this user with your name or any other

unique name.

2. Choose a language (dialect). The English version

of Dragon NaturallySpeaking 5 ships with five
dialects: US English, UK English, Australian English,
Indian English, and Southeast Asian English. Choose
the dialect that most closely matches your accent
when you speak English.

PAGE 4

Teaching the
Program How
You Speak

Some commands behave differently for different
dialects depending on the Regional Settings of your
computer. If you have problems dictating times or
currency, set the Regional Settings in your Windows
Control Panel to match the language dialect you
selected in this step. See your user’s guide for more
information.

Important

3. Choose a dictation source. If you will be

dictating into a headset or handheld microphone
connected to your computer, choose “Microphone
plugged into Mic-In Jack.” If you will be using
another type of microphone, select the option that
matches your dictation source from the drop-down
list.

If you are using a microphone not supplied with
your program, check the Hardware Compatibility List on
the Dragon Systems website (www.dragonsystems.com)
to see if your version supports the microphone you plan
to use.

4. Choose a vocabulary. Most adult users should use

the default choice, “General.” Younger speakers of
U.S. English (aged 9–15) should select the “Teens”
vocabulary. Most users should not need the Advanced
option.

STEP 2:

Check your audio
settings

B

efore beginning this step, make sure your
microphone is properly connected and positioned.

If your computer has more than one sound card,
you will be asked to select one in this step.

1. Check your microphone volume by clicking Start

Volume Check, then read aloud the text in the box.
When the program beeps to indicate it has finished
checking the volume, click Next.

2. Check your sound quality. Click Start Quality

Check and then read aloud the text in the box. When
the program beeps to indicate it has finished checking
the volume, click Next.

NOTE

NOTE

PAGE 5

STEP 3:

Train Dragon
NaturallySpeaking

N

o two people sound exactly alike, so before you

can start talking to the computer, you have to
teach Dragon NaturallySpeaking how you pronounce
different words.

It usually takes only about five minutes to teach the
computer how you speak, but you have to do this the
first time you use Dragon NaturallySpeaking. You do
this by reading aloud part of a book or a story into
your microphone (you can choose from several texts).
Information about your voice is saved in the user file
you just created.

1. A yellow arrow shows you where to start reading.

To take breaks while you’re training the program, just
click Pause.

2. To advance through the first two screens, you

must say the sentences without pausing. For the rest
of the screens, it’s okay to pause in the middle of a
sentence.

When the words turn black, it means the computer
has heard and recognized them. If you keep reading
the same words, and the computer still doesn’t get it,
just click Skip.

3. Click Next to continue.

4. Choose a text to read aloud. In Dragon

NaturallySpeaking version 5, you only need to read
for about five minutes to train the computer to
recognize your speech. Sometimes, a new text will
begin at the end of the one you chose; this is because
the program needs a little more information about
how you speak.

You can take breaks while you’re training the
computer. Just click Pause.

PAGE 6