Nuance ScanSoft Dragon NaturallySpeaking - 6.0 User Guide

USER’S GUIDE

By Dan Newman

For details on ScanSoft Application Solutions Partners near you, please visit: www.ScanSoft.com/NaturallySpeaking/locator/

Learn more about speech recognition at:

Training and Customization

Professional training and customization services from a ScanSoft-certified Applications Solutions Partner can help you achieve the maximum return on your investment. If you would like to unleash the full potential of Dragon NaturallySpeaking® software, please contact one of our Partners for training, customization, and more.

ScanSoft Application Solution Partners are the best in the industry; distinguished by their expertise, experience, and commitment to providing top-level services for Dragon NaturallySpeaking

For details on ScanSoft Application Solutions Partners near you, please visit: www.ScanSoft.com/NaturallySpeaking/locator/ or call 800-443-7077

speech recognition products.

About the Author

Dan Newman is president of Say I Can, Inc., a leading reseller of speech-recognition products and training services. A computer expert and skilled teacher, Dan is the author of several books about speech recognition, including Ta lk to Yo u r Co m pu te r and The Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Guide. Dan has written for many publications, including PC Magazine and Speech Technology, and has appeared on the PBS television show Computer Chronicles. He recently created his first instructional video presentation,

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

NaturallySpeaking

speech-recognition software most effectively.

6 Video Guide, which helps people use Dragon

Dan’s Video Guide is a CD-ROM-based video presentation that runs on your computer and is designed for both new and experienced users of Dragon

NaturallySpeaking through key Dragon NaturallySpeaking

software. In the Video Guide, Dan guides you visually

version 6 topics and skills, demon-

strating expert techniques and insider secrets. He shows you how to fix mistakes quickly, automate tedious tasks, browse the Web hands-free, boost accuracy, and more. You can see the complete list of topics covered and download free sample video lessons at www.sayican.com.

In addition to the Video Guide, Say I Can offers many other speech- recognition products and services. Their innovative “Web Training” service provides live one-on-one training over the Internet, allowing you to

conveniently learn how to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking software from an expert. Other items available include digital recorders, specialty microphones, and volume licenses of Dragon NaturallySpeaking ware. For more information, please call 1-877-Say-I-Can or visit www.sayican.com.

soft-

This is a screen shot of the Dragon NaturallySpeaking® 6 Video Guide. For more information,

please visit the Say I Can Web site at www.sayican.com.

May 2002. Version 6.1 Professional, Medical, Legal, and Public Safety Solution and Preferred editions.

This publication may not include some last-minute technical changes and/or revisions to the software. Changes are periodically made to the information described here. Future versions of this manual will incorporate these changes.

ScanSoft, Inc., may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matter in this document. The furnishing of this document does not give you any license to such patents. The software is subject to one or more of the following U.S. patents, among others: 5,027,406; 5,202,952; 5,526,463; 5,680,511; 5,715,367; 5,754,972; 5,765,132; 5,794,189; 5,799,279; 5,818,423; 5,822,730; 5,850,627; 5,909,666; 5,915,236; 5,920,836; 5,949,886; 5,960,394; 6,064,959; 6,088,671; 6,092,043; 6,092,044; 6,101,468; 6,151,575; 6,163,768; 6,167,377; 6,212,498.

No part of this manual or software may b e reproduced in any form or by any mean s, including, without li mitation, el ectronic or mechanical, such as photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without the express written consent of ScanSoft, Inc. Specifications are subject to change without notice. Copyright © 2002 ScanSoft, Inc. All rights reserved. Portions copyright © 1999–2001 Dan Newman. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

ScanSoft, the ScanSoft logo, L&H, the L&H logo, the Dragon logo, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, NaturallySpeaking, NaturallyMobile, RealSpeak, Nothing But Speech “NBS,” Natural Language Technology, Select-and-Say, BestMatch, MouseGrid, and Vocabulary Editor are registered trademarks or trademarks of ScanSoft, Inc. All other names and trademarks referenced herein are trademarks of ScanSoft or their respective owners. Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and where ScanSoft is aware of the trademark, the designation is printed with a trademark (™) or registered trademark (®) symbol.

Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Adobe and Acrobat are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. Corel and WordPerfect are registered trademarks of Corel Corporation. Lotus and Lotus Notes are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Microsoft, Outlook, Windows, Windows NT, Visual Basic, and PowerPoint are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Netscape and Netscape Navigator are registered trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation. Say I Can and the Say I Can logo are trademarks of Say I Can, Inc. Voice It, the Voice It logo, and Voice It Link are trademarks or registered trademarks of VXI Corporation. AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Sound Blaster is a registered trademark of Creative Technology Ltd. America Online is a registered trademark of America Online, Inc., a division of AOL Time Warner. QUALCOMM and Eudora Pro are registered trademarks of QUALCOMM, Incorporated. Yahoo! is a registered trademark of Yahoo! Inc.

Dave Barry in Cyberspace, © Copyright 1996 by Dave Barry, published by Crown Publishers. 3001: The Final Odyssey, © Copyright 1997 by Arthur C. Clarke, published by HarperCollins Publishers. Dogbert’s Top Secret Management Handbook, © Copyright 1996 by United Feature Syndicate, Inc., published by

Books.

120-D144-61

CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1

About this guide 2 What’s new in version 6? 3 What should I expect from Dragon NaturallySpeaking? 7

CHAPTER 2 Installing and Training 9

System requirements 9 Plug in the microphone 10 Plug in the speakers 11 Install the software 11 Create a new user 15 Audio Setup 18 New user training 21 Training problems and solutions 24

CHAPTER 3 Starting to Dictate 27

Turning the microphone on and off 30 Sleeping and waking up 30 Online Help 31 The DragonBar 32

CHAPTER 4 Correcting and Editing 37

The Correction menu 38 Selecting text by voice 41 Moving around in a document 45 Copying, cutting, and pasting text 47 Copying text to other programs 48 Deleting text 48 Keyboard editing shortcuts 51 Spelling as you dictate 52

CHAPTER 5 Formatting 55

Capitalizing text 56 Formatting text 58

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide v

Contents

CHAPTER 6 Numbers and Punctuation 63

Dictating numbers 63 Punctuation 71 Dictating hyphenated words 72 Dictating compound words 73 Dictating names 74 Dictating abbreviations and acronyms 75 Dictating e-mail and Web addresses 76 Dictating special characters 77 Modes 82

CHAPTER 7 Using E-Mail and Microsoft Internet Explorer 85

Working with e-mail 85 Working with Microsoft Internet Explorer 89

CHAPTER 8 Using Natural Language Commands 97

Available Natural Language Commands 97 The Sample Commands window 98 The Command Browser 98 Sample Commands 100

CHAPTER 9 Hands-Free Computing 103

Starting programs 104 Opening documents and folders 105 Switching between open windows 105 Copying text to other programs 106 Opening and closing menus 107 Selecting buttons, tabs, and options 108 Selecting icons on the desktop 109 Resizing and closing windows 110 Scrolling in windows and list boxes 111 Pressing keyboard keys 111 Activating commands by saying key names 115 Moving the mouse pointer and clicking the mouse 117 Hands-free tips 123

CHAPTER 10 Automate Your Work 125

Viewing or editing commands 126 Searching commands 127 Creating new commands 128 Deleting custom commands 134 Renaming custom commands 135

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Contents

Exporting commands 136 Importing commands 137 Creating Macro Recorder Commands 138 Some useful commands 139

CHAPTER 11 Workflow 141

Dictate first, correct later 141 Ways to correct your dictation 144

CHAPTER 12 Speaking and Dictating 153

Composing 156

CHAPTER 13 Improving Accuracy 161

The Accuracy Center 162 Tools to improve your vocabulary 166 The ideal system for best accuracy 179 Some practical ways to improve accuracy 180

CHAPTER 14 Healthy Computing 185

Ergonomics and posture 185 Maintaining good vocal health 186

CHAPTER 15 Using a Handheld Recorder 189

Installing recorder software 190 Creating a user adapted to your recorded speech 191 Dictating into your recorder 195 Transcribing recorded dictation 197 Correcting mistakes 203 Using the Dragon NaturallyMobile recorder as a microphone 204 Better accuracy with a recorder 204

CHAPTER 16 Customizing Dragon NaturallySpeaking 207

The Options dialog box 207

CHAPTER 17 Troubleshooting 221

Testing your sound system 221 Other problems and solutions 223

APPENDIX Commands List 227

INDEX 263

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vii

CHAPTER

Introduction

elcome to Dragon NaturallySpeaking®—the software that lets you talk to your computer instead of typing. As you speak, your words

appear swiftly on-screen just as if you had typed them.

You can talk (“dictate”) into many programs, including Microsoft

WordPerfect®, e-mail programs, personal information organizers,

Corel and more. For example, you can use Dragon NaturallySpeaking

■ Compose letters, memos, and e-mail messages. Just think about

what you want to say and then say it into the microphone.

■ Enter data into forms or spreadsheets. Most people can dictate

numbers faster than they can type. Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking custom voice commands to enable you to move from field to field on your form by voice.

■ Work on the Web. You can search the Web, access information, and

navigate Web pages by speaking URLs and links.

Professional or higher editions, you can create

Word,

to:

You can also move text around within your document (“cut and paste”), revise and format text, and control your computer by voice. You can start programs, open menus, and send e-mails by voice.

After you become comfortable talking to your computer, you may want to take the convenience of dictating a step further by using a handheld recorder with Dragon NaturallySpeaking you can dictate while away from your computer. When you return to your computer, Dragon NaturallySpeaking what you said.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

. With a handheld recorder,

will type out (“transcribe”)

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

About this guide

This guide provides detailed information that will help you get the most

out of using Dragon NaturallySpeaking

. It will help you get up and running with the software, show you how to dictate, edit, and format your text, and discuss the best ways to work for maximum efficiency and accuracy.

While this guide presents all the important features of Dragon

NaturallySpeaking

, it is not intended to be a complete reference to

each feature and function. More extensive information about using

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

This guide covers the Dragon NaturallySpeaking

is available in the program’s online Help.

Preferred edition and

the following Solution Series products:

■ Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Professional Solutions

Medical Solutions

Legal Solutions

Public Safety Solutions

Most of the information presented in this guide is applicable to all these editions. When information applies to certain editions only, this is noted.

Conventions used in this guide

1 This guide contains many examples of words and phrases you can say

when using Dragon NaturallySpeaking

. These examples appear in

italics with quotation marks, for example: “Format That Bold.”

2 Some procedures also include sample text for you to dictate. Sample text

appears in a different typeface, with punctuation in square brackets. For example:

US/Canada: When talking to a computer [comma] try to say every word clearly without trailing off at the end of a sentence [period]

Other Dialects: When talking to a computer [comma] try to say every word clearly without trailing off at the end of a sentence [full stop]

3 This guide applies to the five English dialects that ship with Dragon

NaturallySpeaking

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

■ US English

■ UK English

■ Australian English

■ Indian English

■ Southeast Asian English

US English uses US spelling, punctuation, and time and currency formats. We recommend US English for Canadian users since this dialect formats numbers (including times, telephone numbers, and currency) in North American formats.

All other dialects use UK spelling, punctuation, and time and currency formats (some number settings depend on your Windows Regional Settings). Where multiple dialects are used in dictation examples, those dialects appear in a different font style. For example:

■ You can also correct a longer phrase by saying “Correct [text] Through

[text]” (

US/Canada) or “Correct [text] To [text]” (Other Dialects).

This guide uses US spelling and punctuation for consistency.

4 This guide also includes tips and notes to help you use the software

more effectively. Tips and notes appear like this:

TIP

If you pause correctly, but Dragon NaturallySpeaking® still types a command as dictation, you can force it to recognize what you say as a command by holding down the CTRL key.

NOTE

everything you say as a number. If you dictate words, the results will be unpredictable. However, you can still navigate menus and switch between programs by voice when Numbers Mode is on.

With Numbers Mode on, Dragon NaturallySpeaking

tries to interpret

What’s new in version 6?

Dragon NaturallySpeaking® version 6 brings together the best ScanSoft text-to-speech technology to create more accurate, powerful, and userfriendly speech-recognition software. In addition to assisting users to operate a computer hands-free, the software contains many new features and general improvements.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 3

and Dragon NaturallySpeaking® speech-recognition and

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Tools for greater accuracy

Accuracy Center

The Accuracy Center offers one-stop shopping for all the tools available to improve recognition accuracy: audio settings, additional training, adding words to the vocabulary, and the new Acoustic Optimizer can all be found in this central location. See page 162.

The Accuracy Assistant, which is part of the Accuracy Center, guides the user in selecting the right tool for improving accuracy. See page 162.

Acoustic Optimizer

After you have used Dragon NaturallySpeaking® for a while and some recognition errors may have occurred, the Acoustic Optimizer is a tool that lets Dragon NaturallySpeaking collected during training and while corrections have been made. It learns from this data in one sweep, which is much more powerful than gradual adaptation from each correction. Start the optimizer before you leave for a meeting and come back to improved recognition. See page 163.

process all the recorded data it has

Easier to use

Add contact names and vocabulary

Add the contact names from your address book to your vocabulary file. You can also scan your sent e-mail to teach Dragon NaturallySpeaking

the words you use. See page 170.

Nothing But Speech (“NBS”)™

The Nothing But Speech technology filters out some of the fillers between dictation, such as “uhms” and “ahs,” to help avoid insertion of unwanted words.

Faster, easier correction

A new, streamlined correction interface makes it easier than ever to proofread and correct your work. The improved Correction menu is now available wherever you can select text by voice. See page 38.

Correct whichever way you want—by voice, by mouse and keyboard, or

using any combination of these. Dragon NaturallySpeaking

will still learn from your corrections, even if you just type them over the words you’ve selected.

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Introduction

The new correction workflow lets you dictate your entire document and then quickly move along and correct phrase by phrase as needed. See “Ways to correct your dictation” on page 144.

Find commands easily with Sample Commands and Command Browser

Can’t remember a command? A Sample Commands window displays voice commands for the most popular applications alongside your work. See “Sample Commands” on page 100.

The new Command Browser lets you search for commands by application, making it easy to find what you need. It also allows you to train or modify your commands. See “The Command Browser” on page

98.

Create your own commands

Create custom commands (macros) quickly and easily. Depending on

your edition of Dragon NaturallySpeaking

, a variety of macro creation

tools are available to let you be more productive.

Text and Graphics commands

Create a letter closing and include your signature as a bitmap. You can add this to any document with one simple voice command. This is just one example of how Text and Graphics commands let you automate common tasks. (Available in Preferred and higher editions.) See “Automate Your Work” on page 125.

Macro Recorder

If you repeat the same action frequently, you can use the Macro Recorder to record your mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes, then recall the action at any time with a voice command. (Available in Professional Solutions and higher editions.) See “Automate Your Work” on page 125.

Step-by-Step commands

By creating voice commands one step at a time, you can automate more complicated tasks even if you are not a programmer. For example, with a single voice command you can turn the microphone off, open an application, type text and commands in the application, then turn the microphone on again. (Available in Professional Solutions and higher editions.) See “Automate Your Work” on page 125.

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CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Advanced Scripting commands

Use Microsoft® Visual Basic®-compatible scripting to build complicated macros and even voice-enable applications. This is the full-fledged macro tool for programmers. (Available in Professional Solutions and higher editions.) See “Automate Your Work” on page 125.

More powerful and versatile

Easily edit by voice in more applications

Select-and-Say® functionality, which enables you to make text changes easily by voice, is now available in the Open and Save dialogs in many applications, in the Windows

Award-winning ScanSoft™ RealSpeak™ text-to-speech engine

Let the computer read text to you, such as an incoming e-mail, in the most human-sounding voice available. See page 151.

More extensive mouse control commands

You can now control the mouse by voice in a variety of ways, for example, by simply saying “Move Mouse Upper Left.” See page 121.

Find dialog box, and in many other places.

Natural Language Commands

In addition to the commands that worked in version 5, you can now also use Natural Language Commands in your favorite programs. There is no need to learn a specific command—Natural Language Commands let you say what you want in many different ways and still get the software to do just the right thing. See “Using Natural Language Commands” on page 97.

Dictate now, correct later

Save a recording of your dictation session so that you or an assistant can

proofread and revise your work later. This feature works in Microsoft

Word, Core l

WordPerfect®, and the DragonPad. (Available in

Professional Solutions and higher editions.) See page 143.

Improved hands-free capabilities

Improvements in the user interface of version 6 make it possible to complete almost every task by voice, for users who prefer to work handsfree. See “Hands-Free Computing” on page 103.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

What should I expect from Dragon NaturallySpeaking?

One reason to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking® is to create letters, reports, and other documents by voice. Another is to speed up routine tasks, such as entering data, launching applications, sending e-mail, filling in forms, and working on the Web. Or maybe you need or prefer to work on the computer with little or no use of your hands.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking work well requires some effort from you. Dragon NaturallySpeaking learns about your voice and pronunciation as you use it. When you use words the program doesn’t know, it will misrecognize them. To get the best results, you’ll need to correct the mistakes so that the program can learn from its mistakes and improve its ability to recognize your way of speaking.

Do I still need my keyboard and mouse?

Although you can use Dragon NaturallySpeaking® to do almost everything on your computer by voice, some things are still easier to do by mouse or keyboard. Feel free to use a combination of voice, mouse, and keyboard to get your work done—experiment to find methods that work best for you. If using a mouse and keyboard is not an option, pay special attention to “Hands-Free Computing.” on page 103.

is good for all these reasons, but making it

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 7

CHAPTER

Installing and Training

f you haven’t yet set up Dragon NaturallySpeaking®, this chapter will

guide you through each step of the process, from plugging in the microphone to training the computer to recognize your voice. It also covers dictating your first sentence and explains the Dragon NaturallySpeaking as you work.

System requirements

controls, buttons, and menus that appear on-screen

The recommended system requirements needed to run Dragon NaturallySpeaking

■ Intel

■ 128 MB RAM

■ 300 MB free hard disk space

■ Microsoft

■ Creative

■ Microsoft

■ CD-ROM drive (required for installation)

■ ScanSoft-approved noise-canceling headset microphone (included)

■ Speakers (required for playback of recorded speech and text-to-

Dragon NaturallySpeaking popular processors, including the Intel

Pentium® II 400 MHz processor (or equivalent AMDTM

processor)*

4.0 (with SP-6 or greater)

supporting 16-bit recording

at www.microsoft.com

speech features)

properly are:

Windows® XP, Millennium, 2000, 98, or Windows® NT®

Labs Sound Blaster® 16 or equivalent sound card

Internet Explorer® 5 or higher (free download available

6 has been optimized for a variety of

Pentium® 4, Pentium® III,

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Installing and Training

Pentium® II, Pentium® with MMX™, Intel Celeron®, AMD™ K6®-2, AMD™ K6-III with 3DNow!™, AMD™ Athlon™, and more.

*For optimal performance, in combination with other applications running on your system, a 500 MHz processor or faster and 256 MB RAM are recommended.

Plug in the microphone

Here’s how to set up your regular (non-USB) microphone. (If you have a USB microphone, follow the instructions that came with it instead of this description.) Find the microphone plug at the end of the wire attached to the microphone. If the wire ends in just one plug, that is the microphone plug. If the wire ends in two plugs, one is the microphone plug and the other is for the speaker in the microphone’s earpiece. Check the instructions included with your microphone to figure out which is which. The microphone plug sometimes has a small picture of a microphone imprinted in the plastic base of the plug. If the two plugs are different colors, the brightly colored one is usually the microphone plug.

Next, find the microphone jack in the sound card of your computer. On desktop computers, this small, round opening is almost always on the back of your computer. There will be one, two, or three similar-sized jacks next to it (all are part of your computer’s sound hardware). Each jack should be labeled with words ( Choose the jack with the word labels can be difficult to spot. They may be engraved into the metal plate the jacks are set into or imprinted on the plastic case of the computer. (On many computers the microphone jack has a red circle around it.)

On laptops, the microphone jack may be on the side or front instead of the back of the computer.

MIC, LINE IN, SPKR) or pictures.

MIC or the picture of a microphone. The

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Installing and Training

Plug in the speakers

If you hear chimes or other sounds when Microsoft® Windows® starts up, your speakers are already plugged in correctly. If Windows the sound card jack labeled speaker), and plug in the speakers. This step is not necessary for laptops, which have internal speakers.

If your microphone has a speaker plug, you can listen to the computer’s sound through the earphone on your headset microphone. If you’d rather hear the computer’s sounds through your speakers than the earphone, simply leave the speaker plug unplugged.

Install the software

Before installing Dragon NaturallySpeaking®, close all open applications. Also, turn off or disable any antivirus software that is running. Sometimes installation can trigger a false virus report.

NOTE

Windows however, Administrator rights are not required to use the software after installation. This also applies for an upgrade installation.

Installing Dragon NaturallySpeaking® is similar to installing other Windows CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive. In most cases, the installation program will start automatically.

To install or uninstall Dragon NaturallySpeaking® on Windows

2000, you must have Administrator rights. After a user has been created,

applications. Insert the Dragon NaturallySpeaking®

is silent, find

SPKR (or imprinted with a picture of a

and

NOTE

steps: From the Windows E:\setup.exe and click OK. (If your CD-ROM drive is not drive E, use the correct CD-ROM drive letter.)

If the installation does not start automatically on your computer, follow these

Start menu, choose Run. The Run dialog box will open. Type

Follow the on-screen instructions during installation. If you have an operating system with any English dialect other than US English, you

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 11

CHAPTER 2

Installing and Training

will need the product CD key number (located on a sticker on the CD-ROM sleeve) in order to complete the installation.

Upgrading from version 5:

■ Upgrading from English version 5 editions:

If you are upgrading from any edition of Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 5 to version 6, your user files and vocabularies will migrate automatically to version 6. After the upgrade, version 5 will no longer be functional.

■ NOTE: For non-English or multilingual users of version 5:

Installing Dragon NaturallySpeaking® version 6 will disable all user files, including non-English language user files. Multilingual editions of version 5 will no longer be available after you upgrade to this English version 6 of Dragon NaturallySpeaking

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Installing and Training

Setup Type

The setup program gives you the option of choosing a Typical Installation, Complete Installation, or Custom Installation of Dragon

NaturallySpeaking

▲ US users: choose “Typical Installation.” Non-US users: choose “Custom Installation.”

Most users in the US should choose “Typical Installation” (as shown)

and click Next. This installs Dragon NaturallySpeaking

with the US (American) English user files. To install non-US English user files, choose “Custom Installation” and follow the instructions below, “Installing non-US user files.”

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 13

CHAPTER 2

Installing and Training

Installing non-US user files

To install user files for UK (British) English, Australian English, Indian English, or Southeast Asian English, choose “Custom Installation” from the setup screen shown above, then click Next. A dialog box appears to let you choose which components to install.

Select the user file for the dialect you want and click Next to continue installation.

The user files for each region contain both spellings and pronunciations specific to that region. The vocabulary installed with the Indian user file, for example, is designed for people speaking English in India and includes spellings and punctuation for that region. It is not possible to install, for example, US English spellings with Indian or Indian-accented pronunciations. All users who wish to dictate US English spellings—including users with accents— should install the US (American) English user files.

If you speak with an accent different from the user files you install, your accuracy will be improved by performing additional training as soon as possible after creating a trained user. See “Perform additional training,” on page 164 for more information.

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NOTE

selecting a Custom installation, you can install them later by running the Setup program again and choosing Modify.

If you decide not to install some Dragon NaturallySpeaking® components by

Continue following the on-screen instructions. The setup program will copy the files for Dragon NaturallySpeaking recommended that you register when prompted during the installation process, so that we can notify you of product upgrades and other offers.

The program may ask you to reboot your computer once installation is complete. After rebooting, click on the Dragon NaturallySpeaking on your desktop to start Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Create a new user

After installation is complete and you launch the software for the first time, the New User Wizard will ask you to choose a user name. Type your name. The software automatically picks the best speech model and vocabulary settings for your system.

If you are using a USB microphone, choose the USB Microphone from the “Dictation source” drop-down list. If you are using an array microphone or handheld recorder, you will also need to change the “Dictation source” setting to match your microphone or recorder.

to your computer. It is

icon

NOTE

commands. To do this, choose “Commands Only” from the Vocabulary list in the New User dialog box.

For special purposes, you can create a vocabulary that contains only

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 15

CHAPTER 2

If this user file will be used with a USB microphone, array microphone, or handheld recorder, choose the appropriate option from the Dictation source list.

For Medical, Legal, and Public Safety Solutions editions, the vocabulary defaults to the chosen edition. To create a general user, choose General.

Installing and Training

▲ Type your name. Change the “Dictation source” and “Vocabulary” settings if you need

to. Then click Next.

About vocabularies

A vocabulary in Dragon NaturallySpeaking® is a body of information that includes a word list and a language model. The word list includes information about all the words that the program can recognize. The language model contains usage information about those words. Dragon

NaturallySpeaking

uses a vocabulary to recognize words correctly based not only on the sound of the words, but on their context. When you create a new user, you select the vocabulary on which to base the user. When you create a new user or new vocabulary for an existing user, you select the vocabulary on which to base the vocabulary you create.

Vocabula ry

You can select from among the following vocabularies:

■ General: A large vocabulary providing excellent recognition accuracy

for general, business, and professional dictation.

■ Commands Only: A limited vocabulary containing only command

words and phrases. Choose this vocabulary if you want to use

Dragon NaturallySpeaking

only for command and control of

programs and not for dictation.

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■ Teens (US English only): A large vocabulary containing words

selected for a student population and providing excellent recognition accuracy for higher-pitched voices, for example ages 11 through 18.

Vocabula r y size

When you create a set of user files, Dragon NaturallySpeaking® recommends the vocabulary that best fits your computer’s speed and memory. For most users, this recommendation should be followed. Experienced users may want to click the Advanced button to specify a different vocabulary size from among the following choices:

■ Extra Small: designed for computers with less than 64 MB of RAM.

■ Small: designed for computers with between 64 and 96 MB of RAM.

■ Medium: designed for computers with between 96 and 128 MB of

RAM.

■ Large: designed for computers with at least 150 MB of RAM.

■ Empty Dictation: a vocabulary with a language model but without

any words. This vocabulary is designed for experienced users or value-added resellers who want to create highly specialized vocabularies.

Multiple users on one computer

Dragon NaturallySpeaking® is licensed on a “per individual” basis. Individuals are permitted to install the software on more than one computer (for example, on a desktop and a laptop computer, or a work computer and a home computer) and permitted to create multiple user files, so long as the software is only being used by that individual.

NOTE: There is an exception for educational settings, including primary schools, secondary schools, or colleges. Dragon NaturallySpeaking multiple users in a classroom, school library, or other shared computing facility in an educational setting.

If you wish to allow more than one person to use one copy of Dragon NaturallySpeaking license agreements are available.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 17

may be installed on a single computer for use by

, you need a license for each user. Volume

CHAPTER 2

Installing and Training

Audio Setup

Now that you’ve chosen your user name, click Next to have the New User Wizard lead you through setting up your microphone.

Positioning your microphone

First, the New User Wizard explains how to position your microphone.

Click Next to continue. The following sections provide detailed information on positioning the microphone. Once you have correctly positioned the microphone, click Next to continue.

Position the microphone

Put the microphone on your head so that the headband goes across the top of your head. Adjust the headband so that it is comfortable and feels like it will stay in place. For additional comfort, most microphones can be adjusted so that the boom extends down from either the left ear or the right ear, as you prefer.

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Installing and Training

Next, bend or adjust the boom so that the foam windscreen, which shields the microphone element from excess noise, is near your mouth. Correct positioning is crucial for recognition accuracy. Start with the microphone at the corner of your mouth, about a thumb’s width away.

At the corner of your mouth

If the microphone is too close to the center of your mouth, it may pick

up breathing sounds, which Dragon NaturallySpeaking

may mistake for “the,” “a,” or other small words. In this case, move it closer to the corner of your mouth.

The right distance away

The windscreen should not touch your face, hair, or beard. The proper distance from your mouth to the microphone is roughly between onehalf and one inch—about the width of the thick part of your thumb.

Place your thumb between the microphone and your mouth. One side of your thumb should be touching your mouth, the other should be just brushing the windscreen. Checking this distance with your thumb is a good way to get a feel for proper microphone positioning. While you work, the microphone may shift, degrading recognition accuracy. Doing a quick “thumb check” ensures that the microphone is where it should be.

Pointing toward your mouth

To pick up the best sound, the microphone element should be pointed toward your mouth. The microphone element, covered by the foam windscreen, is the electronic part that actually hears your voice. On most microphones a small dot just outside the windscreen indicates the direction in which the microphone hears best. Be sure that dot is pointed toward your mouth. (On some microphones you may need to partially

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CHAPTER 2

Adjust Your Volume

Installing and Training

remove the windscreen to find the dot. Other microphones have a flat edge near the microphone element rather than a dot—point the flat edge toward your mouth.)

Positioned consistently

Consistent microphone placement is vital for accurate speech recognition. Position the microphone exactly the same way each time you use the software. If the microphone drifts, your voice will sound different to the computer and your dictation might come out garbled.

From the screen “Adjust Your Volume” (shown below), click the Start Volume Check button and read the text that appears.

After Dragon NaturallySpeaking Next to continue.

adjusts your volume setting, click

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

CHAPTER 2

Sound quality check

Click the Start Quality Check button and read aloud the text shown on the screen.

Installing and Training

As you read, the computer is evaluating your sound setup. After about

half a minute, Dragon NaturallySpeaking

will display a “Speech-to-

Noise ratio,” which indicates the clarity of your sound system. If Dragon

NaturallySpeaking

labels this measurement “PASSED,” you’re ready to go on—click the Next button to continue. If not, see “Testing your sound system” on page 221.

New user training

Follow the on-screen prompts to begin the process of training Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Training takes place in two parts. For most microphone users, the first part consists of reading two sentences aloud (see illustration). Click Go to turn on the microphone and then read the sentences shown in the

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 21

to recognize your voice.

CHAPTER 2

Installing and Training

successive screens. The Demo button gives you an example of how to read aloud during training.

Next, the software will ask you to choose a training text to read. Select the text you prefer and click OK.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

+ 250 hidden pages