Sony ICD-R100VTP User Manual

USER’S GUIDE

August 2000. Version 5. Professional, Preferred, and Standard editions.

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

Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. (L&H) 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; 5,428,707; 5,526,463; 5,680,511; 5,715,367; 5,754,972; 5,765,132; 5,794,189; 5,799,279; 5,809,453; 5,818,423; 5,822,730; 5,850,627; 5,903,864; 5,909,666; 5,915,236; 5,920,836; 5,920,837; 5,946,654; 5,949,886; 5,960,394; 5,983,179; 6,029,124; 6,052,657; 6,064,959; 6,073,097; 6,088,671; 6,092,043; 6,092,044.

Specifications subject to change without notice. Appearance of microphone may vary from that shown.

No part of this material or software may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including electronic or mechanical, such as photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without the express written consent of L&H.

Dragon Systems, L&H, NaturallySpeaking, NaturallyMobile, Select-and-Say, BestMatch, MouseGrid, Vocabulary Builder, Vocabulary Editor, and the L&H and Dragon Systems logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of L&H in the United States and/or other countries. All other names and trademarks referenced herein are trademarks of L&H or their respective owners. The L&H Text-to-Speech utility uses the Elan Text-to-Speech engine, which is licensed from Elan Informatique.

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 Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V is aware of the trademark, the first occurrence of the designation is printed with a trademark (™) or registered trademark (®) symbol.

Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Corel and WordPerfect are trademarks of Corel Corporation.

Lotus and Lotus Notes are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation.

Microsoft, Outlook, Windows, and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Netscape and Netscape Navigator are trademarks of Netscape Communications Corporation.

Voice It, the Voice It logo, and Voice It Link are trademarks of Voice It Worldwide, Inc.

Yahoo! is a trademark of Yahoo! Inc.

HarperBusiness, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

03-216-50-01

About This Guide v

CHAPTER 1 Introducing Dragon NaturallySpeaking 1

What’s new in version 5? 2 What should I expect from Dragon NaturallySpeaking? 6 Do I still need my mouse and keyboard? 7

CHAPTER 2 Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Successfully 9

How Dragon NaturallySpeaking works 10 Seven habits for success with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 Positioning your microphone correctly 11 Speaking properly to the computer 12 Correcting recognition mistakes 15 Playing back your dictation 23 Using text-to-speech 28

CHAPTER 3 Improving Your Speech Recognition 31

Working with the Dragon NaturallySpeaking vocabulary 31 Quick and easy ways to add new words 34 Advanced tools for building and editing vocabularies 41 Managing vocabularies 54 Training Dragon NaturallySpeaking to recognize problem words 59 Running General Training again 63

CHAPTER 4 Dictating Names, Numbers & Punctuation 65

Dictating names of people, places, and events 65 Dictating abbreviations and acronyms 67 Dictating hyphenated words 68 Dictating compound words 69 Dictating words that end with ’s 70 Dictating e-mail and Web addresses 72 Dictating special characters 73 Dictating foreign words 75 Dictating numbers 76

CHAPTER 5 Editing and Revising Text 87

Moving around in a document 87 Selecting text 90

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

iii

Contents

Copying, cutting, and pasting text 95 Capitalizing text 95 Formatting text 98 Deleting text 100

CHAPTER 6 Working With Your Desktop and Windows 103

Starting programs 104 Opening documents and folders 105 Switching between open windows 106 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 110 Pressing keyboard keys 111 Moving the mouse pointer and clicking the mouse 115

CHAPTER 7 Working With E-Mail and the Web 119

Working with E-mail 119 Working with Internet Explorer 123

CHAPTER 8 Managing Users 131

Creating a new user 132 Opening a user 133 Renaming a user 133 Deleting a user 134 Backing up a user 135 Restoring a backup copy of a user 136 Multilingual users 137

CHAPTER 9 Creating Your Own Dragon NaturallySpeaking Commands 139

About voice commands 140 Creating and editing voice commands 140 Importing and deleting command files 150 Troubleshooting commands 151

APPENDIX A Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking With a Portable Recorder 153

Installing recorder software 154

APPENDIX B Dragon NaturallySpeaking Version 5 Commands List 171

INDEX 207

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

About This Guide

elcome to Dragon NaturallySpeaking®, one of the world’s most

widely acclaimed speech-recognition products. Dragon NaturallySpeaking lets you talk to your computer instead of typing. It also lets you use your voice to control your computer in other ways.

This guide provides detailed information that will help you get the most out of using the program. It also explains how to ensure that Dragon NaturallySpeaking will recognize your speech accurately. Before using this guide, we recommend that you read the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Quick Start guide and view the online Tutorial.

This guide covers multiple editions of Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Where information applies to certain editions only, this is clearly noted.

Conventions used in this guide

1 This user’s guide contains many examples of words and phrases you can

say when using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. These examples usually appear in italics with quotation marks, for instance: “Scratch That.”

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 covers the five dialects of English that ship with Dragon

NaturallySpeaking:

■

US English

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

About This Guide

■

UK English

■

Australian English

■

Indian English

■

Southeast Asian English

US English uses US spelling, punctuation, times, and currency. Dragon Systems recommends 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, times, and currency (some number settings depend on your Windows Regional Settings). Dictation examples that differ among dialects appear in a different font, as in this example:

■

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

US/Canada

) or “Correct [text] To [text]” (

Other Dialects

This user’s guide uses US spelling and punctuation for consistency.

4 This guide also includes helpful tips to improve your dictation, and

notes that require special attention. 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

NaturallySpeaking Professional and higher editions.

The ability to create your own voice commands is available only in Dragon

Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide

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Introducing Dragon NaturallySpeaking

ragon NaturallySpeaking lets you talk to your computer instead of typing. As you talk, your words are transcribed onto your screen and

into your documents or e-mail messages.

Talking to a computer while it types what you say is called dictating. You can dictate into Microsoft personal information organizers, and virtually any other program in which you normally type.

You can use Dragon NaturallySpeaking for:

■

Composing letters, memos, and e-mail messages. Just think about what you want to say, and then say it into the microphone.

■

Writing a report, article, or story. Brainstorm out loud and capture your thoughts on screen. Then edit your work by voice or mouse and keyboard.

■

“Typing up” notes from a meeting. When you get back to your desk, simply read your notes into the microphone.

You can also use simple voice commands to revise and format text, move around your document, and control your computer. Learn the basics in your Quick Start guide.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking isn’t just for creating documents. You can also use your voice to start programs, open menus, and click buttons. If you use Internet Explorer, you can use Dragon NaturallySpeaking to browse the Web by voice. Learn how in Chapter 7, “Working With E-Mail and the Web.”

Word, Corel® WordPerfect®, e-mail programs,

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Introducing Dragon NaturallySpeaking

If you share your computer with family members, friends, or colleagues, they can also use Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Simply create a new set of “user speech files” for each person who wants to talk to the computer. Find out how in Chapter 8, “Managing Users.”

After you become comfortable talking to your computer, you may want to take the convenience of dictating a step further by using a portable recorder with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. This option is available if you have Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred or a higher edition. For more information, see Appendix A, “Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking With a Portable Recorder.”

If you have Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional or a higher edition, you can expand the power of using speech by creating your own voice commands. Find out how in Chapter 9, “Creating Your Own Dragon NaturallySpeaking Commands.”

Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional and higher editions also let you create and customize additional vocabularies for dictating in different subject areas. For more information, see “Managing vocabularies” on page 54.

What’s new in version 5?

Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 5 has many new features to make your dictation easier and faster to use. Most of these features are available through the DragonBar. When you see the DragonBar on your screen, you can dictate into virtually any program.

Welcome to the DragonBar

Dragon icon NaturallySpeaking menu

Microphone icon and volume display

The Dragon icon

Click the icon (or right-click anywhere on the DragonBar) to display a menu that controls how the DragonBar looks and acts on your screen. See the online Help for more information.

Start DragonPad icon

Show Extras icon

Display Help icon

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Users icon

CHAPTER 1

Introducing Dragon NaturallySpeaking

NaturallySpeaking menu

The NaturallySpeaking menu on the DragonBar contains all the menu commands that you can use while working in Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Some of these commands are also available from other parts of the DragonBar, for example opening the online Help.

Microphone icon and volume display

Click the microphone icon to turn speech recognition on and off.

Microphone is off Microphone is on and ready to dictate

The volume display shows how well the program is hearing your voice.

Start DragonPad icon

Click the icon to open the DragonPad, the built-in word processor for Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

Display Help icon

Click the icon to open online Help for Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

Extras toolbar icon

Transcribe button Start playback button

Users icon

Click the Users icon to display a menu that contains a list of your users and a command that opens the Manage Users dialog box.

Playback speed button Correction button

Stop playback button

Skip Backward / Skip Forward

The Extras toolbar is available in Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred and higher editions.

Click the double chevron icon to display the Extras toolbar, which contains the following:

Transcribe a recording button

Click this button to open the Transcribe dialog box, which you use to transcribe recordings of dictation made on portable recorders.

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Playback toolbar

Contains controls that control the playback of your dictation. For more information, see “Playing back your dictation” on page 23, or see the online Help.

Playback speed button

Click this button to speed up or slow down dictation playback.

Correction button

Click this button to open the Correction dialog box and correct a mistake.

New features in Dragon NaturallySpeaking Standard and higher editions

Dictate into virtually any application

Whenever you see the DragonBar on your screen, you can dictate into any application and use many Dragon NaturallySpeaking commands. See “Which commands work in which programs?” on page 171 for more information.

Learn hands-on with a new online Tutorial

The Dragon NaturallySpeaking Tutorial leads you through basic dictation techniques. See your Quick Start guide and the online Help for more information.

Get started promptly

All computers that meet the minimum system requirements of the software now learn your voice in about 3 to 5 minutes. Your Quick Start guide takes you step-by-step from installation through your first dictation. See “Creating a new user” on page 132 of this user’s guide for more information.

Dictate with improved accuracy

Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 5 continues to improve accuracy, from a company already recognized for its high recognition accuracy. See “Improving Your Speech Recognition” on page 31 for more information.

Choose quick and easy ways to correct mistakes

Proofread and correct your work as you dictate with the convenient Quick Correct list. See “Correcting recognition mistakes” on page 15 for more information.

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Introducing Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Never forget a command again

Can't remember a command? Voice commands are readily available with helpful on-screen reminders, extensive online Help, a detachable command reference card, and two Top 10 Commands stickers for your keyboard and monitor. Say “View Command List” to see the Command List in the online Help, or see the “Dragon NaturallySpeaking Version 5 Commands List” on page 171 for a complete list of voice commands.

Add words from your documents quickly and easily

The new Add Words From Documents feature scans your documents for particular words you use and adds them to the Dragon NaturallySpeaking vocabulary in a few simple steps. See “Add Words from Documents” on page 35 for more information.

Manage your e-mail by voice

Dictate into popular e-mail programs with special built-in voice commands. See “Working with E-mail” on page 119 for more information.

Find new ways to surf the Web

New features and voice commands enhance your web browser. See “Working with Internet Explorer” on page 123 for more information.

New features in Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred and higher editions

Enter commonly used text

Create dictation shortcuts to insert multiple lines of text, such as a letter closing, with only a few words. See “Creating dictation shortcuts” on page 38 for more information.

Dictate in more than one language

Install multiple languages in the same edition of Dragon NaturallySpeaking (English-as-a-second-language editions only). See “Multilingual users” on page 137 for more information.

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New features in Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional and higher editions

Dictate now, correct later

Save a recording of your dictation session so that you or someone else can proofread and revise your work later. See “Dictate now, correct later” on page 26 for more information.

Work in Lotus® Notes

Use new built-in commands, including Select-and-Say™ editing, in Lotus Notes. See the online Help for more information.

Organize and file your voice commands

Manage your macro scripts and specialized commands by placing them into multiple files. See “Creating and editing voice commands” on page 140 for more information.

Customize your own Tutorial

Dragon NaturallySpeaking resellers can customize the online Tutorial to include specific information about services that they provide.

All editions also feature many additional improvements and bug fixes.

What should I expect from Dragon NaturallySpeaking?

One reason to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking is to do your writing more quickly. Another is to reduce the stress associated with keyboarding. Or maybe you just like the idea of being able to lean back in your chair, put your feet up on the desk, and still get work done.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking is good for all these reasons, but making it work well requires some effort from you. Dragon NaturallySpeaking actually learns about your voice and pronunciation as you use it. When you use words the program doesn’t know, it will make mistakes, and you’ll have to stop and correct them.

It may take a while before you feel comfortable and productive using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. You can find out more about how to make

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Introducing Dragon NaturallySpeaking

the program work well by reading Chapter 2, “Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Successfully.”

Do I still need my mouse and keyboard?

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.

If using a mouse and keyboard is an option for you, try experimenting with using your voice and using your hands for different tasks, to see what works best. If using a mouse and keyboard is not an option, read Chapter 6, “Working With Your Desktop and Windows.”

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Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Successfully

f you followed the exercises in your Quick Start guide, by now you’ve

had a chance to try dictating with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. So, are you ready to throw away your keyboard? Probably not. Chances are there are more mistakes in your document than you’d like to see.

Why does the program make mistakes, and what can be done so it makes them less often? This chapter provides some background information to help you understand how Dragon NaturallySpeaking works.

It then reveals the “Seven habits for success with Dragon NaturallySpeaking,” a list of tips and procedures you can follow to make the program recognize your speech accurately. This discussion is continued in Chapter 3, “Improving Your Speech Recognition.”

The section on “Correcting recognition mistakes” discusses how to correct misrecognized words, including ways to train the program to reduce future errors.

The chapter concludes by introducing dictation playback and text-tospeech (available in Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred and higher editions), and saving your dictation for later correction (available in Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional and higher editions).

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How Dragon NaturallySpeaking works

When you talk into the microphone, Dragon NaturallySpeaking doesn’t hear words or phrases. The computer hears your speech as a continuous stream of sounds. From this stream, Dragon NaturallySpeaking picks out common sound patterns, known as

To match these sound patterns to words, Dragon NaturallySpeaking relies on two large sources of data:

Dragon NaturallySpeaking uses acoustic data about the sound patterns that make up different words to choose the words that most closely match what it heard. Since no two people sound exactly alike, Dragon NaturallySpeaking does a much better job of matching sounds to words when it knows something about your pronunciation. When you first trained the program, you provided acoustic data on top of what Dragon NaturallySpeaking already knows about the sounds of English.

phonemes

acoustic data

and

language data

Sometimes it’s not possible for Dragon NaturallySpeaking to choose the correct word based on sound alone. Consider these two phrases: “pizza delivery boy” and “Pete’s a delivery boy.” When spoken, they sound almost exactly alike. How would Dragon NaturallySpeaking know which to choose?

Dragon NaturallySpeaking uses language data about the context and frequency of word use to determine which words were most likely spoken. The phrase “pizza delivery boy” is more common than “Pete’s a delivery boy,” so the program would favor this phrase over the other.

Since people write differently, it helps if Dragon NaturallySpeaking knows something about the frequency with which you use different words. When you Add Words From Documents, run Vocabulary Builder program with language data about how often you use different words.

Knowing that Dragon NaturallySpeaking uses acoustic data and language data to recognize your speech can help you know what to do to make the program work better.

™

, or make corrections to your dictation, you’re providing the

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Seven habits for success with Dragon NaturallySpeaking

The rest of this chapter, and Chapter 3, describe seven habits you can adopt to make Dragon NaturallySpeaking work well for you. If you make the techniques and procedures in these chapters a habit, and continue to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking regularly, you should be able to make the program recognize your speech more accurately.

Seven habits for success with Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Chapter 2

Position your microphone correctly

■

Speak properly to the computer

■

Correct recognition mistakes

■

Chapter 3

Add words to the Dragon NaturallySpeaking vocabulary

■

Run Vocabulary Builder

■

Train Dragon NaturallySpeaking to recognize problem words

■

Run General Training again

■

If you have Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional, you can also create specialized vocabularies to enhance recognition accuracy. See “Managing vocabularies” on page 54.

Positioning your microphone correctly

You’ve already heard a lot about the importance of your microphone position. If you followed the instructions on the screen when you first started Dragon NaturallySpeaking, your microphone is probably in about the right position. But you should continue to think about your

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Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Successfully

microphone and check its position frequently to make sure it hasn’t moved out of place.

If you find that Dragon NaturallySpeaking is making too many mistakes, experiment with moving the microphone a little closer to or farther from your mouth.

If extra words, such as “and” and “the,” are often inserted into your document, Dragon NaturallySpeaking may be interpreting the sound of your breath as speech. Try moving the microphone slightly to the side, so it’s not directly in front of your mouth.

Keep in mind that it’s easy for the microphone to move slightly out of the best position. You might not notice if this happens, because Dragon NaturallySpeaking may still get most of your words right. But if the microphone is even slightly out of place, the program may no longer be able to tell the difference between similar-sounding words, such as “or” and “all,” and will begin making subtle mistakes.

Make it a habit to check your microphone position regularly. If accuracy ever seems lower than normal, always start by checking your microphone.

TIP

You can double-check your microphone position at any time by running the Audio Setup Wizard. On the NaturallySpeaking menu, point to Advanced, then click Check Audio. Make sure your audio quality is “Passed.”

Speaking properly to the computer

At times the computer will type something that sounds like what you said but isn’t quite right. People sometimes misunderstand each other in the same way. But the computer is not a person, so it won’t help to:

SHOUT

t a l k s l o w l y

or. say. only. one. word. at. a. time.

This section provides some guidelines for talking to a computer.

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Speak naturally and continuously, but pronounce each word clearly

When you talk to another person, you can mumble and run your words together and still be understood most of the time. For example, if you say, “Innit cold?” a person will probably understand that you’re asking, “Isn’t it cold?”

But Dragon NaturallySpeaking has trouble interpreting mumbled or slurred speech. The computer recognizes speech most accurately when it can hear each word distinctly.

To understand what it means to speak both clearly and naturally, listen to the way newscasters read the news. If you copy this style when you use Dragon NaturallySpeaking, you should see an improvement in how well the program recognizes what you say.

Make it a habit to say each word clearly when you talk to the computer.

Avoid leaving out words and making extra sounds (like “um”)

In conversation with another person, it’s okay if you leave out a word here and there. People are good at filling in the blanks in a sentence. Unfortunately, the computer is not very good at this. If you leave out words, Dragon NaturallySpeaking also leaves them out.

Another thing people do well is ignore all those “ums” and “ers” that show up in conversation. But the computer has no way of knowing which words are unimportant, so it simply transcribes everything you say.

Make it a habit to avoid leaving out words or making extra sounds. It may help to compose your thoughts before you speak.

Speak at your normal pace—don’t slow down

When another person is having trouble understanding you, speaking more slowly usually helps. So it’s not surprising that people often slow down and begin sounding out each syllable when Dragon NaturallySpeaking makes mistakes.

It doesn’t help, however, to speak at an unnatural pace when you’re talking to a computer. This is because the program listens for predictable

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sound patterns when matching sounds to words. If you speak in syllables, Dragon NaturallySpeaking is likely to transcribe each syllable as a separate word.

Make it a habit to speak at your normal pace, so Dragon NaturallySpeaking can learn your normal pronunciation.

Speak in phrases, rather than one word at atime

Along with the tendency to speak slowly, people often begin saying just one or two words at a time when Dragon NaturallySpeaking makes mistakes.

Surprisingly, speaking in very short phrases or individual words can actually lessen accuracy. This is because Dragon NaturallySpeaking uses the context of a phrase to help it decide what you said.

Consider the following phrase: “Dear Mr. Jones.” If you were to dictate this phrase one word at a time (“dear” “mister” “jones”), Dragon NaturallySpeaking might type “Deer” or “Gear” instead of “Dear.” But if you were to dictate the whole phrase (“dear mister jones”), the program can use context to determine that the word you want is most likely “Dear.”

Make it a habit to dictate in phrases, so Dragon NaturallySpeaking can use context to help determine what you said. It may help to compose your thoughts before you speak.

Speak at your normal volume—don’t whisper or speak too loudly

When you first started Dragon NaturallySpeaking and read the training text aloud, the program adapted to the pitch and volume of your voice, along with learning your pronunciation.

For this reason, you should continue to speak at a normal volume (or slightly louder if this helps). If you shout or whisper, Dragon NaturallySpeaking won’t understand you as well.

Make it a habit to speak at your normal volume, since Dragon NaturallySpeaking has adjusted to this volume.

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Prevent vocal strain

When you’re dictating for long periods you should think about protecting your voice.

Here are some tips for preventing vocal strain:

■

Sit up straight or stand in front of your computer.

■

Don’t speak in a loud voice or in any way that is stressful for you.

■

Breathe deeply from your abdomen and not from the top of your chest.

■

Loosen up and relax: stretch your arms, shoulders, neck, and jaw muscles.

■

Take occasional breaks: get up, move around, and stretch.

■

Keep your vocal cords moist: take sips of water and use a straw so you don’t have to move the microphone out of place.

Correcting recognition mistakes

When Dragon NaturallySpeaking types the wrong words, you should correct these mistakes. By giving the program the right word, you actually teach the program not to make the same mistakes again.

Correcting mistakes requires some extra effort, but it saves you time in the long run by making Dragon NaturallySpeaking more accurate. You’ll probably need to correct mistakes often when you first start dictating, and then less frequently as the program learns from your corrections.

Make it a habit to correct mistakes to continue to improve the accuracy of the program. Make sure you save your speech files when prompted, to preserve the adjustments the program makes.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 5 offers two tools for correcting:

■

The Quick Correct list is the quickest and easiest way to make corrections in the DragonPad.

■

The Correction dialog box is a more powerful tool that lets you correct text and spell new words.

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Correcting mistakes with Quick Correct

In the DragonPad, correcting a mistake is quick and easy. Just select the mistake and choose the correct word or phrase from the Quick Correct list.

To correct a mistake with Quick Correct:

1 Dictate until Dragon NaturallySpeaking misrecognizes a word. For

example, dictate this sentence:

US/Canada: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog [period]

Other Dialects: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog [full stop]

In the following example, Dragon NaturallySpeaking heard the word “quick” as “dark.”

2 Select the mistake. You can select the text you just dictated by saying

“Select That,” or you can select a specific word or phrase by saying “Select” followed by the word(s) you see. The Quick Correct list appears.

Quick Correct list

Say “Choose 1” to replace “dark” with “quick.”

You can also choose to spell the word, capitalize it, delete it, cancel, or ignore the Quick Correct list and keep dictating.

In this example, when you say “select dark,” the word “dark” is highlighted and the Quick Correct list shows you the most likely matches for the misrecognized word.

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3 Choose the correct word from the Quick Correct list by saying “Choose”

and the number next to your choice. In this example, say “Choose 1,” and “quick” will replace “dark.”

If the word you want does not appear in the list, say “Spell That” or “Correct That.” The Correction dialog box will appear for you to spell or type the correct word. See the next procedure for details.

When the Quick Correct list appears, you can also choose to:

■

spell the word (in this example, say “Spell That q-u-i-c-k”)

■

capitalize it (say “Cap That,” in this example, to get “Dark”)

■

delete it (say “Scratch That”)

■

say “Cancel” to dismiss the list

■

ignore the Quick Correct list and keep dictating (in this example, just say “quick”)

If you ignore Quick Correct and dictate while text is selected, your new dictation will replace the selected text: this is called Select-and-Say. This method, however, does not teach Dragon NaturallySpeaking not to make the same mistake again. For more information on Select-and-Say, see “Select-and-Say vs. correction” on page 22.

TIP

If you prefer not to see the Quick Correct list ever y time you select text, you can turn it off. In the Options dialog box, select the Correction tab and clear the check box “Select commands bring up Quick Correct.”

The Quick Correct list works in the DragonPad, but not in other programs. If you select text by voice and the Quick Correct list does not appear, just say “Spell That” or “Correct That” and continue with the procedure below.

Using the Correction dialog box

The Correction dialog box is the most powerful and universal way to correct a mistake so that Dragon NaturallySpeaking won’t misrecognize the word again.

There are many ways to open the Correction dialog box. Use the method that is most convenient for you, as described in the following list.

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To open the Correction dialog box:

■

When the Quick Correct list is open, say “Spell That” or “Correct That.” This method works only in the DragonPad.

■

To correct a mistake immediately after it appears, say “Spell That” or “Correct That.” This method works in any program.

■

Say “Correct” and then the word or phrase that you see on the screen. This method works in Select-and-Say applications (see page

171).

■

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

US/Canada

) or “Correct [text] To [text]” ( [text], substitute the actual word or words at the beginning and the end of the phrase you want (they must be visible on the screen). For example, if you want to correct “it was a dark and stormy night,” you can say “Correct it was through night” (

Other Dialects

night” (

). This method works in Select-and-Say

US/Canada

applications (see page 171).

■

Select text and say “Spell That” or “Correct That.” This method works in Select-and-Say applications (see page 171).

■

Press the correction keyboard shortcut, the minus (-) key on the numeric keypad. This opens the Correction dialog box with the last thing you said, the selection, or the words preceding or following the insertion point.

■

Say “Spell” to open the Correction dialog box with no text in it. This allows you to spell a word for the first time. For more information, see “Spelling as you dictate” on page 22.

Other Dialects

) or “Correct it was to

). For

NOTE

(next to each other). You cannot use a single command to correct words that are in different parts of your document.

If you’re correcting more than one word, the words must all be in sequence

Some people prefer to correct the mistakes in their documents by using the mouse and keyboard. You can use your mouse to select the wrong words (or simply place your insertion point somewhere in the mistake), and then press the minus (-) key on the numeric keypad to open the Correction dialog box.

To correct a word or phrase:

1 Open the Correction dialog box.

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You can resize the Correction dialog box by dragging a corner or side.

Note: The Play Back button is only in Preferred and higher editions.

Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Successfully

2 When the Correction dialog box opens, if the correct word or phrase is in

the list of choices, you can simply choose it.

Text b ox

There are several ways to choose the correct text:

■

Say “Choose” and then the number of the correct choice. For example, say “Choose 9” (or “Choose Numeral 9”).

■

Click the correct choice, and then click or say “OK.”

■

Double-click the correct choice.

This closes the Correction dialog box and enters the text into your document.

3 If none of the choices exactly matches what you said, you must enter the

correct text. There are two ways to enter the correct text:

■

Start spelling the correct word or phrase. Say the letters continuously and quickly, not one at a time.

■

Start typing the correct word or phrase into the text box. As you type, the list shows alternatives that match what you’ve typed so far.

4 When you see the correct choice, choose it by voice or mouse.

5 If the correct choice doesn’t appear, finish spelling or typing it and then

click or say “OK.”For example, try dictating the following text:

US/Canada: I liked your proposal period why don't you webify it and have the rest of the team take a look question mark

Other Dialects: I liked your proposal full stop why don't you webify it and have the rest of the team take a look question mark

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Dragon NaturallySpeaking types:

I liked your proposal. Why don't you Web if I it and have the rest of the team take a look?

To correct the text, say “Select Web if I,” then “Spell That w-e-b-i-f-y.” Then click or say “OK.”

Spelling in the Correction dialog box

You can either spell text by voice or type it here. You cannot dictate whole words into the Correction dialog box.

When you’re spelling, this is what you can say:

■

letters (a–z)

■

International Communications Alphabet (alpha, bravo, and so on)

■

numbers (0–9)

■

punctuation

■

“Cap” (to capitalize the next letter)

■

“Double” (to enter the next letter twice, for example, “Double a”)

■

“Space Bar” or “space” (to insert a space)

■

“Backspace”

■

“apostrophe ess”

■

For a complete list of special characters and the International Communications Alphabet, see “Correction dialog box commands” on page 177 of Appendix B.

When one of the choices in the Correction dialog box is almost correct, you can select it and use it as a starting point without entering the text into your document. Just click it or say “Select” (not “Choose”) and then the number of the choice. For example, say “Select 3” (or “Select Numeral

3”). Then edit the word or phrase.

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Editing in the Correction dialog box

When you’re working in the Correction dialog box, you can use your voice to move the insertion point and to select and delete words and characters.

Moving around in the Correction dialog box

You can move the insertion point right or left by words or characters. For example, you can say “Move Right a Word” or “Move Left 4 Characters.”

See the complete list below:

SAY THEN

Move Right a Word or 1 Word

(o n e )

Forward 2 Words Left Back a Character

THEN

(o n e )

2..20

Words

2 Characters

2..20

Characters

1 Character

Selecting text in the Correction dialog box

You can select all the text in the text box by saying “Select Line” or “Select All.”

You can also select right or left by words or characters. For example, you can say “Select Next Character” or “Select Previous 2 Words.” See the complete list below:

SAY THEN

Select Next Word

(o n e )

Forward 2 Words Previous Back Character Last 4 Characters

THEN

2..20

( o n e )

Words

Characters

Deleting text in the Correction dialog box

You can delete selected text in the Correction dialog box by saying

“Delete Selection.”

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You can also delete words or characters. For example, you can say “Delete Next Word” or “Delete Previous Character.”

See the complete list below:

SAY THEN

Delete Next Word

Spelling as you dictate

With the new Spell command in Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 5, you can easily spell a word or phrase you want to dictate into your document. This can be useful if you are dictating a word that is not likely to be in the Dragon NaturallySpeaking vocabulary, such as a proprietary term or a foreign word.

To spell a word while dictating,

1 Spell the word. Say, for example, “Spell c-i-a-o.”

You must say “Cap” if the word contains a capital letter. For example, say “Spell Cap m-a-c Cap-m-i-l-l-a-n” to type “MacMillan.”

(o n e )

Forward 2 Words Previous Back Character Last 4 Characters

THEN

2..20

(o n e )

Words

Characters

2 The Correction dialog box opens and Dragon NaturallySpeaking types

the letters you spell. You can then continue spelling or correct any errors in the word you spelled.

For more tips on spelling, see the online Help.

Select-and-Say vs. correction

You can always make corrections by selecting your text and dictating to replace it. You learned about this method, called Select-and-Say, in the online Tutorial and the Quick Start guide. See “Which commands work in which programs?” on page 171 for a list of the programs that support Select-and-Say.

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Selecting text and dictating over it, however, will not correct speechrecognition errors. Only by using the Quick Correct list or the Correction dialog box can you teach Dragon NaturallySpeaking not to make the same mistakes again.

For information on using Select-and-Say to revise your dictation, see “Using Select-and-Say” on page 90.

Playing back your dictation

Dictation playback is available in Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred and higher editions.

Playback commands work in the DragonPad, Microsoft Word 97 and 2000, Corel WordPerfect 8 and 9, and Lotus Notes.

Although Dragon NaturallySpeaking never makes a spelling mistake, the mistakes it does make can be challenging to find and fix. Sometimes, what the program types looks very different from what you actually said.

To make correcting mistakes easier, Dragon NaturallySpeaking records your voice as you dictate. You can play back your voice whenever you cannot tell by looking at your document what you originally said.

NOTE

playback is available only until you close a document. After you close a document, Dragon NaturallySpeaking deletes the recorded dictation for that document. See page 26 for information on saving dictation for later correction (Professional and higher editions).

Unless you have Dragon NaturallySpeaking Professional or a higher edition,

Playing back dictation in the Correction dialog box

When you’re working in the Correction dialog box, click the Play Back button or say “Play Back” to play the dictation that goes with the words you’re correcting. Then edit the text to match what you said.

You can set up Dragon NaturallySpeaking to play back dictation automatically whenever you open the Correction dialog box. On the NaturallySpeaking menu, point to Advanced, click Options, and then click the Correction tab. Select “Automatic playback on correction.”

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Sometimes, there’s no dictation to play back. For example, you cannot play back text that wasn’t entered by voice, such as words you typed or pasted into your document.

NOTE

have cut it, copied it, pasted it, or otherwise moved it around in the document.

Even when you have entered text by voice, you cannot play it back after you

If you have Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional or a higher edition, you can save your dictation with your document for later playback (see “Dictate now, correct later” on page 26). Otherwise, you cannot play back dictation after closing a document.

If dictation is not available, the Play Back button is dimmed (grayed out). When playback is not available, you may find text-to-speech useful for checking your work. See “Using text-to-speech” on page 28.

Playing back dictation in a document

To help you check your work for mistakes, you can play back a line, a paragraph, a selection, or the whole document. After playback starts, you can stop it as soon as you notice a mistake and automatically open the Correction dialog box.

The Playback toolbar is an extra section of the DragonBar that is normally hidden. To see the Playback toolbar, click the double chevron icon on the DragonBar to open the Extras toolbar (Preferred and higher editions).

To play back dictation:

To play back dictation, do any of the following:

■

Select the text you want to play back, and say “Play That Back.”

■

Click the Start Playback button on the Playback toolbar.

Start Playback

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