6.0
Table Of Contents
- Contents
- Introduction
- Installing and Training
- Starting to Dictate
- Correcting and Editing
- Formatting
- Capitalizing text
- Capitalizing the first letter of the next word you dictate
- Capitalizing consecutive words
- Dictating the next word in all capital letters
- Dictating consecutive words in all capital letters
- Dictating the next word in all lowercase letters
- Dictating consecutive words in all lowercase letters
- Capitalizing (or uncapitalizing) text already in your document
- Formatting text
- Capitalizing text
- Numbers and Punctuation
- Using E-Mail and Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Using Natural Language Commands
- Available Natural Language Commands
- The Sample Commands window
- The Command Browser
- Sample Commands
- Copying, moving, cutting, pasting, and deleting command samples
- Formatting command samples
- Spelling, grammar, and printing sample command samples
- Table sample command samples
- Microsoft Excel command samples
- Microsoft Outlook sample commands
- Microsoft PowerPoint sample commands
- America Online sample commands
- Hands-Free Computing
- Starting programs
- Opening documents and folders
- Switching between open windows
- Copying text to other programs
- Opening and closing menus
- Selecting buttons, tabs, and options
- Selecting icons on the desktop
- Resizing and closing windows
- Scrolling in windows and listboxes
- Pressing keyboard keys
- Activating commands by saying key names
- Moving the mouse pointer and clicking the mouse
- Hands-free tips
- Automate Your Work
- Workflow
- Speaking and Dictating
- Improving Accuracy
- Healthy Computing
- Using a Handheld Recorder
- Customizing Dragon NaturallySpeaking
- Troubleshooting
- Commands List
- Which commands work in which programs?
- Controlling the microphone
- Controlling the DragonBar
- Controlling the DragonPad
- Adding paragraphs, lines, and spaces
- Selecting text
- Correcting text
- Deleting and undoing
- Moving around in a document
- Copying, cutting, and pasting text
- Capitalizing text
- Formatting text
- Entering numbers
- Entering punctuation and special characters
- Playing back and reading text
- Working with your desktop and windows
- E-mail commands
- Using Lotus Notes
- Using Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Working hands-free
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- H
- I
- J
- K
- L
- M
- N
- O
- P
- R
- S
- T
- U
- V
- W
- Y
- Z
- Which commands work in which programs?
- Index
CHAPTER 12
Speaking and Dictating
Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 155
Speak with inflection
When talking to the computer, people tend to imitate the robotic voices
of computers in old science fiction movies. But using a flat monotone
voice will reduce your accuracy as well as put you to sleep. Speak with
your natural tone and volume of voice, as if speaking to a friend.
Breathe fully
Breathing fully and sitting up straight will help you speak clearly. If you
slouch while dictating, your lungs will be compressed and your voice
constrained, making it harder for the computer to understand your
words.
For tips on maintaining good vocal health, see page 186.
Close your eyes
Dictating while looking at the screen tends to be distracting—it makes
your speech more hesitant and less natural. Try dictating with your eyes
closed. Many people get significantly better results this way. Or, if you
prefer to keep your eyes open, try looking out of a window or at photos
of friends.
Be alert
When it’s 4:00 a.m. and you're still dictating the proposal that’s due
tomorrow, your recognition results will suffer as much as you’re
suffering. Tired people tend to mumble and speak without energy. You’ll
get your best results when you're most alert.
Relax
Stress and tension may change voice quality and degrade recognition
accuracy. When you're new to speech-recognition software, you might be
a bit anxious as you speak, anticipating that the program will make
mistakes. The program does, of course, and frustration may kick in as
you see the mistakes proliferate. Frustration makes you more tense,
changing your voice, which generates more mistakes, more frustration,
and still more mistakes.
Errors are inherent in computer transcription (as in human transcription).
The software takes its best guess at what you say and it sometimes
guesses incorrectly. Correcting mistakes is part of the normal process of
TIP