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CHAPTER 3
Starting to Dictate
Dragon NaturallySpeaking User’s Guide 29
For a new paragraph, say “New Paragraph” run together as one word,
with no pause after “new.” For a new line, say “New Line.”
After dictating a paragraph or two, go back and correct any recognition
errors with the keyboard and mouse, just as you would usually correct
errors in a word-processed document. You’ll learn to correct by voice in
chapter 4, “Correcting and Editing.”
Key tips for dictating
■ Pronounce each word clearly—even short words.
■ Speak all punctuation (“comma,” “period,” and so on).
■ Say commands without pausing between the individual words of the
command (as if you were saying “NewParagraph”). Do not pause
while saying the command.
■ Do pause, however, before and after saying the command.
Commands require a pause before and after the command (“This is a
test [pause] Select Last 3 Words [pause] Bold That”). The pauses
enable Dragon NaturallySpeaking
®
to separate commands from
words to be typed (dictation).
■ Although talking to a computer is not like talking to a person,
speech with lively inflection tends to be processed more accurately
than speech in a dull monotone. For more tips on how to dictate, see
“Speaking and Dictating” on page 153.
■ Looking at the screen while speaking can be distracting. Try looking
away from the computer as you speak, or close your eyes.
■ To maintain your line of thought, dictate a paragraph or two at a
time. Then go back and correct with what you said still in mind.
■ Drink lots of water. Sipping it through a straw will help avoid
moving the headset and will help keep your microphone in the right
position.
? question mark question mark
- hyphen hyphen
: colon colon
TO ENTE R SAY (US/Canada) SAY (Other Dialects)