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Q. There is a lot of information here? How do I do a search for what I want?
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A. The informaton is provided as a complete list of questions ranked in descending order of the importance that we think they are to our customers.
To allow you to search quickly for what you need, use the "search" field shown above. Type a word or phrase that you want information on. Only relevant FAQ entries will be listed, rather than the whole list.
You can click on items in bold italics to obtain further detailed information within our extensive information database.
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Q. I have heard that voice recognition systems are susceptible to background noise. What can I do about this?
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A. If you use a noise cancelling microphone and your PC has a sound card which is recommended for use with SpeechMaster you should not experience problems. If you are experiencing difficulties and you are entitled to technical support, these can be resolved through contacting Words Worldwide.
With the correct microphone, problems with recognition are much more likely to be due to other factors than background noise. Difficulties are frequently wrongly blamed on background noise and given as reasons for abandoning the use of voice recognition.
Word Worldwide can provide a PowerPoint presentation to assist in trouble-shooting problems. This is provided free to those purchasing SpeechMaster.
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Q. What level of accuracy can I expect from SpeechMaster?
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A. DNS will provide recognition accuracy between 95% to 99% from the outset, depending on the level of previous experience that the user has in using recognition technology. As a user continues to correct errors, accuracy rate increase steadily.
It should be remembered that correcting errors is very much easier when using voice recognition to carry out the correction process than searching for and correcting typing errors in the conventional manner.
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Q. Can young children use ScreenSpeaker and SpeechMaster?
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A. Yes, children soon learn how to control the ScreenSpeaker functions. DNS can cater for voices of all ages and the special SpeechMaster and enrolment scripts help children train their voices in the recognition system. For practical purposes, a minimum age of six years can be taken as a reasonable guide.
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Q. Do I need support and training? If so, what is available?
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A. Sufficient telephone and e-mail support is provided free with each product to enable a person with reasonable computer knowledge to install and operate the software satisfactorily. Those who have limited computer knowledge, especially those using SpeechMaster and who have no experience with voice recognition, are strongly recommended to obtain an annual support agreement.
At least one day's training is recommended, especially to those who are managing a group of users, for example at a school or college. Whereas a single user may be able to cope with limited knowledge and experience, a person responsible for number of users will find this inadequacy taxing and it will lead to reduced confidence and inefficiency amongst the user group.
Free telephone hotline support for ScreenSpeaker is available from Words Worldwide for 21 working days from the day on which the user installs the product. A further 60 working days free support is available via e-mail. No specific support is provided to those using a voice recognition system with ScreenSpeaker unless an appropriate order has been placed.
An annual support agreement is available from Words Worldwide.
Training is available for £450 per day from Words Worldwide at a site nominated by the trainee. Group trainings can be arranged by negotiation where suitable equipment can be provided at the trainees' cost at the training site; per capita rates will be considerably reduced. Training at reduced rates can also be provided at a site nominated by Words Worldwide.
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Q. I have a group of users, some of whom simply do not seem to be able to cope with speech recognition. What can I do about this?
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A. Some users find difficulty in adjusting to the idea of speaking out their thoughts. Others experience problems with enunciation and pronunciation. KeyStone Speech Tutor was introduced to address these problems and has proved to be a powerful tool. It enables users who have successfully enrolled using DNS or DragonDictate to practice speaking, being prompted by a computer voice. Their efforts are assessed automatically so that the teacher gains information on where difficulties occur.
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Q. I have a group of users, all of whom need to use SpeechMaster. Do I need a licence for each user?
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A. You need a licence for each computer on which SpeechMaster is loaded. Site licences are available at special prices for five systems or more.
If more than one person uses SpeechMaster on a single computer for significant amounts of work, a licence is required for each user of the speech recognition system. This requirement must be stated when ordering the equiment. Checks of this requirement in schools, colleges and commercial institutions may be conducted by FAST.
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Q. Do I qualify for an upgrade if I discover a fault in a program?
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A. All products have been rigorously tested but it is in the nature of computer products for some faults to remain hidden, only to be exposed when the user carries out an unusual operation.
Any fully documented fault which is reported will qualify the owner of the product to a replacement copy of the program at no charge as soon as the new version becomes available.
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Q. Can a person with speaking difficulties or a strong accent use SpeechMaster?
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A. Provided that the user speaks reasonably consistently and smoothly and has enrolled on DNS carefully, good results can be obtained. In the case of dysarthric speech it is harder to estimate the likely success of the outset. Slurred speech is easier to cater for than broken speech, where there is a pause within the word. A stutter can be coped with but this often presents a problem.
Where DNS fails to cater for speech problems, DragonDictate should be tried. In many cases those with quite severely dysarthric speech and bad stuttering can succeed in using ScreenSpeaker with DragonDictate.
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Q. I understand that it is no longer necessary to enroll on a speech recognition system. Is this true?
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A. Version 9 of Dragon NaturallySpeaking and the new MS Vista system enable a user to start using the recognition system after a very brief introductory session lasting a few seconds.
However, most users will still benefit considerably from spending a few minutes on the conventional enrolment system. This will be amply rewarded by a reduction in the need to correct for recognition errors in the early stages of use.
Users who do dispense with the enrollment phase may find they benefit from using KeyStone Speech Tutor. This is of particular value to people with enunciation or pronunciation difficulties and those who are not native to the language used for recognition.
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Q. Can I upgrade my existing SpeechMaster system to run on the new Vista operating system?
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A. Vista requires an upgrade for Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 to work with it. This can be obtained from Words Worldwide Limited.
KeyStone ScreenReader will work with Vista with the loss of some minor features. An upgrade will be available for full Vista functionality by the end of October 2007.
The Speech Tutor element has already been upgraded to work with Vista.
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Q. What is the recommended PC specification to use ScreenSpeaker and SpeechMaster products?
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A. If you are using ScreenSpeaker on its own, 256 MB of RAM will be sufficient. With SpeechMaster, unless your computer has close to 1 GB of RAM, you may experience problems with processing speed, especially if you are using several programs at once. It is recommended that you use a Pentium 4 processor or better, running at 2.0 GHz or faster.
SpeechMaster will benefit considerably from extra processing power and memory. However, increasingly memory capacity of your PC will prove to be the cheapest and most effective means of increasing the performance of SpeechMaster.
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Q. What is the difference between ScreenSpeaker and SpeechMaster?
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A. ScreenSpeaker is a special type of screen reader which is designed specifically to assist dyslexic people when they use voice recognition equipment. It is also useful to visually handicapped people for use as a more general screen reader.
SpeechMaster is a boxed product containing ScreenSpeaker and the DNS professional (version 8) voice recognition system. The microphone is purchased separately. The package includes 28 days of telephone support and 60 days of e-mail support.
ScreenSpeaker is ideal to people with reading problems and DNS helps those with writing problems. In combination as SpeechMaster they make the ideal package for dyslexics needing to produce written material.
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Q. Why is a microphone not included in the SpeechMaster pack?
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A. Many people are not satisfied with the standard DNS microphone for a variety of reasons. The microphone type is subject to change without notice. Also, schools and colleges frequently have more than one user on a specific system and require more than one microphone due to considerations of health and general convenience.
Words Worldwide therefore offers a choice of microphone and provides discounts the multiple orders. For practical reasons, this is not included in the SpeechMaster package and the price reflects this.
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Q. I understand that some users, particularly dyslexics, may have difficulty in speaking in continuous mode. What can be done about this?
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A. It is impossible to determine at the outset whether a dyslexic person or a person with learning difficulties will find it more appropriate to use discrete or continuous recognition. If the user does prefer to speak in discrete word mode, i.e. a word at a time with a pause between them, DNS will permit this without penalty. However, many dyslexic people will find that the technique for correcting recognition errors falls short of what was possible with DragonDictate.
For users who wish to have a high level of support in correcting recognition errors it is recommended that they purchase Keystone ScreenSpeaker and DragonDictate, along with appropriate support arrangements.
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Q. How can a large group of users access ScreenSpeaker or SpeechMaster?
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A. Special licence arrangements can be made for large groups of users. Where a server is required to store voice files, the Keystone Roamer product can be provided. Voice files can then automatically be downloaded and uploaded when a user logs on or off a computer.
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Q. I have heard that some dyslexic users have great difficulty in enrolling on speech systems. If this is true, can anything be done?
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A. SpeechMaster has a number of special enrolment scripts which consist of short phrases and sentences instead of lengthy paragraphs. The dyslexia user is therefore not confused by a mass of text. In addition, SpeechMaster contains extra scripts to those included normally with DNS, giving greater scope of finding one that suits the user.
SpeechMaster also speaks out each short phrase or sentence so that those who cannot read the text simply had to repeat what they hear.
The user can speak the enrolment text a word at a time if they are having difficulty.
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Q. Do I need to purchase a voice recognition system if I have the MS Vista operating system?
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A. Although MS Vista does have a useful voice recognition system provided as part of the operating system, many people will find that they need a more versatile system.
Words Worldwide is preparing a report comparing the Vista system with Dragon NaturallySpeaking version 9. This will be avaliable shortly, so keep an eye on this web site for further details.
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Q. How good is the new Vista voice recognition system?
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A. The new Microsoft Vista operating system contains an excellent voice recognition facility. However, some users will experience difficulties.
Words Worldwide Limted is currently preparing user guides to assist with using the new Vista voice recognition. KeyStone Speech Tutor is being developed to assist people who are having difficulty in getting a sufficiently good level of recognition.
Keywords: Vista, voice recognition, speech recognition, Microsoft
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Q. If I already have a version of DNS can I use it with ScreenSpeaker and if so, will it work in the same way as SpeechMaster?
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A. Yes, provided that you have version 8 or 9 of DNS Preferred or Professional, it will work in the same way as SpeechMaster once you load ScreenSpeaker. Earlier versions of DNS are not recommended.
Please note that you lose the benefit of the support arrangements if you purchase items separately. You cannot then take advantage of hotline or e-mail support unless you enter into an annual agreement.
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Q. What do I gain by obtaining DNS Preferred instead of Professional?
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A. A separate leaflet is available which tells you the difference between the various versions of DNS. Keystone users will see little difference between the different versions when using the product for assisting with literacy development.
The main difference between Preferred and Professional versions is that the latter provides the facility to set up Macros (special voice driven programs). These enable the user to speak commands and initiate an entire sequence of operations, e.g. initiate a mail merge from a specific file into a document and print the results onto pre-selected labels.
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Q. I have used a dictation machine for years. Will I be able to use SpeechMaster in the same way?
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A. Using speech recognition requires slightly different techniques. The users of dictation equipment often rely on the human transcriber coping with mumbled or gabbled speech. A rather higher quality of speech production is required when using automatic speech recognition equipment. However, the benefit of this is that the user no longer has to rely on the human transcriber’s experience of the dictation style. A more consistent response is therefore possible.
By using a mobile recorder, a person who has been using a dictation machine will be able to transfer quickly and effectively to voice recognition technology.
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Q. I understand that Keystone Roamer enables voice files to be automatically managed on a network. However, I understand that DNS already has this function. Why should I need Keystone Roamer?
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A. DNS only provides voice file management if you purchase the professional version of the product. Keystone Roamer enables you to manage voice files even if you only purchase the Preferred version of the product.
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Q. I often hear about "enrolment" and "training" of speech system. What do these terms mean?
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A. "Enrolment" (sometimes also referred to as "training") of the speech system is where the user provides examples of how he or she speaks by reading from a series of sections of text displayed on the screen. DNS collect information from the spoken text and this indicates how the user will form particular sounds when dictating.
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Q. What exactly is KeyStone ScreenSpeaker?
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A. KeyStone ScreenSpeaker is a screen reader that has been specifically designed to work with voice recognition systems as well as keyboard input.
ScreenSpeaker echoes all essential information from the correction box in Dragon NaturallySpeaking as well as (optionally) the text which is displayed on the screen as dictation continues. Information on menus and dialog boxes is also spoken out if required.
However, ScreenSpeaker also provides assistance with homophones and phonetic spelling errors. It is an invaluable means of support for those who need assistance with literacy problems or those new to the language.
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Q. I believe discrete speech systems had been around much longer than continuous systems. Are they therefore more accurate and more stable in computer terms?
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A. DragonDictate was launched in 1988 and is still available. Other than DragonDictate very few discrete systems are still on the market and none are easily accessible in the UK. Discrete systems are extremely robust and will work on almost any modern IBM compatible PC. For certain types of use it is still the most effective: for example when use is restricted to issuing terse commands such as "load file XYZ", "bold that", "Switch to Microsoft Excel", "move down six lines", "delete next six words". The advantage of this type of use compared to continuous speech systems is that it requires minimal amounts of memory and modest processing power.
Accuracy tends to be rather lower from an experienced user than will be found if a continuous system is being used. Dictation will be at much less than half the speed and correction of errors will be more of an effort.
The DragonDictate discrete speech system has proved extremely useful where a person is unable to produce a high quality of speech, for example where the user has CP. In such cases, high productivity is possible even though continuous speech recognition would be wholly unusable.
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Q. I understand that I can speak text into the DNS document window (DragonPad) when using SpeechMaster instead of using Microsoft Word. What are the benefits and disadvantages of this?
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A. The display of text on the screen will be quicker and maybe slightly more accurate than when Microsoft Word is used. The disadvantage is that you have to transfer text into other application packages such as Microsoft Word if you wish to format them, rather than dictating into them directly. Many of the very useful functions such as "bullet that" which are available when working with Microsoft Word and not available when working in DragonPad.
A major benefit is that on a less powerful machine, the DNS system will end to operate faster and more accurately. Also, for users who require a simpler user environment DragonPad is preferable to Microsoft Word.
Microsoft WordPad and Notepad can also be used with SpeechMaster instead of Microsoft Word.
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Q. What problems might I experience if I do not use the recommended specification of PC to use SpeechMaster?
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A. You will find that the PC may run very slowly if you have several programs loaded at once. In extreme cases, the machine may appear to "freeze" so that although it has not "crashed" in the strict sense, computer processing is effectively suspended.
If you have less than 512 MB of RAM, SpeechMaster will tend to run very slowly if you use it with Microsoft Word. The recommended amount of memory for smooth operation is 1 GB of RAM.
Speech recognition performance may suffer significantly if your PC falls below the recommended specification.
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Q. Is there anything I can do to speed up the operation of SpeechMaster and make it more accurate with the given machine specification?
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A. Yes, to a limited extent. There are DNS settings you can change which will make the processing faster at the expense of accuracy of recognition and vice versa - you cannot improve both at once.
In general, if you are experiencing problems with the default settings, you would be well advised to make the small extra financial outlay and upgrade your PC.
If you are mainly concerned with producing text and have limited formatting requirements, using the DragonPad facility will significantly speed up your work.
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Q. I understand that SpeechMaster is normally provided with version 8 of DNS, rather than version 9. Why is this?
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A. Words Worldwide has a special licence to provide version 8 of DNS at a very considerably reduced price to users. There is no significant difference in performance. Users obtain the Professional version of DNS at a cheaper price than the Preferred version 9. This arrangement was primarily introduced to assist educational establishments where the cost of providing large numbers of units was proving prohibitive in introducing the technology.
For those users who prefer version 9 of DNS, this can be provided at a higher price.
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