Speech Recognition

[Michiko]

Speech recognition is the capability of an electronic device to understand spoken words. A microphone records a persons voice and the hardware converts the signal from analog sound waves to digital audio. The audio data is then processed by software, which interprets the sound as individual words.
A common type of speech recognition is speech-to-text or dictation software, such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, which outputs text as you speak. While you can buy speech recognition programs, modern versions of the Macintosh and Windows operating systems include a built-in dictation feature. This capability allows you to record text as well as perform basic system commands.
In Windows, some programs support speech recognition automatically while others do not. You can enable speech recognition for all applications by selecting All Programs → Accessories → Ease of Access → Windows Speech Recognition and clicking Enable dictation everywhere. In OS X, you can enable dictation in the Dictation