Not a fan of Windows Speech Recognition or the Dictate function in Word 365

 

I was hopeful. But after 3 months of use, I can say that I’m not a fan of either Windows Speech Recognition or the Dictate function in Microsoft Word. I was hoping that the two programs together could be a cheap substitute for Dragon. How wrong I was.

I’ll first start with Windows Speech Recognition. It’s better than nothing, but that’s the most favorable thing that can be said. Dictating with this app can be wildly inaccurate. The app’s accuracy is nowhere close to Dragon’s. And it is not possible to dictate quickly without a number of errors. I have to speak a lot slower than my normal rate of speech and very carefully enunciate each word. So annoying. While it is possible to train words and add them to the vocabulary in WSR, the app seems to randomly choose which words can be trained. The app’s navigation isn’t great. It frequently gets navigation commands confused with text dictation and vice versa. I found that using “MouseGrid” or “Show Numbers” commands to be decent workarounds for the app’s frequent confusion regarding the navigation commands and text dictation. An explanation of the “ MouseGrid” command can be found under the heading “Commands for using the mouse.” [It’s the first item listed under that heading.] An explanation of the “Show Numbers” command can be found under the heading “Commands for Windows and apps.” [It’s the sixth item listed under that heading.] Windows Speech Recognition is also not particularly great for dictating numbers or a combination of numbers and letters. I had a very hard time getting WSR to format my numbers correctly. I had a lot of unnecessary spaces and, often times, had the number spelled out when I wanted to dictate solely numbers.

I also experimented with the Dictate function in Microsoft Word 365. Actually, the accuracy of the Dictate function is pretty good, significantly better than WSR. However, I had issues with navigation in Word using the Dictate function. So, I tried using WSR for its navigation commands then switching back to the Dictate function for dictating text. This was way too slow. If I had the ability to use some type of analog hands-free mouse such as a head mouse for navigation, the Dictate function might have been doable for me.

Overall, I much prefer Dragon to using Windows Speech Recognition or Microsoft Word 365’s Dictate function. [That’s what I’m using to write this post.] Dictation in Dragon is significantly faster than those apps. Additionally, browsing the web is better with Dragon because I can write custom commands that quickly take me to the sites that I want. The ergonomics of editing in Dragon are better for me than in WSR or Word 365. To choose an option with Dragon, I can say “Choose [number]” which is much easier on my vocal cords than saying “[Number] OK” in WSR or Word 365. Saying the hard consonant “K” in the word “OK” multiple times starts to feel like coughing and tires my vocal cords. In spite of all the issues that I had with the speech recognition in both of those apps, I would recommend them to someone with a temporary injury such as a sprained or broken arm. Learning Dragon due to a short-term condition would be too big of a lift.

3 "Must Know" Dragon Tips for Newbies

 

Dragon needs to have certain conditions to operate optimally. Here are my 3 “must know” tips for new users.

1. The computer specs for Dragon matter. Dragon needs a minimum of 8 GB of RAM for functionality. However, this is not optimal. Dragon uses a lot of RAM. For this reason, many people who use Dragon have 16 GB of RAM on their computers (myself included).
2. For optimal accuracy, an external mic is recommended. The quality of the microphone really does matter. For home use, I have a SpeechWare 3- in-1 TableMike. Yes, it was expensive ($279) but worth it. I found that dictation took less physical effort. So, I was able to work an additional 2 hours per day which in itself paid for the microphone. Previously, I had used a Blue Yeti, but found that microphone was ultrasensitive and was picking up all kinds of background noise. However, in the future, I plan to use that microphone for YouTube videos. At work, I’m using a SoundTech GN-USB-2 microphone. It’s a decent microphone, but it does take more effort for dictation than my SpeechWare 3-in-1. If you decide to buy the SoundTech microphone, my recommendation is that you apply black electrical tape over the red light at the microphone head. I found that the microphone’s red light was causing me to squint. Some people use headset microphones instead. I prefer table microphones because I don’t like any type of equipment clamped to my head.
3. Dragon does not like ambient noise. Excessive background noise will confuse Dragon (or any other type of dictation software) and interfere with the accuracy of your dictation. I actually got rid of a computer because its fan was too loud and causing Dragon to have issues. Try to minimize background noise as much as possible. This means not playing music or videos or having a loud fan running while you’re dictating.

    Hope you found this useful. I’ll report on my current Dragon experiment in a few weeks.

 

Use Dragon faster and more efficiently with add-ons

 

Dragon add-ons help eliminate the need to write custom commands. Additionally, third-party Dragon add-ons often make it faster and easier to navigate the computer, seriously turbocharging Dragon. If you need to work at a fairly fast pace or if you are a programmer, using a Dragon add-on is a “must.”

There are a number of add-ons out there. I can’t really say which one is the best because the choice depends on your workflow. You may want to use one or several add-ons. All of these apps have a free trial period. So, you may want to try them all.

The Dragon add-ons are as follows:

• KnowBrainer (command utility with thousands of commands, VerbalBasic programming language, and dictation in non-Dragon friendly applications)

• VoiceComputer Professional & Lite versions (command utility with auto numbering capability and Intag functionality)

• SpeechStart+ (minimalist command center with Windows resizing and microphone commands)

• Speech Productivity Pro & Standard versions (numerous functions including a fast dictation box, Windows resizing, Dwell, Click, & Wheel control, many developer tools, etc.)

• DragonCapture (this is a fast-loading dictation box)

• DragonEcho (an assistive tool for people with low vision, or no vision users)

• DragonBench (a tool for measuring the speed and accuracy of Dragon)

• DragonPhrases (a vocabulary tool for developers)

• DragonSources  (a tool for managing dictation sources)

I worked as an executive assistant and used SpeechStart+ in conjunction with Dragon for navigating Google Chrome, Google Workspace, Windows, and Microsoft Word. I would not have been able to do my job without using SpeechStart+. Scheduling was a large part of my job and this app was the best add-on that I found for navigating Google Calendar and Google Workspace in general. I like SpeechStart+ for its simplicity; there are not a lot of commands to remember. Also, I like its option to use small circles to identify clickable elements and easy to use window resizing commands.

I still use SpeechStart+ and have added Speech Productivity Pro 7 to my stack. I use the SP 7 Pro voice-enabled calculator, dictation box, and Internet search tool practically every day. Three years ago, I would have never imagined

Types of Dragon Commands

 

Using Dragon without custom commands is a lot like using a dial up modem [Yes, they still exist.] instead of high-speed Internet.

Custom commands give Dragon a lot of its functionality. Note: Custom command functionality is not available for the Dragon Home version. For the longest time, I did not know how to use custom commands properly. The only custom command I knew how to write was for pasting text. I didn’t realize that you could use custom commands for creating forms, opening apps and navigating within an app. Once I understood how to use custom commands, using Google Chrome and navigating Google Workspace became so much easier.  Custom commands can also be used to dictate Internet logins and passwords. I have a few logins and passwords integrated into some custom commands, but not all of them because I’m paranoid.

There are 3 types of custom commands: Step-By-Step commands, Advanced Scripting, and Macro Recorder.

• Step-by-step commands are my favorite custom commands because they’re fairly easy to implement and don’t require coding knowledge. These commands are what helped me make Google Chrome functional now that I can no longer type by hand exclusively due to repetitive stress injuries.
• Advanced Scripting commands have the advantage of executing much faster than the Step-By-Step or Macro Recorder commands. I don’t have many Advanced Scripting commands because I haven’t learned a lot of coding.
• Macro Recorder commands are the third type of custom command. Basically, these commands literally record steps that you take when using the computer. After recording, these commands are accessible via voice prompts. These are not commands that I like to use since they are specific to hardware configuration. For example, if I decided to replace my monitor, I would have to re-record any Macro Recorder commands. Not to mention, Macro Recorder commands are slow.

One book that I recommend for nontechies (such as myself) for learning how to set up Dragon custom commands is Dragon Professional| A step further by Michael Sheppard. This book is written for people who do not code. I really appreciate the step-by-step color illustrations in Dragon Professional | A step further as I’m a visual learner. I don't think I would've figured out how to write custom commands without this book. There is a section in the book about incorporating VBA (Visual Basic for Applications, a code owned by Microsoft) into custom commands. However, if you’re using the 64-bit version of Microsoft 365, you cannot incorporate VBA in your custom commands.

The other coding book that I recommend for beginners is The Easy Guide to Dragon Scripting. That book explains DVC scripting in the simplest terms and has good ergonomic tips. A book that is considered the Bible for Dragon Advanced Scripting is Scripting for Dragon 10-15 by Larry V. Allen. Be aware that this book assumes that you know the basics of coding. If you don’t understand coding, this book is marginally useful.

If you would like to have additional functionality but want to keep writing custom commands to a minimum, you may want to consider buying one or several Dragon add-on apps.

Online Training for Dragon

 

I wish that the medical professionals would have suggested classes when they first recommended that I use Dragon after I got repetitive stress injuries several years ago. I struggled with learning Dragon for about a year. I did not have the software properly configured and did not know any better. Getting Dragon without training was very similar to being given a prosthetic without occupational therapy. I stumbled through the Internet and did my best to find information.

I did Dragon’s interactive tutorial and it was useful for learning some of the basic functions, but not enough for me to be really proficient with Dragon. So, I took this LinkedIn Learning workshop, Dragon Naturally Speaking Essential Training (this course has since been archived by LinkedIn Learning and is no longer available). While that course was useful, it did not address how to use Dragon on multiple monitors.

After a long Google search, I found Learn Dragon Online Academy. The program’s video tutorials were very comprehensive. I learned how to properly configure Dragon in the first lessons. I was able to work faster with Dragon and learned how to use Dragon on multiple monitors [at last]. The teacher, Janneke den Draak, was very responsive to my questions about Dragon via email. In addition, there was a monthly live Q&A session via Zoom for her students. These courses were set up under a paid membership, either monthly or yearly. Custom commands were not covered in in-depth in those courses. I learned how to write those from reading a book. Overall, I feel that the Learn Dragon Online Academy was a good investment.

Recently, I found 2 other online sources for learning the basics of Dragon software:

• Udemy has 2 courses: A step-by-step guide for Dragon Users – Part 1 and A step-by-step guide for Dragon Users – Part 2.
• EXAQ.com has 3 live online courses. (I have not taken the Udemy or EXAQ courses and so have no reviews for them.)

When it comes to software, my preference is to get training whenever possible. It’s so much more efficient to work with a framework.

What can Dragon software do?

 

Dragon can do a lot. I use Dragon to navigate the Windows operating system and a number of apps hands-free. Some programmers even use it for hands-free coding in conjunction with other apps. Dragon’s functionality can be affected by app compatibility. There can be a difference in functionality even in Dragon compatible apps like desktop versions of Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365). A few years back, I decided that I wanted to become a power user of Microsoft Excel and was studying tutorials. Office 365 was installed on my computer. I kept trying to dictate parentheses and Dragon was not recognizing those symbols. There are number of Excel formulas that require parentheses. I thought that Dragon had become corrupted. After a lot of back and forth with Nuance support, I found out that it is not possible to dictate parentheses () in the Microsoft 365 version of Excel. Only the desktop version of Excel has the full text control that would allow me to dictate parentheses.

There is even a difference in Dragon functionality between the Microsoft Business 365 plans. If you want to have any Dragon editing capability, you want to invest in the Microsoft Business 365 Standard plan or higher. Basically, you want the downloadable desktop apps. Downloading the desktop apps in order to access Dragon’s editing functions also applies to the Personal Microsoft 365 license.

The Help section of Dragon is comprehensive, but it’s not that helpful if you’re new to the software and don’t know what questions to ask. For example, when I first started using Dragon, I had no idea that Dragon could be move a computer mouse between monitors. So, there I was manually dragging calendar entries and app windows between 2 monitors. If I had known about the “List All Windows” command that allows you to navigate between open windows and programs, I could’ve been spared some wrist pain. While that command is listed on the Dragon cheat sheet, there is no explanation as to what that command does and it isn’t listed in the Dragon Professional workbook or Interactive Tutorial for Version 15. Many people work with multiple monitors. So, I don’t understand why the “List All Windows” command is not explained in the software’s basic training.

Learning Dragon can be a bit frustrating. So, some perseverance is required. If you would like to know more about the full capabilities of the newest version of Dragon (version 16) check out the comprehensive review by Lunis Orcutt, publisher of KnowBrainer.

What is speech recognition software?

 

For those of you who are new to this rabbit hole of hands-free typing, speech recognition software is defined as assistive technology that allows you to control a computer with voice commands. The apps can either be third-party or built into a computer operating system. Let’s start with the two built in apps first: Windows Speech Recognition (PC) and Voice Control (Mac). Both can be used to open programs, menus, dictate text, and click objects on a computer screen by voice. These built in apps will also give some limited positioning of the mouse using the Grid commands. However, grid commands are very slow for positioning a mouse. I personally hate those commands in any type of app.

There are a lot of speech to text apps available. However, the 4 third-party apps that allow the most complete control of the computer are as follows: Dragon, Talon Voice, Dragonfly, and Serenade. There are people who use more than one of these apps depending on their workflow. Serenade and Dragonfly are open source and free. Talon is proprietary and free although you can become a patron and get beta access to new features and a VIP Slack channel. Talon and Serenade seem to be the most popular of the coding required apps. I have not used these 3 apps because I prefer not to code. So, I can’t speak from experience. I use Dragon, a more “out-of-the-box” app that does not necessarily require coding. An individual license for Dragon ranges anywhere from $150-$699 depending on the software version and type of license. A subscription to Dragon Anywhere starts at $150 per year. I paid $500 for my Dragon Professional license (version 15.61). Let’s say I had some sticker shock. Prior to my injury, I bought the cheapest software and computer that I could find. Those days are over. Between my current software, computer, and other assistive tech, I’ve definitely gone into the thousands.

*Update 4/7/23. A fabulous reader pointed out that Talon is proprietary, not open-source. Thanks Spud! I have made the correction and also per Spud, I am adding Numen, an open source Linux based speech recognition app, to this list.