Speech Recognition and Synthesis
* Lesson 2 - INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL AUDIO 2.3 - SPEECH
RECOGNITION AND SYNTHESIS [1] Speech Recognition and
Synthesis
Digital audio technology allows you to interact with the computer by just
speaking. This helps improve productivity and empowers challenged users to
expand their ability to use computers. The following table introduces two
speech technologies, speech synthesis and speech recognition. Scroll down
to read each description.
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Speech synthesis
Imagine a scenario. Eric Andersen has finished writing his short story.
Eric wants to read the short story once before sending it to the publisher,
but is tired. Therefore, he decides to use the speech synthesis feature,
also referred to as the text-to-speech_ feature in Microsoft Windows Vista,
to listen to the short story._Speech synthesis_ is a technology that allows
the computer to speak to you by converting text to digital audio. Windows
Vista has a built-in _screen reader_ called Narrator that supports speech
synthesis. A screen reader is a program that reads the text on the computer
screen aloud. To support speech synthesis, your computer must be equipped
with a sound card and speakers. You can configure the text-to-speech
feature in Windows Vista by using the Ease of Access link in Control Panel.
Speech recognition
Imagine a scenario. Eric Andersen is using Microsoft Office Word 2007 to
write a short story. However, his typing speed is slow and it takes him a
long time to complete the story. To solve this problem, Eric's friend
advises him to use the speech recognition feature of Windows Vista._Speech
recognition_ is a technology that allows you to communicate with a computer
by using only your voice to enter text and to issue commands. To enable
speech recognition, you need an audio input device, such as a microphone, a
sound card, and speech recognition software that converts human speech into
text or commands for the computer. You can use speech recognition
technology to interact with various programs. For example, you can use it
to browse the Internet or enter text in documents.The speech recognition
feature is readily available in operating systems, such as Windows Vista.
You can configure the speech recognition feature in Windows Vista by using
the Ease of Access link in Control Panel.
