Vocabulary dictation systems
Introduction
Dictation systems have a variety of applications. They can be used to create documents by talking into a microphone. They can also be used to read back documents.
Creating documents
Vocabulary dictation systems have a number of uses. They can be used to create text documents. A person simply speaks into a microphone, dictating a letter, for example, which can be much faster than typing, especially if you haven't been trained in typing. In addition, specialised dictionaries can be added to systems. For example, a legal dictionary or medical dictionary could be added to a voice dictation system to allow legal documents or medical documents to be easily produced. Without the additional dictionaries, the jargon used in these specialist areas couldn't be identified accurately and a lot of errors would be created, which can take a long time to track down and correct.
Creating databases
Vocabulary dictation systems can also be used to create huge databases of text from speech. Speech is captured through microphones and then matched to written words, which are saved to a database. Once speech has been turned into text, it can then be analysed using computers. Speeches can be easily analysed. For example, it is easy to cross-reference what major politicians have said (and promised) in the past because many of their speeches are digitalised now and can be searched for keywords.
Reading back
The reverse process is also possible, where written text is read back though speakers or headphones to a user. The quality of the voice reading back can vary considerably. Free systems often have voices that sound very computerised, with accents and emphasis points in the wrong places, if they are there at all. Things get better when you start paying for commercial systems but they are still far from perfect. These kinds of systems can be used by people with disabilities, to read back novels and other literature. They can be used by authors, who can have a computer read back what they have written, so they can hear if it makes sense.
Frustrations
Vocabulary dictation systems have many claims written about them, usually from their manufacturers, some of whom will regularly claim 99% accuracy. Many users of such systems complain that this is an over-exaggeration, and that it takes a lot of time to actually go through what they have produced and find and correct errors. In addition, a considerable investment of time has to be made teaching voice systems to recognise individuals and their way of speaking, their pitch, volume, accents and so on, and ambient noice and the quality of the hardware used can cause additional problems. Some people think they are wonderful and swear that it saves them a lot of time.