TextPad

Advantages

Text-to-voice software is fun and useful. For someone who spends long hours at the computer, the software allows him to listen to the pages rather than read them on screen. This eases the burden on their eyes, hands and wrists. Writers can use it to proofread their work. Text-to-voice is functional for people with vision problems. It facilitates education: children learn how to pronounce and spell words. Users can convert text to audio files like mp3 or wav, download it to their iPod and enjoy listening to pages on the go.

NaturalReader 9.0

Naturalreaders.com provides a free download, use and redistribution of their NaturalReader 9.0 software. The software permits you to listen to emails, web pages or any text on the computer. It is fully compatible with text files, Microsoft Office Word files, Windows Internet Explorer pages, Adobe PDF files and emails. It gives users the flexibility to adjust the quality, speed and volume of the audio. In contrast with other software, there is no need to copy and paste text; simply highlight and press a key to listen. It possesses a friendly and simple interface, making it easier for people with limited computer knowledge to utilize.

Language Reader

Language Reader is fully qualified software that is multilingual and supports American English, British English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese and Korean. Select text, press keys and listen to the highlighted text. Supported document formats are Adobe Acrobat (.PDF), Microsoft Office Word (.doc, .rtf), Microsoft Office Excel (.xls), Microsoft Office PowerPoint (.ppt), HTML (.htm, .html, .shtml) and Text (.txt). Language Reader comes with an easy-to-use editor and a simple interface.

Free Trials

Many companies offer free trials of text-to-voice software. Consider companies like NCH Software's Verbose Text-to-Speech Converter and Text Aloud from NextUp.com.

Tanseon Systems provides a free-trial download of VideoMAX Studio 4 that converts all kind of texts---notes, documents, emails, web pages and e-books---to voice using advanced speed synthesis technology. To listen, simply copy and paste text into its interface. This software gives users the ability to record the voice to a disc and is fully compatible with popular Windows versions.

Warning

A quick search on the web would lead you to plenty of free text-to-voice options. Consider reviews and opinions, and download freeware from trusted websites.

Benefits

Many large companies use automated phone systems, which have to convert text into speech to "talk" with a customer. A computer will listen to the prompts, and text to speech conversion software will translate computer database information into speech, which the customer can then understand. These phone systems may be used to list account balances or to tell a customer when a bill is due.

Features

Text to voice software usually features the ability to read popular document formats such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Personal Digital Files. Emails may also be read through an interface with messaging programs, such as Microsoft Outlook. This type of software also has the ability to read websites in popular Internet browsers. Text to speech programs can create audio files from large documents, which may be useful for presentations and videos.

Considerations

While a niche market, the visually impaired use computers and the Internet to communicate with the outside world. Typically, specialized text to voice software reads web pages from top to bottom, allowing a blind individual to understand what is displayed on the screen. Text to voice software also helps the speech impaired communicate with the world without using a pen and paper.

Types

Text to speech software usually costs money. Two popular choices include NaturalReader and AT&T Natural Voices. As of March 2010, AT&T Natural Voices costs $295 for a full license, while NaturalReader charges significantly less at $49.50. AT&T has mastered text to speech technology in the use of their systems, so users and developers prefer Natural Voices for its sophisticated database engine, which offers improved clarity and works in a wider variety of applications.

Misconceptions

As of 2010, a computer cannot actually read text and naturally pronounce words. Audio samples are taken from a donor's voice, and thousands of syllables are recorded. Programmers design the software to mix and match these sound bites together in order for the program to speak words which were never recorded. Text to speech software uses rules, lists and dictionaries to guess how the word is spoken, but reading requires interpretation and logic, something computer software still lacks.

History

Before the age of tape recorders, doctors scribbled hand-written notes on paper when they met with patients. These notes later became part of massive repositories of paper, sticky notes and folders stored in file cabinets. Organization was limited, and without the aid of computers, medical personnel had limited search capabilities. With the advent of audio recording devices, doctors began recording their notes onto tape recorders. Assistants or secretaries would later play back these recordings and transcribe what they heard using typewriters. Word processors replaced typewriters after the invention of personal computers.

Current Technology

Today's voice recognition software claims to have up to a 99 percent accuracy rate. Advances in software design, computer hardware and digital signal processing make it possible for doctors to offload most transcription chores to computers. High quality microphones also translate into increased voice recognition accuracy.

Vendors

Microsoft includes a free voice-to-text program with Vista and Windows 7. It has a high accuracy rate and doctors can use it for basic, non-critical documentation tasks. However, it does not claim to have the up-to-99 percent accuracy rate of Dragon Medical by Nuance Software. This award-winning program is the world's most-widely used medical transcription software program, according to the manufacturer. It learns a user's speech patterns over time and updates its vocabulary database as users introduce new words. Dragon Medical has a vocabulary database that covers over 70 categories and topic areas. MacSpeech Dictate Medical also boasts a 99 percent accuracy rate. This Mac-based software understands 54 medical specialties and uses recognition technology created by Nuance.

Benefits

Doctors save money and time by using voice-to-text software. They no longer pay for transcription services or wait for transcribers to listen to and transcribe lengthy audio recordings. Patients also reap benefits because doctors are free to take detailed consultation notes without worrying about transcription costs.

Disadvantages

Aside from the cost of the software, doctors must purchase high-quality sound cards and microphones to achieve maximum speech-recognition accuracy. They also must spend time learning to use voice commands and training the software to recognize their voices. Even with proper training, transcription software cannot perform at a 100 percent accuracy level. According to a 2009 study performed by The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, medical documentation specialists discovered over 1,200 speech recognition errors in a sample of 823 dictations. Forty-three percent of the errors were critical.

History

Before the age of tape recorders, doctors scribbled hand-written notes on paper when they met with patients. These notes later became part of massive repositories of paper, sticky notes and folders stored in file cabinets. Organization was limited, and without the aid of computers, medical personnel had limited search capabilities. With the advent of audio recording devices, doctors began recording their notes onto tape recorders. Assistants or secretaries would later play back these recordings and transcribe what they heard using typewriters. Word processors replaced typewriters after the invention of personal computers.

Current Technology

Today's voice recognition software claims to have up to a 99 percent accuracy rate. Advances in software design, computer hardware and digital signal processing make it possible for doctors to offload most transcription chores to computers. High quality microphones also translate into increased voice recognition accuracy.

Vendors

Microsoft includes a free voice-to-text program with Vista and Windows 7. It has a high accuracy rate and doctors can use it for basic, non-critical documentation tasks. However, it does not claim to have the up-to-99 percent accuracy rate of Dragon Medical by Nuance Software. This award-winning program is the world's most-widely used medical transcription software program, according to the manufacturer. It learns a user's speech patterns over time and updates its vocabulary database as users introduce new words. Dragon Medical has a vocabulary database that covers over 70 categories and topic areas. MacSpeech Dictate Medical also boasts a 99 percent accuracy rate. This Mac-based software understands 54 medical specialties and uses recognition technology created by Nuance.

Benefits

Doctors save money and time by using voice-to-text software. They no longer pay for transcription services or wait for transcribers to listen to and transcribe lengthy audio recordings. Patients also reap benefits because doctors are free to take detailed consultation notes without worrying about transcription costs.

Disadvantages

Aside from the cost of the software, doctors must purchase high-quality sound cards and microphones to achieve maximum speech-recognition accuracy. They also must spend time learning to use voice commands and training the software to recognize their voices. Even with proper training, transcription software cannot perform at a 100 percent accuracy level. According to a 2009 study performed by The Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity, medical documentation specialists discovered over 1,200 speech recognition errors in a sample of 823 dictations. Forty-three percent of the errors were critical.

Increased Speed

According to Nuance Communications, the majority of people can speak roughly 120 words every minute but are only able to type around 40. With dictation software, the computer can convert your voice into text at a much faster rate.

Improved Communication

Most types of dictation software have a built-in feature to send your message via email, FTP or other computer network immediately upon completion. Messages can be spoken, converted to text, and delivered to the recipient very quickly.

Hotkeys and Macros

Most brands of dictation software also allow you to create hotkeys and macros to complete repetitive tasks. Simply record the action once and you can copy the process as often as you like with a voice command.

Efffectiveness

High-quality voice recognition software can be very effective, although it may require an initial adjustment by the user. Its accuracy will depend on the quality of the software.

Training

Voice recognition software requires initial training, during which the user reads prepared text into a microphone. This familiarizes the software with the user's voice and speech patterns. More extensive training yields more accurate results.

Benefits

Voice recognition software can benefit people who suffer from disabilities. It can also save time for business users who compile a lot of memos and lists. People who work with a lof of text, such as translaters of medical transcribers, may also find it helpful.

Variations

Voice recognition software is avaiable for computers running Macintosh and Microsoft Windows operating systems. Tests carried out by the Top Ten Reviews website found that of four products tested, MacSpeech Dictate and e-Speaking software packages had the fewest errors.

Separate Application

Microsoft PowerPoint cannot run text-to-voice by itself. You must first download and install a text-to-voice application that is compatible with PowerPoint. Tuval Software Industries produces this type of application.

License Required

Whether you use text-to-voice for personal use or in a business environment, you must buy a license. Business licenses are generally more expensive than those for personal use. Some companies, such as Tuval Software Industries, may sell you the license with the software. Check before you buy.

Human Voices

Text-to-voice software once sounded computerized and choppy, but today it can sound human and realistic. Companies achieve this effect through the concatenation method. This means companies record a real human voice and then break up the words. The words are reassembled by the program according to the typed text.

History

Scientists have tried to create speech synthesizers since the 1940s to help automate transcription, according to Dennis Klatt, a noted researcher in speech and hearing science at Indiana University. The first voice to text software, MacinTalk, appeared on the Macintosh in 1984.

Function

Speech synthesis software requires the user to speak into a microphone, which converts the sound into analog signals, and the software converts analog signals into computer language of one and zeroes, according to PC World.

Benefits

Most anyone can benefit from voice to text software. You can use it to reduce manual typing and the possibility of developing carpal tunnel syndrome, or improve the efficiency of performing mundane tasks and composing emails.

Windows

By default, Windows provides in the Ease of Access section the ability to use voice recognition just by setting up a microphone and turning on the service. See the Resources section for further information on configuring and using this service.

Free Programs

There are also a few good programs that you can download and install to use for this purpose. CNET has a nice list that comes complete with user and editor reviews (see Resources).

Purchase a Program

You can get more features if you purchase a top-of-the-line software solution. Most voice-to-text programs only have the capability to control the document you are creating. More advanced software can also control other aspects of your PC, like opening a new program or surfing the web. Determine what your needs are and ensure the software meets them.

Considerations

The misconception about using this software is that it will be easier than typing. There are many verbal commands for punctuation and editing that you will need to learn to use the software successfully

History

According to Dennis Klatt's "History of Speech Synthesis," the first text-to-voice machine dates back to the 1700s when leather tubes were manipulated to imitate the sounds of the human voice. In the late 1930s, Bell Telephone unveiled the first machine that attempted to break human speech patterns into phonetic parts and reassemble them electronically. Seventy years later, most computers come equipped with the native ability to take text and output it using a surprisingly lifelike computerized representation of a human voice.

Function

Text-to-speech software consists primarily of two components. The first takes the text from any number of sources--a web page, a word processor document, etc.--and converts it to phonetic symbols. The second interprets these symbols and reads it aloud through a speaker using a synthesized human voice.

Significance

Text-to-voice software has a wide variety of applications. It is used as an aid for the blind and visually impaired, but also finds wide usage in devices like global positioning systems and other instruments that take data and output it in a way that humans can understand when reading is not possible.

Function

Voice recognition software saves time and allows users to create documents, format and edit documents and navigate their computer's operating system without using their hands.

Features

Voice recognition software usually supports multiple languages. Programs contain a large database of words and new words can be added by the user. This is useful for anyone who uses a lot of technical or medical jargon, the British BBC website notes. It can be used to carry out basic computing functions, such as underlining document text or opening a new program. Some programs are compatible with portable recording devices which means that records speeches can be transferred to a computer and translated into text.

Translation

Voice recognition software translates spoken words into text by capturing the speaker's words with a microphone and comparing them to preloaded words. Words that closely match those recognized by the software are converted into text.

Benefits

People who have difficulty spelling, find it uncomfortable to use their hands because of disabilities and those who create a lot of documents can benefit from voice recognition software.

Description

Text-to-voice generators read text out loud when it appears on a computer display. They can also announce actions such as when you click options or display windows. You typically control the type of voice, volume, pitch and speed to suit personal tastes.

Techniques

Rather than using recorded voices, which cannot cover every word combination and takes up too much space, generators typically create sounds using phonetic rules to pronounce words. This can produce robotic voices that mispronounce names and foreign phrases, making them difficult to understand at times.

Windows

Windows XP and later versions contain a built-in text-to-voice generator called Narrator as part of its accessibility features. You run it by choosing "Start" and "All Programs," and then "Accessories" and "Narrator."