August 21, 2006
Dragon Naturally Speaking 9 is the latest edition to Nuance's popular voice recognition software program. What sets Dragon 9 apart from previous versions is its claim that it needs no voice training and can be utilized right out of the box. Advertisements also indicate that Dragon 9 is up to 20 percent more accurate than previous versions.
True to its claims, Dragon 9 did not require voice training prior to use. It instantly began recognizing words that I dictated into the microphone enclosed with the software. Its initial accuracy rate, however, was not as high as 99%, statistic which Nuance claimed it could be. Minor adjustments, however, made the program more accurate.
First, microphone position is exceptionally important. If you dictate into a microphone that is directly in front of your mouth, you will muddy the dictation and decrease accuracy as air from your mouth goes into the microphone while you speak. For this reason, the microphone has to be positioned to the side of your mouth. Further, in order to maximize accuracy, the microphone has to be close to close to your mouth, albeit not directly in front. When I set the microphone next to the corner of my mouth, approximately a finger width from my face, Dragon 9's accuracy rate increased significantly.
In addition to microphone positioning, simply getting used to using voice recognition software results in improved accuracy. Dragon 9 works best when you dictate in paragraphs rather than parts of sentences, because context helps it decide between two similarly sounding words. There are tools within the software program that make Dragon 9 more accurate. First, you are able to have Dragon scan files on your computer to pick out words in your documents or e-mails that are not in its dictionary and you can then train the program to recognize these words. Second, like its predecessors, Dragon 9 allows you to train the software program by reading materials off your computer screen into the microphone so that the software can better recognize your speaking patterns. Finally, every time you correct a mistake made by the program, Dragon 9 records your corrections to avoid repeating mistakes.
Dragon is very useful when dictating long letters or for taking notes while reviewing large numbers of documents or extensive medical records. Despite the fact that my typing skills are fairly good, I find myself using Dragon 9 more frequently. Documents dictated into Dragon do require editing, but editing seems easier than editing self-typed documents because the mistakes are easier to pick up. Dragon 9 allows you to dictate into both the Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect word-processing programs.
Additionally, you can utilize Dragon 9 in other Windows programs. I have composed e-mails with Dragon 9, and edited file journals that I keep in Microsoft Outlook notes. There are different versions of Dragon nine, which allow for upgrades. There is a version of Dragon nine specifically made for legal professionals, which allows for things like formatted dictated legal citations. It is possible to find the basic addition of Dragon nine for under $100.
