• Voice dialing application. Voice typing online on a computer

    If you type too slowly on the keyboard and learn ten-finger method too lazy to type, you can try using modern programs and voice text input services.

    The keyboard is undoubtedly sufficient handy tool computer control. However, when it comes to typing long text, we understand all of its (and, to be honest, ours :)) imperfections... You still need to be able to type quickly!

    A couple of years ago, wanting to simplify my job of writing articles, I decided to find a program that would allow me to convert voice into text. I thought how nice it would be if I just said everything I needed into the microphone, and the computer typed for me :)

    Imagine my disappointment when I realized that at that time there were no really working (let alone free) solutions for this matter. There were, however, domestic developments, like “Gorynych” and “Dictograph”. They understood the Russian language, but, alas, the quality of speech recognition was quite low, they required a long setup with the creation of a dictionary for your voice, and they were also quite expensive...

    Then Android was born and the situation moved a little from the dead point. In this system, voice input appeared as a built-in (and quite convenient) alternative to virtual input. on-screen keyboard. And recently in one of the comments I was asked if there is a voice input option for Windows? I answered that not yet, but I decided to look and it turned out that, maybe not entirely full-fledged, but such an opportunity exists! Today’s article will be about the results of my research.

    Speech recognition problem

    Before we begin analyzing the current solutions for voice input in Windows, I would like to shed some light on the essence of the problem of computer speech recognition. For a more accurate understanding of the process, I suggest taking a look at the following diagram:

    As you can see, converting speech into text occurs in several stages:

    1. Voice digitization. At this stage, the quality depends on the clarity of diction, the quality of the microphone and sound card.
    2. Comparing an entry with entries in a dictionary. The “more is better” principle works here: the more recorded words the dictionary contains, the higher the chances that your words will be recognized correctly.
    3. Text output. The system automatically, based on pauses, tries to identify individual lexemes from the speech stream that correspond to template lexemes from the dictionary, and then displays the found matches in the form of text.

    The main problem, as you might guess, lies in two main nuances: the quality of the digitized segment of speech and the volume of the dictionary with templates. The first problem can be minimized even with a cheap microphone and a standard sound card. It is enough just to speak slowly and clearly.

    With the second problem, alas, not everything is so simple... A computer, unlike a person, cannot correctly recognize the same phrase said, for example, by a woman and a man. To do this, both voice acting options with different voices must exist in its database!

    This is where the main catch lies. Creating a dictionary for one person, in principle, is not so difficult, however, given that each word must be written in several versions, it turns out to be very long and labor-intensive. Therefore, most of the speech recognition programs that exist today are either too expensive or do not have their own dictionaries, leaving the user to create them themselves.

    It’s not for nothing that I mentioned Android a little higher. The fact is that Google, which is developing it, has also created the only publicly available global online dictionary for speech recognition today (and multilingual!) called Google Voice API. Yandex is also creating a similar dictionary for the Russian language, but so far, alas, it is still unsuitable for use in real conditions. Therefore, almost everything free solutions, which we will look at below, work specifically with Google dictionaries. Accordingly, they all have the same recognition quality and the nuances lie only in additional capabilities...

    Voice input programs

    There are not so many full-fledged programs for voice input for Windows. And those that exist and understand Russian are mostly paid... For example, the cost of a popular user system RealSpeaker voice-to-text conversion starts at 2,587 rubles, and the professional Caesar-R complex starts at 35,900 rubles!

    But among all this expensive software, there is one program that does not cost a penny, but at the same time provides functionality that is more than sufficient for most users. It's called MSpeech:

    The main program window has the simplest possible interface - a sound level indicator and only three buttons: start recording, stop recording and open the settings window. MSpeech also works quite simply. You need to press the record button, place the cursor in the window in which the text should be displayed and start dictating. For greater convenience, it is better to record and stop it using hotkeys, which can be set in Settings:

    In addition to hotkeys, you may need to change the type of text transmission to windows necessary programs. By default, output is set to the active window, however, you can specify transmission to inactive fields or to fields specific program. Among the additional features, it is worth noting the “Commands” group of settings, which allows you to implement voice control computer using the phrases you specify.

    In general, MSpeech is quite convenient program, which allows you to type text by voice in any Windows window. The only caveat in its use is that the computer must be connected to the Internet to access Google dictionaries.

    Voice input online

    If you don’t want to install any programs on your computer, but want to try entering text by voice, you can use one of the many online services that work on the same Google dictionaries.

    Well, of course, the first thing worth mentioning is Google’s “native” service called Web Speech API:

    This service allows you to translate unlimited sections of speech into text in more than 50 languages! You just need to select the language you speak, click on the microphone icon in the right top corner form, if necessary, confirm permission for the site to access the microphone and start speaking.

    If you do not use any highly specialized terminology and speak clearly, you can get a very good result. In addition to words, the service also “understands” punctuation marks: if you say “period” or “comma”, the required symbol will appear in the output form.

    When recording is complete, the recognized text will be automatically highlighted and you can copy it to the clipboard or send it by mail.

    Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting that the service can only work in the Google Chrome browser older than version 25, as well as the lack of multilingual recognition capabilities.

    By the way, on our website at the top you will find a completely Russified version of the same form of speech recognition. Enjoy it for your health ;)

    There are quite a few similar online speech recognition resources based on the Google service. One of the sites that is of interest to us is Dictation.io:

    Unlike the Web Speech API, Dictation.io has a more stylish notepad design. Its main advantage over Google's service is that it allows you to stop recording and then start it again, and the previously entered text will be saved until you press the "Clear" button.

    Like Google service Dictation.io “knows how” to put periods, commas, and also exclamation mark and a question mark, but does not always begin a new sentence with a capital letter.

    If you are looking for a service with maximum functionality, then probably one of the best in this regard will be:

    Main advantages of the service:

    • availability of Russian-language interface;
    • the ability to view and select recognition options;
    • presence of voice prompts;
    • automatic recording shutdown after a long pause;
    • built-in text editor with functions for copying text to the clipboard, printing it on a printer, sending it by mail or Twitter, and translating it into other languages.

    The only drawback of the service (besides the general ones already described) Disadvantages of the Web Speech API) is an operating algorithm that is not quite familiar for such services. After pressing the record button and dictating the text, you need to check it, select the option that best matches what you wanted to say, and then transfer it to the text editor below. After which the procedure can be repeated.

    Plugins for Chrome

    In addition to full-fledged programs and online services, there is another way to recognize speech into text. This method is implemented using browser plugins Google Chrome.

    The main advantage of using plugins is that with their help you can enter text by voice not only in special form on the service website, but also in any input field on any web resource! In fact, plugins occupy an intermediate niche between services and full-fledged programs for voice input.

    One of best extensions to translate speech to text is SpeechPad:

    I won’t lie if I say that SpeechPad is one of the best Russian-language speech-to-text translation services. On the official website you will find a fairly powerful (albeit a little old in design) online notepad with many advanced functions, including:

    • support voice commands computer control;
    • improved punctuation support;
    • function to mute sounds on PC;
    • integration with Windows (albeit on a paid basis);
    • the ability to recognize text from video or audio recordings ("Transcription" function);
    • translation of recognized text into any language;
    • saving text to text file, available for download.

    As for the plugin, it provides us with the most simplified functionality of the service. Place the cursor in the input field you need, call context menu and click on the "SpeechPad" item. Now confirm access to the microphone and when the input field turns pink, dictate required text.

    After you stop speaking (a pause of more than 2 seconds), the plugin itself will stop recording and display everything you said in the field. If you wish, you can go to the plugin settings (right click on the plugin icon at the top) and change the default parameters:

    Oddly enough, in the entire Google extensions online store I haven’t come across a single worthwhile plugin that would allow voice input in any text field. The only similar extension was the English one. It adds a microphone icon to all input fields on a web page, but it doesn't always position it correctly, so it might end up off the screen...

    Modern technologies for voice input and output of information provide users with a lot of opportunities to make their work easier and save time. No one will be surprised by either a program for turning text into voice, or one that types everything you say for you. There is still room for development in this direction, but even today you can find quite decent services and software for verbal communication with a computer. Speech recognition systems digitize the sound coming from the microphone and identify information by accessing existing dictionaries (the software can support different languages ​​and have a large vocabulary), after which they display already typed text on the screen or set various commands.

    The technology is actively used on smartphones, tablets and other devices, where by default there may be programs that “understand” the user’s language, which is very convenient to manage. For advanced users, instead of typing commands, queries in search bar browser from the keyboard to use speech. But progress does not stand still and the conversion of voice into text in larger quantities is also becoming commonplace. Application special programs, browser extensions and online services for speech data input allows you to partially free your hands and not strain your eyes, and also perform tasks faster. This is invaluable for representatives of many professions, including lawyers, doctors, writers, copywriters and other specialists who work with typing.

    Despite the fact that usually people who write a lot do it quite quickly and the typing speed quite keeps up with the thought, there is often a real point in using the program. Voice typing will help if for some reason it is inconvenient to type manually, your hands are busy with other things or you may get tired of long work. Also, do not forget about people with disabilities– for them such innovations are simply salvation. On the other hand, not everyone knows the “touch typing method”, does not type at the required pace, or is simply lazy. Many writers, journalists and other figures have used a voice recorder for decades to quickly speak the desired text and prevent thoughts from slipping away. Voice typing programs are used today for the same purpose.

    Of course, converting dictated information into printed form is not yet complete. high level. After the program translates the voice into text, it will definitely need to be corrected, since some words may not be in the software dictionaries, as well as due to phrases incorrectly decoded by the device, which may be due to the microphone or unclear pronunciation. The technologies are not yet so perfect, because development requires considerable investment of capital, but there are definitely changes. Has advanced the furthest in this area Google company, which produces numerous software products, including applications for recording and converting voice to text.

    The user can choose the maximum convenient option, use the software by downloading it to your PC or use web resources. Programs for translating speech and audio recordings into text can be freely available for download or distributed on a commercial basis.

    A voice typing program that uses the Google Voice API recognizes speech in more than 50 languages, a choice of interfaces is available (Russian, English) and there is a wide range of options, including transferring recognized text to editors, the ability to add your own commands and assign “hot commands”. keys" to activate/stop the recording process for recognition. The MSpeech application is completely free, despite this its functionality and quality of work are at a decent level. Unfortunately, the program will not be able to function without an Internet connection.

    Voco

    The application, which performs typing using voice, has a fairly large vocabulary of 85,000 words. Extended versions of the program include additional thematic dictionaries, which make it possible to use terminology. Voco Professional and Voco Enterprise software, in addition to dictation via the device’s microphone, also recognizes audio recordings. Punctuation is performed on command, and in the case of translating audio format recordings into text, punctuation marks are placed in automatic mode. The program is distributed on a paid basis and is available for Windows versions 7 and above. A big advantage of the software is the ability to use it without an Internet connection, which is very convenient if you write a lot, but are often outside the network coverage area.

    Extension for Microsoft Office was released in 2017, and you can use the tool by installing it additionally to the package. In updated versions of Word, PowerPoint and Outlook, the Dictate service is not enabled by default. Free add-on allows you to type text by voice in more than 20 languages ​​and has a translation function into 60 languages. You can download the tool on the official Microsoft website, selecting the appropriate system bit depth. After simply installing the downloaded Dictate file using the installation wizard, the Dictation tab will appear in Word, where you can dictate text and, if necessary, translate it into another language. For those who work with this editor, this is a great option to speed up the pace of productivity, instead of spending hours on keystrokes.

    Google's free voice notepad SpeechPad is an excellent tool for converting speech into text information. To use the service, you need to install the Google Chrome browser, which is not convenient for everyone, but the functionality is definitely worthy of attention. Notepad can be used by owners of Windows, Linux and Mac operating systems; an Internet connection is required. The online service offers options for converting audio and video into text, translating into other languages, and for convenience, you can assign “hot keys”. In addition, when installing extensions for SpeechPad you have additional features direct text input. Integration module for operating system will allow you to use speech input in each of the applications installed on the system.

    Another product for typing using voice from Google, similarly to the SpeechPad notepad, it launches in the Chrome browser. Voysnot can be installed as an extension or application on your computer. Whichever option you choose, it’s not difficult to master the tool. You can start the recording procedure by clicking on the microphone icon, then simply type a message by voice. To avoid large quantity mistakes must be spoken clearly and distinctly, with short pauses.

    This speech-to-text tool also prints dictation well, checks results for punctuation and grammatical errors, and has a translation function text information on different languages. Additionally, a benefit of using the app is the much-needed option that offers options for words that TalkTyper has not accurately recognized, they will be highlighted.

    How to improve the quality of speech text input on a computer

    Any service or program for processing speech, converting it into text view It will work better if all conditions are provided for this, because the quality of writing directly depends on a correctly configured microphone, the user’s diction, and the absence of additional noise. You should not hope that the voice recognizer will work correctly if there are obvious speech defects. To reduce the number of errors and devote less time to correcting the text, you must comply with the following conditions:

    • For correct speech conversion, clear pronunciation and absence of extraneous sounds. If you pronounce words with punctuation marks as clearly as possible, you won’t have to edit the text for too long;
    • Before performing work, you must configure the microphone. If it is not possible to liquidate extraneous noise, it is better to reduce its sensitivity and pronounce words louder and more clearly;
    • There is no need to pronounce too long phrases, seasoned with many complex syntactic structures.

    If you follow these recommendations and get used to dictating correctly, the program will write text with minimal errors, which will have a beneficial effect on your productivity. At the same time, it is not yet possible to consider speech input as a 100% alternative to keyboard typing; adjustments will definitely be required, but for many users this opportunity makes everyday tasks easier.

    Greetings, dear readers of the blog site! I have long been planning to prepare a note about programs and online service ah, with which you can translate your voice directly into text. As a storyteller (it seems to me), I’m not bad, but it’s difficult for me to express my thoughts in the form of printed text. So I set out to find a “miracle service” that could convert my speech into text.

    The relevance of voice typing today is obvious. It’s not for nothing that Google developers “screwed” it into their Google browser Chrome voice search. And based on this open source some programmers and Web masters made different notepads and services for converting speech to text in online mode. For many users, and especially users with disabilities, these are simply irreplaceable services.

    Having tried one of the services that I will give below, perhaps not everyone will get the desired result. Especially those who constantly type texts on a computer, and for whom texts are the main source of income. And many would like to somehow make this difficult work easier. But if you practice a little, voice to text translation In these online services you can get quite high quality.

    To start converting voice to text, you will need a microphone (in laptops it is built-in), preferably a good one internet connection speed and Google Chrome browser no lower than version 25. Unfortunately, the voice typing feature does not work in other browsers. As I already said, the voice recognition to text code from Google developers is open source, and you can use it on your website. So I Russified it a little and installed it on my blog.

    Voice input of text using Web Speech API

    Launch the voice input page in the Chrome browser. At the bottom of the window, select the language in which you plan to dictate the text. Click on the microphone icon in the top right corner. And in the pop-up line, click the “allow” button for the browser to use the microphone.

    Now you can slowly and clearly speak short phrases. After you finish dictating text by voice, you can select it using keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+C copy to the clipboard, and then paste into any editor for processing. If desired, the text can be sent immediately by email.

    Perhaps, Web Speech API- the simplest and fairly high-quality way to convert your speech into text. Since there is no need to be distracted by any additional manipulations with the keyboard. Just turn on the microphone and speak the text. In any case, you will have to use some additional text editor for further correction of the dictated text.

    Converting speech to text on the Online Dictation website page

    A simple “bourgeois” notepad located on the page Dictation, has only three buttons. Turn on the microphone for recording, clear the text input field and export the dictated text to your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox storage or send by email in text TXT format. It's very simple. Try, test and enjoy the results.

    Voice typing - online service Talk Typer

    This “bourgeois” online voice recognition notepad has several additional built-in functions. The ability to replace dictated words with other suggested options. Insert punctuation marks. Listen to the dictated text by clicking on the speaker icon. Make a translation into the selected foreign language. You can change the display if you wish appearance and font size by clicking on the gear icon. The only inconvenience: after each spoken phrase, you need to reset it to the bottom of the notepad by clicking on the arrow, and then turn on the microphone again. In general, this is a full-fledged service in which you can transform speech to text and edit it as you wish. The finished text can be printed, tweeted or sent by email.

    Voice recognition in VoiceNote

    This voice to text recognition service can be install as application V Chrome browser, or just bookmark the site which is located. Voisnote is practically no different in functionality from the previous speech recognition notebook service Talk Typer. The same main disadvantage is that after each spoken phrase you have to turn on the microphone again. But you don’t have to move the dictated text, like in Talk Typer. Simple and very user-friendly interface text conversion service. I think that many will like it. Test and draw conclusions.

    One of useful functions in Android is voice dialing. By learning to use it skillfully, you can save a lot of time and perform many operations without resorting to a standard keyboard.

    This type of typing will make it possible not to be distracted by sometimes pressing very small keys. This is very convenient, for example, when you are driving a car. To perform the necessary actions, you just need to dictate your instructions to the device. But this is preceded by several basic actions that must be carried out in advance.

    To begin, place the cursor so that the standard keyboard. Click on the microphone image and the device will switch to voice input mode. This action performed differently depending on the device and system version. In most cases, you need to find the microphone icon on one of the buttons (spacebar or change language) and hold it down.


    After these steps, a ready-to-use voice input panel will appear on the screen. You can use it not only for calls or dialing SMS messages, but also in the browser. This is very convenient, especially when you need to type a long message to send or any other text.

    At this moment, an indicator in the form of a microphone will appear on the device screen. Pay close attention to the red frame around it. Its thickness indicates the volume of your voice. After pronouncing a word, it will be instantly processed and recognized, after which it will be displayed in a special field.

    Friends, we continue detailed review individual innovations that Windows 10 acquired after the implementation of the major Fall update Creators Update. And in this article I would like to pay attention to the updated touch keyboard of the operating system. It has been radically redesigned and updated with new functions. The updated touch keyboard supports Swype mode – when you can slide while typing, i.e. swipe with your finger or stylus without lifting it from the keyboard. How long has it been possible to do this on mobile devices. Touch keyboard Windows 10 has also added a voice text input feature. If we talk about desktops and laptops, adding such a feature is, in fact, the only useful innovation Fall Creators Update in this part of the system functionality. However, with regular voice input The data is not so clear.

    The ability to speak text into the microphone instead of manually typing characters on the keyboard in Windows environment 10 is provided only for English language. Microsoft promises to add other recognition languages ​​in the future, but for now we only have what we have. This, of course, is a serious limitation, and, accordingly, this function can only be used by those who know English well and work with typing in this language on a serious scale. Nevertheless, the function is interesting, let's look at how to use it.

    On the panel Windows tasks Call the context menu and check the “Show touch keyboard button” option.

    The touch keyboard will now be permanently displayed in the system tray, from where it can be launched at any time. When you switch the layout to English, a microphone icon will appear on the keyboard. For dictation, you need to open any text input field (any text editor installed on the system, any software form, any web form in a browser window). Well, actually, start talking into the microphone.

    An important point: voice typing will be possible only when voice services are not disabled in the system. You can check this in the Settings app by going to the Privacy section. In the “Speech” tab, handwriting and enter text" should display a button to turn off speech services. Accordingly, this means that the services are currently enabled.

    Otherwise, a button to enable speech services will be displayed. And therefore it must be turned on.

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