Support for IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold
for Windows 95 and NT

Technical support: frequently asked questions.
Click on the question number to see the answer.

* indicates a new or updated question and answer since January 1998.
Section 1 - Installation and configuration
1.1   What releases of Microsoft's Word does Simply Speaking Gold support?
1.2   Does Simply Speaking Gold support Windows NT?
1.3   Can I install Simply Speaking Gold over any of the previous versions of VoiceType?
1.4   I have partitioned my harddrive. Can I install the Simply Speaking Gold version of VoiceType on one partition and any other version of VoiceType on my other partition?
1.5   I want to uninstall my previous version of VoiceType before I put the new version on my system. How do I delete the previous version?
1.6   I deleted the files and program folders through the Windows 95 Explorer, but the product is still on my system.
1.7   I have an MWAVE card and have just upgraded my software from 28.8 to 33.6. VoiceType no longer works since I have upgraded my modem software.
1.8   Will navigation macros I have created with VoiceType Dictation 3.0.x be migrated when I install Simply Speaking Gold?
1.9 * I have a sound card that is not advertised as a 100% Sound Blaster compatible. Can I still use it for VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold?

Section 2 - Microphone Setup
2.1   What is Microphone Setup?
2.2   When should I run Microphone Setup?
2.3   The microphone in my copy of VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold is different from the one shown on the Microphone Setup.
2.4 * New inexpensive ThinkPad adapter now available.
2.5 * I didn't get a power adapter (black) with my microphone.
2.6   Do I need to use the microphone adapters included with VoiceType?
2.7   Can I use the microphone that shipped with my computer (or the built-in microphone, if there is one)?
2.8   Can any other microphones be used?
2.9   How often should I change the batteries in the microphone battery adapter?
2.10 * I have an Ensoniq Sound Card in my PC and I keep failing the test in Microphone Setup "I am Testing...".
2.11 * I have a Crystal sound card in my PC and when I run Microphone Setup, a "General Error" message is returned.
2.12 * If you have an FX sound card in your Acer PC...
2.13 * The Sound Galaxy 534 sound card in my PC appears to constantly be recording background noise.

Section 3 - General dictation
3.1   What is isolated-word speech?
3.2   How does the system learn as I correct mistakes?
3.3   Is it possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an existing word in the vocabulary?
3.4   My recognition was good, but now it has deteriorated. Why?
3.5   How do I dictate numbers?
3.6   How do I improve my recognition performance with VoiceType?
3.7 * Can I save a voice session to a diskette or other removable cartridge like device such as an IOMega Zip** or Jazz Drive**?
3.8 * A Word Basic Error 53 appears every time I open Microsoft Word.

Section 4 - VoicePad
4.1   Once I've dictated a document in VoicePad, how do I transfer it to another application?
4.2   What's the difference between dictation macros and navigation/control macros?
4.3   Can I have text in files read to me?
4.4   When reading the dictated text in VoicePad, the volume is extremely low compared to the volume of correcting dictation error. How can I increase the volume ?

Section 5 - VoiceType Options
5.1   How do I change users if more than one user has enrolled?
5.2 * What is the Recognition Sensitivity used for under the VoiceType Options Voice page?
5.3   What is the Recognition Performance used for under the VoiceType Options Voice page?
5.4   What is the difference between Current and Always macros?
5.5   What are Select Lists used for in What Can I Say macros?
5.6   When I am in navigation mode, and issue a command, the command appears to be recognized in VoiceCenter however, it does not execute.

Section 6 - VoiceType Direct
6.1   When should I use VoiceType Direct?

Section 7 - Vocabulary Expander
7.1   How can I quickly add words to my vocabulary and improve recognition?

Section 8 - Vocabulary Manager
8.1   How do I see my added words, and when would I want to delete a word?

Section 9 - Enrollment
9.1   What is enrollment and is it required?
9.2   How many sentences should I read for enrollment?
9.3   What if I do not speak with a native accent for the language version I have installed?

Section 10 - Hardware and software requirements
10.1   What are the minimum hardware and software requirements?

Section 11 - Known limitations
11.1 * Are there any known limitations?

 

Answers to questions
Answers section 1 - Installation and configuration
1.1
What releases of Microsoft's Word does Simply Speaking Gold support?
MS Word release 6.0C (US English only), 7 and 8 are supported if running Windows** 95. MS Word release 6.0C is not supported under Windows NT**. Releases 7 and 8 are supported in Windows NT.
1.2 Does Simply Speaking Gold support Windows NT ?
Yes. It supports Windows NT 4.0.
1.3 Can I install Simply Speaking Gold over any of the previous versions of VoiceType?
Yes. You will get a message that another version of VoiceType has been detected on your system. You can proceed with the installation.
1.4 I have partitioned my harddrive. Can I install the Simply Speaking Gold version of VoiceType on one partition and any other version of VoiceType on my other partition?
Simply Speaking Gold cannot coexist with other versions of VoiceType on the same system, because it uses common registry entries, and the same speech engine, directory structure and program files. Unless you have two separate copies of the operating system (for example, two copies of Windows 95 each running in its own primary partition), you will not be able to run two different versions of VoiceType on the same computer.
1.5 I want to uninstall my previous version of VoiceType before I put the new version on my system. How do I delete the previous version ?
All IBM VoiceType Dictation and VoiceType Simply Speaking versions 3.0.x are equipped with an uninstall program. You must run this uninstall program to successfully delete any entries that were made to the Windows 95 Registry. VoiceType Dictation version 1.32, and earlier versions, will have to be removed using the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel of Windows 95.
1.6 I deleted the files and program folders through the Windows 95 Explorer, but the product is still on my system.
You should not delete the files and program folders through the Explorer. Instead, you should use the uninstall program provided in the product. IBM VoiceType Dictation, VoiceType Simply Speaking and VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold versions are equipped with an uninstall program. You must run this uninstall program to successfully delete any entries that were made to the Windows 95 Registry. VoiceType Dictation version 1.32, and earlier versions, will have to be removed using the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel of Windows 95.
1.7 I have an MWAVE adapter and have just upgraded my software from 28.8 to 33.6. VoiceType no longer works since I have upgraded my modem software.
The 33.6 modem software uses a lot of resources and may keep the modem on all of the time. This will prevent VoiceType from being able to use audio and therefore, VoiceType will not be able to run. You should use the 28.8 modem software for MWAVE with VoiceType.
1.8 Will navigation macros I have created with VoiceType Dictation 3.0.x be migrated when I install Simply Speaking Gold?
Navigation macros created for most applications will be migrated automatically to VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold. However, navigation macros created for the 97 office suites, such as Lotus** SmartSuite** 97, or Microsoft Office 97, will not be migrated.
Note: Because navigation macros are created for a specific version of an application, they cannot be used with another version of the application, i.e. navigation macros created for MS Word 7.0 will not work in MS Word 97.
1.9 I have a sound card that is not advertised as a 100% Sound Blaster compatible. Can I still use it for VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold?
VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold uses a powerful technology. If your sound card and PC do not meet the minimum requirements, VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold will not to work adequately on your PC.

Answers section 2 - Microphone Setup
2.1 What is Microphone Setup?
Microphone Setup is a wizard, located in the VoiceType Tools folder, that helps you connect the IBM VoiceType microphone headset to your computer and helps you configure your audio settings. Microphone Setup does the following:
    - Shows you how to connect the microphone headset to your computer.
    - Tests your existing audio setup.
    - Adjusts the microphone volume.
    - Performs a speech recognition test.
    Setting up your microphone correctly is the single most important thing you can do to enhance the use of VoiceType. Proper microphone set up, and correct audio settings are required to achieve the highest recognition accuracy.

2.2 When should I run Microphone Setup?
You should run Microphone Setup:
    - BEFORE you begin your first dictation session.
    - If your recognition accuracy has deteriorated.
    - If you've changed your sound card.
    - If you've changed your microphone.
    - If you've switched users.

2.3 The microphone in my copy of VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold is different from the one shown on the Microphone Setup.
The microphone shown in the Microphone Setup (the Andrea ANC-500) is one of the many microphones which works with VoiceType.
2.4 New inexpensive ThinkPad adapter now available.
Some IBM Thinkpads can now use an inexpensive adapter to provide power to the microphone which does not require any batteries. This would replace the battery adapter that you are currently using. These adapters can be purchased from
Andrea Electronics. Please be aware that these adapters will work on all models of the following families of Thinkpads: 380, 385, 560, 760, 765 and 770.
2.5 I didn't get a power adapter (black) with my microphone.
Not all IBM VoiceType microphones require the power adapter (black). The NC-50u and NC-80u (also called NC-80) have the power adapter built-in to their tips. Therefore they are not supplied with a separate power adapter.
2.6 Do I need to use the microphone adapters included with VoiceType?
The Microphone Setup program gives you instructions on what microphone adapters to use, depending on the sound card it detects.

- Signal adapter (light gray): this adapter reduces the microphone signal. It is used with sound cards that require a weak microphone signal. The Microphone Setup will give you instructions if this adapter is required.

- Power adapter (black): if you have one of the VoiceType microphones Andrea NC-50 and ANC-500, you may require power. Most sound cards provide power to the microphone, but not all sound cards provide this power in the same way. This is why the power adapter (black) is necessary for some sound cards. For instance, the Sound Blaster(**) cards usually require the power adapter (black). However, the other VoiceType microphones (Andrea NC-50u and NC-80u) have the power adapter built in to their tips and is therefore not shipped as a separate item in your microphone package.

- Battery adapter: A few sound cards and some laptop computers (including the IBM ThinkPad range) do not provide microphone power. For those, you must use the battery adapter. If you require a battery adapter, please contact Andrea Electronics (information included with the headset). Try the microphone both with and without the black power adapter, following the instructions in the Microphone Setup program, before deciding to use the battery adapter. Don't forget to install two fresh AAA batteries in the correct orientation into the battery adapter before using it. Even if it seems that your sound card needs the battery adapter, you may not, in fact, need it. Some sound cards have the ability to provide microphone power, but this feature is disabled. To enable the feature, carefully read the documentation for your sound card; you might need to set a jumper or run a setup utility. If you do not have documentation for your card, contact your computer or sound card manufacturer and ask if and how your particular sound card can provide power to microphones so that you can avoid using the battery adapter and having to buy batteries.

2.7 Can I use the microphone that shipped with my computer (or the built-in microphone, if there is one)?
We recommend using the microphone supplied with your VoiceType product. This microphone has noise cancelling capabilities and was specifically designed for speech recognition. However, if you have another microphone for your computer, you can use it to make sure that the computer's sound system works before you plug in the microphone for VoiceType. For this pretest, make a test recording of your voice in the Windows Sound Recorder. Again, use this microphone only for testing the sound system -- not for VoiceType speech recognition.

When plugging the VoiceType microphone into your computer, do not use the microphone-in jack on the side of the monitor. Instead, make sure that you plug the microphone directly into your sound card's microphone-in jack. This will help avoid getting any interference from your monitor through the microphone.

2.8 Can any other microphones be used?
You can use many microphones for speech recognition; however, not all microphones will produce satisfactory results. Several microphones have been tested and found to produce dictation accuracy consistent with the microphone included with the product. Please click
here to be linked to an up to date list of tested microphones.
2.9 How often should I change the batteries in the microphone battery adapter?
The microphone draws power from the battery adapter even when the microphone is off. To increase the life of the batteries, unplug the microphone from the battery adapter when you are not using it. If you are using VoiceType on a daily basis, you should change the batteries every month or so.
2.10 I have an Ensoniq sound card in my PC and I keep failing the test in Microphone Setup "I am Testing...".
Updating to the latest drivers for the Ensoniq sound card often resolves this problem. However, if you still have problems after downloading the latest drivers, the error may be due to the microphone input being set too high.
2.11 I have a Crystal sound card in my PC and when I run Microphone Setup, a "General Error" message is returned.
Updating to the newest drivers almost always resolves this failure.
2.12 If you have an FX sound card in your Acer PC...
Make sure you disable the wavetable and special effects such as 3D and Reverb.
Note: Removing or disabling components in this manner may affect the functionality or performance of your sound card and other software.
2.13 The Sound Galaxy 534 sound card in my PC appears to constantly be recording background noise.
Removing PB Fast Media and FM Thunk from the Startup Folder and disabling the wavetable usually resolves this problem.
Note: Removing or disabling components in this manner may affect the functionality or performance of your sound card and other software.

Answers section 3 - General dictation
3.1 What is isolated-word speech?
Isolated-word speech is speaking with small pauses between your words. This form of speech helps VoiceType detect where one word ends and another begins. The Read This First on-line document presents a recorded example of isolated-word speech to give you a model of correct dictation. You must use isolated-word speech when you dictate memos, letters and other text using VoiceType. Isolated speech is not required for command and navigation control. You should use the Dictation Trainer, located in the IBM VoiceType Help folder to learn how to speak when dictating with IBM VoiceType.
3.2 How does the system learn as I correct mistakes?
As soon as you correct a word, the correction is saved in memory and is available during your dictation session. Whatever dictation method you choose to use, once you close your dictation session, the correction is saved to disk and your speech data is updated with the correct pronunciation of a new word and its usage of the misrecognized word.
3.3 Is it possible to add an alternate pronunciation for an existing word in the vocabulary?
Yes. If a word is misrecognized and you attempt to correct the word, a pop-up message may appear stating that the word is already in the vocabulary. The pronunciation that you supplied is compared to the known pronunciation. If the new pronunciation is similar to the known pronunciation, your personal language model is updated. If the two pronunciations are not similar, a pop-up message will be displayed prompting you for a sounds-like spelling. VoiceType then maintains both pronunciations for the word.
3.4 My recognition was good, but now it has deteriorated. Why?
Several factors could account for this problem:
    - The microphone settings might have been changed either manually or by some other sound application. Please run Microphone Setup. This will readjust your microphone settings so that VoiceType will work correctly.
    - You might not be using your own speech data. Make sure you use the correct user name that contains your own personal language model. You can use the IBM VoiceType Options, in the Control Panel, to check and change users.
    - You might be positioning your microphone incorrectly. The microphone boom should be angled toward the corner of your mouth (not up or down) so that the flat part on the microphone element under the foam faces the corner of your mouth. The Microphone Setup Wizard illustrates the correct positioning of the microphone.
    - Make sure that you are not breathing directly into the microphone mouthpiece or speaking too loudly when dictating. Also, make sure the foam microphone wind screen is attached and in place.
    - The batteries in your battery adapter may be dying. If you are using the battery adapter, try using fresh batteries.
3.5 How do I dictate numbers?
There are two ways you can dictate numbers in VoiceType:

1. To dictate large numbers, like a serial number, you should break them up into two digits at a time. For instance, to dictate the following serial number, 521-44-9655, say fifty-two one hyphen forty-four hyphen ninety-six fifty-five. Initially, the numbers will have spaces between them, but once VoiceType understands the context of this number, by saying another word or ending the sentence, it will glue the digits back together.

2. To dictate numbers as digits (0-9) rather than allow VoiceType to spell out the numbers, say begin numbers. Begin Numbers mode gives you higher recognition accuracy since you are restricting the vocabulary to numbers only. Please note, that this voice command will not be acted upon until you check the 'Enable "Begin numbers" box' under Dictation Options in the Dictation menu of VoicePad. To end numbers mode and resume dictation, say Resume Dictation. Saying Change that while in numbers mode after a digit has been spoken, will delete the digit. You cannot use the correct error pop-up menu for digits dictated in numbers mode, so we advise making your corrections before returning to dictation mode.

3.6 How do I improve my recognition performance with VoiceType?
VoiceType is speaker independent, so you can dictate without first training it to recognize your voice (via the Enrollment program). If you have set up your microphone correctly, and if you have a native accent for the language version of the product you are using, you should get more than 90% recognition accuracy for words in the VoiceType vocabulary without enrolling. To gauge your true recognition accuracy, dictate a few paragraphs, say, from a business letter, skipping words, such as names, that are not likely to be in the vocabulary. After you finish dictating, you might find that there are a number of misrecognized words in your text. To ensure you get the best recognition performance, we recommend that you go through the enrollment. Refer to the enrollment section in these Frequently Asked Questions for further information.

Here are some tips on how to improve your recognition performance:

    - VoiceType requires you to speak in isolated speech. If you are not sure what isolated speech is, practice using the Dictation Trainer in the Help menu of Simply Speaking Gold.
    - Use speech correction to correct a word that VoiceType misrecognizes and to teach it how to display the word. Speech correction adjusts your personal speech files so that VoiceType remembers the correction each time you say the word. Use speech correction ONLY to correct misrecognized words, do NOT use it for text editing! To use speech correction, just double-click on the misrecognized word (in Microsoft Word, click once with the right mouse button and select Correct Error from the menu) and select the correct word from the correct error pop-up menu. If the correct word is not on the list, simply type in the word.
    - DO NOT say your words too s-l-o-w-l-y. Pronounce them naturally as you would in conversation--but don't forget to pause briefly after every word! Enunciate the words to further increase your accuracy. As you become more proficient in pausing briefly between words, you can increase your speaking rate. Experienced VoiceType users can dictate at more than 100 words per minute.
    - Make sure the audio indicator is in the green range when you talk. It's acceptable if sometimes it is yellow, but it should never get into red. Follow the instructions in the Microphone Setup program carefully to set up your microphone so that the audio level indicator is green when you talk. The microphone adapters provided should enable you to adjust the microphone properly for almost any sound card using the Microphone Setup program.
    - It is important to speak in a normal tone of voice. If the audio level is low, move the microphone closer to the side of your mouth, or rerun the Microphone Setup program to readjust your microphone settings.
    - The microphone position is very important for good recognition accuracy. Be sure that the microphone boom bends toward your mouth. The microphone should be about 20 mm (3/4 inch) away from your face. It should be a little to the side of your mouth so that you do not breathe into it.
    - If you have enrolled, use the same microphone and sound card that you used for enrollment when you dictate. Although you can move your speech data to another computer, your accuracy will never be as good as on the system you used to enroll. So if you switch computers, sound card or microphone, and you want the highest possible dictation accuracy, rerun Microphone Setup and re enroll on the new system!
    - If your system has at least a Pentium 133MHz processor, then you can increase recognition accuracy by setting recognition performance to "accurate" under the Voice page in VoiceType Options. Refer to the VoiceType Options section in these Frequently Asked Questions for further information.
    - Don't forget that you must say dictation commands and macros such as STOP-DICTATION, BEGIN-DICTATION and NEW-PARAGRAPH continuously as one word, without pausing between the words in the command!
    - If you want to interrupt your dictation, for example in order to answer the phone or talk to someone, first stop your dictation by saying "Stop-Dictation" or by clicking Stop Dictation in the Dictation menu, or simply turn off your microphone.
    - Use the Vocabulary Expander to introduce text to VoiceType which is similar to what you dictate. Vocabulary Expander is not only useful for adding new words to your dictation vocabulary, but is also used to teach VoiceType the way you compose your dictation sentences. For example, if you have a set of letters or papers that are similar to the way you compose your dictation, run them through the Vocabulary Expander and answer "Yes" to the "Words in Context" dialog. This teaches VoiceType the way you compose your dictated sentences and helps improve your dictation accuracy.
3.7 Can I save a voice session to a diskette or other removable cartridge like device such as an IOMega Zip or Jazz Drive?
One minute of dictation equals approximately 1MB of disk space, because VoiceType Simply Speaking saves your original dictation audio. A two page document could be as large as 30 - 40 MB of disk space. Therefore, you will be limited not only on the size of the document you want to save but also how many documents you could save as a result of the size. Since these files are so large, they can take a long time to save, especially if you are using a parallel drive. We recommend that you save the file to your harddrive and then use a file copy command to copy them to your removable drive.
3.8 A Word Basic Error 53 appears every time I open Microsoft Word.
If this error occurs, copy the NORMALB.DOT file into the MSOFFICE\TEMPLATES folder (Word 7.0 & Word 8.0) and rename the file to NORMAL.DOT. After that you will need to update the Microsoft Office Registry entry to point to the current templates drive and folder for Microsoft Office. Refer to the online reference for more help on how to correct this error and other problems you may encounter with Microsoft Word.

Answers section 4 - VoicePad
4.1 Once I've dictated a document in VoicePad, how do I transfer it to another application?
After you have completed a dictation session in VoicePad and corrected any errors, you can transfer the text to any application which accepts text input (e.g. a word processor). With the left mouse button, click the Transfer icon in the icon toolbar (this will transfer the text automatically to the last application that you used) or click and drag the icon with your mouse pointer to the opened application window where you want to transfer the dictated text. The formatting of the document in VoicePad MAY NOT be preserved in the other application. You should format the text after transferring it.
4.2 What's the difference between dictation macros and navigation/control macros?
Dictation macros are used to substitute frequently used text for a short expression, e.g. "business address" could print off the details of your office address. Navigation/control macros are voice-command shortcuts for working with applications and objects on your Windows desktop, e.g. "show calendar" to open the Lotus Organizer diary.

Note: The on-line help gives further information and tips on creating dictation macros as well as navigation/control macros.

    - The Dictation Macro Editor allows you to create dictation macros and voice templates which are only active during dictation sessions. Note that although dictation macros are active in all methods of dictation, voice templates are only active in VoicePad.
    - The navigation and control macros, shown in the "What Can I Say?" window, are not available during dictation. The IBM VoiceCenter must be running to activate the "What Can I Say?" command and control macros.VoiceType comes with pre-defined macros for commonly used applications, as well as the mini-applications and accessories provided by Windows. You can create additional command and control macros. For example, you could create a macro in which you select the style, font and type size for a document in a word processor.
4.3 Can I have text in files read to me?
Yes, Simply Speaking Gold (US English version only) has a text to speech option. Dictate some text or open a file using VoicePad, then select "Dictation" on the toolbar, and finally select "Begin Reading". All of the text in the file will be read back. To have portions of text read instead of the complete file, highlight the portion you want read and then select "Begin Reading". The first time you do this, the IBM Text to Speech icon will appear on the right of the Taskbar. Right mouse click on the IBM Text to Speech icon and select Help to find out how you can use IBM Text to Speech.
4.4 When reading the dictated text in VoicePad, the volume is extremely low compared to the volume of correcting dictation error. How can I increase the volume ?
Select Dictation and then Dictation Options from the VoicePad menu and click on the audio tab. Move the slider to change the output volume level. Or you can use the Audio Mixer (by running the Volume Control applet in the Accessories/Multimedia folder) to increase the playback volume.

Answers section 5 - VoiceType Options
5.1 How do I change users if more than one user has enrolled?
Start VoiceType Options from the Control Panel folder or from the VoiceType Tools folder. Click the User tab and select a new user from the drop down menu. If you have multiple enrollments for the same user (for example, one for a noisy environment and one for a quieter environment), or multiple languages installed, you can switch enrollments and languages from this menu as well. You can make these changes by clicking on "OK".
Note: If any speech applications are active, you will be prompted to close them.
5.2 What is the Recognition Sensitivity used for under the VoiceType Options Voice page?
The Recognition sensitivity slider does not affect the recognition for dictation, but is used to relax or tighten the acceptance of the pronunciation of words read during enrollment and of commands used for navigation. If the pronunciation doesn't match the expected pronunciation of the word read during enrollment, or the command given for navigation, VoiceType will reject this word or command. When this slider is moved closer towards "Exact Match", VoiceType will be more likely to reject words read during enrollment or commands given for navigation. If your navigation commands are not being recognized, try moving this slider closer to "Best Guess". If during enrollment you get a lot of red words, you should also try moving the slider closer to "Best Guess" (but you must first try to correct the problem by running Microphone Setup!). This will help reduce the number of red words, by relaxing VoiceType's expected pronunciation of words read during enrollment. This is particularly important for people with accents. This setting is the same as the Match Word to Sound setting under Options in Enrollment.
5.3 What is the Recognition Performance used for under the VoiceType Options Voice page?
The Recognition Performance setting is used to increase performance or accuracy depending upon your system. In general, if your system has a lower speed Pentium processor (90MHz, for example), we recommend that you set the recognition performance to "fast" or "balanced". This will speed up recognition processing at the slight expense of accuracy. If your system has a higher speed Pentium processor (166MHz, for example), you should set the recognition performance to "accurate". This will improve recognition accuracy with a small degradation of speed.
5.4 What is the difference between Current and Always macros?
- Always macros are always available when IBM VoiceCenter is running independently of the active application. These macros are commands that send a series of keystrokes to the active application or highlighted object. You specify these keystrokes by recording (capturing) them. The Always macros you create are added to the Always page in the "What Can I Say?" Window.
- Current macros are commands that carry out a series of actions in a single application program. These macros are named "current" because they apply only to the application window that was active when the macro was created. You specify these actions by recording (capturing) the actual keystrokes and mouse clicks within the application's windows. Current macros you create are added to the Current page in the "What Can I Say?" window whenever the application has focus. When you say a macro command, Voice Center sends the keystrokes and mouse clicks in the captured sequence to the application.
5.5 What are Select Lists used for in What Can I Say macros?
Macro select lists add useful function to command and control macros. For example, you can use macro lists in the "What Can I Say?" window to create a macro for typing telephone numbers or even currency into a document. To create an always macro for typing currency:
    - Say or click Macro and the Macro window appears.
    - Say or click Capture.
    - Say or click Lists.
    - Select $ and cents and then click on OK.
    - Say or click Done.
    - Insert the word value before the macro list, <$ and cents> in the voice command field then click on OK.
    - Train the macro named value and click on Done.
  The macro named value <$ and cents> just created should now appear under Customized Always Macros in the What Can I Always Say window.

Now, if you open an application like Wordpad and say in a continuous phrase (without pausing between the words), value two hundred three dollars and forty two cents, 203.42 should display in your active application.

The $ and cents list is identical to the Amounts list, except that it also includes the words dollars and cents. The digits list provides numeric values with high recognition accuracy where the values are spoken as separate digits. For example: for 17.32, say one seven point three two.

If you click on the + sign before the macro list name, it will show you an example and list the available words for this macro.

5.6 When I am in navigation mode, and issue a command, the command appears to be recognized in VoiceCenter however, it does not execute.
Some commands are not available for use at all times with all applications. For example, if you are in VoicePad and you have not dictated any text yet and you issue the command "Begin Correction", the command is recognized in the Voice Center, however, no action will take place as there is no text to correct.

Answers section 6 - VoiceType Direct
6.1 When should I use VoiceType Direct?
If you choose not to dictate directly into IBM VoicePad or into Microsoft Word, then you may want to use VoiceType Direct to dictate into your favorite application. Once you target your application, you can dictate directly into it. Just say "Dictate Directly" while the window into which you want to dictate is in focus.
  Note: You must correct your dictation after you say Stop Dictation, but before starting another dictation session. After starting another dictation session, you cannot go back and make changes to previously dictated text.

Answers section 7 - Vocabulary Expander
7.1 How can I quickly add words to my vocabulary and improve recognition?
By using Vocabulary Expander you can analyze text and add words to your current Added Words List. Vocabulary Expander also helps VoiceType learn your dictation patterns, and updates your personal language model via the "Words in Context" dialog. This helps improve dictation accuracy. To analyze text you can open a file which has previously been created, copy text from the clipboard, or create text in the Vocabulary Expander by using your keyboard. Vocabulary Expander will be able to analyze the text, allow you to select words you wish to add, and train the words you added.

Answers section 8 - Vocabulary Manager
8.1 How do I see my added words, and when would I want to delete a word?
The Vocabulary Manager utility is used to display words that were added to your personal added word list. On occasion, a word will be added to your personal added word list that will take the place of an already existing word. For example, if the word comma was inadvertently added during word correction, the word "comma" might appear instead of the punctuation mark ",". In your added word list, you can delete the word "comma" and the punctuation mark should again appear during dictation. You might also want to delete misspelled words and words such as proper names or cities that you know you will not use again.

Answers section 9 - Enrollment
9.1 What is enrollment and is it required?
Enrollment is the process of teaching VoiceType your voice so your speech can be recognized with greater accuracy. Although enrollment is not required (you can simply start using VoiceType right out of the box), doing either the short or full enrollment will help improve your recognition accuracy.
9.2 How many sentences should I read for enrollment?
There are two levels of enrollment you can choose. Although you can start using IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold right out of the box, we recommend you do the short enrollment for dictation to improve recognition accuracy. The short enrollment for dictation requires that you read a minimun 50 sentences. You can go to the training phase anytime after the 50 sentences. After training, if you decide that you want to continue the enrollment process, you must complete the full enrollment of 283 sentences before you can train it a second time. Unless you have a heavy accent, the short 50 sentence enrollment should suffice.

Even after you have processed your enrollment, IBM VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold continues to update your personal language model helping to improve your recognition performance. Whenever you use the Correct Error function to correct recognition mistakes, IBM VoiceType will learn the usage of the corrected word in reference to its language context and will give this word higher rank next time it is spoken. Essentially, doing word correction allows VoiceType to learn from its mistakes and recognize the corrected word next time you speak it.

To help improve command and control recognition accuracy, we suggest you do the enrollment for commands. You will also be prompted to select Train after reading 50 command phrases. Doing the full enrollment for commands, 190 phrases, will help if you're having recognition problems for commands and control, or have an accent.

9.3 What if I do not speak with a native accent for the language version I have installed?
If you do not have a native accent for that language, or if you have a strong regional accent, and are frequently getting "red" words while reading the enrollment sentences, decrease the recognition sensitivity as follows:
    - Click "Options" in the Enrollment panel.
    - Move the slider to the left in the "Match word to sound" section by clicking the "Approximate" arrow 3 to 5 times.
    - Click "OK", then click "Yes".
    However, do not forget that most times problems with "red" words occur because of incorrect positioning of the microphone. Make sure that your microphone is positioned and adjusted properly by running Microphone Setup before you start the Enrollment.

Answers section 10 - Hardware and software requirements
10.1 What are the minimum hardware and software requirements?
To run VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold you must be running Windows 95 or NT 4.0 and have at least the following hardware:
    - Processor performance equivalent to Intel Pentium(**) 100MHz or faster. This includes Intel Pentium 90MHz with 256K L2 Cache, IBM 6X86-P120, AMD-K5 PR120(**) and Cyrix 6x86-P120(**) processors.
    - 16MB of memory for Windows 95 / 32MB of memory for NT 4.0.
    - 75MB of available (non-compressed) hard file space.
    - Creative Labs(**) Sound Blaster 16 (or 100% compatible) or Mwave(*) sound card.

Refer to our list of systems tested with VoiceType for additional information.

Answers section 11 - Known limitations
11.1 Are there any known limitations?
Following are known limitations:
11.1 Are there any known limitations?
Following are known limitations:
    - In the US English version, after using the "Text to Speech" function, the microphone icon will be active (green) regardless of the state of the microphone before using "Text to Speech".
    - A user must use the same application for retrieving deferred or delegated dictation as was used for saving it. For example, if VoicePad was used to save a dictation, then you must use VoicePad to retrieve and make corrections to that dictation.
    - In the US version, when using the "Text to Speech" function, the volume is lower compared to the volume when correcting dictation errors. Please note that the text to speech function is found under SpeakPad as 'Begin Reading' as specified in the online help. If you have VoiceCenter up, you can also say 'Begin Reading' to read any text from any active window. Also note that you must have administrator privileges to use text to speech when running VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold on NT4.0.
    - Problems with VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold and Anti-Virus Software. If you receive errros such as SMAPI RC = 215, SMAPI = -4 in Microphone Setup Wizard, general error in Dictation Trainer, no playback in SpeakPad, or errors using VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold options, make sure that you are not running any antivirus software (e.g. IBM Antivirus for Windows 95 or NT, or Norton Antivirus) during the installation of VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold.

If you run IBM Antivirus for Windows 95 or NT, make sure you disable the "Check files when accessed" field in System Shield setup before installing VoiceType Simply Speaking Gold.

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(*) IBM ®, Mwave ®, Aptiva ®, ThinkPad ® and VoiceType ® are IBM registered trademarks.

(**) Microsoft ®, Windows ®, and NT ®, are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

(**) All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

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