Speech

Mac OS X has many built-in features including speech recognition and a spoken user interface. Speech recognition requires a microphone and works best in a quiet environment.

To enable and configure speech recognition

Click the "Speech Recognition" tab

 

Then click the "On/Off" tab

 

Choose "Apple Speakable Items" from the pop up menu if necessary.

 

Select the radio button next to "On"

 

If this is your first time turning on speech recognition, a window will appear with directions. Read directions and then click "Continue."

 

A round feedback window will appear.

 

Set the options as follows

"Turn speakable items on at login" will automatically start speech recognition whenever you start or log in to the computer.

"Helpful tips" displays the window with the directions.

"Open Speakable Items folder" will show you the contents of "Speakable Items."

 

"Play sound" enables you to select a sound to play when your computer recognizes a spoken command.

"Speak confirmation" instructs your computer to repeat the command it heard.

Click the "Listening Tab" and set listening options as follows

"Listening key" is the keyboard key you must press to either listen to spoken commands or to toggle if listening is turned on or off. The default key is ESC. To change the key, click the "Change Key" button, enter a new key in the window that appears and press ok.

 

"Listening Method" lets you select how you want the computer to listen for commands. "Listen only while key is pressed" requires you to press the selected key before it will listen. "Key toggles listening on and off" uses the listening key to turn listening on or off. If you select this option you can enter a name for your computer and use the "Name is" pop up menu to specify if the computer name must be spoken before each command.

 

"Microphone" lets you select which microphone you will use to issue commands. This will vary depending on your computer and any external microphones you have plugged in.

 

The "Volume" button lets you check and adjust the microphone volume. Click the button to display the "Microphone Volume" window, then speak phrases listed on the left side of the window. As a phrase is recognized it will blink. Use the slider to change the volume as needed.

To set the Commands options

Click the "Commands" tab

 

Turn on the check box next to each command that you want available when "Speakable Items" is on.

 

To Use Speakable Items

Hold down the listening key and speak the command or use the listening key to turn listening on, then speak the command you want your computer to perform. If the computer name is required before or after the command be sure to include it. If your computer understands the command, the sound you specified during setup will play and the command will appear above the feedback window. If the computer did not understand the command, nothing will happen. Wait a moment and try again.

To set the default speaking voice

Click the "Default Voice" tab.

 

Select one of the voices in the "voice" list. The computer will speak so you can hear the voice.

 

To change the rate at which the voice speaks, move the slider next to "Rate."

 

To set Spoken User Interface options

Click the "Spoken User Interface" tab

 

Set the options as follows

"Speak the phrase tells" your computer to speak a certain phrase when an alert appears. If you turn on this checkbox, choose an option from the pop up menu

 

"Speak the alert text" tells your computer to speak the contents of the alert that appears. You can select a different voice than the default voice from the drop-down menu.

 

"Wait before speaking" sets a delay between the time an alert appears and when your computer starts talking. Use the slider to change the interval.

 

"Announce when an application requires your attention" tells your computer to verbally announce when an application needs your attention.

"Text under the mouse reads" the text that appears under your mouse pointer when you point to a menu button or other interface item.

 

"Selected text when the key is pressed" reads any text you select when you press a key combination. When you turn on this check box a window will appear. Press the keystroke you want to use to speak or stop speaking the selected text and click "OK." You can change this keystroke by clicking the "Change Key" button to display this window again.