Using Windows Vista Speech Recognition to Write Articles

Freelance writers and content specialists are in danger of wearing out their fingers, hands, and wrists. Typing as much as 10,000 words per day puts a great strain on these parts. To reduce the chances of conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, those who write articles on line may turn to speech recognition programs. Instead of purchasing expensive software, consider using the free program that comes with Windows Vista.

As I write this article, I am leaving my chin on one hand. The other one is reaching for a cup of coffee. My new laptop came with Windows Vista, and I lost no time exploring its speech recognition capabilities.

Designed mostly for accessibility for those with disabilities, the Windows Vista speech recognition can not only be used to give commands such as open and save to your computer. It is also a very effective speech to text dictation tool.

Begin by navigating to the control panel in your Windows Vista computer. Click on ease of access, speech recognition, and explore the window that opens. The first step should be to set up your microphone. Next, use the tutorial. This will give you a good idea about some of the basic commands you can use. Take several minutes to train your computer to better understand you, and you will be ready to write an article.

Most popular word processing programs work well with Windows Vista speech recognition. Microsoft word and notepad are the two I use. I also use an article writing and keywords research program called article architect.

Some people may find it beneficial to outline or plan their article before using speech recognition to write it. This can help keep the article from rambling and straying off topic. You can also use Windows Vista speech recognition to write a first draft and then go back and edit it. Speaking calmly and clearly will result in the least number of errors.

No matter what, you will have to proofread an edit your article. Of course this is true no matter how you write an article. When using speech recognition however, the program can replace what you want to say with other real words. This makes it impossible for spell checkers to catch the mistakes. Be sure to take enough time to go through the article carefully.

While there are more professional options for speech to text a dictation, the Windows Vista speech recognition program is effective for writing articles. Not only will it save you time, it will help protect your hands and wrists from the image.