System Preferences - Speech

Mac OS X has many built in features working with speech including speech recognition and a spoken user interface. Speech Recognition requires a microphone to work and works best in a quiet work 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 this window 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 into 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, and 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 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 command 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 speed at which the voice speaks, move the slider.

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 chose 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 if you would like.
  
• Wait before speaking sets a delay between the time an alert appears and your computer starts talking. Change the time by using the slider.
  
• 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.