Category Archives: Training

Tip: Help on the NaturallySpeaking utilities


A few weeks ago the folks at Nuance posted a Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 user workbook. It’s an excellent resource. It includes detailed instructions on NaturallySpeaking speech engine utilities that will make your speech experience better.

Here are my favorite parts:

The instructions for creating a user profile (page 1) explain important concepts like choosing the right dictation source. If you accidentally choose the wrong dictation source, your accuracy will not be as good.

The Vocabulary dialog box (page 8) allows you to add custom vocabulary including phrases, and import custom vocabulary from existing documents. I make sure my users have “Utter Command” and “Redstart Systems” as phrases. I have a usability complaint about the Vocabulary dialog box, however. It’s difficult to find in the menus because the menu name doesn’t match the dialog box name: NaturallySpeaking/Words/View-Edit. I think the label should be Vocabulary Editor instead.

The Formatting dialog box (page 23) allows you to control automatic formatting of special text like numbers. This section explains what you can control and how to control it.

The My Commands dialog box (page 44) allows you to create Text and Graphics commands. These boilerplate commands are relatively easy to create and can save you a lot of time. You can assign a command like “My Address” to a larger block of text, complete with line breaks and formatting.

The improving accuracy section (page 50) includes instructions for the Train Words, Acoustic Settings and Acoustic and Language Model Optimizer dialog boxes.

Here are some resources that have to do with using NatSpeak utilities with Utter Command:

In the Utter Command manual we touch on how Utter Command dovetails with NatSpeak Correction, Vocabulary, Recognition and Train Words utilities in UC Lesson 1 (1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.11). Also see the “Dragon NaturallySpeaking” section on UC Exchange.

New Videos: The Whirlwind Tour

Check out our new videos — UC Whirlwind Tour part 1 and UC Whirlwind Tour part 2.

The Whirlwind Tour gives you a taste of what you can do with Utter Command in some key areas:

  • Controlling the Utter Command menu
  • Opening and closing programs
  • Clicking the mouse
  • Moving and sizing windows
  • Using Windows and program menus
  • Opening files and folders directly
  • Dictating and closely editing in any program
  • E-mailing
  • Using the Internet

There’s a printed copy of this tour, including cross references, in Getting Started. UC also includes an on-screen guide for this tour (say “UC Whirlwind” and the Whirlwind Tour commands will appear in a narrow on-screen guide window on the right side of your screen — other programs will size around).

Watch the tour, then use the on-screen guide or a printout of Getting Started to take it yourself.

What’s your favorite UC command? What would you like to see a tour on? Reply here or let me know at info@ this website address.