A step-by-step guide for Dragon Users - Part 1

Believe it or not, there is a way to talk to Dragon that will help it to work even better when you first start using it!

When you first start using Dragon, the number of commands available can seem daunting and make it harder to learn, so I focus on what I call three key commands to get you started.

This is the first key command - Correcting Dragon recognition errors...

This command is an addition to key command one in that it allows you to quickly modify or edit the correwction list.

Key command two allows you to quickly format text.

And key command three allows you to control the Office 365 Ribbon with voice commands!

There is a bonus fourth command of course!

This shows you how to select and edit your text with a voice command.

You may use the Dictation Box if you try writing in an app that is not compatible with Dragon. This feature allows you to use Dragon virtually anywhere!

This module shows you how to dictate the most common punctuation symbols in your text.

Here you can see how to dictate dates and times and how Dragon formats these depending upon how you dictate the text...

This lecture shows how Dragon recognises that a voice command is a command and is not written as text!

This lecture shows you how to add specific words or phrases to your Dragon vocabulary.

Good examples include 'Health & Safety' and unusual mnemonics such as 'C2d' ( a mixture of uppercase, lowercase and numbers)

One of the most powerful ways to quickly adapt your Dragon profile is to ask Dragon to analyse your previous documents!

This will give you the option of adding any new words and will learn your writing style.

Please ensure that any words added are correctly spelt!

A few examples of words from my Dragon vocabulary...

Proof reading is important because Dragon is not 100% accurate. This is the first of the tools that Dragon includes to help you check what you have written is correct.

It is a genuine proof reading tool as it is reading the text from the screen.

The second proof reading tool is 'Play That Back'- this plays a recording of what you said whilst dictating, whilst visually tracking each word as it does this!

Office 365 includes a good proof reading tool on the Review Ribbon that allows you to visually track the etx as it is read aloud.

A simple guide to starting and stopping Dragon...

You may be asked to run Accuracy Tuning when you close Dragon. Although you don't have to do this every time, it is important to do it every now and then as it helps to keep Dragon running efficiently.

This module describes how you can get Dragon to recognise a word or phrase that it has consistently not recognised, even if you use the 'Correct' command.

If your accuracy level drops suddenly, try re-tuning the microphone first with this step.

I have helped many people who have strong accents  so Dragon struggles to recognise what they are saying when they first start dictating. Following these steps helps to dramatically improve Dragon's accuracy!

Very occasionally Dragon will not start when you double click the icon. You will quickly spot this as the flash screen is not dispalyed and the DragonBar will not appear. Follow these steps to resolve this.

Dragon is a brilliant tool to help people who struggle to write due to dyslexia. It is important to use the proof reading tools available though and this module describes how Dragon can help. I also look at several other apps that can work alongside Dragon and provide even more help!

Dragon can also help if you have a painful condition such as arthritis and find it painful to use a keyboard or mouse for longer than a few minutes.

Finally, Dragon can help people with a range of other disabilities such as tendonitis.

A bit of fun to finish

Try dictating the text in the downloadable file exactly as you see it!

Don’t forget to time yourself when you try this out!

Please try dictating this text exactly as you see it, complete with punctuation and formatting. As you do so, please do not worry

about correcting any Dragon recognition errors, even though I have previously said that I tend to correct these as I go along!

The idea here is to find out how quickly you can type with your voice...

When you have finished, please count how many mistakes Dragon has made and calculate your typing speed in words per minute; if you are not sure about the number of words, this can be found at the bottom left corner of your Microsoft Word window.

Then feel free to comment via the forum and let me know how long you took and how many mistakes Dragon made...

I will build an unofficial league table if enough entries are received, but I am obviously relying on your honesty here!

Everything contained within this text was covered during the modules on this course, so I hope that nothing will come as a surprise to you, and I would expect Dragon to be very accurate when you dictate this text.

I’m now going to include the example of the phrase Health & Safety and suggested in the short video introduction to this, that you add this phrase manually to your vocabulary before you start. In this way you can simply say health and safety and have Dragon format it as shown here. To do this, you will need to identify a different spoken form and written form in the Dragon vocabulary.

Have you tried dictating your name yet? Remember that if Dragon gets one name right and one name wrong, that best practice is to correct both names together. In this way, Dragon learns that you often use these words together.

This text is 507 words long and in theory, should take you about five minutes to dictate. This is at a speed of 100 words a minute, although you may be able to achieve 120 words a minute. This sounds like you are speaking very quickly, but it is only two words a second!

Also remember that you don’t need to talk all the time as you are reading this text. If you try this, you are more likely to stumble. Instead, try reading a piece of the text and pausing briefly before you dictate it, then read the next piece and dictate it, and so on.

It will be very interesting for me to hear how you get on, and if you should have any problems, I will do my best to help you.

I hope that you have found this course helpful!

If you would like to find out more on using Dragon with Microsoft Outlook, Google Chrome, or controlling your computer by voice, another course will be available shortly...

Thank you again, I look forward to the possibility of hearing from you