What is Dragon Naturally Speaking?

Dragon Naturally Speaking is “dictation” software that allows you speak into a microphone to write text and command the computer. Dragon can help you write word documents, open up websites, and write emails all using a microphone. Dragon can write between 150-200 words per minute.

Who will benefit from Dragon Naturally Speaking?

People with mobility problems who cannot type as well as people with sight impairment will benefit from Dragon Naturally Speaking. Those with traumatic brain injury or learning disabilities can also benefit from using Dragon. Dragon has actually been found to improve reading ability over time for those with learning impairment or limited English skills.
It may take a while for Dragon to adjust to your voice. Practicing with the software every day and remembering to have patience is a key part of the Dragon experience.
Dragon has already been installed on your computer. All you have to do is set up your own profile to get started with the software.

Set Up

To get started with Dragon, the computer will prompt you to set up your profile. You can run setup as much as you like, from every time you use Dragon to at least once a week, to continue to “train” the software to recognize your voice. Make sure you are in a quiet environment because Dragon often picks up conversations around it.

Set Up 1: To Start

1) Plug your microphone into the USB port of the computer. There is one in the front and one in the back.
2) On the bottom left (your right) of your screen by the time, you will see a speaker that indicates your computer’s sound. Open this speaker up by clicking it. When you open it up you should see the master volume box for your computer.

In the master volume box open up options: Under options check recording for adjust volume for and microphone under volume control.
3) Position the microphone for it is about one inch away from your mouth.
4) Click on the Dragon Naturally speaking icon to open the program
5) It will ask you which microphone you want to choose. You can select “Default to DNS” to default to the Dragon Naturally Speaking microphone. Click next.
6) The computer will prompt you to make sure your microphone is positioned one inch away from your mouth. Click next.

Volume and Quality of Sound

7) The computer will prompt you to check your volume. Click on start volume check. The computer will prompt you to read the text on the screen into the microphone, but you can say anything at all. You don’t have to read the text they assign you. As you read Dragon will adjust the volume. When the microphone has been adjusted you will hear a beep to let you know that Dragon is done adjusting the volume.

Troubleshooting: Sometimes computers have built in microphones that can fight with Dragon’s microphone. If you get an error message that says “low volume try again” your computer’s microphone is still on. Go back to step five and make sure you have turned your computer’s microphone off and chosen the Dragon microphone as your default microphone.
8) Now you will be prompted to adjust the quality of sound. Click “start quality of sound check” and begin reading the text. For this one, you do need to read the text they give you.
9) When you hear a “beep” you can play back your audio files. Then click next.
Creating Vocabulary
10) After you have fixed your volume, the computer will prompt you to go through a general training session. This session can be repeated in order to train Dragon to your voice.
11) When the computer says “general training” choose “go.” The computer will give you a list of text to read. Pick the one you like.
12) Begin reading the text in a normal voice. The computer will highlight the text as you go along. The computer will also stop, and the curser will blink, if you have missed a word or if the program has not understood you. Start reading again where the curser indicates. This session takes about 15 minutes.
13) Once you have finished the training Dragon will adapt your user files. If you have no word documents saved on the computer you are using, Dragon cannot do this and the process will take less than a minute.

Tutorial

14) In the set up mode Dragon has a wonderful tutorial on how to use their software. You can choose start tutorial as a first time user or as a review. To skip the tutorial choose “begin dictating” and then finish.

Importing Vocabulary

15) If you have documents or emails on your hard drive that you have saved you can go through the “importing vocabulary” function to give dragon a better understanding of your writing style. If not you can skip importing vocabulary. Click yes and next until the process is done.
16) If you keep word documents on a CD ROM or flash drive, you can also import user files from a CD ROM or from a flash drive. Insert the CD ROM or flash drive and select location and then click “open.” Select “all user” files on the CD ROM or flash drive. Then click next.
17) After you have selected what user files you want stored in Dragon, choose default and your files will be stored in Dragon’s main folder. Then click next.
18) If, at a later time, you wish to import more documents into Dragon, click begin to import, go through the steps above, and click finish when you’re done!

Note on Multiple Users

You can create multiple users on your version of Dragon. It’s a lot like setting up the original user.
1) To begin the new user wizard you can:
Click the New button in the Open user dialog box when Naturally Speaking starts up.

Or, from the Naturally Speaking window, choose User than New from the menu.

Or choose New from the Naturally Speaking Essentials toolbar.
2) After the new wizard starts up it will take you through the same steps above.
3) During set up Dragon will prompt you to give a name for your profile. Please use your first and last name so that you and the administrator will recognize your profile.
4) To open your profile open Dragon Naturally speaking. In the tool bar you will see “naturally speaking” along with tools and words and help. Open “naturally speaking” and then “open user.” Click on your name and you will be back in your own profile.
5) To delete a user who isn’t using naturally speaking anymore, open “naturally speaking” from the dragon command bar. Then click on manage users. Highlight the name of the profile you want to delete. Then press delete and the users profile will be gone.

The Dragon Bar

When you are finished setting up Dragon you are now ready to use the software.
1) When you find the Dragon icon on your desk top, it is a green flame, and click it, a tool bar will open on your screen.
2) After a minuet in which dragon loads your files, the tool bar will indicate Dragon is ready for use.
3) The “Dragon Bar” is your command central for using Dragon.
4) The microphone comes in three colors. A red microphone indicates that Dragon is in the “off” mode. A green microphone indicates Dragon is recording dictation. A yellow or gold microphone indicates that dragon is sleeping. Click a red microphone to turn it green. To turn a green microphone yellow say “go to sleep” into your microphone. To turn a yellow microphone green say “wake up.”
5) Next to the microphone there are four tabs: “Naturally Speaking,” “Tools,” and “Help”
6) Naturally Speaking:

From Naturally Speaking you can:

Turn the Microphone on or off.
Choose “Open user” to find your profile and open it.
Choose “manage users” to create a new user or delete an old one.
Close user to close out your profile so another person can’t use it.
Open recent user to open the last user who used dragon.
Save user files to save your files.
And Close the Dragon Bar to exit the program.
7) Tools
From Tools you can:
Go to the accuracy center to run the dictation part of your set up. You should do this at least once a week until Dragon gets used to the way you speak.
Command Browser helps you look up what you want Dragon to do and the corresponding command.
Help:
From Help you can:
Improve your accuracy by going to the accuracy center.
Retake the tutorial that helps you learn how to use Dragon.
And learn about Dragon Naturally Speaking on the Web.

Day to Day Dragon: Users guide

Now that you have set up Dragon and learned how to create and find your profile you can get started using Dragon every day. Here are a few tips on using Dragon.
1) Your administrators have already added a Dragon icon to your computer. It looks like a green flame. When you click it your “Dragon Bar” will open. Go through the steps above to find and choose your user profile. Now you’re ready to go!
Typing a Word document
2) Open up Microsoft word
3) On the dragon tool bar you will see a red microphone. Click on the red microphone and Dragon will wake up. Wait while it loads your files. When the microphone turns green Dragon is ready for you to dictate. If you don’t want dragon to record you, but you don’t want to close the program, say “Go to Sleep” into your microphone. When the screen microphone turns yellow, Dragon is no longer recording you. To record again say “wake up.”

Formatting a Word Document

4) When you are in windows with a green screen microphone on your dragon bar you can say “click styles” and then from the pop-up menu select which format you want to use.

Using Dragon: Tips

5) Two Words: Sometimes you will say something that will confuse Dragon because a word has two meanings or two spellings. For example, “Two” can be a number or “too” which means “also” or to, as in to go. “Period” can mean you want punctuation or it can mean “done.” If Dragon is confused it will ask you which word or symbol you are meaning in a pop up box. Choose the one you want.
6) Mistakes: Don’t get frustrated! As Dragon is learning who you are and how you speak it will make mistakes. When Dragon has made a mistake simply say “scratch that” and what you have dictated will disappear. You can say “scratch that” up to five times to delete the last five words or groups of words you a have written. This editing function is also good if you just didn’t like what you said and wanted to re-say it another way. Remember, if Dragon is getting confused and writing the wrong thing a lot you can run set up again, slow down, pay attention to your diction, or try and reduce background noise.
7) Correction and Spelling: If you’re reading over a word document or an email and you see a mistake you’d like to correct there’s no need to use a mouse to fix it. Just say the word and select. For instance if you want to correct the word “instance” in this sentence you can say “select instance” and the computer will highlight the word. To correct spelling say “spell that” and the computer will provide you with a list of words. Choose the correct one. If it is a word you spell wrong all the time you can then say “click train” to train the computer to recognize and fix the misspelling automatically.
8) When your word is not on the list: click “type” type the right word and then say “ok.”
Bold, Underline and other commands in Word:
9) If you want to bold or underline a word while writing a document just say the word and what you want done to it. Thus, I can say “delete “writing” and the word writing will be deleted. I can also say “bold writing” and the word writing will be put in bold.

Using the Web with Dragon

Dragon 10 allows much better integration with the Web.
1) Open up Firefox or internet explorer and then say what you want to search for. For example, you can say, “Search the Web for pizza in East St. Louis” or “Search the Web for ice cream in East St. Louis” and Dragon will perform your search for you.

Other Commands:

For other commands you can look on the Dragon “cheat sheet” that has come laminated with your addition of Dragon. You can also access commands by opening up the dragon bar and from “tools” opening up the “command browser.” There you will find a list of commands. Choose the one you want to find how to use the command.

Trouble Shooting with Dragon:

Below are some common troubles and how to fix them.

Nothing happens when you dictate:

Trouble Shooting:

1) Make sure the microphone is connected to the computer in the right socket.
2) Make sure that the mute box isn’t checked. Double click the loudspeaker by the time on the bottom of your computer and check.
3) Make sure your device settings aren’t changed. Run set up again.
4) Make sure the Dragon microphone icon is a green and awake.
5) Make sure you are in an active window. To check go into word and click your mouse on a fresh document. Start dictating to see if Dragon is working.

Naturally Speaking doesn’t type what you say:

Trouble Shooting:
1) Make sure you actually speak each word fully and speak entire phrases. Don’t pause between words, don’t skip words, don’t click them at the end, or slur your words.
2) Make sure your microphone is positioned off to the side of your mouth about 1 inch away
3) Run the audio setup Wizard again. Choose “tools” from your Dragon Bar and then Audio Setup Wizard.

Commands get typed as Text:

Troubleshooting:
1) Make sure that the command disposed to work in this application.
2) Make sure that Naturally Speaking is hearing you correctly.
3) Hold down the control key: hold down the control key while you are giving the command.

Dictation is Slow:

Troubleshooting:
1) Ignore it.
2) Change the settings. From the Dragon Bar click “Tools” then “Options.” In Options click Miscellaneous. Press “tab” to select the “Speed vs. Accuracy” slider. Move the slider over to the left for faster dictation.
3) Exit all your applications and restart the computer.
4) There can also be a problem with your computer’s memory.

Menu commands don’t work:

Troubleshooting:
1) From the Naturally Speaking bar, select tools, then options.
2) In the Options box, click miscellaneous.
3) Find the Use active accessibility checkbox and make sure it’s checked.

Natural Language Commands don’t work:

Troubleshooting:
You are dictating into Microsoft Word. Natural language commands don’t work anywhere but in Microsoft Word.
Natural Word isn’t running. If you can dictate text, but the natural language commands don’t work, one possibility is that you launched naturally speaking separately, after launching word. To turn them back on again:
1) In the Dragon Bar choose “naturally Speaking” Tools, Options,
2) In Options select the dictation tab
3) On that tab says user make sure “Use natural language commands in Microsoft word” has been check marked. If not check mark it.

Stark doesn’t start:

Troubleshooting:
You say start Internet Explorer and nothing happens.
The start command starts any application that’s installed on your machine and has a shortcut icon on the desktop or an entry on the programs menu.
The cats however is that you have to say the name exactly as it appears on the shortcut menu entry. So if the entry on the programs menu is Microsoft Word 4.5 you need to say start Microsoft Word 4.5