Quickly Learn How to Use Dragon NaturallySpeaking Dictation Software
| Summary: Quickly understand and begin using voice-to-text Dragon NaturallySpeaking dictation software with these quick-start dictation tips. |
Question: I don’t type very well, or very fast, and I’ve heard that there are now some pretty good voice-to-text dictation programs out there, but I’m worried it will take me too long to figure out how to use them. Have you tried any voice to text dictation programs? What is your experience with voice-to-text dictation software?
I use computer dictation software exclusively to convert my words to text when I’m writing. The dictation software I use, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, can also be used to navigate computer programs and websites with your Internet browser, but I don’t use it for that — Keep in mind that you can eliminate half the dictation commands if you decide, like me, to use the software for transcription only and not for computer and browser navigation. Furthermore, if you use your dictation software for voice to text transcription, you can probably concentrate on only about 30 dictation commands to effectively make use of writing by dictation.
I was intimidated by the thickness of the dictation software manual until I started concentrating on the most basic dictation commands that would allow me to get the greatest use of the software in the shortest amount of time. You probably already concentrate on the most important commands with any other computer programs that you use. If you use Microsoft Office or Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel you probably use less than 20% of the functions programmers built into Microsoft Office, but 20% of the commands suit the majority of your needs. Likewise, I started out by trying most of the commands in the Dragon NaturallySpeaking software manual and tried methods described by online dictation tutorials. Within a few days, I discovered which commands were most important and which I could do without.
The list below contains about 30 of the commands that I think are the most necessary to effectively use Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice to text transcription software in the shortest starting time. I encourage you to print the commands below as a quick guide for when you’re learning how to use Dragon NaturallySpeaking software.
In future blog posts I’ll describe my technique for using these commands as an effective replacement for longhand writing and for typing.
| DRAGON NATURALLY SPEAKING QUICK REFERENCE FOR DICTATION Microphone On (Off) | Go To Sleep | Wake Up NAVIGATE INSERT BEFORE (AFTER) <word or phrase> – INSERT BEFORE (AFTER) That – will move the cursor before/after currently selected text. Tip: “insert after blah blah period” or “insert after period” to begin a sentence after another existing sentence. Consider punctuation like, periods, a word. Think in phrases, not words. Start of Line | End of Line | Up 3 lines | Down 3 lines *doesn’t always work Left (Right) –> 3 Words | 3 Characters | 3 Paragraphs | Move to –> Top | Beginning | Bottom | End <– preferred) Go to –> Top | Beginning | Bottom | End <– use sparingly Tip: Better luck with “MoveTo,” seems to be understood more often than “GoTo.” Right 20 words (instead of goto end) (20 words max) Down 20 paragraphs SELECT TEXT Selects the occurrence of the <word or phrase> closest to the cursor, either forward or backward in the text. When selected, say the replacement word or phrase SELECT <word or phrase> | Line | Paragraph –> Copy That | Cut That | Paste That | Delete That | Spell That | Correct That CORRECTION The 3 commands below automatically remove Strike That | Scratch That | Delete That Correct That | Correct <word or phrase> — selects <word> and displays the correction list Spell That Backspace <- bad command, use sparingly OTHER Open Quote | Close Quote | Open Parenthesis | Close Parenthesis MS Word / WordPad COMPATIBLE FORMATTING The commands below may work only with MS Word compatible text editors. Bold That | Italicize That | Underline That | Restore That Un-Bold That | Un-Italicize That | Un-Underline That | Caps On | Caps Off | Cap <word or phrase> | All Caps That | No Caps That Left Align That | Center That | Right Align That Add Bullets | Insert Numbers Tab Key Set Font Times | Set Size 18 Single Space (Double Space) the Next 3 Paragraphs Print Preview | Print Document | Print Page | Print Page 8 | Print Pages 3 to 7 |
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