SpeakQ for WordQ 3
by Quillsoft Ltd
Say more with SpeakQ speech recognition
“There’s nothing on the market that combines speech recognition and word prediction as a single product in this way.” – Bob Follansbee, Education Development Centre
“SpeakQ is developed in a manner that keeps the focus where it should be!” – ATP
“The Speak and select feature is terrific. It will make it easier to train younger students on speech recognition.” – Ed.D.
“Training is very easy. We liked the choices for training by age and reading ability.” – Special Educator
“I had a 9-year-old laugh out loud and say, “Look at that – I wrote a paragraph.” SpeakQ worked for her! It has gotten my approval” – Teacher
“Before this technology, my son’s school only ever saw him as a learning-disabled child with a pile of deficits. Now they see a kid with all these strengths.” – Parent
The SpeakQ plug-in takes everything you love about WordQ and adds forgiving speech recognition to the mix. SpeakQ is for those who cannot use other speech recognition products because they cannot fluently dictate at a fast rate, remember verbal commands, and/or get through training.
Say what you think
SpeakQ is more forgiving, suggesting word options based on what you say. You don’t even have to speak perfectly to use it. Combine it with typing for best results.
Typing and talking
SpeakQ lets you say the words you know and speak the ones you don’t. Choose the words you want by seeing and hearing your choices.
Listen. Speak. Train.
Train SpeakQ by repeating spoken text. Create your own training texts to add variety and teach it to recognise your way of saying specific sounds.
SpeakQ plugs into WordQ and adds simple speech recognition. Conventional speech recognition systems are designed primarily as a productivity tool for persons who have no trouble writing (and dictating) or as an alternative hands-free access tool for persons with physical disabilities. WordQ/SpeakQ, on the other hand, is for those who can type but who have trouble writing and reading in the first place. They can benefit from a combination of word prediction, speech output and speech input to generate text when stuck with spelling and word forms, identifying errors, proofreading and editing. Such users may find it difficult or impossible to use other speech recognition products because of reading demands and complexity.
SpeakQ features a simple training interface where the computer prompts you by voice what to say. You can then dictate directly into any document or dictate into WordQ’s prediction list. Your speech is combined with the word prediction. To keep it simple, there are no verbal commands. You only dictate text. Teachers in special education will appreciate its simplicity.
Benefits and Features
The SpeakQ plug-in, when used with WordQ:
- Lets you type the words you know and speak the ones you don’t
- Can write everything you say from single words to entire paragraphs
- Offers suggestions for words you have difficulty pronouncing
- Train it to understand your voice, with no reading required
- More tolerant of accents and speech difficulties than other software
- Allows you to mix typing and speaking for best results
- No voice commands to remember or distract
- Now includes English, French, Spanish and German*
SpeakQ offers:
- Simplified customisable training
- Speech prompting during training
- Discrete (combined with word prediction) or continuous dictation modes
- Ongoing speech feedback of recognised words
- No verbal commands for control or correction
- Tightly integrated word prediction, speech feedback and speech input
- Assumes that user will both type and use speech recognition
Whether you home school a child with written output difficulties (see Supported Learning) or just want a simple to use voice recognition software for yourself, SpeakQ is an excellent choice. Training your voice is simple with a variety of reading passages that are read out loud. There are no voice commands to learn. You use your mouse and keyboard to run your computer. It also functions seamlessly with WordQ allowing you to move back and forth between the two thus reducing the frustration inherent when learning to use voice recognition technology. Whether you are writing reports or writing recipes (or both!), SpeakQ makes word processing by voice easy to learn and simple to use.
SpeakQ development background
SpeakQ was developed by a research and development team at Bloorview MacMillan Children’s Centre in collaboration with the Education Development Centre (Newton, MA) with funding from the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research, US Department of Education Grant No. H133G000204-02 as well as the Ontario Rehabilitation Technology Consortium.
Speech recognition technology enhances the writing abilities of many individuals, yet some individuals who may benefit from this technology, do not pursue its use. In the case of some students with learning disabilities, present-day speech recognition products do not meet their needs due to reading demands, operational complexity, and the lack of integration with assistive technologies such as word prediction and text-to-speech. This has led to the development of SpeakQ, an innovative new software program that combines the power of speech recognition with concurrent access to other technologies, and offers students a writing solution with distinct advantages.
SpeakQ enables users to dictate words into any standard Microsoft Windows document in either a continuous or discrete word-by-word manner. SpeakQ is used in combination with WordQ 2, a writing tool with advanced word prediction and text-to-speech capabilities. Together, these tools provide an integrated and flexible approach to writing, and assist students with their spelling, proofreading, and editing activities. Students now have the option to dictate text, type on their keyboard, choose word predictions from a list, or alternate between these methods, each of which has been optimised to enhance the effectiveness of the other.
Designed with ease-of-use in mind, SpeakQ simplifies speech recognition technology. During the training (or enrolment) process, SpeakQ automatically reads the required training text to users, who then need only to repeat the spoken words or phrases at their own pace. At the same time, the training display minimises visual distractions, and accommodates users with visual differences. To reduce the complexity of dictation, SpeakQ emphasises the task of writing, and eliminates the need to memorise voice commands. In addition, recognised words and phrases are immediately read aloud to facilitate the detection of recognition errors. Then, to facilitate error correction, highly accurate word alternatives are suggested by combining speech data with statistical predictive data. As a result, the desired word can be selected with a minimum number of keystrokes.
SpeakQ supports two styles of dictation. Like other speech recognition products, it allows users to dictate text directly into their documents. In addition, it also supports a style of dictation that is unique to SpeakQ. This approach uses word prediction capabilities and introduces a concept Quillsoft calls “speech-enabled word prediction”. In effect, spoken words are displayed as a list of choices enhanced by word predictions. Users select from the list of words, or type letters to further refine their choices. By using this approach, not only can students control the words that are entered into their documents as they speak, but they can also improve the accuracy of the words. Consequently, they can spend less time correcting recognition errors, and more time on the real task of writing.
Videos about SpeakQ
Requirements and ResourcesexpandClick to collapse
System Requirements
- Windows
- WordQ 3 software pre-installed
- Operating System: Windows XP, Vista, and 7 (32/64 bit)
- Minimum RAM: 1GB RAM preferred
- Hard Drive Space Required: 200+ MB
- Minimum Processor: 1 GHz or equivalent
- DVD drive for installation
- Sound card, noise-cancelling microphone (headset or desktop), and headset or desktop speakers.
- WordQ 3 software pre-installed
Note: Speech recognition only recognises the native language of your operating system, unless you download language packs for Vista or Windows 7 Ultimate/Business from Microsoft’s site.
Multi-user Feature with a Single User Licence
If a school buys a single user license exclusively for a particular student, that student may use the software at school and at home.
Multi-user Purchase Options
Multi-user options offer an economical way to purchase the SpeakQ program.
The discounted prices are as listed below and start when you purchase 5 or more licences of the program. When you purchase 25 or more of the program, the price per computer drops even further. To be eligible for this discounted purchasing, these volume purchases must be purchased on the one order, requiring only one invoice, and for delivery to one address (a “site”).
Includes one installation DVD, one serial number and one ‘Quick Start’ user guide per 5 licences.
Includes equal number of student home access installations, while students are enrolled with their school.
View/Download
- The importance of word prediction and speech feedback – Whitepaper by Dr Colin J. Laine, Professor Emeritus, The University of Western Ontario
- WordQ+SpeakQ 30-day Trial for Windows
- SpeakQ Quick Start Guide – (548 KB)
- SpeakQ 3 User Guide – (2.9 MB)
- SpeakQ Tips
SpeakQ for WordQ 3 is targeted at the following age ranges:
- Mid Primary
- Upper Primary
- Secondary School
- Adult
SpeakQ for WordQ 3 is designed to foster development in the areas of:
- Literacy
Users can access SpeakQ for WordQ 3 in the following ways:
- Voice
For more information on "SpeakQ for WordQ 3" read the following articles:
- Full Story - Voice Recognition Software Consumer Report, by ConsumerSearch, updated 10/2005 - (pdf)
- WordQ / SpeakQ Review
- WordQ / SpeakQ: Integrating word prediction and speech input to help struggling writers
For answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and technical support visit:
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