Dictating Text

Dictating the text of a letter or other document using Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003's speech recognition functions may be easier for some users than typing, but don't think that it is an entirely hands free operation. For example, you must manually click on the Voice Command button when you want to format anything that has been input, and then click again on Dictation to resume inputting text. Additionally, the Dictation function is not going to be 100% accurate, so you will need to clean up mistakes either when they occur, or subsequently with issues of text, punctuation, and capitalization. Nevertheless, it is fun and freeing to be able to get the first draft of any document on paper simply by speaking it.

Dictate Text

If necessary, display the Language bar.

Click the Microphone button on the Language bar. The toolbar expands so that the Dictation button becomes available on the toolbar.

Click to position the insertion point inside the presentation where you want the dictated text to appear, and then begin speaking normally into your microphone. As you speak, the words will appear on the page.

When you have finished dictating your text, click the Microphone button again to make the speech recognition functions inactive.

WARNING!

Turn off the Language toolbar functions when not in use . If you fail to turn off the Language toolbar functions while continuing to work in Power-Point, distractions in the room like phone calls, even the sound of your keyboard clicking as you type, can introduce errors into your document.