Suggested Microphone Habits
The best speech recognition quality comes from optimally recorded audio. Follow the habits below in order to achieve a better experience. The General Dictation Habits section is applicable to every microphone type.
General Dictation Habits
Hold the microphone approximately 4 - 6 inches from your mouth for optimal recording.
Check the microphone settings to verify the microphone you intend to use is selected and the record buttons are appropriately set
Gather your thoughts and assemble any pertinent information prior to dictating.
Dictate in a quiet area, with minimal background noise. Calibrate microphone if environment changes.
Speak in full thoughts or sentences, consistently and evenly, avoiding fragmented dictations.
Use correct verbiage and grammar – including punctuation.
Speak clearly, at a regular pace – articulate properly without over enunciating or speaking too slowly.
Enunciate words that can be misunderstood: abduction vs. adduction and hyper vs. hypo
Avoid using slang, acronyms, and/or coined terms.
Be sure to wait until recording has begun before beginning to dictate and only releasing the record button (if using Hold to Talk) or recording is turned off (if using Toggle to Talk) after dictation is complete. This prevents words from being “clipped” from the start or tail end of the dictation.
Stop recording when taking a pause from dictation. This is to prevent capturing other conversations or background noises.
Avoid heavy breathing or coughing into the microphone while recording.
Never allow another person to dictate under your login. This will negatively affect your recognition quality.
It is best to mention any issues to your in-house Help Desk as it may or may not be related to the hardware.