Windows 11, like its predecessor, comes with a Speech Recognition tool that allows users to control their computers using just their voice. This tool can be useful for people with physical disabilities or those who simply prefer to speak rather than type. In this chapter, we will explore how you can use Speech Recognition in Windows 11.
Enabling Speech Recognition
Before you can start using Speech Recognition, you will need to activate it. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings by clicking the Start button and selecting Settings from the menu.
- In the left pane, click "System" and then "Speech."
- In the "Speech Recognition" section, click "Configure Speech Recognition."
- Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your microphone and train the computer to understand your voice.
Once you've set up Speech Recognition, you can activate it at any time by saying "Start listening" or clicking the microphone icon in the taskbar.
Using Speech Recognition
Once activated, Speech Recognition can be used to perform a variety of tasks. Here are some examples:
- Navigation:You can open programs, switch between windows, scroll pages, and more. For example, you can say "Start Word" to open Microsoft Word, or "Switch to next window" to switch between open windows.
- Text editing:You can dictate text, select text, copy and paste, and even format text. For example, you can say "Select word" to select a word, or "Bold" to make the selected text bold.
- System Control:You can adjust the volume, open the Action Center, turn off your computer, and more. For example, you can say "Volume Up" to increase the volume, or "Shut Down" to turn off the computer.
Speech Recognition Commands
Windows 11 Speech Recognition understands a variety of commands. Here are some of the most useful:
- Navigation: "Start [program name]", "Close this", "Minimize this", "Maximize this", "Switch to [program name]"
- Text editing:"Type [text]", "Delete this", "Select [text]", "Copy this", "Paste this", "Bold", "Italics" , "Underlined"
- System control:"Volume up", "Volume down", "Mute", "Open Action Center", "Shut down", "Restart"
For a complete list of commands, you can say "What are your commands?" or "Show speech commands" while Speech Recognition is enabled.
Conclusion
Speech Recognition is a powerful tool that can make interacting with your computer more efficient and accessible. With a little practice, you can start controlling your computer with your voice and discover a new way to interact with Windows 11.
We hope this chapter gave you a good overview of how to use Speech Recognition in Windows 11. In the next chapter, we'll explore another useful feature of Windows 11: Focus Assist.
