Dictation software in Japan

Nowadays, voice input is a common way to make a document. Siri, Cortana, and Google search can recognize what you say with accuracy. Some writers are fond of writing an article with their voice rather than the keyboard.

One of the advantages with voice input is the speed. Originally, QWERTY keyboard has been arranged to limit the typing speed because too fast typing could break the typewriter. On the other hand, voice input can translate your message to the manuscript almost at the real time.

In addition, with using voice input, you will never hurt your fingers and shoulders with typing. Touch typing is accustomed by several writers. But typing a series of words with fixed posture for a long time is considerably harmful to your health. Not a few writers are suffering from fingers and back pain. Before the spread of typewriters, writers were also annoyed to take a pen with tired fingers. Voice input releases you from such a troublesome habit.

However, voice input is still not so common in Japan. There are some reasons for it. One of the most decisive problems is the character of the Japanese language. There are many Kanji characters used in Japanese. And some of them shares the calling. For example, we name a fixed star, structure, editing an article, and rehabilitation of a criminal, as "kousei."

We usually distinguish them with seeing the Kanji. On the other hand, we need to identify which "kousei" the speaker mentions through considering the context. This task is quite difficult for a voice input program.

Also, "wa" can mean peace, sum, and traditional Japan, which is described with the Kanji. But, ring is pronounced "wa" too, with a different Kanji character.

Nonetheless, recent applications are so great that I can write a short article with voice input. "Dragon Speech" is an excellent software fully adapted to the voice input in Japanese.

Dragon Speech (in Japanese)

On the other hand, I hardly the voice input in English. My pronunciation is too bad to be promptly identified by machine. Rather, some Japanese English learners utilize the voice input software to correct their pronunciation.