MacSpeech, Inc. released MacSpeech Dictate v1.2, the first major update to the premier speech recognition solution for the Macintosh. Now for the first time, MacSpeech Dictate customers can dictate any specific word, no matter how obscure, by spelling it letter-by-letter with the new Spelling mode.

The new version 1.2 update also introduces Phrase Training, which helps increase accuracy even more as one uses MacSpeech Dictate. The MacSpeech Dictate 1.2 update is also a maintenance release that fixes reported issues and introduces a new “Move” command for easier verbal editing of a document. The MacSpeech Dictate 1.2 update is free of charge and now available for registered customers, using the “Check for Updates” feature.

“MacSpeech Dictate 1.2 makes amazing accuracy get even better as you use it,” explained Andrew Taylor, founder and CEO of MacSpeech, Inc. “We’re thrilled with the huge leap forward this update provides our customers, who can now dictate precise spellings, move their cursor using their voice and improve their recognition accuracy toward the holy grail of 99%.”

The new Spelling mode in version 1.2 makes it easy to spell-out acronyms, names and unusual words. The new Move command, introduced in version 1.2, allows people to use their voice to relocate the cursor within a document for easier vocal editing.

Version 1.2 includes new Phrase Training, what speech recognition applications on other platforms refer to as “Correction,” to improve speech recognition accuracy over time. The new Phrase Training capabilities empower people to act immediately, when they notice text has been recognized differently than intended, and promptly train the application to recognize the word or phrase.

Recognition accuracy increases as a person uses MacSpeech Dictate, notices misrecognitions and trains the application right away. The applicable profile stores the Phrase Training data for future reference. Using Phrase Training as one uses MacSpeech Dictate continually increases accuracy over time from what was established during the initial voice training, or from specific execution of vocabulary training.

The MacSpeech Dictate 1.2 update also includes significant interface enhancements for a more efficient, intuitive experience.

MacSpeech Dictate is a new speech recognition product for the Macintosh, with underlying speech recognition powered by the dictation technology used in Dragon NaturallySpeaking from Nuance Communications, Inc. MacSpeech Dictate delivers a truly Mac user experience, and conforms to behaviors already familiar to Macintosh fans worldwide. Beyond dictation, MacSpeech Dictate lets people perform basic navigation of their Mac and control it with their voice to launch applications, open new windows, execute menu commands, etc.