System.Speech Programming Guide for .NET Framework

This programming guide provides an introduction to developing speech applications for the Windows Desktop using the System.Speech namespaces in the Microsoft .NET Framework. The System.Speech namespaces are available in Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 and later versions.

The concepts and examples presented in this documentation will show you how to incorporate speech recognition and speech synthesis (text-to-speech or TTS) into your Windows applications. We recommend that you read the sections titled Speech Synthesis and Speech Recognition before beginning a speech application.

In the section titled Speech Recognition, you will find discussion and examples that will help you accomplish the following:

• Create grammars

• Initialize and manage a speech recognition engine

• Interpret the results returned by a speech recognition engine

• Work with speech recognition events

The section titled Speech Synthesis includes concepts and examples that will help you accomplish the following:

• Author content for TTS

• Generate speech in your application

• Select and modify a voice

• Work with speech synthesis events

In addition, you will find reference sections to industry-standard XML markup languages including speech recognition, speech synthesis, semantics, and pronunciation lexicons, as supported by System.Speech.

In This Section

• Benefits of Using System.Speech

• Setup the Development Environment for System.Speech

• Speech Recognition

• Speech Synthesis

• Lexicons and Phonetic Alphabets

• Speech Glossary

Reference

This programming guide includes links to documentation for specific classes and members of the System.Speech namespaces. You can find detailed documentation of all the classes and members of the System.Speech namespaces at the links listed below.

• System.Speech.AudioFormat

  Contains the types that specify the audio format used in speech recognition.

• System.Speech.Recognition

  Contains the Windows Desktop Speech Technology types for implementing speech recognition in an application.

• System.Speech.Recognition.SrgsGrammar

  Contains managed code types that correspond to the elements and attributes of the W3C Speech Recognition Grammar Specification Version 1.0.

• System.Speech.Synthesis

  Contains the types for implementing speech synthesis in a .NET Framework application.

• System.Speech.Synthesis.TtsEngine

  Contains types that support the creation of custom TTS engines.