This feature is available in the Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (U.S.), and Japanese language versions of Microsoft Office 2003 and in the Simplified Chinese, English (U.S.), and Japanese language versions of Microsoft Office XP.

To use speech recognition, you need a high quality close-talk (headset) microphone.

A universal serial bus (USB) microphone with gain adjustment support is recommended. Gain adjustment is a feature that modifies microphone amplification so that the input sound level is appropriate for use by the system.

Recommended microphones

Note  This article will be revised as additional information about recommended microphones becomes available.

• Microsoft SideWinder Game Voice, which lets you control games with voice commands, includes a microphone recommended for use with Office speech recognition. You can purchase Game Voice online or at retail stores.