Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/How-to-use-SR-and-TTS-on-Windows

Speech Recognition and Text-To-Speech are helpful tools to train your pronunciation. However, people may be confused about how to get them on Windows.

If you are using Windows 7, you can download language engines from the following link and install

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=27224

Then install a platform

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=27225

In installdir\Bin\, you can find two files - Dictpad.exe and TTSAppVB.exe. They are SR and TTS respectively. You can also use other free TTS programs with better interfaces and more functions, such as Balabolka. If you are using Windows 8 or 10, You should press WinKey, then select Settings → Time & Language → Region & Language → Add a language, select the one you would like to choose, and click "Options" of the language, then click “Download” below “Speech”.

SR can be found as Windows Speech Recognition, TTS can be found as Narrator. Many people don't like Narrator because it's noisy, then a new platform is required, as the second step in Windows 7. If you want to change the language SR recognises, you should go to Settings → Time & Language → Speech, and choose your “Speech language”. You can also find Text-to-speech in apps, which are mobile versions there.