Microsoft Speech API: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Application programming interface for Microsoft Windows}}

{{about|the Speech API||SAPI (disambiguation)}}

The '''Speech Application Programming Interface''' or '''SAPI''' is an [[Application programming interface|API]] developed by [[Microsoft]] lolllllltoto allow the use of [[speech recognition]] and [[speech synthesis]] within [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] applications. To date, a number of versions of the API have been released, which have shipped either as part of a Speech [[Software development kit|SDK]] or as part of the Windows [[Operating System|OS]] itself. Applications that use SAPI include [[Microsoft Office]], [[Microsoft Agent]] and [[Microsoft Speech Server]].

In general, all versions of the API have been designed such that a software developer can write an application to perform speech recognition and synthesis by using a standard set of interfaces, accessible from a variety of programming languages. In addition, it is possible for a 3rd-party company to produce their own Speech Recognition and [[Speech Synthesis|Text-To-Speech]] engines or adapt existing engines to work with SAPI. In principle, as long as these engines conform to the defined interfaces they can be used instead of the Microsoft-supplied engines.

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===SAPI 5 Voices===

{{main|Microsoft text-to-speech voices}}

[[Microsoft Samtext-to-speech (Speechvoices#Windows Articulation2000 Module)and Windows XP|Microsoft Sam]] is a commonly shipped SAPI 5 voice. In addition, [[Microsoft Office XP]] XP and [[Office 2003]] installed [[Lernout & Hauspie|L&H]] Michael and Michelle voices. The SAPI 5.1 SDK installs 23 more voices, ''[[Microsoft text-to-speech voices#Windows 2000 and Windows XP|Mike]]'', ''[[Microsoft text-to-speech voices#Windows 2000 and Windows XP|Mary]]''Mary, and an additional testing voice known as ''[[Microsoft text-to-speech voices#Windows 2000 and Windows XP|Sample TTS Voice]]'' that uses prerecorded voice recordings instead of synthesized voices. [[Windows Vista]] and [[Windows 7|7]] includes [[Microsoft text-to-speech voices#MicrosoftWindows AnnaVista and Windows 7|Microsoft Anna]] which replaces Microsoft Sam and sounds more natural and intelligible.; Itit is also installed on Windows XP by [[Microsoft Streets & Trips]] 2006 and later versions. The Chinese version of Vista and later Windows client versions7 also includeincludes a female voice named [[Microsoft text-to-speech voices#Windows Vista and Windows 7|Microsoft Lili]]. [[Windows 8]] and later Windows client versions includes [[Microsoft text-to-speech voices#Windows 8 and Windows 8.1|Microsoft LiliDavid]], [[Microsoft text-to-speech voices#Windows 8 and Windows 8.1|Zira]], and [[Microsoft text-to-speech voices#Windows 8 and Windows 8.1|Hazel]], the latter of which is only included by default on Windows 8 and [[Windows 8.1|8.1]]. These voices replaced Microsoft Anna and sounds more natural and intelligible than previous voices.

===Managed code Speech API===

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| access-date=2011-11-09

}}

{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114122117/http://reddevnews.com/articles/2007/02/15/give-applications-a-voice.aspx |date=14 January 2010}}</ref> It has similar functionality to SAPI 5 but is more suitable to be used by managed code applications. The new API is available on [[Windows XP]], [[Windows Server 2003]], [[Windows Vista]], and [[Windows Server 2008]].

The existing SAPI 5 API can also be used from managed code to a limited extent by creating a COM Interop code (helper code designed to assist in accessing COM interfaces and classes). This works well in some scenarios however the new API should provide a more seamless experience equivalent to using any other managed code library.

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| url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/SAPI51sr/html/system_requirements.asp

| access-date=2006-04-12

| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050822175601/http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/SAPI51sr/html/system_requirements.asp

| archive-date=2005-08-22

}}

</ref><ref name="SAPI5SysReq">{{Cite web|url=https://documentation.help/SAPI-5/system_requirements.htm|title=Welcome to the Microsoft Speech SDK - Microsoft Speech SDK Documentation|website=documentation.help|access-date=2025-06-20}}</ref>

</ref>

===SAPI 5===

List as of SAPI version 5.1:<ref name="SAPI compatibility" /><ref name="SAPI5SysReq" />

*[[Microsoft Windows 10]]

*[[Windows Server 2003|Microsoft Windows 8Server 2003]]

*[[Windows XP|Microsoft Windows 7XP]] (Home Edition, Professional, etc.)

*[[Windows Me|Microsoft Windows VistaMillennium Edition]]

*[[Windows 2000|Microsoft Windows 20032000]]

*[[Windows 98|Microsoft Windows XP98]]

*[[Windows NT 4.0|Microsoft Windows 2000NT 4.0]], Service Pack 6a, in English, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

Later versions of SAPI 5 (e.g. SAPI 5.3 and above) are compatible with the following operating systems:

*[[Windows Server|Microsoft Windows Server]] releases from [[Windows Server 2008|2008]] up to [[Windows Server 2025|2025]]

*[[Windows 11|Microsoft Windows 11]]

*[[Windows 10|Microsoft Windows 10]]

*[[Windows 8.1|Microsoft Windows 8.1]]

*[[Windows 8|Microsoft Windows 8]]

*[[Windows 7|Microsoft Windows 7]]

*[[Windows Vista|Microsoft Windows Vista]]

===SAPI 4===

*[[Windows Server 2003|Microsoft Windows Server 2003]] and later

*[[Microsoft Windows XP]] and later

*[[Windows Me|Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition]]

*[[Windows 2000|Microsoft Windows 982000]]

*[[Windows 98|Microsoft Windows NT98]] 4.0, Service Pack 6a, in English, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.

*[[Windows NT 4.0|Microsoft Windows 95NT 4.0]]

*[[Windows 95|Microsoft Windows 95]]

==Major applications using SAPI==

<!-- Please only add MAJOR applications where speech input or output is a major feature. SDK's and simple TTS support doesdo not qualify -->

<!-- When adding application, reference what features of SAPI are uses, for example, TTS or Speech Recognition -->

<!-- Consider splitting this list into TTS and speech rec. sections, and having dictation and command & control subsections -->

*Microsoft [[Windows XP Tablet PC Edition|Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition]] includes SAPI 5.1 and speech recognition engines 6.1 for English, Japanese, and Chinese (simplified and traditional)

*[[Windows Speech Recognition]] in [[Windows Vista]] and later

*[[Microsoft Narrator]] in Windows 2000 and later Windows operating systems

*[[Microsoft Office XP]] XP and [[Office 2003]]

*[[Microsoft Excel]] 2002, Microsoft Excel 2003, and Microsoft Excel 2007 for speaking spreadsheet data

*[[Microsoft Voice Command]] for Windows Pocket PC and Windows Mobile

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*[[JAWS (screen reader)|JAWS]] screen reader

*[[NonVisual Desktop Access]] (NVDA), a free and open source screen reader

<!-- Please only add MAJOR applications where speech input or output is a major feature. SDK's and simple TTS support does not qualify -->

==See also==

* [[List of speech recognition software]]

* [https://aka.ms/csspeech Microsoft Cognitive Services Speech SDK]

* [[SASDK|Microsoft Speech Application SDK (SASDK)]]

* [[Comparison of speech synthesizers]]

* [[List of speech recognition software]]

* {{annotated link|SASDK}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

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*[http://www.microsoft.com/msj/archive/s233.aspx Microsoft Systems Journal Whitepaper by Mike Rozak on the first version of SAPI]

*[http://blogs.msdn.com/speech Microsoft Speech Team blog]

*[http://www.multicrewxp.com Multi Crew Experience, voice control for Flight Simulator]

==References==

{{reflist}}

<br />

{{Microsoft APIs}}

{{Speech synthesis}}

[[Category: Microsoft application programming interfaces]]

[[Category: Voice technology]]

[[Category: Speech processing software]]

[[Category: Voice technology]]