FAQs

If you are upgrading from Dragon Dictate 4 or Dragon for Mac version 5, see Upgrading from Dragon Dictate 4 or Dragon for Mac 5: FAQ

About Dragon Professional Individual for Mac

I just installed Dragon. Where did it go?

It's in your Applications folder. Open the Applications folder and double-click Dragon to launch. All of Dragon's features are available in the Dragon menu (), located in the menu bar.

See Using the Dragon menu for more information.

Bonus tip: In the General Preferences, select Launch Dragon at Startup to ensure Dragon is always running, even after a reboot.

Do I need a unique profile for each user?

Yes. A profile contains specific information about each person's voice. Each profile also contains one or more dictation sources (microphones) that have been calibrated for use with the user's voice.

See Using profiles and dictation sources for more information.

How can I tell what mode Dragon is in?

Check the Status Window. The microphone button, to the left, indicates the microphone mode – to dictate, the microphone needs to be on ().

The Recognition mode icon in the center of the Status Window indicates what Dragon is listening for – general dictation and commands (Dictation mode), commands only (Commands mode), letters (Spelling mode), or numbers (Numbers mode). For most purposes, you should be in Dictation mode (). See Recognition modes for more information.

If you don't see the Status Window, click the icon in the menu bar and select Show Status Window. See The Status Window for more details.

Note: If you are in Transcription mode, you cannot dictate with Dragon, and the Status Window is hidden. To exit Transcription mode, click the Switch to Dictation button on the Transcription window, or click the icon in the menu bar and select Switch to Dictation… to exit Transcription mode. See Transcribing recorded audio for more information.

Why isn't there any punctuation in my dictated text?

You need to dictate punctuation marks as you speak – with a few exceptions, such as apostrophes and hyphenated words, Dragon will not attempt to guess where punctuation should be placed. See Punctuation—General for details on dictating punctuation.

Recognition

I'm not happy with the recognition. What can I do?

First, check your microphone placement: if you are using a headset, the microphone should generally be about an inch from the side of your mouth. See Microphone placement for more tips.

Next, try running Microphone Setup again. Click the icon in the menu bar and select Improve Recognition > Microphone Setup… This will ensure that your microphone is properly calibrated for your current environment. See Microphone Setup for more details.

If you are still having problems, Voice Training can help Dragon understand how you speak. Click the icon in the menu bar and select Improve Recognition > Voice Training… The more Dragon hears you speak, the better it can recognize your voice. See Voice Training for more details.

For more tips on improving recognition, see Poor recognition in the Troubleshooting section.

Dragon entered text into my document when I was trying to dictate a command. Why?

To make sure Dragon understands that you are dictating a command, pause slightly before and after speaking the command. If you are still having trouble, try switching to Command mode. See Recognition modes for more information.

To remove a command mistakenly typed into your document, say Scratch that. See Take it back for more on undoing dictated text and commands.

How can I make Dragon recognize my name correctly?

You can add your name to Dragon's vocabulary by using Correction. Just say Correct that or Correct <your name> after Dragon types the wrong word, then choose the correct name from the list, or edit one of the options and change it to your name. For detailed instructions, see Correcting recognition errors.

Alternatively, you can open the Vocabulary Editor and add your name manually. For detailed instructions, see Adding a User vocabulary item.

If your name is in Dragon's vocabulary, but Dragon's recognition of it is poor, try training the vocabulary term to teach Dragon how you pronounce your name. See Training a vocabulary item for detailed instructions.

Accessibility

I have color blindness. How can I tell what mode the microphone is in?

If you cannot distinguish the color of the microphone button, look for other visual distinctions between the button states, as described in the table below:

Icon	Visual characteristics
	White outline on a green background Small white lines around the top of the microphone Button pulses based on the volume of the detected audio. If you do not see any pulsing movement when you speak, the microphone may be off.
	Dark red outline on a red background
	White outline on a light blue background Moon and star icons to the left Button pulses based on volume of the detected audio Dragon detects audio in sleep mode, but only responds to the command Wake up.

You can also tell whether the microphone is on by checking the Dragon menu:

1. Click the icon in the menu bar to open the Dragon menu.
2. Check the first option in the Dragon menu.
• If the microphone is on, the first option in the Dragon menu is Turn Microphone Off.
• If the microphone is off or in sleep mode, the option is Turn Microphone On.

I have difficulty using a mouse. How can Dragon help me navigate my Mac?

Dragon includes many ways to control your computer by voice:

• Use commands like Activate TextEdit to launch an application.

See Launching and quitting applications for more details.

• Use commands like New file, Close window, or Switch to next application to open and close windows or change which window has focus.

See Navigating application windows for more information.

• Use commands like Click OK to control dialog box buttons by voice.

See Using dialog controls for more information.

• Use commands like Click File menu to access menus and menu items in any application.

See Menu Walking for more information.

• Use commands like Press the keys Command S to access keys and keyboard commands by voice.

See Key commands for more information.

• Use commands like Move mouse up and Mouse click to control your mouse by voice.

See Mouse commands for more information.

• Say Open MouseGrid to use a 3 x 3 grid to move your mouse to a particular area of the screen.

See MouseGrid for more information.