How to Use the Web Speech API in HTML5

The Voice Dictation app uses the Web Speech API to convert your spoken words into text. There’s a simple JavaScript API that lets you integrate Speech Recognition on any website.

The Web Speech API is currently implemented in Chrome and Firefox.

<div>
  <a href="#" id="start_button" onclick="startDictation(event)">Dictate</a>
</div>

<div id="results">
  <span id="final_span" class="final"></span>
  <span id="interim_span" class="interim"></span>
</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
  var final_transcript = '';
  var recognizing = false;

  if ('webkitSpeechRecognition' in window) {
    var recognition = new webkitSpeechRecognition();

    recognition.continuous = true;
    recognition.interimResults = true;

    recognition.onstart = function () {
      recognizing = true;
    };

    recognition.onerror = function (event) {
      console.log(event.error);
    };

    recognition.onend = function () {
      recognizing = false;
    };

    recognition.onresult = function (event) {
      var interim_transcript = '';
      for (var i = event.resultIndex; i < event.results.length; ++i) {
        if (event.results[i].isFinal) {
          final_transcript += event.results[i][0].transcript;
        } else {
          interim_transcript += event.results[i][0].transcript;
        }
      }
      final_transcript = capitalize(final_transcript);
      final_span.innerHTML = linebreak(final_transcript);
      interim_span.innerHTML = linebreak(interim_transcript);
    };
  }

  var two_line = /\n\n/g;
  var one_line = /\n/g;
  function linebreak(s) {
    return s.replace(two_line, '<p></p>').replace(one_line, '<br>');
  }

  function capitalize(s) {
    return s.replace(s.substr(0, 1), function (m) {
      return m.toUpperCase();
    });
  }

  function startDictation(event) {
    if (recognizing) {
      recognition.stop();
      return;
    }
    final_transcript = '';
    recognition.lang = 'en-US';
    recognition.start();
    final_span.innerHTML = '';
    interim_span.innerHTML = '';
  }
</script>

Amit Agarwal is a web geek, solo entrepreneur and loves making things on the Internet. Google recently awarded him the Google Developer Expert and Google Cloud Champion title for his work on Google Workspace and Google Apps Script.

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