		bookmark this page - make qweas your homepage
		Help Center - What's New - Newsletter - Press
		Get Buttons - Link to Us - Feedback - Contact Us

Talking Dictionary 8.4.3 - User Guide and FAQ

Screenshots - More Details

Getting Started
Follow the instructions below to quickly get started using Talking Dictionary. Note that these instructions assume that you have already installed the dictionary. If this is not the case please refer to the Additional Information section at the end of this file.

Looking Up Word Definitions:

Use the start menu or desktop shortcut to start the Talking Dictionary. If the dictionary has been minimized to the system tray, use the key combination Control Alt and R to restore it.
Type the word you want to look up and then press the "Enter" key. The dictionary will search for the word in its database. The dictionary will automatically speak out the first definition it finds for the word, along with the word type (i.e., noun, verb or etc).
Press F7 and F5 to navigate forwards and backwards through the definitions found for the word you looked up. F6 can be used to repeat anything that has just been spoken.

Tip: You can interrupt the dictionary at any time by pressing Control F2.

Reviewing Synonymous Words:

Type the word you want to look up and then press the "Enter" key. The dictionary will automatically speak out the first definition it finds for the word.
Press F4 to hear synonyms for this word. The first synonym will be spoken.
Press F7 and F5 to navigate forwards and backwards through the definitions found for the word you looked up. F6 can be used to repeat anything that has just been spoken.

Tip: You can spell any synonym by pressing F8.
Tip: You can look any synonym up by pressing F12.

Crossword Mode:
Talking Dictionary has an extremely powerful Crossword function that can find words with up to three letters missing. Follow the instructions below to use this function.

Type the word you want to look up. Replace each letter that you are unsure of with an asterisk. Examples are: abs*ent, ab**ent, br**k, b**lder, b***lder and so on.
Press the enter key. It will take a few seconds for Talking Dictionary to search through all the possible words.
Press F7 and F5 to navigate forwards and backwards through the candidate words found. F6 can be used to repeat anything that has just been spoken.

Tip: You can spell any candidate by pressing F8.
Tip: You can look any candidate up by pressing F12.

Speak and Spell Words:

Type the word you want the dictionary to speak and / or spell.
Press F1 one time. The dictionary will pronounce the word you have typed in.
Press F1 a second time to spell the word you have typed in.

Tip: You can use Keyboard Echo to repeat the keys that you type in, as they are typed. Press F10 to toggle keyboard echo.

Summarizing Words:

Type the word you want to look up and then press the "Enter" key. The dictionary will automatically speak out the first definition it finds for the word.
Press F2 to find out how many definitions and synonymous words were found. If the word was not found in the dictionary database (for example, it may have been misspelt) then the summary key will indicate how many alternatives the spell checker found.

Using the Spell Checker:

Type the word you want to look up and then press the "Enter" key. If the word you looked up is not found then the dictionary will use a powerful checking algorithm to estimate the word you were trying to find. Numerous suggestions will be offered. F7 and F5 to navigate forwards and backwards through these alternative suggestions. F6 will repeat any suggested word.

Tip: Press Control Alt C to copy the current spell check alternative to the clipboard.
Tip: Press F8 to spell the current spell check alternative.
Tip: Press F12 to look up the current spell check alternative.

Using the Spell Checked in Another Program:
Note that the Talking Dictionary must be running for this to work!

Highlight the word you want to spell check.
Press the key combination Control Alt S to spell check the word. Talking Dictionary will become active and will spell check the selected word. Definitions, synonyms and spell check alternatives will be indicated in the normal way.

Using the Clipboard: To look up a word stored in the clipboard press Control V to paste the word. Press the enter key to look the word up in the normal manner.
To copy a synonym, word definition or spell checker alternative to the clipboard use the key combination Control Alt C.

Using Talking Dictionary with Other Programs
Talking Dictionary can be used as a spell checker within any program (Microsoft Word, notepad, WordPad, etc) that you use for text editing and word processing.

Note that Talking Dictionary must be running for this to work. This means that you must have started the dictionary in the normal way. The dictionary can be active or minimized in the system tray for this control to work.

Make sure Talking Dictionary is running!
Highlight the word you want to spell check in Microsoft Notepad or etc.
Press Control Alt S. Talking Dictionary will come to the front and will become the active program. The word you have highlighted will be looked up in the normal manner. If the spelling is incorrect alternatives will be offered.
Press Control H to hide Talking Dictionary to the system tray.

Tip: Keep Talking Dictionary in the system tray if you intend to spell check a lot of words.

Crossword Candidate Finder
Talking Dictionary has an extremely powerful Crossword function that can find words with up to three letters missing. Follow the instructions below to use this function.

Type the word you want to look up. Replace each letter that you are unsure of with an asterisk. Examples are: abs*ent, ab**ent, br**k, b**lder, b***lder and so on.
Press the enter key. It will take a few seconds for Talking Dictionary to search through all the possible words.
Press F7 and F5 to navigate forwards and backwards through the candidate words found. F6 can be used to repeat anything that has just been spoken.

Tip: You can spell any candidate by pressing F8.
Tip: You can look any candidate up by pressing F12.

Hiding and Restoring Talking Dictionary
It is possible to hide the Talking Dictionary during normal usage by pressing Control H. Talking Dictionary will be minimized to the system tray, a practice very common for frequently used programs.

When Talking Dictionary is hidden a tray icon resembling a book will appear on the bottom right of the screen. Selecting "Show Dictionary" from the pop-up menu can restore talking Dictionary. Alternatively, press Control Alt R to restore the dictionary to normal usage.

Tip: Spell checking a word in any external program will bring Talking Dictionary to the foreground. Use the combination Control Alt S to spell check the currently highlighted word in any program.

Basic Keystrokes in Use:
Press F9 for a list of all basic command keys. These are:

F1: Speak and Spell lookup word.
F2: Summary for word.
F3: Definition Mode (default).
F4: Synonym Mode.
F5: Go backwards.
F6: Repeat.
F7: Go forwards.
F8: Spell synonym or alternative (spell checker) word.

Advanced Key List:
Press Control F9 for a list of all basic command keys. These are:

F9: Basic key list.
Control F9: Advanced key list.
F10: Keyboard echo.
F11: Copyright information.
F12: Look up synonym or spell check alternative word.
Control F1: Toggle focus mode. This control is used to decide whether the dictionary is always on top or not.
Control F2: Stop the dictionary talking.
Control F4: Temporarily toggle speech on or off.
Control F5: Toggle verbose mode on or off.
Control F6: Toggle help mode on or off.
Control F12: Exit the program.
Control H: Hide the dictionary (in the system tray).
Control Alt C: Copies current definition, synonym or spell check alternative to clipboard.
Control Alt S: Spell checks selected word text in another program.

Screenshots - More Details

Search - Download - Store - Directory - Service - Developer Center
© 2006 Qweas Home - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use - Site Map - About Qweas