Make sure you say commands in a calm voice that's not too soft or too loud. Watch the meter in the feedback window. If it shows only blue, you are too quiet. If it's red, you are too loud.

If the sound environment changes, press the listening key 1/2 second before saying a command.

If you move your computer to a new environment, press the listening key 5 to 8 seconds before saying a command. You may need to adapt Speech Recognition to your environment again.

Avoid background noise. If you use Speech Recognition in a noisy environment, you may need to purchase a special microphone.

If you use continuous listening while working in a noisy environment or having a conversation, Speech Recognition may become slow or less accurate. If this happens, turn off continuous listening