Speech recognition, also known as automatic speech recognition or speech to text, is the ability to translate spoken words into text. The process works by a microphone converting sound waves into a digital format, which software then analyzes to break down the message and output text on a screen. Speech recognition has many uses and while it allows for faster, hands-free input with better spelling, factors like slang, noise interference, and overlapping speech can impact accuracy. Popular speech recognition programs include Dragon, Siri, Microsoft SYNC, and Mac Speech Dictate.