Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
21 results found in Voice Interface.
- Connected Speech Recognition (Continuous Speech Recognition)
- A form of automatic speech recognition in which users speak words naturally, with normal coarticulation and minimal pauses, rather than pausing between each word as required by older 'discrete' or 'is…
- Continuous Voice Control (Continuous Vocal Control, Proportional Voice Control)
- A voice interaction paradigm in which vocal parameters such as pitch, loudness, vowel quality, and timbre are used to provide smooth, proportional, real-time control of a system, as opposed to discret…
- Dialog Interface (Dialogue Interface, Conversational Interface)
- A user interface paradigm in which interaction occurs through a structured exchange of prompts and responses, typically using speech or text. In assistive technology contexts, dialog interfaces presen…
- Displayless Interface (Screenless Interface, Eyes-Free Interface)
- A displayless interface is a computer interaction system that operates without a visual display, relying instead on audio, speech, haptic, or other non-visual output modalities. These interfaces serve…
- Endpoint Detection (Voice Activity Detection, VAD)
- The process by which a speech-recognition system decides when a user has finished speaking, so the system can stop listening and send the captured audio for recognition. Off-the-shelf voice assistants…
- Grid-Based Cursor Control (Grid-Based Navigation, Grid Overlay Navigation)
- A hands-free cursor positioning technique that overlays a numbered grid on the screen, allowing users to select a cell by voice command or other input to recursively zoom into smaller screen regions u…
- Humming Interface (Control-by-Humming, Hum-Based Interface)
- A human-computer interaction method that uses hummed pitch patterns as control signals for operating devices. In a humming interface, a pitch detection algorithm analyses the user's hummed input, segm…
- Listening Window
- The interval during which a voice assistant or speech-recognition system actively captures user audio after being activated (by wake word or button press). A short or fixed listening window causes pre…
- Non-Verbal Vocal Interface (NVVI, Non-Verbal Vocal Interaction)
- An interaction method that uses non-speech vocal sounds — such as humming, hummed melodies, rhythmic patterns, or vowel sounds — to control a computer or communication device. Unlike speech recognitio…
- Non-Verbal Vocalization (Non-Speech Vocalization, Vocal Gesture, Non-speech Vocalisation, Non-Speech Vocalisation)
- A sound produced by the voice that is not a spoken word, such as a sustained vowel sound ("Ahhhhh"), hum, or other vocal noise. In assistive technology and alternative input contexts, non-verbal vocal…
- Predictive Cursor (Anticipatory Cursor, Offset Cursor)
- A cursor display technique designed to compensate for the delays inherent in speech-based or other high-latency input methods. A predictive cursor shows an indicator ahead of the actual cursor positio…
- Proactive Prompt (Proactive Cue)
- In voice-interface and conversational-agent design, a system-initiated utterance or visual cue that surfaces a suggestion, reminder, or next step without the user first asking. Examples include sugges…
- Repair Mechanism (Conversational Repair)
- In conversational interface design, a feature that helps the user and the system recover from misrecognition, ambiguity, or misunderstanding — for example, clarification prompts ("Did you mean the [X]…
- Speech-Based Cursor Control (Voice Cursor Control, Speech-Driven Pointing)
- A method of controlling a computer's pointing cursor using spoken voice commands rather than a mouse, trackpad, or other physical pointing device. Users speak directional commands (such as "move left,…
- Speech-Based Cursor Movement (Voice-Controlled Cursor, Voice Cursor Control)
- A technique for moving the on-screen cursor using voice commands rather than physical manipulation of a pointing device. Speech-based cursor movement systems typically use one of two approaches: discr…
- Spoken Dialogue System (SDS, Voice Dialogue System)
- A computer system that communicates with users through spoken natural language, allowing them to interact via voice rather than visual or manual interfaces. Spoken dialogue systems are used in telecar…
- Subvocal Input (Subvocal Control, Subvocalisation Input)
- An input method that uses very quiet or nearly silent vocalisations — sounds produced with minimal vocal effort that are typically inaudible to nearby people. Subvocal input includes techniques such a…
- Target-Based Navigation (Target-Based Cursor Control, Object-Based Navigation)
- A cursor control method where users identify the desired destination directly by name or label, such as saying "Select Friday" to move the cursor to that word on screen. Target-based navigation can be…
- Vocal Joystick (VJ, Voice Joystick)
- A voice-based human-computer interface that uses continuous non-verbal vocal sounds (rather than spoken words) to provide proportional, real-time control of devices, cursors, or robotic systems. The V…
- Voice Assistant (Smart Speaker, Voice-Activated Assistant, Conversational Agent)
- A software application that uses speech recognition and natural language processing to respond to voice commands and perform tasks. Common examples include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Si…