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                                                                     EXHIBIT 4.1


                                 SCANSOFT, INC.

                       1995 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

                   AS AMENDED BY THE BOARD ON AUGUST 16, 1999

     The following constitute the provisions of the 1995 Employee Stock
Purchase Plan of ScanSoft, Inc.

     1.   Purpose. The purpose of the Plan is to provide employees of the
Company and its Designated Subsidiaries with an opportunity to purchase Common
Stock of the Company. It is the intention of the Company to have the Plan
qualify as an "Employee Stock Purchase Plan" under Section 423 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The provisions of the Plan shall, accordingly,
be construed so as to extend and limit participation in a manner  consistent
with the requirements of that section of the Code.

     2.   Definitions.

          (a)  "Board" shall mean the Board of Directors of the Company.

          (b)  "Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

          (c)  "Common Stock" shall mean the Common Stock of the Company.

          (d)  "Company" shall mean ScanSoft, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

          (e)  "Compensation" shall mean all regular straight time gross
earnings and commissions, and shall not include payments for overtime, shift
premium, incentive compensation, incentive payments, bonuses and other
compensation.

          (f)  "Continuous Status as an Employee" shall mean the absence of any
interruption or termination of service as an Employee. Continuous Status as an
Employee shall not be considered interrupted in the case of a leave of absence
agreed to in writing by the Company, provided that such leave is for a period
of not more than 90 days or reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is
guaranteed by contract or statute.

          (g)  "Contributions" shall mean all amounts credited to the account
of a participant pursuant to the Plan.

          (h)  "Designated Subsidiaries" shall mean the Subsidiaries which have
been designated by the Board from time to time in its sole discretion as
eligible to participate in the Plan.

          (i)  "Employee" shall mean any person, including an Officer, who is
customarily employed for at least twenty (20) hours per week and more than five
(5) months in a calendar year by the Company or one of its Designated
Subsidiaries.

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          (j)  "Exchange Act" shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.

          (k)  "Offering Date" shall mean the first business day of each
Offering Period of the Plan.

          (l)  "Offering Period" shall mean a period of six (6) months
commencing on February 16 and August 16 of each year.

          (m)  "Officer" shall mean a person who is an officer of the Company
within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.

          (n)  "Plan" shall mean this Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

          (o)  "Purchase Date" shall mean the last day of each Offering Period
of the Plan.

          (p)  "Subsidiary" shall mean a corporation, domestic or foreign, of
which not less than Fifty Percent (50%) of the voting shares are held by the
Company or a Subsidiary, whether or not such corporation now exists or is
hereafter organized or acquired by the Company or a Subsidiary.

     3.   Eligibility

          (a)  Any person who is an Employee as of the Offering Date of a given
Offering Period shall be eligible to participate in such Offering Period under
the Plan, subject to the requirements of Section 5(a) and the limitations
imposed by Section 423(b) of the Code.

          (b)  Any provisions of the Plan to the contrary notwithstanding, no
Employee shall be granted an option under the Plan (i) if, immediately after
the grant, such Employee (or any other person whose stock would be attributed
to such Employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code) would own stock and/or
hold outstanding options to purchase stock possessing five percent (5%) or more
of the total combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the
Company or of any subsidiary of the Company, or (ii) if such option would
permit his or her rights to purchase stock under all employee stock purchase
plans (described in Section 423 of the Code) of the Company and its
Subsidiaries to accrue at a rate which exceeds Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars
($25,000) of fair market value of such stock (determined at the time such
option is granted) for each calendar year in which such option is outstanding
at any time.

     4.   Offering Periods. The Plan shall be implemented by a series of
Offering Periods of six (6) months duration, with new Offering Periods
commencing on or about February 16 and August 16 of each year (or at such other
time or times as may be determined by the Board of Directors). The Plan shall
continue until terminated in accordance with Section 19 hereof. The Board of
Directors of the Company shall have the power to change the duration and/or the
frequency of Offering Periods with respect to future offerings without
stockholder approval if such change is announced at least fifteen (15) days
prior to the schedule beginning of the first


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Offering Period to be affected. Eligible employees may not participate in more
than one Offering Period at a time.

     5.   Participation.

          (a)  An Eligible Employee may become a participant in the Plan by
completing an enrollment form provided by the Company and filing it with the
Company's payroll office prior to the applicable Offering Date, unless a later
time for filing the enrollment form is set by the Board for all eligible
Employees with respect to a given offering. The enrollment form shall set forth
the percentage of the participant's Compensation (which shall not be less than
one percent (1%) and not more than twelve percent (12%)) to be paid as
Contributions pursuant to the Plan.

          (b)  Payroll deductions shall commence on the first payroll following
the Offering Date and shall end on the last payroll paid on or prior to the
Purchase Date of the Offering Period to which the enrollment form is
applicable, unless sooner terminated by the participant as provided in Section
10.

     6.   Method of Payment of Contributions.

          (a)  The participant shall elect to have payroll deductions made on
each payday during the Offering Period in an amount not less than one percent
(1%) and not more than twelve percent (12%) of such participant's Compensation
on each such payday. All payroll deductions made by a participant shall be
credited to his or her account under the Plan. A participant may not make any
additional payments into such account.

          (b)  A participant may discontinue his or her participation in the
Plan as provided in Section 10, or, on one occasion only during the Offering
Period, may decrease the rate of his or her Contributions during the Offering
Period by completing and filing with the Company a new enrollment form. The
change in rate shall be effective as of the beginning of the next calendar
month following the date of filing of the new enrollment form, if the
agreement is filed at least ten (10) business days prior to such date and, if
not, as of the beginning of the next succeeding calendar month.

          (c)  Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent necessary to comply
with Section 423(b)(8) of the Code and Section 3(b) herein, a participant's
payroll deductions may be decreased to zero percent (0%) at such time during
any Offering Period which is scheduled to end during the current calendar year
that the aggregate of all payroll deductions accumulated with respect to such
Offering Period and any other Offering Period ending within the same calendar
year equal to Twenty-One Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($21,250). Payroll
deductions shall re-commence at the rate provided in such participant's
enrollment form at the beginning of the first Offering Period which is
scheduled to end in the following calendar year, unless terminated by the
participant as provided in Section 10.


     7.   Grant of Option.

          (a)  On the Offering Date of each Offering Period, each eligible
Employee participating in such Offering Period shall be granted an option to
purchase on each Purchase


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Date a number of shares of the Company's Common Stock determined by dividing
such Employee's Contributions accumulated prior to such Purchase Date and
retained in the participant's account as of the Purchase Date by the lower of
(i) eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of a share of the
Company's Common Stock on the Offering Date, or (ii) eighty-five percent (85%)
of the fair market value of a share of the Company's Common Stock on the
Purchase Date; provided, however, that the maximum number of shares an Employee
may purchase during each Offering Period shall be Two Thousand (2,000) shares,
and provided further that such purchase shall be subject to the limitations set
forth in Section 3(b) and 13. The fair market value of the Company's Common
Stock shall be determined as provided in Section 7(b).

          (b)  The option price per share of the shares offered in a given
Offering Period shall be the lower of: (i) eighty-five percent (85%) of the
fair market value of a share of the Common Stock of the Company on the Offering
Date; or (ii) eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of a share of
the Common Stock of the Company on the Purchase Date. The fair market value of
the Company's Common Stock on a given date shall be determined by the Board in
its discretion based on the closing price of the Common Stock for such date
(or, in the event that the Common Stock is not traded on such date, on the
immediately preceding trading date), as reported by The Nasdaq National Market
or, if such price is not reported, the mean of the bid and asked prices per
share of the Common Stock as reported by Nasdaq or, in the event the Common
Stock is listed on a stock exchange, the fair market value per share shall be
the closing price on such exchange on such date (or, in the event that the
Common Stock is not traded on such date, on the immediately preceding trading
date), as reported in The Wall Street Journal.

     8.   Exercise of Option. Unless a participant withdraws from the Plan as
provided in Section 10, his or her option for the purchase of shares will be
exercised automatically on each Purchase Date of an Offering Period, and the
maximum number of full shares subject to the option will be purchased at the
applicable option price with the accumulated Contributions in his or her
account. The shares purchased upon exercise of an option hereunder shall be
deemed to be transferred to the participant on the Purchase Date. During his or
her lifetime, a participant's option to purchase shares hereunder is exercisable
only by him or her.

     9.   Delivery. As promptly as practicable following the date that is six
(6) months after each Purchase Date of each Offering Period, the Company shall
arrange the delivery to each participant, as appropriate, of a certificate
representing the shares purchased upon exercise of his or her option. If
permitted by the Company, the shares will be electronically delivered to a
brokerage account for the benefit of the Participant. Any cash remaining to the
credit of a participant's account under the Plan after a purchase by him or her
of shares at the termination of each Offering Period, or which is insufficient
to purchase a full share of Common Stock of the Company, shall be returned to
said participant.

    10.   Voluntary Withdrawal; Termination of Employment

          (a)  A participant may withdraw all but not less than all the
Contributions credited to his or her account under the Plan at any time prior
to each Purchase Date by giving written notice to the Company. All of the
participant's Contributions credited to his or her



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account will be paid to him or her promptly after receipt of his or her notice
of withdrawal and his or her option for the current period will be
automatically terminated, and no further Contributions for the purchase of
shares will be made during the Offering Period.

            (b)   Upon termination of the participant's Continuous Status as an
Employee prior to the Purchase Date of an Offering Period for any reason,
including retirement or death, the Contributions credited to his or her account
will be returned to him or her or, in the case of his or her death, to the
person or persons entitled thereto under Section 14 and his or her option will
be automatically terminated.

            (c)   In the event an Employee fails to remain in Continuous Status
as an Employee of the Company for at least twenty (20) hours per week during the
Offering Period in which the employee is a participant, he or she will be deemed
to have elected to withdraw from the Plan and the Contributions credited to his
or her account will be returned to him or her and his or her option terminated.

            (d)   A participant's withdrawal from an offering will not have any
effect upon his or her eligibility to participate in a succeeding offering or
in any similar plan which may hereafter be adopted by the Company.

      11.   Interest. No interest shall accrue on the Contributions of a
participant in the Plan.

      12.   Stock.

            (a)   The maximum number of shares of the Company's Common Stock
which shall be made available for sale under the Plan shall be One Million
(1,000,000) shares, subject to adjustment upon changes in capitalization of
the Company as provided in Section 18. If the total number of shares which
would otherwise be subject to options granted pursuant to Section 7(a) on the
Offering Date of an Offering Period exceeds the number of shares then available
under the Plan (after deduction of all shares for which options have been
exercised or are then outstanding), the Company shall make a pro rata
allocation of the shares remaining available for option grant in as uniform a
manner as shall be practicable and as it shall determine to be equitable. In
such event, the Company shall give written notice of such reduction of the
number of shares subject to the option to each Employee affected thereby and
shall similarly reduce the rate of Contributions, if necessary.

      (b)   The participant will have no interest or voting right in shares
covered by his or her option until such option has been exercised.

      (c)   Shares to be delivered to a participant under the Plan will be
registered in the name of the participant or in the name of the participant and
his or her spouse.

      13.   Administration. The Board, or a committee named by the Board, shall
supervise and administer the Plan and shall have full power to adopt, amend and
rescind any rules deemed desirable and appropriate for the administration of
the Plan and not inconsistent with the Plan, to construe and interpret the
Plan, and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the
administration of the Plan.


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     14.  Designation of Beneficiary.

          (a)  A participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary
who is to receive any shares and cash, if any, from the participant's account
under the Plan in the event of such participant's death subsequent to the end
of an Offering Period but prior to delivery to him or her of such shares and
cash. In addition, a participant may file a written designation of a
beneficiary who is to receive any cash from the participant's account under the
Plan in the event of such participant's death prior to the Purchase Date of an
Offering Period. If a participant is married and the designated beneficiary is
not the spouse, spousal consent shall be required for such designation to be
effective.

          (b)  Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the
participant (and his or her spouse, if any) at any time by written notice. In
the event of the death of a participant and in the absence of a beneficiary
validly designated under the Plan who is living at the time of such
participant's death, the Company shall deliver such shares and/or cash to the
executor or administrator of the estate of the participant, or if no such
executor or administrator has been appointed (to the knowledge of the Company),
the Company, in its discretion, may deliver such shares and/or cash to the
spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the participant, or if
no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other
person as the Company may designate.

     15.  Transferability. Neither Contributions credited to a participant's
account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option or to receive
shares under the Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise
disposed of in any way (other than by will, the laws of descent and
distribution, or as provided in Section 14) by the participant. Any such
attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge or other disposition shall be without
effect, except that the Company may treat such act as an election to withdraw
funds in accordance with Section 10.

     16.  Use of Funds. All Contributions received or held by the Company under
the Plan may be used by the Company for any corporate purpose, and the Company
shall not be obligated to segregate such Contributions.

     17.  Reports. Individual accounts will be maintained for each participant
in the Plan. Statements of account will be given to participating Employees
promptly following the Purchase Date, which statements will set forth the
amounts of Contributions, the per share purchase price, the number of shares
purchased and the remaining cash balance, if any.

     18.  Adjustments Upon Changes in Capitalization; Corporate Transactions.

          (a)  Adjustment. Subject to any required action by the stockholders
of the Company, the number of shares of Common Stock covered by each option
under the Plan which has not yet been exercised and the number of shares of
Common Stock which have been authorized for issuance under the Plan but have
not yet been placed under option (collectively, the "Reserves"), as well as the
price per share of Common Stock covered by each option under the Plan which has
not yet been exercised, shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or
decrease in the number of issued shares of Common Stock resulting from a stock
split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, combination or reclassification of
the Common Stock, or any other


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increase or decrease in the number of shares of Common Stock effected without
receipt of consideration by the Company; provided, however, that conversion of
any convertible securities of the Company shall not be deemed to have been
"effected without receipt of consideration". Such adjustment shall be made by
the Board, whose determination in that respect shall be final, binding and
conclusive.  Except as expressly provided herein, no issue by the Company of
shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of
any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with
respect to, the number or price of shares of Common Stock subject to an option.

     (b)  Corporate Transactions. In the event of the proposed dissolution or
liquidation of the Company, the Offering Period will terminate immediately
prior to the consummation of such proposed action, unless otherwise provided by
the Board. In the event of a proposed sale of all or substantially all of the
assets of the Company, or the merger of the Company with or into another
corporation, each option under the Plan shall be assumed or an equivalent
option shall be substituted by such successor corporation or a parent or
subsidiary of such successor corporation, unless the Board determines, in the
exercise of its sole discretion and in lieu of such assumption or substitution,
to shorten the Offering Period then in progress by setting a new Purchase Date
(the "New Purchase Date"). If the Board shortens the Offering Period then in
progress in lieu of assumption or substitution in the event of a merger or sale
of assets, the Board shall notify each participant in writing, at least ten
(10) days prior to the New Purchase Date, that the Purchase Date for his or her
option has been changed to the New Purchase Date, and that his or her option
will be exercised automatically on the New Purchase Date, unless prior to such
date he or she has withdrawn from the Offering Period as provided in Section
10. For purposes of this paragraph, an option granted under the Plan shall be
deemed to be assumed if, following the sale of assets or merger, the option
confers the right to purchase, for each share of option stock subject to the
option immediately prior to the sale of assets or merger, the consideration
(whether stock, cash or other securities or property) received in the sale of
assets or merger by holders of Common Stock for each share of Common Stock
held on the effective date of the transaction (and if such holders were offered
a choice of consideration, the type of consideration chosen by the holders of a
majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock); provided, however, that if
such consideration received in the sale of assets or merger was not solely
common stock of the successor corporation or its parent (as defined in Section
424(e) of the Code), the Board may, with the consent of the successor
corporation and the participant, provide for the consideration to be received
upon exercise of the option to be solely common stock of the successor
corporation or its parent equal in fair market value to the per share
consideration received by holders of Common Stock and the sale of assets or
merger.

     The Board may, if it so determines in the exercise of its sole discretion,
also make provision for adjusting the Reserves, as well as the price per share
of Common Stock covered by each outstanding option, in the event that the
Company effects one or more reorganizations, recapitalizations, rights
offerings or other increases or reductions of shares of its outstanding Common
Stock, and in the event of the Company being consolidated with or merged into
any other corporation.

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        19.  Amendment or Termination.

             (a)  The Board of Directors of the Company may at any time
terminate or amend the Plan. Except as provided in Section 18, no such
termination may affect options previously granted, nor may an amendment make
any change in any option theretofore granted which adversely affects the rights
of any participant. In addition, to the extent necessary to comply with Section
423 of the Code (or any successor rule or provision or any applicable law or
regulation), the Company shall obtain stockholder approval in such a manner and
to such a degree as so required.

             (b)  Without stockholder consent and without regard to whether any
participant rights may be considered to have been adversely affected, the Board
(or its committee) shall be entitled to change the Offering Periods, limit the
frequency and/or number of changes in the amount withheld during an Offering
Period, establish the exchange ratio applicable to amounts withheld in a
currency other than U.S. dollars, permit payroll withholding in excess of the
amount designated by a participant in order to adjust for delays or mistakes in
the Company's processing of properly completed withholding elections, establish
reasonable waiting and adjustment periods and/or accounting and crediting
procedures to ensure that amounts applied toward the purchase of Common Stock
for each participant properly correspond with amounts withheld from the
participant's Compensation, and establish such other limitations or procedures
as the Board (or its committee) determines in its sole discretion advisable
which are consistent with the Plan.

        20.  Notices.  All notices or other communications by a participant to
the Company under or in connection with the Plan shall be deemed to have been
duly given when received in the form specified by the Company at the location,
or by the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.

        21.  Conditions Upon Issuance of Shares.  Shares shall not be issued
with respect to an option unless the exercise of such option and the issuance
and delivery of such shares pursuant thereto shall comply with all applicable
provisions of law, domestic or foreign, including, without limitation, the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act, the rules and regulations
promulgated thereunder, and the requirements of any stock exchange upon which
the shares may then be listed, and shall be further subject to the approval of
counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance.

             As a condition to the exercise of an option, the Company may
require the person exercising such option to represent and warrant at the time
of any such exercise that the shares are being purchased only for investment and
without any present intention to sell or distribute such shares if, in the
opinion of counsel for the Company, such a representation is required by any of
the aforementioned applicable provisions of law.

        22.  Term of Plan; Effective Date.  The Plan shall become effective
upon the earlier to occur of its adoption by the Board of Directors or its
approval by the stockholders of the Company. It shall continue in effect for a
term of twenty (20) years unless sooner terminated under Section 19.


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