However, each indiviual phonological transcription was checked manually, or hand-corrected, if one prefers. As the abstract representation evolved during the project, and the notation changed accordingly, many of the entries had to be verified several times. This enormous task was performed mainly by one and the same person, which ensures consistency of transcription. We strived for a reliable database, rather than a large one. The major applications of phonetic databases such as Fonilex are in language and speech technology.
Speech technology involves either speech synthesis or speech recognition, or both.
In speech recognition, an audio signal, such as the user's voice, is identified as a sequence of words, and this is used, for instance, in dictation systems, to type out sentences the user reads to his computer. All sophisticated speech applications require a pronunciation database. In speech recognition, the database is needed to map a sequence of sounds onto a particular word form. In speech synthesis, it may be used to obtain the position of word stress, or to obtain the sequence of sound symbols. Speech technology already proved its usefulness in reading and speaking aids for the visually handicapped, as well as in tools for hands-free computer interaction.