Patent ID: 6963841

Claim:
A computer-implemented speech training method utilizing a computerized system, the computerized system being capable of inputting speech from a user, of recognizing the input speech and of outputting to the user information as to the speech recognized and audible words to be heard by the user wherein the computerized system has a data processing capability, optionally has a display screen and has access to a data storage facility and wherein a first proper pronunciation database of properly and individually pronounced words is stored in the data storage facility, the speech training method comprising: (a) the user inputting to the computerized system desired words as speech; (b) the computerized system outputting to the user information as to the speech recognized including information regarding at least one improperly pronounced word and information as to proper pronunciation of the at least one improperly pronounced word to help the user correct the mispronunciation; (c) employing, stored in the data storage facility, a second proper pronunciation database comprising alternative phonetic sequences for the pronunciation of selected words in the first proper pronunciation database, the selected words being words each having an alternative proper pronunciations in a sequence of words; and (d) the computerized system referencing said first and second proper pronunciation databases for the speech input by the user to determine the propriety of pronunciation of each desired word according to the context of the input word when each input word is recognized; wherein the information regarding the at least one improperly pronounced word comprises information as to mispronunciation of the word as an individual word or as a word in one of the sequences of words in the second proper pronunciation database whereby the system can help the user speak the at least one improperly pronounced word correctly according to whether the word is to be pronounced as an individual word or as a word in one of the sequences of words.