Speech Recognition in Python: Step-by-step Tutorial #shorts

Introduction

In this article, we will walk you through the process of implementing speech recognition in Python. We will use the speech_recognition library to capture and transcribe speech from the microphone. This easy-to-follow guide will provide you with a basic understanding of how to build a Python script for speech recognition.

Setting Up

First, make sure you have the speech_recognition library installed. You can install it using pip:

pip install SpeechRecognition

Once the library is installed, you can proceed with writing the script.

Creating the Listener

We start by importing the speech_recognition module and initializing the recognizer class:

import speech_recognition as sr

## Introduction
listener = sr.Recognizer()

This listener will be used to capture and recognize the speech.

Capturing Speech

Next, we use the microphone as the source to capture the audio:

with sr.Microphone() as source:
    print("Speak...")
    
    # Listen for the first phrase and extract it into audio data
    audio = listener.listen(source, timeout=5)

The listen() method captures the audio from the microphone. We specify a timeout of 5 seconds to limit the listening duration.

Transcribing Speech

After capturing the audio, we proceed to transcribe it into text using Google's speech recognition engine:

try:
    text = listener.recognize_google(audio)
    print("Your spoken text: ", text)
except sr.UnknownValueError:
    print("Could not understand the audio")
except sr.RequestError as e:
    print("Error; (0)".format(e))

Here, we use a try block to handle potential exceptions. If the recognizer successfully transcribes the audio, the text is printed. Otherwise, appropriate error messages are displayed.

Full Script

Combining all the code above, our complete script looks like this:

import speech_recognition as sr

## Introduction
listener = sr.Recognizer()

with sr.Microphone() as source:
    print("Speak...")
    audio = listener.listen(source, timeout=5)
    
    try:
        text = listener.recognize_google(audio)
        print("Your spoken text: ", text)
    except sr.UnknownValueError:
        print("Could not understand the audio")
    except sr.RequestError as e:
        print("Error; (0)".format(e))

Run the script, and it will prompt you to speak into the microphone. It will then transcribe your speech and print it to the console.

We hope this tutorial has helped you understand the basics of speech recognition in Python. Don't forget to like and share this article if you found it useful!

Keywords

• Python
• Speech Recognition
• speech_recognition library
• Recognizer
• Microphone
• Transcription

FAQ

Q: What is the speech_recognition library in Python?

A: The speech_recognition library in Python is a module that provides functions to recognize and transcribe speech from various sources like the microphone.

Q: How do I install the speech_recognition library?

A: You can install the speech_recognition library using pip with the command pip install SpeechRecognition.

Q: What function is used to capture audio from the microphone?

A: The listen() method of the Recognizer class is used to capture audio from the microphone.

Q: How do I transcribe speech to text using Google’s speech recognition?

A: You can transcribe speech to text using the recognize_google() method provided by the Recognizer class.

Q: What should I do if the recognizer cannot understand the audio?

A: Handle exceptions such as UnknownValueError and RequestError to manage cases where the recognizer fails to understand the audio or encounter technical issues.