Echo is easy to get started with, just go to any program you like and start writing. Echo will start talking as you type providing spoken feedback so you can hear if you make any mistakes.

Tip: If you didn't select a speech synthesizer during installation or you don't hear any speech, you will need to select a synthesizer in the Aurora Voice Options dialog. You can get to that dialog by clicking the Voice Options icon. You can also get to Voice Options by right clicking anywhere on the Echo toolbar.

Choosing Things to have Echoed

Generally having fewer things echoed in Echo Options is best, especially with faster typists, as the more it has to say, the longer it takes, and the more it can get behind. We recommend having Words, Punctuation and Sentences on to start. You may also need to use the Every N Words option if you don't use punctuation. You can add other options as you use the program.

Stopping Speech

You can stop speech output at any time by pushing the button with the lips with the red stop circle over it.

Run-on Sentence Warning

Aurora Echo can warn writers when they construct a run-on sentence that has too many commas or words. It is not fooled if the person constructs a list of items following a colon.

For information on setting up the Run-on Sentence Warning, see Echo Options.

Punctuation Monitoring

Aurora Echo can also warn writers if they construct a sentence that looks like a question that doesn't end in a question mark.

Choosing Toolbar Tools

Generally we recommend you choose the tools you think you need. You will probably not need the Echo Clipboard, Echo Options, Voice Options, Help!, About Aurora Echo and Close Aurora Echo tools once you have Echo working the way you like. Most of these tools are still available on the Echo Menu if needed.

Changing Echo's Looks

You can also select larger icons if the default icons are too small. If you prefer, the toolbar can be vertical rather than horizontal.

More Information...

To learn more about Echo, see What is Echo.