Written by the world"s top experts in the field, this multidisciplinary book explores all phases of speech technology. Topics covered include:Conversion of computerized (keyboarded) text into synthesized speech, aimed at developing "talking computers"Development of automatic speech recognition, allowing electronic devices to process verbal commandsSpeech training and the use of synthesized speech for the hearing- and speech-impairedIn-depth discussions of specific speech technologies are included, as well as a treatment of the issues and challenges of human-computer interfaces. Oriented toward state-of-the-art applications, the book emphasizes the practical utilization of emerging technologies and includes numerous case studies.