Speech into a telephone is converted from an analog to a
digital signal using voice recognition and the output shown as text on a visual display. An error may be identified and a supplementary
phrase substituted by speech in correction. Closing of a transmit switch sends the
digital signal to a computer having linguistic translation
software which translates the message into a second language. The
resultant linguistically translated
digital signal is converted to analog using
speech synthesis and sent via a public exchange
telephone line to a receiving user who requires only a conventional telephone to receive the translated message and may respond in the second language. The response is converted to a digital
signal using voice recognition and translated into the original language by the linguistic translation
software. The linguistically translated response is converted into an
analog signal with
speech synthesis and heard in the original language by the original transmitting user. Each user may have a graphic
display device and the ability to correct errors in voice recognition, translation, or
speech synthesis by identifying the same upon the graphic
display device which may have a
pressure sensitive screen for
error identification and for closing the transmit switch. A practical
system for addressing the difficulties arising from voice recognition, translation and speech synthesis is provided.