Talking Dictionary

We applaud the idea behind this text-to-speech lexicon for the visually impaired. We just wish it were a bit more polished. Talking Dictionary combines the free Wordnet thesaurus with the free Microsoft speech engine. Unfortunately, the Microsoft speech engine stumbles over difficult words, and even at its best can be hard to understand. The interface is admirably simple, though. You type a word to call up its definition, and then use function keys to navigate within the entry. Unfortunately, the program settings can t be accessed this way. Moreover, Talking Dictionary doesn't even display the help file, let alone read it out loud. We also thought the trial version's five-letter limit on entries was too restrictive. And $28.88 is pretty steep for such a modest program, especially one built out of free parts. Talking Dictionary works adequately, but it's not an ideal companion for the visually impaired.