What Is Voice Search?

Date First Published: 14th February 2023

Topic: Web Design & Development

Subtopic: Web Technologies

Article Type: Computer Terms & Definitions

Difficulty: Medium

Difficulty Level: 5/10

CONTENTS

How Does Voice Search Work?
Advantages and Disadvantages Of Voice Search

Learn more about what voice search is in this article.

Voice search is a technology that enables users to conduct searches using their voice rather than typing their search terms into a search box. Search engines, websites, and apps can use voice search. According to Google, around 27% of smartphone users use voice search. The use of voice search has increased over time, which is why websites should be optimised for it. A good example of voice search is the microphone icon on the Google search engine, as shown in the screenshot below. Clicking on the symbol will allow users to interact using their voices.

How Does Voice Search Work?

Voice search works by digital voice assistants processing speech to text. Then, they will analyse the text to detect questions and commands. Afterwards, they will connect to external sources, such as search engines to find the relevant information. Finally, they will convert the information into a readable format to meet the user's needs.

Advantages and Disadvantages Of Voice Search

The advantages of voice search are:

It can recognise speech faster than typing, helping to provide results more quickly and speed up the search process.
Improved accessibility. People with disabilities who have difficulty typing can use their voices to conduct searches and get results.
It usually supports multiple languages. Currently, Google Assistant supports around 30 major languages.

The disadvantages of voice search are:

Not all words can be accurately interpreted by digital assistants and voice recognition software. If they misinterpret the meaning, it will disrupt the task the user wants to accomplish.
Noisy environments may prevent voice assistants from providing the correct results.
There can be privacy issues. If a device has voice user interface technology, data can get tracked by the manufacturer. In the past, there have been concerns that manufacturers would be able to listen in on private conversations.