Query-by-critique: spoken language access to large lists

Spoken language interfaces provide highly mobile, small form-factor, hands-free, eyes-free interaction with information. Uniform access to large lists of information using spoken interfaces is highly desirable, but problematic due to inherent limitations of speech. A speech widget for lists of attributed objects is described that provides for approximate queries to retrieve desired items. User tests demonstrate that this is an effective technique for accessing information using speech.