What is frustrating about this, says Dr Kristensson, is that more often than not the correct strings of words were recognised, but rejected by the speech-recognition program on statistical grounds.

ECONOMIST: Monitor

Their solution, called Parakeet, is a touch-screen-based interface for phones and other mobile devices, which not only displays the words, phrases or sentences that scored highest in the program's statistical model, but also any close contenders.

ECONOMIST: Better speech-recognition technology