Speechcentric

Speechcentric is an adjective used to describe approaches, systems, or theories that place spoken language or speech interaction at the center of design, analysis, or interpretation. The term is used across fields such as linguistics, cognitive science, and human-computer interaction to signal that speech is the primary channel of communication or data, as opposed to text, graphics, or other modalities.

In linguistics and sociolinguistics, speech-centric perspectives prioritize spoken discourse, phonetics, and real-time performance over written forms, and they may study how context and gesture shape spoken interaction.

In technology, speech-centric design concentrates on voice interfaces, speech recognition, and natural language dialogue systems. Products described as speech-centric include voice assistants, hands-free devices, and accessibility tools that rely on spoken input or audio feedback. Developers address accuracy, latency, background noise, and user privacy.

Critics argue that speech-centric approaches can overlook literacy, multimodal communication, and accessibility needs where speech is impractical, and may risk reinforcing biases toward vocal norms.

See also: phonocentrism, voice user interface, natural language processing, oral culture.