How It Works
VerseAir uses your computer’s microphone to listen to the sermon in real time. When a Bible reference is spoken — for example, “Let’s turn to John 3:16” — it detects the reference and displays the verse on the projector screen within a second.
It works with natural speech patterns. The pastor doesn’t need to speak in a specific format or slow down. VerseAir understands conversational references, number words, verse ranges, and even relative references like “go to verse 11.”
Getting Started
- Enable the microphone — Click the microphone icon in the left panel
- Select your mic — Choose the correct microphone from the device dropdown (lapel mic, pulpit mic, or built-in)
- Start speaking — The live transcript appears in the transcript box, showing what VerseAir hears
- Verse appears automatically — When a reference is detected, the verse displays on screen. A detection chip blinks briefly to confirm
Supported Speech Patterns
VerseAir recognises a wide range of speech patterns. Here are examples of what works:
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Direct reference | John 3:16, Psalm 23:1 |
| Natural speech | “Let’s turn to the book of Romans chapter 8 verse 28” |
| Verse ranges | “John 3 verses 16 to 18”, Romans 8:28-30 |
| Chapter only | “Psalm 23” (defaults to verse 1) |
| Relative reference | “Go to verse 11” (uses current book and chapter) |
| Number words | “John chapter three verse sixteen” |
| Period/comma separators | John 3.16, John 3,16 |
Accent Support
VerseAir is designed to work with global accents, including:
- Nigerian English — tested extensively with Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa-accented English
- British and American English
- Other accents — the speech engine handles a wide range of pronunciations
VerseAir also corrects common speech-to-text mishearings. For example, “Revelations” is automatically mapped to Revelation, and phonetic variations of book names are recognised.
Verse Range Auto-Advance
When a verse range is detected (e.g., John 3:16–18), VerseAir displays verses one at a time with auto-advance:
- Speed options: 5s, 8s, 10s (default), 15s, 20s, Manual, or Voice mode
- Progress dots show your current position in the range
- Countdown bar at the bottom of the projector shows time remaining
- Voice mode advances to the next verse when the pastor continues reading aloud
Keyboard Shortcuts
← / ↑ |
Previous verse |
→ / ↓ |
Next verse |
Space |
Play/pause auto-advance (in range mode) |
Tips for Best Results
- Use a good microphone — lapel mics or pulpit mics give the best results. Avoid relying on the laptop’s built-in mic from across the room
- Reduce background noise — congregation chatter, air conditioning, and music can interfere with detection
- Speak clearly when citing references — conversational speed is fine, but mumbling the reference makes detection harder
- Check the transcript — the live transcript box shows exactly what VerseAir heard. If detection seems off, the transcript tells you why
- Pause briefly after the reference — a short pause after saying “John 3:16” helps the speech engine finalise the detection
- Position the mic close to the speaker — distance is the biggest factor in accuracy
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Microphone not working | Check browser/system permissions. Ensure the correct mic is selected in the dropdown. |
| Verses not detecting | Speech recognition requires an internet connection. Check your network status. |
| Wrong verse detected | Check the transcript — the pastor may have said something that sounds like a reference. Common with names like John, Mark, or Luke. |
| Works offline? | Speech recognition needs internet. Manual verse search works offline with bundled Bibles. |