The present invention provides speech and audio user-computer interface mechanisms for accessing and editing information in electronic records. A mechanism is provided by which the user can direct inputs to any of a variety of fields without following a predetermined order of input. This allows the user to be proactive in making entries rather than simply reacting to requirements set by computer-generated prompts. Audio is provided as feedback to the user, not as a fixed path prompt for the user. This feedback can be in the form of non-verbal auditory signals or synthesized speech. The invention uses audio to inform the user of whether or not the system understood the spoken words or phrases as valid inputs to the electronic record, what the system recognized as the input, and to identify the contents of various fields in the electronic record. The precise wording for the speech inputs can be changed from one implementation of the invention to another, depending on what terminology is most meaningful to users, works best with the speech recognition engine being used, etc. Likewise, the audio outputs from the system, both nonverbal sounds and synthesized speech, used in implementing this invention can vary from one application to another.