This is a short guide to getting started with Praat. There are more extensive instructions at the Praat website itself.

To make spectrograms with Praat, you first need to have some kind of sound recording. I suggest that you begin by taking one off the web. For example, go to the UCLA Archive, and download one of the sound files. In my browser, this is done by right-clicking on the link to the file, and choosing "save target as". Once you have saved the .aiff or .wav file to your computer, open Praat and go into the window "Praat objects". (You can close "Praat pictures"; it's not relevant.) Click the "Read" menu and choose "Read from file". A window appears that allows you to choose the file you want. Select it and click "Open". The file name should now appear in the Praat Objects window. Select it, then click "Edit" (in the list of buttons to the right) to see the spectrogram. To hear the sound, click the place on the spectrogram where you want to begin and press the Tab key.

It is also possible to record new sound files if you have a mono microphone (important: not stereo) that can plug into your computer. To do this, click "New" and then "Record mono sound". A window called Sound Recorder comes up. Record by clicking the buttons Record and Stop. Then give the file a name and click "save sound to list". The sound will appear in the Praat Objects window.