An ambient condition detector incorporates speech recognition circuitry for the receipt of verbal commands in a selected language. The commands can be used to initiate functions, such as tests of various components of the detector, or over-all detector operation. Test results can be reported audible, for example by tones, verbally or optically. Recognizable commands and messages can be pre-recorded and not user alterable. Other types of functions can be verbally initiated. Alternately, the user can expand upon the pre-recorded set of commands, or, can record a user specific set of commands.