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                                  UNITED STATES

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT


     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934


         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 10, 2004



                                 SCANSOFT, INC.
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)



           DELAWARE                 000-27038                  94-3156479
(State or Other Jurisdiction of   (Commission               (IRS Employer
        Incorporation)             File Number)              Identification No.)



                               9 CENTENNIAL DRIVE
                          PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS 01960
                          ----------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)



                                 (978) 977-2000
                                 --------------
              (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)






Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(c)      Exhibits.

         99.1     Press Release dated May 10, 2004 by ScanSoft, Inc.

Item 12. Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

         On May 10, 2004, ScanSoft, Inc. announced its financial results for the
fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2004. The press release and the reconciliation
contained therein, which have been attached as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated
herein, disclose certain financial measures that may be considered non-GAAP
financial measures because they exclude amortization of acquisition-related
intangible assets, restructuring charges and non-cash stock compensation.
Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's
performance, financial position or cash flows that either excludes or includes
amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly
comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles in the United States. These non-GAAP financial
measures are provided to enhance the user's overall understanding of ScanSoft's
current financial performance and ScanSoft's prospects for the future.
Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures present a useful
measure of ScanSoft's operating performance because they exclude identified
non-cash and restructuring charges. Management uses these measures for
evaluating historical performance and for forecasting and planning for future
periods. These measures, however, should be considered in addition to, and not
as a substitute for, or superior to, other measures of financial performance
prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. The
non-GAAP measures included in ScanSoft's press release have been reconciled to
the nearest GAAP measure.

         The information in this Form 8-K and the Exhibit attached hereto is
being furnished and shall not be deemed to be "filed" for the purposes of
Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be
deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, regardless of any general incorporation
language in such filing.










                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                               SCANSOFT, INC.

                               By:     /s/ David A. Gerth
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       David A. Gerth
                                       Chief Financial Officer

                               Date: May 10, 2004







                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                  -------------

     Exhibit
     Number        Description


      99.1         Press Release dated May 10, 2004.