1. A method implemented by a computing device configured to expose speech engine features via a word training interface, the method comprising: exposing, via the interface, speech engine features for one or more speech engines to a plurality of independent applications wherein the speech engine features comprise one or more features for word training to train a word; receiving, via the interface, a call issued by one of the plurality of independent applications to train a word using one of the one or more speech engines; and, after training the word, receiving, via the interface, a call issued by the one of the plurality of independent applications for adding or replacing information associated with the word in a lexicon associated with at least the one independent applications, the lexicon stored in memory of the computing device and for use during speech recognition.