Detecting Self-Generated Wake Expressions

A speech-based audio device may be configured to detect a user-uttered wake expression and to respond by interpreting subsequent words or phrases as commands. In order to distinguish between utterance of the wake expression by the user and generation of the wake expression by the device itself, directional audio signals may by analyzed to detect whether the wake expression has been received from multiple directions. If the wake expression has been received from many directions, it is declared as being generated by the audio device and ignored. Otherwise, if the wake expression is received from a single direction or a limited number of directions, the wake expression is declared as being uttered by the user and subsequent words or phrase are interpreted and acted upon by the audio device.