Google has introduced a new AI-powered pronunciation practice feature for its Translate app on Android to mark the service's 20th birthday. The tool provides real-time feedback on speech for users practicing English, Spanish, and Hindi in the US and India. It analyzes pronunciation and offers tips on sounds, stress, and enunciation.
Google Translate, which has served over 1 billion monthly users and handles trillions of translated words each month, rolled out the pronunciation feature on Monday. Users can access it via a 'Practice' button in the app, choosing to pronounce translated phrases or listen to native speakers. The AI then scores the attempt and provides specific feedback, such as phonetic spellings—for instance, correcting the Spanish word 'jugo' from an English 'j' sound to 'HU-go' with the proper Spanish pronunciation. Google said the feature builds on existing tools like 'ask' and 'understand' for language learning, and about a third of mobile users already employ Translate for speaking practice, with many live sessions lasting over five minutes. The service supports more than 250 languages, covering nearly 95% of the world's population, and remains popular for pairs like English to Spanish, Indonesian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Turkish. Common translations involve phrases of gratitude, connection, and love. The feature is currently available only on Android in the US and India, as first reported by CNET.
