Google Translate has always been great at telling you what something means. But it’s always been up to you to say it out loud. But now Google is working on a new feature that could fix your fumbling. A new AI-powered “practice” mode is in development to help users improve their pronunciation instead of just listening to translations.
And yes, it may prompt you to butcher that Spanish phrase.
So how does it work?
While Google Translate offered the usual tap-to-listen speaker icon, the new feature goes beyond that and allows you to listen to pronunciation samples from native speakers, record your own attempt, and get feedback on how accurate you sound. Your speech will then be analyzed, your pronunciation will be assessed and suggestions for improvement will be made.
Users are even offered a phonetic breakdown of words, making it easier to understand how something is supposed to sound. This is easier than relying on complex linguistic notation.
Under development but promising
This is not a one-time event. It’s an entire system that encourages practice with repetition and allows users to try out phrases again to refine their pronunciation. This allows users to practice until they get closer to native-level accuracy. There are also suggestions that the feature could be part of a broader language learning tool that could include difficulty levels and conversation practice modes.
The feature was discovered in a recent build of the app, with an APK teardown showing that it is still a work in progress. Additionally, we can expect a phased rollout, starting with select language pairs like English and Spanish, before expanding to include more options. Therefore, you may have to wait a while before your accent is assessed.
In related news, Google just added two features to improve your experience in group chats and is even using AI to reduce the climate impact of flights.
