Google Translate has always been great at telling you what something means. But saying it out loud has always been on you. But now, Google is working on a new feature that could fix your fumbling ways. A new AI-powered “Practice” mode is in development to help users improve their pronunciation instead of just listening to translations.
And yes, it can call you out for butchering 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 lets you listen to native speakers’ pronunciation samples, record your own attempt, and get feedback on how accurate you sound. It then analyzes your speech and scores your pronunciation, also offering suggestions on how to improve.
There’s even a phonetic breakdown of words offered to the users that makes it easier to understand how something should sound. This is easier than relying on complex linguistic notation.
In development, but shows promise
This isn’t just a one-time event. It’s a whole system that encourages practice with repetition, letting users retry phrases to refine their pronunciation. So users can practice till they get closer to native level accuracy. There are also hints that the feature could be a part of a broader language learning tool, which might include difficulty levels and conversational practice modes.
The feature was discovered in a recent build of the app, with an APK teardown showing that it’s still work in progress. Furthermore, we can expect it to roll out gradually, starting with select language pairs like English and Spanish before expanding to include more options. So you might have to wait a bit before it starts judging your accent.
In related news, Google just added two features to help improve your experience in group chats, and is even using AI to lessen the impact of flights on the climate.