Google Translate is officially celebrating its twentieth birthday this month. What started as a simple web page tool two decades ago has grown into a massive platform that helps billions of people communicate across the globe. To mark this major milestone, the tech brand is giving its popular language app a brand new feature to help you speak like a local.
The app adds a fresh tool to practice speaking out loud
Learning how to read a new language is totally different from actually speaking it. The brand understands this common challenge, so it just launched a dedicated pronunciation practice tool right inside the main app.
When you translate a phrase, you will now see a small microphone icon next to the result. Tapping this button lets you repeat the translated words back into your phone. The app then uses its smart audio software to score your accent and point out exactly which syllables you need to fix.
The software celebrates twenty years of breaking down language barriers
This helpful speaking update arrives right as the service hits its second decade online. Back in its early days, the platform could only handle a tiny handful of languages and often made funny mistakes.
Today, it supports hundreds of different dialects and works offline when you travel without cell service. Adding voice practice is just the next natural step for a service that wants to do more than simply read text on a screen.
