Google Translate is now 20 years old, adds pronunciation practice

Key Points:

• Google Translate, launched on April 28, 2006, is celebrating its 20th anniversary by adding a pronunciation practice tool to its Android app in the US and India for English, Spanish, and Hindi languages.
• The new feature allows users to practice pronunciation by speaking phrases, with AI analyzing their speech and providing instant feedback, enhancing language learning.
• Pronunciation practice joins other Gemini-powered features like Understand and Ask, which were introduced earlier this year to improve translation accuracy and user interaction.
• Google Translate's evolution includes a shift from statistical machine learning in 2006 to neural networks in 2016, enabling more natural and fluent translations on a global scale.
• Currently, over 1 billion users translate around 1 trillion words monthly across Google Translate’s platforms, with Gemini models supporting real-time conversation translation sessions that often last five minutes or more.