Google Translate celebrates its 20th anniversary with new pronunciation practice features

Marking its 20th anniversary, Google Translate has evolved from an artificial intelligence experiment in 2006 into a global platform now supporting about 250 languages. Today, more than one billion people rely on Translate to bridge language barriers, connect with others, and facilitate learning.

To celebrate this milestone, Google has introduced a highly requested feature: pronunciation practice. Available in the United States and India for English, Spanish, and Hindi, the pronunciation practice tool lets Android app users speak phrases, receive instant AI feedback, and refine their delivery before engaging in real-world conversations. This feature builds on Translate’s existing “ask” and “understand” tools, which already allow users to provide additional context and receive alternative translations for greater clarity.

Looking back, Google notes that Translate was one of the company's first machine learning experiments. Initially relying on statistical machine learning models, Translate's early research helped Google advance the development and scaling of large, accurate language models using data from trillions of words.