Google Translate now supports speech input

by Steven Mostyn - Apr 28 2011, 09:58

Google has expanded the appeal of its Chrome browser by unveiling an HTML-based feature that allows Google Translate users to have their spoken words instantly converted into a host of other languages.

According to California-based Google, users need only click a microphone button within the on-screen input box and speak directly into their computer’s mic, and then simply select the language they wish to have their words translated into.

The new Google Translate feature even comes with a handy ‘Listen’ feature, which plays back an audible version of the translated text—good, perhaps, for those with a penchant for casual learning.  

“Speech input through HTML is one of many new Web technologies in the browser that help make innovative and useful Web applications like Google Translate’s speech feature possible,” outlined Google software engineer Josh Estelle in an official blog post.

“If you’d like to check out more examples of applications built using the latest and greatest Web technologies in the browser, you can check out more then 200 submissions by Web developers on chromeexperiments.com,” he added.

Google is becoming something of a dab hand at adding voice-based interfacing to its product line. This week’s Chrome browser addition comes after the search titan last year introduced a speech-to-text translation feature for smartphones powered by Android.

Note: This particular aspect of Google Translate is currently only available on stable versions of the Chrome browsers. 

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