Google Translate: Now in real-time

Google Translate: Upgraded

Another step closer to having a Universal Translator, the Google Translate application has just been upgraded with the ability to translate foreign languages in real time.

Before, the tool could translate between 51 languages as and when you hit the 'translate' button, but now translation occurs in real-time as you type in the text box. Not just that, but apart from translating common phrases such as "Where is the beach?" and "Two beers, please", the application can now handle more complex words and see their roots as they're typed. This also makes the translation of sentences or entire website much faster and accurately.

New features

The tool also has been upgraded with some other additional features. One allows English speakers to pronounce and read non-Latin script languages such as Chinese and Japanese. It does this via a "Show Romanization" button that produces a phonetic representation of the translation so you can read it off instantly. Middle Eastern languages such as Hebrew, Farsi and Arabic aren't yet supported, but it is only a matter of time.

There is, however, a feature that allows you to type out Arabic, Persian, and Hindi words as they sound in English, so they can be translated.

Google have also included a 'text-to-speech' support tool for translations into English to help users pronounce the word.

On the Official Google Blog, a statement said, "We hope these improvements will make reading, learning and communicating in foreign languages easier and more fun. As we continue to improve the precision of our automatic translation system, we're also always looking for ways to evolve and improve our interface."

The 51 languages that Google Translate can... well translate, is said to represent 98 percent of internet users today.

Relevant articles:

Stop Google watching you | Universal translator specs | Real world science fiction

Like this article? Get the RSS feed: