Google improves text-to-speech in Android with ‘clearer voices’

Google has improved Android’s Speech Services, requiring Android apps that use Google’s text-to-speech service to have “more natural and clearer” voices. All 67 languages ​​will receive the upgrade in the coming weeks.

The text-to-speech services in Speech Services have received a new speech model and new speech synthesizer, Google writes. As a result, the voices should come across more clearly. The new voices sound less robotic than the old voices and more natural, the company says. With the update, the standard American voice also gets new speaker data, which, according to Google, makes it sound ‘drastic’ different than before.

Developers and users do not need to do anything for the improved voices. The updated Speech Services will be rolled out to all users with a 64-bit device in the coming weeks. All 421 supported voices across 67 languages ​​will receive enhanced voices with the update. In a blog post Google shows the differences with some examples.