Introduction

At an Amazon’s hardware event held last month in Seattle, the company declared plans to start multi-lingual modes for its Alexa devices.

In the U.S., Canada, and India, the smart voice assistant would be capable of speaking a blend of English and Spanish, French and English, and Hindi and English, respectively. 

More About The Update

Amazon states the multi-lingual mode for U.S. speakers is formally live across the country.

They are allowing the users of both Echo and Alexa-powered devices to change between Spanish and English. 

Alexa can also be fixed to speak just Spanish in the Alexa app settings.

The new support also suggests developers can create skills for the program that target Spanish language speakers.

The experience includes a new Spanish voice for Alexa, plus regional information, hundreds of Spanish facilities including those form Univision and Telemundo, and much more.

To operate Alexa in Spanish mode, U.S. users will be capable of toggling to “Español (Estados Unidos)” in the Alexa app. 

They can later speak to Alexa in Spanish to get news, weather, manage their smart home devices, set reminders, and launch skills.

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The Multi-lingual Mode

The extra exciting addition is the multi-lingual mode choice, which lets customers shift between Spanish and English seamlessly.

For instance, you can request Alexa in English for the weather, and she will reply in English. 

But if you speak in Spanish, she will reply in Spanish. 

This creates the device more helpful in multi-lingual homes where a mix of both languages is addressed.

An example of how this is useful is while learning to music in the U.S.; you will be able to ask Alexa for recently launched Latin music playlists in U.S. Spanish.

Alexa’s reply to this would probably include Sin Filtro (urban artists), Tierra Tropical (bachata, salsa, cumbias), Puro Reggaeton, and Fierro Pariente (Regional Mexicano).

Amazon stated the additional multi-lingual forms for Canada and India (French and Hindi, combined with English), will also be available but it did not mention when they would be entirely rolled out.

Conclusion

Amazon’s introduction of the multi-lingual mode for Alexa devices marks a significant step toward making smart assistants more accessible and user-friendly for diverse households. By allowing Alexa to seamlessly switch between languages, users in the U.S., Canada, and India can enjoy a more personalized and inclusive experience. This feature is especially useful in multilingual environments, ensuring that Alexa is able to cater to a broader range of users and their specific needs. As more language options are rolled out, this update strengthens Amazon’s position in creating smarter and more adaptable voice assistants.

FAQs

1. What languages are supported in the new multi-lingual mode for Alexa?
   The multi-lingual mode currently supports combinations of English with Spanish in the U.S., English with French in Canada, and English with Hindi in India.
2. When will the multi-lingual mode be available for all countries?
   The multi-lingual mode is live for U.S. English and Spanish speakers. The updates for Canada (English and French) and India (English and Hindi) will be rolled out soon, but the exact dates have not been confirmed.
3. How can I set Alexa to speak in Spanish or English?
   Users can change the language settings by going into the Alexa app and toggling to “Español (Estados Unidos)” for Spanish. You can switch between languages directly by speaking in either Spanish or English, and Alexa will respond accordingly.
4. What additional features come with the Spanish language update?
   The Spanish language update includes a new Spanish voice for Alexa, regional information, and access to hundreds of Spanish-language facilities, including content from Univision and Telemundo.
5. What is the benefit of multi-lingual mode?
   Multi-lingual mode allows users to speak in either language (e.g., English or Spanish) and have Alexa respond in the same language, making it easier to navigate between languages in multilingual homes.
6. Can developers create skills for Spanish speakers?
   Yes, developers are now able to create skills specifically targeting Spanish-language speakers, making Alexa more helpful for a wider audience.
7. What are some use cases of multi-lingual mode?
   In multilingual households, users can easily switch between languages when asking questions or requesting services, such as asking for the weather in English and playing Latin music playlists in Spanish.

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