Revamped Google Transliteration in Labs
Google has announced the latest iteration of its Google Transliteration service as a Google Labs experiment. By visiting google.com/transliterate, users can effortlessly input text and see it converted into the relevant language script. Presently, this feature supports 17 different languages.
Understanding Google Transliteration
The purpose of Google Transliteration is to transform Roman characters into their phonetic equivalents in the desired language. Importantly, this is distinct from translation; the service emphasizes converting the sound of words from one script to another rather than their meaning. For instance, the word “hamesha” will be transliterated into its Hindi script equivalent. Similarly, “salaam” will be represented in its Persian script and “spasibo” in Russian.
After its debut for an Indian language, the team has made significant advancements in the tool, enhancing its accuracy, incorporating more languages, and introducing new functionalities.
Integration across Google Platforms
Users will find the updated Google Transliteration not only on its dedicated webpage but also integrated into various Google platforms. Platforms like GMail, Knol, Orkut, and Blogger now feature this enhanced tool.
Extended Features for Developers and Users
Google has also extended its transliteration capabilities to developers and users looking to incorporate this feature into other websites. They can achieve this via the offered API and a handy Bookmarklet. Furthermore, an input method editor (IME) is provided for those interested in downloading it.
Supported Languages
Google Transliteration’s updated version supports a broad spectrum of languages, each catering to a diverse user base. These include:
- Arabic
- Bengali
- Greek
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Marathi
- Nepali
- Persian
- Punjabi
- Russian
- Sanskrit
- Serbian
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
Google’s refreshed transliteration tool aims to bridge linguistic gaps by rendering words from one script into another. Whether you’re a developer looking to integrate this feature into your site or a user wanting to communicate in various scripts, the revamped Google Transliteration has got you covered.
Related Articles
