4 Of The Best Text To Speech Apps For Foreign Languages

Let's face it — one of the most awkward situations you can find yourself in is having a communication gap when you're in a foreign country. Gone are the days of hiring a translator or relying solely on a friend who speaks the country's native language.

Whether you're traveling to a foreign country for a vacation, are an international student trying to fit in with the locals, having a reliable text-to-speech app can come in handy. Fortunately, there are tons of iPhone and Android apps available that you can download.

In the list below, we've rounded up four of the best text-to-speech apps for foreign languages that we could find. We've personally tested each app mentioned below in the list, and have included them based on our personal experience using them. All of the apps in the list are rated highly on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store, and have a long list of satisfied users.

Microsoft Translator is one of the best-known translation apps out there, and is available on both Android and iOS. Developed by Microsoft Corporation, the app has over fifty million downloads and has a rating of 4.5 stars on the Google Play Store. Similarly, it has a rating of 4.8 stars on the App Store. One of the best parts about using Microsoft Translator is that you don't need to create an account. After downloading it, you just have to agree to the app's terms of use.

Along with having an easy-to-use and minimalist interface, the app supports over a hundred different languages. Microsoft Translator helps you break language barriers by allowing you to type, speak, or use your device's camera to capture the word you'd like to translate. To use the app's text-to-speech functionality, choose the foreign language you're entering and the language you'd like it to be translated into. Hit Send. When you do, you'll see a little green Play button. Tap it to hear the text provided in your chosen language.

One feature that makes this app stand out from other apps is the group translation feature, which makes conversing with multiple people much easier. Microsoft Translator also keeps track of everything you ask it to translate. So, if you're learning a new language and frequently check the same phrases, the history feature will be something you'll love. You can also save phrases to your favorites. Microsoft Translator doubles as a messaging platform, allowing you to communicate with family and friends who speak different languages easily.

Whether you used the application to complete your homework or just find out what a word in another language means, it's highly unlikely to have not heard of Google Translate. Developed by Google, the app has over a billion downloads on the Google Play Store and holds the first rank in the App Store's Reference apps list. It's free to download, and it's available on both Android and iOS devices.

Similar to Microsoft Translator, you don't need to log into your Google account to use the translation app. The easy-to-use app supports up to 133 languages. Once you download a language's offline translation file, you can use Google Translate without an internet connection, and translate even when you're on the go. The app allows users to translate between languages by typing, speaking, your device's camera, or by handwriting the words. 

It also features a Conversation feature, allowing you to talk with another person through Google Translate. To use it, both individuals will take turns talking and listening to the translated text. To use this function, just choose both languages and type the text you'd like to translate. Simply tap the Speaker icon below the translated text to hear it spoken out aloud. If you ever translate something and would like to save it for future reference, you can add it to your Phrasebook by tapping the Star icon at the top-right corner of the screen. 

Google Translate also features a Transcribe feature that listens to someone speaking and shows the trasncribed text on your screen. Once the person is done speaking, the app translates the text into your desired language.

Developed by DeepL GmbH, the DeepL Translate app is among the best TTS apps you can download on both Android and iOS devices. The app only offers around thirty languages. However, the app's advanced translation features make up for the limited languages it offers. Once you choose a language and type the text you'd like to translate, DeepL Translate displays synonyms of the word it just translated. The app also allows you to save fifteen translations, so you can view them at a later time. 

While you can use the basic translation feature without creating an account, you'll need to sign up to save translations. To use the app's TTS feature, begin typing the text you'd like to hear spoken out aloud. Once you choose the language you'd like to translate the text to, tap the Speaker icon to hear it spoken loud. You can also translate text from files directly in 11 of the languages DeepL Translate offers.

Other than the Translate feature, the app also has a Write feature. Here, you can choose a language and write your text. The app will then correct any mistakes you made, and improve your writing for you. If you'd like to change between a formal and informal tone of translation, you may do so by subscribing to the app's premium version. All in all, while the app does offer 30 languages, most of the features like photo, camera, and file translation are limited to 11 languages.

If you're looking for an app to help you learn a foreign language, Reverso is the app you need. Developed by Reverso Technologies Inc., the app has been downloaded by over 10 million users globally on the Google Play Store. It's available for free on both Android and iOS devices. Reverso allows you to translate text, photo, or voice using its Artificial Intelligence capabilities. One thing that makes this app stand out from other translation apps is its Word to Discover feature, which can help expand your vocabulary. Upon launching the app for the first time and creating an account, you can enable notifications and tweak how often you'd like to receive them.

At first glance, the Reverso app will seem limited compared to the apps above. This is because the app only supports translation in seventeen different languages. However, the app offers far better translation features than the apps we've covered above. Once you choose the languages for both sides and type in the text you'd like to translate, the app displays different ways to use the translated word. It also shows alternate options and synonyms. 

While the free version does show limited contextual examples and you'll need to subscribe to the app's premium version to access more, something is better than nothing! After translating five words, phrases, or sentences, you also unlock a Quiz feature. You can change the quiz type or the learning strategy and even view statistics to see how well you're learning. Similar to the apps above, you can type, dictate, or use your camera to translate text. Once your text has been translated, tap the Speaker icon to hear how it's pronounced.

When shortlisting apps for this list, we prioritized user reviews and only included apps that had a satisfied customer base. We only included apps that were rated above 4.0 stars on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. We also narrowed down our search by focusing on apps that displayed lesser ads, to ensure an uninterrupted experience. After shortlisting apps, we tested out each one personally.