I’ve been traveling a lot lately and having an absolute blast doing it, but as I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way), communicating with others when there is a language barrier can be challenging. One day, after a particularly rough moment where my travel book just couldn’t cut it, I decided to see if there were other translation tools I could use. I came across a website called AppGrooves (I’ll include a link below) with a list of the top 10 translation apps and decided to check a few of them out.
Best 10 Language Translation Apps by AppGrooves
I honestly can’t believe I’ve never tried these before – I’m a horrible traveler! In particular, I’ve found three apps to be incredible throughout my travels. I no longer have to worry about communicating with people because I can speak on my phone. These are genuinely the best discoveries of my year so far, and if you have any need for translating, you seriously need to look at my list below.
Sometimes, an app, however good, just won’t do. If you are on business travel, or you need very specific and accurate translation, check out the services of a Professional Translation Service. They will be worth the money spent.
Customize Translation Speed with SayHi Translate
What makes SayHi Translate so unique is that you can not only select whether you want a male or female voice but also slow down and speed up the voice translator. It makes it much easier to double-check that you are hearing and saying everything correctly. In the past, I’ve worked as an English teacher abroad, and I think this would have been helpful to communicate with my non-English speaking co-workers as you can speak directly into the device, which will translate what you’re saying.
Occasionally, when using the voice translation feature in a conversation, the app does pick up other surrounding noises if you happen to be in a loud environment. If this might be an issue for you, make sure to speak directly into the microphone – the app will typically only translate the most unmistakable voice.
Translate Audio with Microsoft Translator
Microsoft Translator offers many cool features that ensure your language-learning escapades never get off track. If you need a quick translation, you can immediately speak into the device and receive an accurate translation. You can also take a photo of text, and the app will automatically produce translations for you so you can read any sign, menu, or guide during your travels. There’s also a pronunciation guide to help you learn new languages.
Although this app has many great features, it does not auto-detect the language you are typing or speaking. You will have to input which language you want to translate manually. This can make the whole process take a little longer, but it hasn’t hindered me in my experience.
Translate More Than 100 Languages with iTranslate Translator & Dictionary
Using iTranslate, you can quickly translate text or have a voice-to-voice conversation in over 100 languages, 16 of which are available offline. And, if you’re looking to solve a word or two, a dictionary and thesaurus is also available for all 100+ languages. And, if you’re accustomed to traveling abroad, you’ll know that wi-fi is not always easy to find, so having offline capability is excellent. Plus, you won’t have to pay expensive roaming charges.
There is a pro version of iTranslate that has offline capabilities, website translation, voice mode, and verb conjugations, but you (obviously) will have to pay for this. Just note that you can use the app for free but only for a limited time. I think it’s worth it, but you might want to judge this by your situation.
I’ve been loving having these apps in my back pocket, which has made my experience traveling the globe much easier. If you have ever wanted to travel abroad but are worried about having issues communicating, these apps are worth checking out!
