Do you wish to enhance your Catalan skills but aren’t sure where to start? Take a look at this free online reader.
Catalan is a Romance language spoken primarily in Catalonia and Valencia, in eastern and northeastern Spain, as well as the Balearic Islands. It is also spoken in the French Roussillon region, Andorra (where it is the official language), and the Sardinian city of Alghero. Catalan is spoken by around 9,000,000 people in Spain and 125,000 people in France, as well as 30,000 people in Andorra and 40,000 people in Alghero.
In modern Catalan, there are two primary dialect groups: western dialects, such as West Catalan and Valencian; and eastern dialects, such as East Catalan, Balearic, and Roussillonnais, as well as the dialect is spoken in Alghero, where Catalan was introduced in the 14th century.
Politically motivated disagreements concerning the link between Valencian and Catalan have raged since the Spanish Civil War. Most linguists and the Valencian Academy of Language consider Valencian and Catalan to be alternative names for the same language because they differ mainly in small ways (pronunciation, vocabulary, and verb conjugation) and are mutually intelligible. Their tiny discrepancies are rarely conveyed in written communication.
If you wish to learn more about the Catalan dialect, text-to-speech software is a good option. This is a program that converts any text or document into audio using assistive technology.
Finding a reputable TTS that can help you improve your Catalan language skills, on the other hand, might be difficult because not all of these apps work in the same way. Others, among other things, have more voices and editing options than others. It all depends on your goals and how you want your music to be delivered.
However, there is one of the most complete TTS tools available these days: Woord.
Why Woord?
Woord is a free online TTS that has a number of handy features. It’s available in more than 50 languages, including several English dialects, German, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. You can also select a voice that is masculine, female, or gender-neutral.
All of these features are available for free, so you can try out the service before investing in the premium version. The free edition includes premium voices, a Chrome plugin, an SSML editor, an MP3 download, and up to 20,000 characters per month. You can also change the voice’s speed and format with this app.
Furthermore, the voice functions of Woord can be used in a variety of situations. Woord’s Text-to-Speech (TTS) capabilities can be used to create apps that help those who have trouble reading, such as in E-learning and education.
How does it work?
If you want to get an audio file, you have to do the following:
1- Go to www.getwoord.com and select “Online reader” from the menu, or install the Chrome extension on your computer.
2- On the whiteboard, write your text, then choose a Catalan voice, gender, speed, and format.
3- When you’re done, click ‘Speak It’ to double-check that everything is working correctly.
4- Save the outcome to your computer if you’re happy with it.
Click here to download Woord’s Chrome Extension.
Also published on Medium.