A talking dictionary provides spoken pronunciation and additional information. They can be portable electronic devices or computer programs, and are useful for language learners and visually impaired individuals. They can assist with learning pronunciation and are often used in language education.
A talking dictionary is a device or program that provides the spoken pronunciation of words in addition to the normal information provided by dictionaries. In some cases, such dictionaries also mention definitions, synonyms and other information. Language learners often find spoken dictionaries useful because different languages have different pronunciation rules. It can be difficult, therefore, to determine the correct pronunciation of a world based on spelling alone. A talking dictionary can also benefit a visually impaired individual who cannot read the text in a written dictionary.
There are many different types of talking dictionaries. Some of these dictionaries are portable electronic devices. The user of this form of talking dictionary usually types in the word of interest, and the dictionary plays an electronically generated recording or pronunciation of the word. Other portable electronic talking dictionaries may allow the user to speak the word of interest instead of typing it. This type of talking dictionary generally only works when the user pronounces the words correctly, so it may not be useful for language learners.
Many types of talking dictionaries are programs that can be used on computers or mobile devices such as smartphones. Programs of this type often connect to a database on the Internet, so you don’t need to install the dictionary contents on your device. Others actually store the entire contents of the dictionary, including audio files or a text-to-speech program, on the device itself, although this can take up a significant amount of hard drive space. Some online talking dictionaries are maintained by the community and users, often native speakers of the language of the dictionary, provide the pronunciations.
The most common use of a talking dictionary is language education. People rarely have trouble determining how to pronounce words in their native languages, but each language has different pronunciation rules that can seem subjective if not completely arbitrary to a language learner. A talking dictionary, especially one that provides recorded rather than synthesized pronunciations, can greatly assist a student in learning the pronunciation of a new language. Many speaking dictionary programs actually include pronunciation exercises specifically created to help language learners.
Those with low vision often find talking dictionaries very helpful as well. Reading text in a physical dictionary or on a computer screen can be quite difficult, especially when the print is small. While there are large-print dictionaries, they tend to be quite bulky. Spoken dictionaries, especially those that allow spoken rather than typed input, can greatly assist those who can’t see well enough to use traditional dictionaries.
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