Amazon launches multilingual mode for using Alexa in multiple languages at once

Amazon is launching multilingual mode for its Alexa-supporting devices, the company announced today at its Devices event in Seattle. The new multilingual mode will initially be available in the U.S., where it’ll work with English and Spanish; Canada, where it’ll offer French and English support; and India (Hindi and English).

These bilingual modes will mean that households can use their Alexa devices in both languages simultaneously, which is obviously a great feature for families where more than one language is spoken at home. Alexa will switch between languages, and employ new natural-sounding voices modeled using neural network processing to provide more realistic and expressive responses.

This multilingual mode is just a start, Amazon says, since Amazon SVP of Devices Dave Limp noted at the event that there are “billions of households around the world that have dual speakers, and sometimes three languages, in a single household,” all of which would benefit from expanded multilingual options.