Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,428
30,613



siri_ios_7_icon.jpg
Around the world, Apple's text-to-speech functionality offers 32 voices for various languages, which have been compiled by Tes Mat, developer of the app Vocab Ninja.

Mat has created a website that offers a sample of the text-to-speech function saying "Luke, I am your father," in all of the available text-to-speech languages, ranging from Arabic to Turkish.

Each voice clip is available in both standard and enhanced quality, a higher quality version of VoiceOver that has been available since iOS 7.

The site has been updated for iOS 7.1, adding newly introduced enhanced voices in Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese. Each of the different voices and languages available on the Apple operating system can be accessed by visiting the Vocab Ninja website.

Update 1:46 PM PT: This article incorrectly stated that the available voices were for Siri, rather than for text-to-speech. Siri is available in 15 different countries listed here.

Article Link: Listen to All of Apple's Text-to-Speech Voices From Around the World
 

Nunyabinez

macrumors 68000
Apr 27, 2010
1,758
2,230
Provo, UT
The mandarin one is weird. It uses bu (不)for Luke, which means no or not.

So, the literal translation is: No, I am your father.
 

DeltaMac

macrumors G5
Jul 30, 2003
13,444
4,402
Delaware

DamoTheBrave

macrumors regular
Apr 20, 2011
211
333
The new Australian voice sounds much worse. Harder to understand and far more synthetic.

Hoping they've only gone backwards so they can build on something.
 

chainprayer

macrumors 6502a
Feb 10, 2008
638
2
The new Australian voice sounds much worse. Harder to understand and far more synthetic.

Hoping they've only gone backwards so they can build on something.

For complaints on the Australian voice, please send correspondence to:

P. Sherman
32 Wallaby Ln
Sydney, Australia
 

Georgij

macrumors regular
Mar 11, 2013
128
0
They have even more voices on OS X, and the voice pack is also larger.

Settings > Dictation & Speech > Text to Speech
Then click 'System Voices' and 'Customize...'
 

jprmercado

macrumors regular
Jun 12, 2012
223
631
This sure is a sneaky way to market your app… fitting for an app called "Vocab Ninja".
 

akm3

macrumors 68020
Nov 15, 2007
2,252
279
That literal translation is accurate...
You fell for the same myth, which is a mis-quote from the movie...
If you check, you'll find that the Star Wars quote REALLY was "No. I am your father" (not "Luke , I am your father")
http://scifi.about.com/od/starwarsfilms/a/3-Famous-Star-Wars-Quotes-That-Were-Never-Said.htm

My memory (geeks correct me if I'm wrong)

Vader: "Obi-wan never told you what happened to your father"
Luke: "He told me enough; he told me YOU killed him!"
Vader: "No. I am your father!"
Luke: "Nooooooo! Noo! noo! That's not true that's IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
Vader: "Search your feelings blah blah"
<extended luke> / "scream like wuss and/or emperor after you jump"
 

CTU Kyoto

macrumors member
Jun 12, 2006
92
10
London
Is it just me or does Siri sound weird and worse quality right after the update but then some kind of background download happens and the voice sounds better? I'm using UK English, flipping between male and female. Or is it just an illusion caused by getting used to the new voice?
 

vocabninja

macrumors newbie
Mar 12, 2014
2
0
currently Kiev
The mandarin one is weird. It uses bu (不)for Luke, which means no or not.

So, the literal translation is: No, I am your father.

Hi, I’m the guy who made that page. Thanks for pointing out.

I was trying to find the right translation (of the wrong quote :D).

Would you know the Chinese for the name ‘Luke’ (or Lukas)?
 

Nunyabinez

macrumors 68000
Apr 27, 2010
1,758
2,230
Provo, UT
Hi, I’m the guy who made that page. Thanks for pointing out.

I was trying to find the right translation (of the wrong quote :D).

Would you know the Chinese for the name ‘Luke’ (or Lukas)?

There really isn't a direct name translation like there is for latin based names. You could use Lu Ke (卢克), which is part of the name for the Luxor hotel(卢克索).
 

vocabninja

macrumors newbie
Mar 12, 2014
2
0
currently Kiev
There really isn't a direct name translation like there is for latin based names. You could use Lu Ke (卢克), which is part of the name for the Luxor hotel(卢克索).

Somebody said this in the comments on the blog post: 路克(盧卡斯)
I’ll run with that. The commenter’s name is ‘jingjong chen’, sounds Chinese, he or she probably knows :)

Thanks!
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.