Speechmatics unlocks improved understanding for Canadian French and Brazilian Portuguese speakers

Speechmatics, the leading speech recognition technology scaleup, has further enhanced its 34 existing languages with the improvement of Canadian French and Brazilian Portuguese. These commonly used language variations have both subtle and significant differences from European French and Portuguese. Speechmatics’ industry-leading engine now caters specifically to their nuances within existing language packs, enabling the company to achieve unprecedented accuracy in speech recognition. This will allow end users operating in these languages to make the most of their speech recognition technology, in industries such as contact centres, where accurate communication and understanding are vital.

Canadian French is spoken by large segments of the population, with over one in five (22%) of Canadians speaking the language. However, there are differences which have a significant impact on the accuracy of speech-to-text transcripts if they are not accounted for. For example, Canadian French includes more English words in general speech, and vocabulary is used in different ways than European French. In addition, Canadian French has alternative pronunciations, uses different prepositions (‘tu’ and ‘vous’ are used more interchangeably in formal speech) and uses several indigenous loanwords.

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