Google Assistant can now speak in twelve voices

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One of the ways to personalize your Google Assistant is to choose its voice. During the Google I/O, Google talked about the WaveNet voice engine and how it was making speech synthesis more realistic. Sundar Pichai said WaveNet would enable the Google Assistant voices to be closer to how humans speak in terms of pitch, the pace, and the pauses in between that convey meaning. WaveNet uses a neural network to create speech that’s more natural than Google’s old system. To drive the point home, Google announced six new Assistant voices coming to devices with Google Assistant. Each of these voices sound unique, but they’re all natural.

Google Assistant has a little dimensionality to its voice characterization, and you can also make your Google Assistant a dude as well. Selecting it gives you a huskier AI assistant across all your devices; be it the iOS app, a Pixel phone, or the Google Nest/Home speaker.

Tired of Google Assistant’s default voice?

With twelve different voices, there are five female voices and five male voices available in US English, all speaking in different tones and users can assign different voices to respond to different family members (once it has learned their voice). After you select one, it can be used anywhere you interact with the Assistant including your phone, Google Nest/Home, Android Auto, and Google TV.

If you’re an English speaker in the U.S., like Aussies and Brits living in the US, you can also get a taste of home with British-accent voice and Australian-accent voice available on US Google Nest/Home speakers. Say “G’day” and “Cheerio” in new accents for your Google Assistant by choosing between these two voices for devices on Android, Home, Smart Displays.

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Which voice options are available for Google Assistant?

When Assistant first launched, it featured one Voice I (now Red) before adding a male Voice II (now Orange). And later rolled out a pretty unique way of displaying these voices; a new color-based naming scheme for 6 new Assistant voices. So, voices are displayed by color, rather than gender, to present these voices to you without any labels. Below are names of different Assistant voices, from 1 to 5 are male voices, 6-10 are female voices, and 11, 12 are with British and Australian accent respectively.

  • Male
    1. Orange
    2. Green
    3. Blue
    4. Pink
    5. Lime
  • Female
    1. Red,
    2. Amber
    3. Cyan
    4. Purple
    5. Indigo
  • Accents
    1. British Racing Green as the British voice and
    2. Sydney Harbour Blue serving as the Australian accent.

Do you know, the original female voice for Google Assistant is called Holly?

How to change Google Assistant’s voice?

To try these new voices, here’s how to switch between Google Assistant voices(female and male)

On your Android phone or tablet:

  1. Open Google Home app Google Home.
  2. At the top right, tap your Profile picture and then Assistant settings.
  3. Under “All settings,” tap Assistant voice & Sounds.
  4. Choose a voice. Here you will find a list of available voices with a preview of each voice. Select the voice name you wish to set for all of your devices that have Assistant built-in.

On your iPhone:

  1. Open the Google Assistant app.
  2. Select your profile icon at the top right.
  3. Tap the Assistant voice option.
  4. Choose your desired voice.

On Smart speaker or display: To change Assistant voice through voice commands, say,

  • Hey Google, change your voice.

Google Assistant will give you different voice options, and then will ask you to confirm your choice.

All the features you use are still the same—as setting a timer, checking the weather and getting an overview of your commute—only now, your Assistant will speak with a new accent. Try asking

  • Hey Google, what’s the exchange rate from British pound to U.S. dollar?
  • Hey Google, what’s the capital of Australia? Or
  • Hey Google, where can I get fish and chips nearby?

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A lot of people are surprised to learn that they don’t always stick with the voice they’ve been using, so give it a shot. You might just find one that sounds even better than the one you’ve been using. Having an ability to choose between Google Assistant voices easily makes it even better. Let us know in comments, which voice you like or have made your default?

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3 thoughts on “Google Assistant can now speak in twelve voices”

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  1. The male voices are “raspier” than the female ones, like the way that British and Australian male actors try to burrytheir accens when playing Americans. I’d like hearing some male voices that are baritone, not tenor. (Yes, I know that tenor and soprano voices are easier to understand in noisy envionments, but how noisy are homes?)

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  3. I don’t think the voices are that much different from each of them. I was hoping to have drastically different female voices as well as make voices.

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