Build a Text-to-Speech Translator in Scratch (Supports 45+ Languages!) – Ultimate Guide

Introduction for Text-to-Speech Translator in Scratch

Have you ever wanted to build your own multilingual translator that can speak in different languages? With Scratch, you can! In this exciting project, we’ll guide you through building a Text-to-Speech Translator that can convert English to French, German, Spanish, and many other languages—all using Scratch’s extensions!

Whether you’re a beginner or a coding enthusiast, this tutorial will show you how to build an engaging, real-world application that teaches translation, text-to-speech (TTS), and user interaction.

What You’ll Build

An interactive Scratch app featuring a character named Abby who:

Translates user input from English into other languages (e.g., French, German)
Speaks the translation aloud in a selected voice
Displays the translated text visually
Supports more than 45 languages

Perfect for

Coding beginners
Young learners
Bilingual education
STEM classrooms

Step by Step Code to Build Text-to-Speech Translator in Scratch

Step 1: Setup – Sprite & Backdrop

📌 Setup – Sprite & Backdrop

Delete the default Cat sprite.
Add Abby as your translator sprite.
Resize Abby to 140 for clarity.
Add a backdrop: Select Colorful City or any theme you like.

Step 2: Add Extensions – Translate + Text-to-Speech

📌 Add Extensions – Translate + Text-to-Speech

Click the blue Extensions icon in the bottom-left corner of Scratch and add:

Translate Extension – to convert text from one language to another.
Text-to-Speech Extension – to make Abby speak the translated text aloud.

These blocks allow Scratch to:

Translate English into over 45 languages
Speak translations aloud with customizable voices

Step 3: Create a Variable

📌 Create Variable “translate”

Go to Variables
Create a variable named: translate

This variable stores the translated text and displays it on screen.

Step 4: Initializing Abby (Welcome Message)

📌 Initializing Abby (Welcome Message)

Here’s how to create a friendly introduction and prompt:

when green flag clicked
say "Hello, I am Abby" for 2 seconds
wait 5 seconds
set [translate v] to [0]
say "A language translator." for 2 seconds
say "Press A for French and B for German." for 5 seconds

This sequence introduces Abby, resets the variable, and shows instructions to choose a language.

Step 5: Handle User Input (Press A or B)

📌 Handle User Input – Detecting Keypress

Key A → French Translation

when [A v] key pressed
ask "Type in English:" and wait
set [translate v] to (translate (answer) to [French v])
set language to [French v]
speak (translate)

Key B → German Translation

when [B v] key pressed
ask "Type in English:" and wait
set [translate v] to (translate (answer) to [German v])
set language to [German v]
speak (translate)

The above blocks:

Ask the user to type a sentence in English
Translate it using Scratch’s translate block
Speak it aloud in the selected language using Text-to-Speech

Don’t forget to enable the translate variable checkbox to see the translated text on screen!

Step 6: Customize the Voice (Optional)

📌 Customize the Voice – Enhancing Voice Output

You can change the voice using this block:

set voice to [Alto v] // Options: Alto, Tenor, Squeak, Giant, Kitten

Try different voices for fun or clarity. For younger users, “Kitten” is a hit!

Demo in Action – French and German Translation

📌 Live Demo – French and German Translation

Example Input:

User types: Hello Abby
Presses A for French → Output: “Bonjour Abby”
Presses B for German → Output: “Hallo Abby”

The system speaks the translated sentence out loud.

Enhanced Features (Add-On Ideas)

📌 Enhanced Features – Extra Use Cases

Want to take it to the next level?

✅ Feature Ideas:

Add more key options (e.g., C for Spanish, D for Italian)
Store multiple translations in a list
Let users choose a voice from a drop-down
Add a flag icon for each language
Show original and translated text together
Include error handling if no input is given
Add a fun quiz mode for learning new words!

Languages Supported by Scratch’s Translate Extension

More than 45 languages are available including:

🇫🇷 French
🇩🇪 German
🇪🇸 Spanish
🇮🇹 Italian
🇮🇳 Hindi
🇨🇳 Chinese
🇯🇵 Japanese
🇷🇺 Russian
🇰🇷 Korean
🇹🇷 Turkish
…and many more!

Final Thoughts

You’ve just built a fully functional language translator with voice support in Scratch! 🥳

This project teaches:

✅ Event handling
✅ Variable usage
✅ Extension integration
✅ Conditional logic
✅ User interaction

🔁 Want to remix or expand the project? Try adding:

Dropdown menus
Custom vocabulary
Multiple voice styles
Quizzes for language learners

Call to Action

Don’t forget to check out the full video tutorial by Kodex Academy here: Scratch – Text to Speech & Translator in 45+ Languages | Ultimate Guide – By Kodex Academy
Like, comment & share the video
Visit kodexacademy.com
subscribe to the Kodex Academy YouTube channel for deeper Scratch content.

Happy coding with Kodex Academy! 🚀

Learn More with Kodex Academy

At Kodex Academy, we’re passionate about helping students learn coding in creative ways. This project teaches more than Scratch—it empowers young minds to build tools that work in the real world.

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