Luxembourg has learnt to synthesise Luxembourgish speech
Jason Rosewell, Unsplash
On 10 February 2025, Minister of Culture Eric Thill unveiled sproochmaschinn.lu, the first digital platform for automatic transcription (Speech-to-Text) and speech synthesis (Text-to-Speech) in Luxembourgish.** This project, developed by the Zenter fir d'Lëtzebuerger Sprooch (ZLS, Luxembourg Language Centre), marks an important step in the application of artificial intelligence to support the national language.
The first version of the speech recognition tool was launched back in 2022, but the system has undergone significant improvements since then. The new version:
- makes fewer mistakes,
- better recognises different regional dialects,
- can handle long audio files.
The user uploads an audio recording, after which the system automatically converts it into text. The interface allows you to follow the process and download the result as plain text or a timestamped file, which is convenient for subtitling.
An innovation of the platform is the speech synthesis function - the ability to turn text into natural-sounding voiceovers. The platform is based on artificial intelligence trained on the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire (LOD, Luxembourg Online Dictionary).
The main feature: the machine speaks in the voice of a real person. Max Kuborn, a well-known RTL employee, was used for training, which makes the synthetic voice sound more natural.
This tool can be particularly useful for:
- for the visually impaired,
- automatic text dubbing for educational and media purposes.
Users are advised to carefully check spelling before processing text, as the system works better with correctly spelled words.
At the moment, the system is experiencing difficulties with:
- with borrowed words and foreign terms,
- proper names (geographical names, names of people, names of organisations),
- with acronyms.
Developers are asking users to report problems to improve the technology.
The Minister of Culture, Eric Thiel, emphasised that sproochmaschinn.lu is an important step in the strategy to support the Luxembourgish language. He also assured that the system does not store user data, which guarantees the protection of personal information.
The platform is already available for testing and could be used in business, education and government services in the future.
The launch of sproochmaschinn.lu is a significant step for the digital future of the Luxembourgish language. Text can now not only be translated into speech, but also recorded in a near-human voice. The project opens up new possibilities for education, accessibility and technological development.
