Multiple language voice recognition

In a computer speech processing apparatus having a processing unit and a memory unit, a computer implemented method for generating pronunciations that include one or more pronunciations of an input orthographic word in a first language for a non-native speaker of the first language who is a native speaker of a second language, the method comprising:

• a) comparing the input word to one or more words in a partial database of words and corresponding pronunciations to determine if the input word matches any words in the partial database, wherein each word in the partial database has an associated phoneme language and pronunciation language, entering a matching word and pronunciation into a Grammar and Dictionary (GnD) for the first language when the pronunciation language and phoneme language are both the first language, entering the entering a matching word and pronunciation into a Grammar and Dictionary (GnD) for the second language when the pronunciation language is the first language and phoneme language is the second language, and
• b) generating a pronunciation for the input word when the input word does not match any word in the partial database and entering the input word and generated pronunciation into the GnD for the first language when the language of origin of the input word and the pronunciation language of the input word is the first language and entering the input word and generated pronunciation into the GnD for the second language when the language of origin of the input word is the first language and the pronunciation language of the input word is the second language, wherein generating the pronunciation includes converting each grapheme of the input word to a corresponding phoneme of the first language when the language of origin of the input word and the pronunciation language of the input word is the first language, and converting each grapheme of the input word to a corresponding phoneme of the first language and mapping each corresponding phoneme of the first language to one or more phonemes of the second language when the language of origin of the input word is the first language and the pronunciation language of the input word is the second language.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having embodied therein computer readable instructions for implementing computer speech processing in a computer speech processing apparatus having a processing unit and a memory unit, the instructions comprising:

• a) one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, compare the input word to one or more words in a partial database of words and corresponding pronunciations to determine if the input word matches any words in the partial database, wherein each word in the partial database has an associated phoneme language and pronunciation language, enter a matching word and pronunciation into a Grammar and Dictionary (GnD) for the first language when the pronunciation language and phoneme language are both the first language, enter the entering a matching word and pronunciation into a Grammar and Dictionary (GnD) for the second language when the pronunciation language is the first language and phoneme language is the second language;
• and
• b) generate a pronunciation for the input word when the input word does not match any word in the partial database and entering the input word and generated pronunciation into the GnD for the first language when the language of origin of the input word and the pronunciation language of the input word is the first language and entering the input word and generated pronunciation into the GnD for the second language when the language of origin of the input word is the first language and the pronunciation language of the input word is the second language, wherein generating the pronunciation includes converting each grapheme of the input word to a corresponding phoneme of the first language when the language of origin of the input word and the pronunciation language of the input word is the first language, and convert each grapheme of the input word to a corresponding phoneme of the first language and mapping each corresponding phoneme of the first language to one or more phonemes of the second language when the language of origin of the input word is the first language and the pronunciation language of the input word is the second language.