These days, non-native speakers speak English so fluently that detecting their accent can be a challenge. But even if you think your voice is so good it’s undetectable, the Accent Oracle can prove you wrong – and it’s a little worrying.

What is Accent Oracle?

Accent Oracle is an AI created by BoldVoice, a company specializing in voice training. BoldVoice is an AI-powered language learning platform, but not like your regular English tutor. It doesn’t teach you vocabulary or grammar but only focuses on fine-tuning your American accent.

However, Accent Oracle reverses the script. Instead of training your voice, it determines your voice. You are given a short script to read and Oracle will analyze and predict your voice in seconds.

It’s backed by a huge database of non-native speakers, meaning it doesn’t rely on stereotypes like “if they pronounce X like Y, then they’re from Z”. Instead, it detects subtle nuances in speech and spots things you’d never notice.

When Oracle knows too much

To test, launch the Accent Oracle application and click “Try Me”. You will be given a short text to read aloud.

Below is a recording taken as an example. Listen and before you scroll down, guess where this person is from?

Here’s what Oracle analyzed, and the results are extremely accurate.

The person in the example is actually Persian. What is truly remarkable is the detailed analysis underlying the results. It’s clear that this person’s accent has 17% Turkish influence. Miraculously, Oracle has gone beyond accents and mined the speaker’s origins in a way similar to DNA testing.

If you’re curious about how your accent might be recognized – or just want to have some fun – try Accent Oracle. Who knows, you might discover a hidden layer of your identity through the syllables.