Google confirmed that they are experimenting with a new feature that helps some of their searchers pronounce words. A Google spokesperson said “this is an experiment” they are running.
There is a screenshot in a Reddit thread of this in action. The query that triggered this one mobile search, in Google India, was [how to pronounce compunction].
If you ask Google how to pronounce a word, Google might help you pronounce it by letting you listen to how somebody else would say it. Google even phonetically shows you how to pronounce the words on the page. There is a toggle to have it spoken in “slow” mode.
Here is a screenshot from the Reddit thread, you can click on it to enlarge it:
There is a similar feature in Google India named Word Coach that helps searchers in those regions learn new words and expand their vocabulary.
Google told us then in regards to Word Coach:
Google Word Coach is a game designed to help expand English-language vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. It appears under our dictionary and translate boxes or when someone searches for “Google Word Coach.”