Live phone interpretation

Live interpretation.
Instant. No scheduling.

Give every caller a dedicated line that interprets both sides of the conversation in real time — in 13 languages (English plus 12 others). No booking, no waiting on hold for an interpreter, no per-minute agency fees. Hand a caller the number and they're understood.

How it works
Built for organizations that serve everyone Healthcare Legal Government Social services HR & staffing Education
How it works

Three steps to a live interpreter line

01

Get your number

Pick your language pair — say English and Spanish — and we provision a dedicated phone number for it in minutes. No hardware, no installs.

02

Both sides speak naturally

Each speaker talks in their own language. Houji listens, interprets, and speaks the translation aloud in a natural voice — turn by turn, in real time.

03

No scheduling, ever

The line is always on. Connect a caller the moment you need it, day or night, with no booking window and no minimum commitment.

Language support

13 languages, paired with English

Each line interprets between English and one other language. Choose the pair that fits your callers.

🇺🇸EnglishBoth engines
🇪🇸SpanishFlux multilingual
🇫🇷FrenchFlux multilingual
🇩🇪GermanFlux multilingual
🇮🇹ItalianFlux multilingual
🇵🇹PortugueseFlux multilingual
🇳🇱DutchFlux multilingual
🇷🇺RussianFlux multilingual
🇮🇳HindiFlux multilingual
🇯🇵JapaneseFlux multilingual
🇨🇳MandarinNova-2
🇻🇳VietnameseNova-2
🇰🇷KoreanNova-2

Need a pair we don't list yet? More languages and non-English language pairs are on the roadmap — tell us what you need.

How it compares

Houji vs. traditional interpretation

An honest look at where on-demand AI interpretation fits — and where a human interpreter is still the right call.

Houji Phone interpretation services In-person / scheduled human interpreter
Availability Instant, 24/7 Connect in minutes, but queues vary Must be scheduled in advance
Pricing Flat monthly rate from $49 Per-minute billing (often $1–3+/min) Hourly + travel, frequently with minimums
Setup Live in minutes, a dedicated number Account + access codes Booking and coordination per session
Languages 13 paired with English 100+ languages Depends on local availability
Nuance & cultural context Good for routine exchanges Strong — trained interpreters Best — full human judgment
Court & legally privileged settings Not suitable Certified options available Certified interpreters required
Complex negotiations / high-stakes Use a human Workable Recommended

Houji is built for high-volume, routine interpretation — intake calls, appointment scheduling, status updates, front-desk questions. For courtroom proceedings, sworn testimony, complex negotiations, or any legally privileged or high-stakes conversation, use a certified human interpreter. We'd rather tell you that up front.

Pricing

Flat monthly pricing. No per-minute surprises.

Interpretation as its own standalone service — no Houji Receptionist plan required.

Starter
One language pair, one shared line. Perfect for a single recurring need.
$49
per month
  • 1 language pair
  • Shared interpretation number
  • Live bilingual call announcement
  • Call activity log
7-day free trial
Expanded
Up to 3 language pairs with caller self-selection. For multilingual front desks.
$79
per month
  • Up to 3 language pairs
  • Caller language menu (IVR)
  • Live bilingual call announcement
  • Call activity log
7-day free trial
Business
Unlimited language pairs and a dedicated line for high-volume operations.
$129
per month
  • Unlimited language pairs
  • Caller language menu (IVR)
  • 1 dedicated line for a specific pair
  • Call activity log
7-day free trial

All plans include a 7-day free trial and bill at a flat monthly rate. Cancel anytime.

Already use Houji Receptionist?

Add interpretation as an add-on and your existing language plan applies — no separate setup. Manage your pairs, lines, and billing from the same dashboard you already use.

Add to my plan →
Questions

Good things to know

Which languages are supported?
We currently support 13 languages, each paired with English: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Hindi, Japanese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Korean. Each interpreter line interprets between English and one other language. More languages and non-English pairs are on the roadmap.
How does the interpretation actually work?
Each speaker talks in their own language. Houji transcribes what's said, translates it, and speaks the translation aloud in a natural voice — turn by turn. The call opens with a short bilingual announcement so both parties know what to expect. It's designed for clear, turn-based conversations rather than rapid cross-talk.
Is Houji HIPAA-compliant? Can I use it for protected health information?
Houji is not currently HIPAA-certified, and we do not offer a signed BAA today. Calls are processed by third-party providers — Deepgram (speech-to-text), Anthropic (translation), and ElevenLabs (voice). If you handle protected health information, you should not use Houji for PHI without independently reviewing each of those vendors' Business Associate Agreements and confirming your own compliance obligations. We'd rather be clear about this than have you assume coverage that isn't in place.
Can I use this for court hearings or sworn testimony?
No. Courts, depositions, sworn testimony, and other legally privileged or high-stakes proceedings require a certified human interpreter — Houji is not a substitute and should not be used in those settings. Houji is built for routine, high-volume interpretation: intake calls, scheduling, status updates, and front-desk conversations.
How is this different from a phone interpretation service?
Traditional services connect you to a human interpreter and bill per minute, often $1–3 or more. Houji is a flat monthly rate with an always-on dedicated number — no queue, no per-minute meter. The trade-off is that a trained human interpreter handles nuance, dialect, and high-stakes context better than any automated system. For routine, repetitive calls, Houji is faster and far cheaper; for the hard cases, use a human.
Do I need a Houji Receptionist plan to use interpretation?
No. Interpretation is available as a fully standalone service — you get a dedicated number and nothing else. If you already use Houji Receptionist, you can instead add interpretation as an add-on and your existing language plan applies.
Can I choose a toll-free number? Does it support texting?
Yes — you can pick a toll-free number during signup or later from the dashboard. Toll-free numbers are voice-only — they cannot send or receive SMS out of the box. Twilio requires a separate verification process before any toll-free number can text, and Houji's interpreter line doesn't use SMS. If you specifically need texting from a toll-free line, contact us and we can walk through the verification process.
Can I use my own voice or a custom voice?
Yes. ElevenLabs supports both instant voice clones (from ~1 minute of audio) and professional clones (from longer training data). Go to ElevenLabs Voice Lab, create or clone your voice, copy the Voice ID, and paste it into the voice field in your dashboard. Custom voices use your ElevenLabs subscription, not ours.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — every plan includes a 7-day free trial. Your card is collected at signup but not charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel anytime before then.