/ Best Dictionary Android apps – updated January 2023
By Sumit Adhikari
January 26, 2023
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You can never stop learning a language. Just when you think that you’ve mastered a grammar rule, you’ll come across several exceptions you never knew. There is always room to improve your vocabulary as well. After all, there exist many words that imply different meanings when used in different contexts.
Thankfully, your smartphone, that’s on you almost all the time, can help you out if you ever come across such linguistic jargon.Whether you are looking to improve your vocabulary or learn a new language, a dictionary app can be a handy tool to have on your smartphone.
There are plenty of dictionary apps that you can download on your Android smartphone. While some apps are hugely popular among smartphone users, some lesser-known apps in the Google Play Store are equally good, if not better. Below is a list of our ten favorite dictionary apps for Android.
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Every app has its own specialty and thus caters to people with specific needs. You’ll find detailed information on each app in the list below, including a description, cost of in-app purchases if any, download size, rating, screenshots or promo videos, and a Google Play Store download link. Note that the apps aren’t listed in any specific order.
Best Dictionary Android apps 2023
Below is a quick overview of the best dictionary Android apps for 2023, including any download and in-app purchase costs.
| App | Download Cost | In-app cost (per item) |
| Merriam-Webster Dictionary | ✕ | $1.99 – $5.99 |
| Oxford Dictionary of English | ✕ | $0.99 – $29.99 |
| Google Translate | ✕ | ✕ |
| Hi Dictionary | ✕ | ✕ |
| Dictionary.com | ✕ | $1.99 – $3.99 |
| English Dictionary | ✕ | ✕ |
| Dict Box | ✕ | $0.99 – $12.99 |
| WordWeb | ✕ | ✕ |
| Dictionary | ✕ | $0.99 – $1.99 |
| Longman Dictionary | ✕ | ✕ |
Best Dictionary Android apps 2023 downloads
Below is a little more information on each app, including a direct link for easy downloading.
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All download links go to the app’s GooglePlay Storelisting. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $1.99 – $5.99
- Size: 125MB
- Google Play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Merriam-Webster is one of the better-known dictionary apps in the Play Store. It is a feature-rich app with a huge vocabulary. You don’t need an active internet connection to look up words. Your search history is also saved automatically, so you can look back whenever you need it. With an internet connection, you can also view illustrations, hear audio pronunciations, and use voice search.
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This app also comes with an integrated thesaurus with example sentences for words to help you understand their uses in different contexts. A “word of the day” feature will help you learn a new word every day. There are also some built-in word games and quizzes to improve your vocabulary. Merriam-Webster has an optimized layout for tablets.
DOWNLOAD MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY
Oxford Dictionary of English
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- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $29.99
- Size: 18MB
- Google Play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Oxford Dictionary is another popular name when it comes to dictionary apps for Android. With over 350,000 words, phrases, and meanings, and 75,000 audio pronunciations, this app boasts a huge catalog of words that can help you greatly improve your vocabulary. It also offers several other features designed to further assist you in your efforts, such as fuzzy search that lets you find a word even if you don’t know the spelling.
A “Tap to Translate” feature lets you look up definitions of words from other apps. You can also have a floating icon for the app so you can quickly visit your dictionary whenever you need it. The app lets you select font size and mark words as favorites as well. You can group your favorite words and definitions in folders.
Other features include voice search, camera search, word of the day, word pronunciation, and the ability to quickly share words. The Oxford Dictionary of English also integrates some special topics such as countries of the world, the solar system, collective nouns, chemical elements, and more.
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DOWNLOAD OXFORD DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH
Google Translate
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 45 MB
- Google Play rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Google Translate isn’t officially a dictionary app but it is more than a reliable app to look up words’ meanings and definitions. In addition to definitions and examples of words, this app also lets you translate words and phrases between 108 languages. It even offers an offline translation between 59 languages.
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This app offers multiple input methods as well. You can type or speak your word, or draw characters. It also lets you block offensive words. Moreover, you can translate text from images by simply pointing your camera at an image or by importing an existing file. You can translate words from other apps as well. Translated words and phrases can be starred (saved) for future reference. You can log in with your Google account to sync your saved words across your devices.
Hi Dictionary
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 30MB
- Google Play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
Hi Dictionary is a language translator that lets you quickly translate your social media messages or any other text on your phone. Simply drag the floating icon over the text and the app will translate it to your desired language. It supports 108 languages with offline translation and camera translation support for many of them.
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This app is ideal for making conversation in languages you can’t read, write, or speak. You can type your text in a language you know and Hi Dictionary will translate it to your desired language. It works across all major social media apps including Facebook, Whatsapp, and Messenger. You can, of course, look up word meanings on the app as well. It sources the results from Google Translate. Used by more than ten million people globally, Hi Dictionary offers a Word Lockscreen feature.
Dictionary.com
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $1.99 – $3.99
- Size: 41MB
- Google Play rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
Dictionary.com offers two different search modes – Dictionary and Thesaurus. The app boasts more than two million definitions and synonyms to help improve your vocabulary. It has a ton of features, including audio pronunciations, word of the day, and favorites. You can also search for word meanings over voice input.
This app also integrates grammar and tips, idioms and phrases, and example sentences for words. A science dictionary, a medical dictionary, a rhyming dictionary, and an encyclopedia also come integrated with this app. Dictionary.com is an all-in-one app that can help you improve your sentence structure and enhance your vocabulary with its strong catalog of words, phrases, and grammar tips.
English Dictionary
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 47MB
- Google Play rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
With over 426,000 English definitions, English Dictionary is another feature-rich free dictionary app for Android. It has a very easy-to-use interface with a minimalist design. The home page offers a one-tap menu to take you to the word of the day, your search history, or your bookmarks. A “random word” menu will show you new words every time you open the app.
You can look up words through keyboard input or over voice commands. The app lets you assign actions such as voice search, history, or favorites to a floating button. You can also assign those actions to a shake gesture. The app lets you select the font size and line spacing of your choice as well.
Other notable features include Text to speech, Read aloud, Only uppercase, Fuzzy search, and Persistent search. English Dictionary lets you save words in the search history for later access. An in-built Notes feature lets you create notes for specific words so you can understand the context better, in your own terms.
Dict Box
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $12.99
- Size: 65MB
- Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Dict Box focuses on multiple languages with offline translation support for more than 30 languages. You can download as many languages as you want and each language has its own dictionary. Additionally, it integrates a plethora of web dictionaries including Google Translate, Oxford Dictionary, Wikipedia, Dictionary.com, Google Search, and more.
The app offers definitions of words with example sentences and synonyms. Its word correction ability automatically corrects the spelling of mistyped words to display the right results. It also offers word pronunciation in three different English accents – American, British, and Australian.
Dict Box comes with a pop-up window feature for quick lookup and translation. A “common words” list brings together all the words related to certain topics such as computers, buildings, weather, time, and more. There’s also a word reminder that reminds you of random words through push notifications. Dict Box supports camera translation as well.
WordWeb
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 30MB
- Google Play rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
With a database of 285,000 words, phrases, and derived forms, 225,000 definitions, 70,000 usage examples, and 85,000 text pronunciations, WordWeb is one of the largest free dictionary apps for Android. You can filter your searches according to Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, and others.
It shows definitions and synonyms as well as similar and related words to your searches. You can even select regions to show synonyms, related words, and pronunciations particular to that region. WordWeb also offers several other basic features such as word correction, word suggestion, spelling suggestion, custom font size, and the ability to block offensive words. You can bookmark your searches for future reference.
Dictionary
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: $0.99 – $1.99
- Size: 13MB
- Google Play rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
Simply named Dictionary, this app sources definitions and thesaurus for words from the Webster’s Dictionary, Roget’s Thesaurus, and The American Heritage Dictionary all in one place. You can look up millions of definitions from some of the most trusted dictionaries on this app. It supports translations from English to more than 40 languages. You also get multiple encyclopedias here.
This app covers all the basics and builds on those with additional features such as the word of the day, idiom of the day, article of the day, quote of the day, this day in history, today’s birthday, and more. There are many built-in games designed to improve your vocabulary as well as your spelling. These include a spelling game, antonym and synonym matching games, word-creating games, Hangman, and more. The app tracks your progress every day. This app also shows your horoscope and the weather.
Longman Dictionary
- Price: Free to download
- In-app purchases: No
- Size: 21MB
- Google Play rating: 4.1 out of 5 stars
The last app in this list, Longman Dictionary is another comprehensive dictionary database for Android users. It offers 230,000 words, phrases, and meanings with 165,000 corpus-based examples. You get a detailed explanation of every word along with its various forms, including bound, adjective, verb, and adverb. The app also lets you listen to the pronunciation of each word in both British and American accents. You can set either accent as the default sound.
Longman Dictionary features a clean interface with easy-to-read text and font. Other notable features include word of the day, picture dictionary, topic-wise categorization of words, top spoken words, top written words, favorites, quizzes, and a guide on how to speak English fluently.
FAQs
What is the best Android dictionary? ›
- Dictionary.com : Dictionary.com app is one of the most used Android apps for those who want a dictionary on their smartphone. ...
- Merriam – Webster : ...
- English dictionary – Offline : ...
- Google Translate: ...
- Microsoft Translator: ...
- Concise dictionary:
Compatibility: Android and iOS
First, we have Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It is one of the best English dictionary apps available. Voice search, audio phonological awareness, example paragraph of the phrase, word of the day, and an embedded thesaurus with synonyms and antonyms are all included in this app.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely regarded as the accepted authority on the English language.
What is the most respected dictionary? ›The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is widely accepted as the most complete record of the English language ever assembled. Unlike typical language dictionaries, which only define words in terms of their current uses and meanings, the OED is a historical dictionary.
Is there a dictionary app without ads? ›Dictionary.com for Android
For an ad-free experience, install the Premium app here.
Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America's most-trusted online dictionary.
What is the best type of dictionary to use? ›Online dictionaries from famous publishers such as Cambridge University Press are usually very accurate. Be careful about some free dictionaries that allow users to write their own definitions of words, they might not always be correct. Having a dictionary that you can take everywhere with you is really useful.
What is the best offline dictionary for Android? ›- Oxford Dictionary of English.
- Dictionary - Merriam-Webster.
- English Dictionary - Offline.
- The Free Dictionary.
- WordWeb Dictionary.
- Dictionary.com.
- Dict Box Pro.
- Collins Dictionary. ...
- Wiktionary. ...
- Google Dictionary. ...
- Urban Dictionary. ...
- Oxford Dictionary. ...
- Macmillan Online Dictionary. ...
- Cambridge Online Dictionary. ...
- Dictionary.com.
You can even listen to the pronunciation whenever you have an Internet connection. U-Dictionary is an excellent dictionary app for iOS and Android that offers lots of extra features compared to other similar apps. The exercises and tests are especially great for improving your fluency in any language you want.
Is there an official Oxford Dictionary app? ›
A number of Oxford's dictionaries are available as mobile apps, covering multiple languages and areas of language learning. Among these is the Oxford Dictionary of English, the leading English dictionary mobile app on the market, and Oxford Dictionaries of French, Chinese, German, Urdu, and Russian.
Is the dictionary updated every year? ›The OED publishes four updates a year. The next update will be added to the dictionary in June 2022.
Which is the most authoritative dictionary? ›OED Online (Oxford English Dictionary)
Considered the most authoritative and comprehensive English language dictionary in the world.
Join the anti-awesome movement and expand your vocabulary with these 'amazing' alternatives—45 of them. “Awesome” must be the most overused word in the English language. So let's stop using it as our default every time we are too lazy, busy, insecure, stupid or whatever to think of a more original or relevant word.
What does it mean to YEET? ›Yeet is a slang word that functions broadly with the meaning “to throw,” but is especially used to emphasize forcefulness and a lack of concern for the thing being thrown. (You don't yeet something if you're worried that it might break.)
What does YEET mean Webster's dictionary? ›ˈyēt. slang. used to express surprise, approval, or excited enthusiasm.
Which is better Oxford or Collins dictionary? ›The attraction of the Oxford Dictionary of English is that it has a good selection of proper nouns, though not as many as the old Collins, and has a clearer presentation of words and phrases than Chambers.
Are words ever removed from English dictionary? ›Very few words actually get removed from the dictionary. Instead, they'll stay in but get categorized in a different way. The unabridged Collins English Dictionary uses labels like “obsolete,” “archaic,” or “old-fashioned” to designate the kind of words that are no longer in circulation.
What is the best free online dictionary? ›- Dictionary.com. ...
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary. ...
- Oxford English Dictionary. ...
- Google Dictionary. ...
- Collins Dictionary. ...
- Cambridge Online Dictionary. ...
- Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. ...
- Macmillan Online Dictionary.
Offline Browsing of words:Use the Android and iOS apps to search for words even when you have no internet connection.
What dictionary does the US government use? ›
The US Government Glossary of Interagency and Associated Terms (USG Glossary) identifies standard terminology experienced in cooperation activities of the Federal branches of government and their components.
What is the shortest word in the US dictionary? ›The shortest word is a. Some might wonder about the word I since it consists of one letter, too. In sound, a is shorter because it is a monophthong (consists of one vowel), while I is a diphthong. Both do consist of one letter in the English writing system, and in most fonts I is the narrowest letter.
What is America's first word in dictionary? ›The discernment of this collection of attributes allows us to recognize the animal as an aardvark. It has got past aardvark, which is the first word in the dictionary.
What are the four types of dictionary? ›First, an outline of the different types of dictionaries is given, including general dictionaries (monolingual, bilingual), learner's dictionaries, historical dictionaries and encyclopedias.
What are the three types of dictionary? ›There are many different types of dictionaries. The three main types are monolingual, bilingual, and bilingualized. There are also thesauruses, which are not dictionaries but are closely related. A monolingual dictionary gives definitions of words in a single language.
What is the most used letter in the dictionary? ›According to the data, the most common letter in the English language is the letter E. E typically takes first place regardless of which analysis method is used.
Does Android have a built in dictionary? ›On Android, there isn't even a built-in dictionary. Google Play Books has one, but it's restricted to the app.
What kind of dictionary does Google use? ›Google's English dictionary is provided by Oxford Languages. Oxford Languages is the world's leading dictionary publisher, with over 150 years of experience creating and delivering authoritative dictionaries globally in more than 50 languages.
What version of the Oxford dictionary does Google use? ›The service originated in Google Translate, and was launched as a standalone service (google.com/dictionary) in December 2009. Google displayed definitions from Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary for English until August 2010, when it switched to the Oxford American College Dictionary.
Who has the best vocabulary in the world? ›The language with the largest vocabulary in the world is English with 1,025,109.8 words.
Which app is similar to U-Dictionary? ›
The best alternative is Google Translate, which is free. Other great apps like U-Dictionary are Dictionary.com, LibreTranslator, Saladict and Thesaurus.com.
Is U-Dictionary A Chinese app? ›Yes, U-Dictionary is a Chinese app of the Guangzhou-based internet company Netease.
Is Cambridge Dictionary better than Oxford? ›When it comes to definitions, Cambridge and Oxford take fairly different approaches. While the Oxford English Dictionary gives you the meaning of the word as well as its origin, the Cambridge Dictionary gives a more practical explanation along with an example of how to use the word in a sentence.
What is update in Oxford dictionary? ›to give someone the most recent information about something; to add the most recent information to something synonym bring up to date update somebody (on something) I called the office to update them on the day's developments.
Which is the new edition of Oxford dictionary? ›With over 1,000 new words and meanings and a fully revised A-Z with up-to-date example sentences, Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 10th edition builds English vocabulary better than ever before. The 10th edition features: NEW Oxford 3000™ and Oxford 5000™ keywords, graded by level.
Does Google have a dictionary app? ›Free App for Word Lovers
Google Dictionary is a free dictionary that is supplied by Google.
- ICYMI.
- MacGyver.
- Cringe.
- Adorkable.
- Janky.
- Sus.
- Yeet.
Oxford Dictionary announced the Word of the Year for 2023, which summarizes the year very nicely. Every year Oxford selects a word to be added to the dictionary. This word usually depicts the current state of the world. This year, that honour goes to 'goblin mode'.
How often is the Webster dictionary updated? ›Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary is updated annually and has been completely re-edited and revised every 10 to 12 years.
Is Dictionary com better than Merriam Webster? ›Both dictionary apps are good. Merriam-Webster Free, with less intrusive ads and unlimited voice search, is better for younger kids, such as those in elementary school, or even middle school. Dictionary.com Free, carrying more information, but with intrusive ads, is better for upper middle and high school kids.
What is the rarest word ever? ›
- Metanoia.
- Meldrop.
- Lalochezia.
- Jentacular.
- Gargalesthesia.
- Crapulence.
- Agelast.
- Acnestis.
- Rural. ...
- Sixth. ...
- Sesquipedalian. ...
- Phenomenon. ...
- Onomatopoeia. ...
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. ...
- Worcestershire.
Accommodate. “Accommodate” was the most commonly misspelled word on both Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com in 2021. Kelly believes this word tops both lists because it's so hard to remember that both the C and the M are doubled. With both consonants doubled like that, it almost looks wrong, but it's correct.
Does Android have built in dictionary? ›On Android, there isn't even a built-in dictionary. Google Play Books has one, but it's restricted to the app.
Does Android have a dictionary? ›WordWeb Dictionary is one of the more popular free dictionary apps for Android. It features 285000 words, 225000-word sense definitions, and more.
What dictionary does Google use? ›Google's English dictionary is provided by Oxford Languages. Oxford Languages is the world's leading dictionary publisher, with over 150 years of experience creating and delivering authoritative dictionaries globally in more than 50 languages.