- What Kind of Dictionary is Useful??
- Top of the Best English Dictionary Apps for Students and Teachers
There are numerous ways to memorize new words to enrich your vocabulary. The most effective one, perhaps, is writing all the newcomers down and putting those in sentences. At the same time, English students mostly know new words from cinema, series, small talks, and deep conversations. That is not comfortable to binge or socialize with a notebook, right?
So, there are countless digital dictionaries, which can make your learning process much smoother. Below you can find the most consummate apps for IOS, and Androids.
What Kind of Dictionary is Useful?
One can understand if the dictionary app is suitable, depending on functions and goals expected.
One wants the app to be at the same time a tool for training vocabulary and a dictionary itself. Others want to use it to find some native lexis and slang.
To understand what suits you the perfect, ask yourself
- if it must be online or offline;
- if you have enough memory space on your phone to download a comprehensive dictionary;
- if you need your dictionary app to have just translations, meanings, or synonyms;
- if it matters to you that the app has a good-looking and user-friendly interface;
- if your dictionary app needs to apply to other apps, e.g. online readers you use.
After that, look at the list below and take your pick.
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Top of the Best English Dictionary Apps for Students and Teachers
Vocabulary.com
OS: iOS, Android
Available: online
Price: Paid
Special features. This dictionary app:
- acceptable for beginners, as it has clear and easy-to-understand definitions
- shows to users ways of words usage
- has a game for memorizing new words
Dictionary.com
OS: iPhone, iPad, Android
Available: offline
Price: Free with premium options
Special features. This dictionary app:
- has a simple interface and is comfortable to use
- saves all vocabulary you searched
- has a word-of-the-day function to enrich your vocabulary
- has paragraphs on words' history and origin
Merriam-Webster
OS: iOS, Android
Available: both online and offline
Price: Free
Special features. This dictionary app:
- has audio functions: one can find words' meaning by pronouncing them if its spelling is problematic.
- has advanced definitions, which makes this app excellent for all those who want to progress faster
- has a function of saving your favorite or complicated for memorizing words
- has a word-of-the-day rubric to enrich your vocabulary
- tracks users` history of searches.
Read more: What Does It Mean “What Have You Been Up To”?
Google Translate
OS: iOS, Android
Available: both online and offline
Price: Free
Special features. This dictionary app:
- has more than 130 languages available
- supports voice-to-text options
- can translate from images to texts using a camera
- can translate whole texts and sentences, not just words
Urban Dictionary
OS: iOS, Android
Available: online
Price: Free
Special features. This dictionary app:
- made and updated by users
- has a rich vocabulary of slang words, which makes it great for advanced learners to deeper understand culture and humor
- its definitions always come with the usage examples
- its definitions of usual words are composed in a comical fashion
Wolfram Words Reference App
OS: iOS
Available: online
Price: Paid
Special features. This dictionary app:
- contains not just definitions but also history, origin, and first fixed cases of usage
- has stats on how often word is used
- can help in translating into Braille.
Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus
OS: Android, iOS
Available: both online and offline
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Special features. This dictionary app:
- has more than 1.5 million words
- contains not only definitions but also synonyms and antonyms for better understanding
Longman Dictionary of English
OS: Android and iOS
Available: online
Price: Paid
Special features. This dictionary app:
- is a blend of two dictionaries, which helps users to choose the correct word and collocation
- has grammar resources
Dict Box Offline Dictionary
OS: Android and iOS
Available: both online and offline
Price: Free with a paid premium version
- supports over twenty languages
- includes a thesaurus
- can correct spelling
- has usage examples
Read more: Ten Best YouTube Channels for Learning English
Concise English Dictionary and Thesaurus
OS: iOS only
Available: online
Price: Paid
Special features
- has short and clear definitions, perfect for beginners
- contains a visual thesaurus
- includes synonyms and antonyms for every word
WordWeb
OS: Android only
Available: both online and offline
Price: Free
Special features. This dictionary app:
- is simple to use, has a comfortable interface
- has a thesaurus
- supports pronunciation correcting function
- can show you similar words with different meanings and vice versa
English Dictionary
OS: Android only
Available: both offline and online
Price: Free
Special features. This dictionary app:
- is interactive & can develop your vocabulary with both a flesh-cards function and a hangman-like game
- includes grammar resources and lessons
- supports both American and British spellings
For a more systematic and complex study of English, contact a tutor. Find your best teacher in the UpSkillTutor education marketplace.
