206 Best Online English Dicionaries

Speak English Now through mini-stories with teacher Georgiana

Hi, everybody! I am Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you speak English fluently.

Today, we will talk about a topic that I’m sure you will find very useful.

I will talk about the best online English dictionaries.

And with a mini-story, you will practice your English fluency.

Okay. Let’s get started.

We have all used an English dictionary at one time or another. And I think it was easier before the Internet. Everyone had a single dictionary at home and consulted it in paper format.

And then, for a short time, people used dictionaries on their computers.

But then came the Internet. And everything became faster, more convenient, but also more confusing. Because right now, we have more dictionaries at our disposal than ever. However, especially when we want to look up how to pronounce a word in English.

So let’s see what are the most used English dictionaries on the Internet:

Of course, many people use the Google dictionary, which is actually a translator. And although it is not a bad one, I do not recommend it, especially if you want to look up the pronunciation of an English word. Although the Google dictionary also has some good things. It is compatible with several languages, it has the credibility and reliability of Google as a brand, and it also provides the meaning of almost all the words in English. However, the translations of the words are not always correct.

On the other hand, The Free Dictionary is one of the most famous dictionaries for pronunciation. It offers all the basics you need as a pronunciation resource. You can search by words, characters, or text with this dictionary to find definitions and voice pronunciations. In addition, you can compare the pronunciation differences between American and British English. And in case you want to use your mobile or tablet, they also have an app for iPhone and Android.

There is also the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, one of the most respected dictionaries of the English language. It offers phonetic translations, Spanish to English translations, and a medical dictionary. It also provides information on the history and etymology of words.

Cambridge Dictionary online.

Many people use the Cambridge Dictionary online. It has three outstanding features: dictionary, grammar, and translator. If you want to look up the pronunciation of a British English word, especially, or if you are looking for a very detailed historical resource, this is for you. I find that American English pronunciation is not always correct, so I recommend this dictionary for those who like British pronunciation better.

Collins Dictionary is one of the best platforms for students, translators, and teachers. It has over 4.5 billion words and comes with unique options that can help you improve your grammar and fluency. Its search engine has an auto-suggest feature that allows you to select the word you are looking for by just typing a few letters.

The Oxford Dictionary is one of the oldest and most trusted online dictionaries. This online dictionary is a robust tool that helps you define words in both British and American English.

It is the ideal dictionary to use when writing a thesis or research paper.

However, I should also note that this dictionary has complex word definitions and unclear explanations.

Even though it is the last on the list, Dictionary.com is the dictionary I use regularly. This dictionary has earned the trust of millions of users worldwide for the last two decades. One of my favorite features is the audio pronunciation. It is the dictionary I recommend if you want to consult and practice the pronunciation of American English words.

In a faraway country, there were many thousands of different kinds of dictionaries.

Where were there thousands of different kinds of dictionaries?

In a faraway country. In a faraway country, there were thousands of different kinds of dictionaries.

How many kinds of dictionaries were there?

Thousands. There were thousands of dictionaries.

What kind of book was there?

Dictionaries. There were thousands of different kinds of dictionaries.

So, it wasn’t obvious to find a suitable dictionary for each situation.

Was it a little or very confusing to find a suitable dictionary?

Very confusing. It wasn’t obvious to try to find a suitable dictionary.

What was confusing?

Finding the right dictionary for each situation.

Was it confusing to find any dictionary or the right dictionary?

The right dictionary. It was confusing to find the suitable dictionary.

Consequently, Lisa had the fantastic idea of writing a dictionary portfolio.

Did Lisa have a horrible idea?

No. No. Lisa did not have a horrible idea. She had a fantastic idea.

Did she have the idea of writing a romance novel with her boyfriend in mind?

No. No. She had the idea of writing a dictionary portfolio.

What kind of portfolio?

A dictionary portfolio.

The portfolio consisted of thousands of listings with the names of the available dictionaries.

Did the portfolio consist of a list of dishes?

No. No. It didn’t consist of a list of dishes.

What did the portfolio consist of?

It consisted of thousands of listings with the names of the available dictionaries.

Lisa’s portfolio was such a success that others started writing thousands of dictionary portfolios just like her.

Did other people start writing self-help books?

No. No. Not self-help books. They started writing portfolios just like Lisa.

Who was the first person to write dictionary portfolios?

Lisa. Lisa was the first.

How many portfolios did they start writing? Hundreds? Thousands?

Thousands. They started writing thousands and thousands of dictionary portfolios.

Well, I hope you liked finding out more about the online English dictionaries.

By the way, if you want to know how to speak English using the right techniques, visit SpeakEnglishPodcast.com and subscribe to my mailing list. I will send you my five golden rules to speak English fluently. And it’s completely free.

Get the transcript here: SpeakEnglishPodcast.com/podcast