Now dictionaries are always with you and absolutely free.
Introduction:
It is very difficult to be constantly online nowadays, because the quality of coverage that operators can provide mobile communications very weak and it is enough to travel outside a large city and you will immediately feel the difference in the quality of the Internet (or even its complete absence). This is just one of the situations, but there are plenty of them in our lives. The “” application is a salvation for those who are actively learning new languages and really want to be able to translate without the Internet and at any time, anywhere.
Functional:
When you first launch the application, you will be given the entire list of dictionaries that you can download by simply clicking on them once. It is not necessary to download everything at once; then you can download it at any time by clicking on the “Add dictionary” button on the top panel. On average, dictionaries weigh 50 megabytes, which is not so much. Main screen consists of a search field, as well as a special card with tips that will help you use it more effectively this application. Dictionaries are selected by clicking on the drop-down menu on the top panel. The most important thing is that if you, for example, downloaded various English dictionaries, for example, Russian-English, English (synonyms) and others, then you just need to enter a query in English in the search field once, and then simply change the dictionaries to see the results search in them. Very convenient and very simple! The word card indicates the maximum full information, and also provides examples of the use of the word you entered. In addition, you can add a word to your favorites so you can quickly find it. The “Favorites” section is hidden in the sidebar and there you will also find the “History” section, where you will see all the words that you searched for, indicating the dictionary in which the search was made.
Results:
To go to settings, press the “Menu” button and then select “Preferences”. In the settings you can enable/disable the use of the status bar, dark background, different font, custom folder for storing dictionaries, as well as the use of history. Let's summarize: “” is a wonderful set of dictionaries that will definitely be useful to anyone who is actively studying foreign languages, especially since you will have the opportunity to use it without restrictions and the Internet. Enjoy!
Attention! Built-in translator (not a dictionary!) uses ONLINE services Bing and Yandex. Therefore, the TRANSLATOR does NOT work without an Internet connection!
The application includes:
1. English-Russian and Russian-English offline dictionary
2. English-Russian and Russian-English online dictionary
3. English-Russian and Russian-English online translator
The application can operate in one of two modes:
- Online: Without downloading the dictionary to your mobile device if you have internet access.
- Offline: When the dictionary is downloaded to your mobile device.
In both modes there is the possibility of online transfer.
The application searches the entered words and phrases in the dictionary and displays the full dictionary entry if the word is found.
If a word or phrase was not found in the dictionary, the application will offer you the help of translation systems Bing and Yandex: You will get two results on one screen at the same time.
When you first start the application, you will be asked to select an operating mode ONLINE or OFFLINE.
If you have chosen ONLINE and you have access to the Internet, you can start working right away.
If you have chosen OFFLINE- you will be prompted to download the dictionary.
The mode can be changed at any time in the settings.
For example, you usually work online, but for several days the network will be unavailable to you, you switch to offline application mode in advance, download the dictionary to your phone and can work without the network. When the need for this passes, you switch back to online mode (and delete the dictionary so that it does not take up space in memory).
The functionality in both modes is almost the same. The difference is that in the mode offline the list is updated immediately after entering the next character, and in the mode online requests are sent without waiting for a response from the server (asynchronously). As in any search engine If you type quickly but have a slow Internet connection, there will be a slight delay between your keystrokes and the list of words found for your search being updated.
Possibilities:
- 3,877,263 words and phrases
- The dictionary works in real time
- Word search
- Search phrases
- Voice input
- Voice playback using Android.
- Favorites, most frequently viewed words, browsing history, settings for working with the clipboard, setting font sizes.
An Android device usually recognizes only English language and the one for which it is localized (if localized). Let's say in Russia it is English and possibly Russian. If you want to use voice input Without Internet for another language, you will most likely have to set the appropriate language in the Speech Recognition section of your phone settings. For more detailed information refer to the instructions for your phone.
A full description of the functions with examples and illustrations can be found on the Help page of the application or at the bottom of this screen via the website link.
This guide will cover dictionaries and translators for Android. By the way, this topic was touched upon in. Aspects of the review are:
- Language support. It is important that at least two languages are supported: Russian and English - initially or by adding dictionaries.
- Offline and online functions. First of all, it is offline opportunities that are of interest, although online ones may also be present, which will be mentioned.
- Working with a dictionary: connection, speech synthesis or support for audio recordings, transcription.
- Search: taking into account morphology, inaccurate search, search speed.
- Additional features: phrasebook, contextual translation, integration with other applications.
Review participants:
- Google Translate
- GoldenDict
- Fora Dictionary
- ColorDict
- "Offline dictionaries"
Google Translate
IN latest versions official client of Google Translate, the greatest attention is paid to offline translation. Therefore, now the application can be compared with other offline dictionaries using the same criteria.
First, let’s talk about offline features. Google Translate offers a choice of 80 languages that can be connected through the settings: just select the desired dictionary from the list.
Google Translate is the least “academic”; it differs from the traditional Android dictionary both in its interface and in the form of results. When translating a term, the transcription is not displayed, the form is not indicated for irregular verbs, and other background information is also missing. Division into parts of speech is carried out, but not always (the principle of dictionary output remains unclear).
Google Translate is not least a user-friendly interface. It looks optimal in mobile version, less advantageous in . Easy navigation, nice animation. However, there is one flaw: when switching from portrait to landscape mode, only the translation is displayed, which, in fact, is a useless distribution of space.
Additional conveniences are noted when working with dictionaries. During translation, voice-over is available (online function). You can translate entire combinations, but due to the limited vocabulary, the implementation of this function is significantly inferior to the online version.
A number of functions are activated when connected to the Internet: text recognition, audio, handwriting input. These features are experimental and under development - although, in fact, they are well implemented. On the one hand, in “field conditions” recognition is far from ideal. On the other hand, Google Translate is capable of translating simple and clear phrases. As a result, if the text or sound is not noisy, decoding is fully justified.
Probably, the speech recognition function can be considered as a good tool for practicing pronunciation. It’s still too early to count on Google Translate as an assistant when having a “live” conversation with a foreigner. The role of translation, in the case of the functions described above, may fade into the background, but recognition results cannot be saved: export to Google Translate is not provided.
The phrase book is another tool that deserves mention. It syncs with online devices connected to Google account, allowing you to keep frequently used words with translation at hand.
Summary. Google Translate would be correctly called a translator with dictionary functions available offline. Convenient and fast interface, wide selection of language components, easy handling of dictionaries. The online recognition functions are also notable.
[+] Unique features
[+] Convenient and responsive interface
[+] Supports 80 languages
GoldenDict
Some dictionaries for Android provide only a shell, and in this case the actual dictionaries must be added independently. GoldenDict is just such a solution. On the one hand, it is inconvenient that you need to perform additional actions and waste time searching for dictionaries. The positive thing is that you can add only the specialized dictionaries you need. The shell is not only extremely easy to configure, but also versatile. Supported following types dictionaries: Lingvo, Babylon, MultiTran, StarDict, Lingoes and Dictd.
After adding to file system Dictionaries need to be indexed in order to include them in the search. Other dictionaries may be added installed programs; Typically, GoldenDict detects them and indexes them automatically. There can be an unlimited number of dictionaries, however free version limit is set (5).
The search returns results fairly quickly and is case and punctuation insensitive. Separately, you can install morpheme dictionaries, then GoldenDict will take into account word forms.
If there are several dictionaries, the results are displayed in a list. There is a search by dictionary entry. Formatting allows you to highlight descriptions, terms, accented letters and, in general, make it easier to read. Voice acting is only available if the corresponding database is added (for example, from Lingvo). In the settings you can configure the output in detail and switch to night display mode.
What’s also useful is that GoldenDict can be integrated into reading programs, displaying the translation in a pop-up window, that is, acting as a contextual translator.
Summary. GoldenDict is an easy to configure and universal shell. It will be useful if detail (transcription, word forms, voice acting) and specialization in certain dictionaries are important. Or, say, in a situation where desktop dictionaries are used and you need to transfer them to mobile devices to access them offline.
[+] Translation details
[+] Taking into account morphology when searching
Fora Dictionary
Fora Dictionary is a cross-platform application available for both mobile (Android/iOS) and desktop (Windows/Mac/Linux) platforms. Desktop version free, mobile versions contain advertising that is disabled when purchasing a license.
The main thing to note is the universal application of this shell. Similar to GoldenDict, there are no dictionaries by default. There are five ways to add dictionaries: packages, downloads, offline dictionaries on an SD card, online and Wikipedia. Not all methods are applicable to English-Russian translation, so copying local dictionaries and then specifying them to the program will be useful.
The following types of local dictionaries are supported: StarDict, XDXF, DSL, DICTD databases and simple dictionaries (TSV). Installation packages are installed from resources such as WordNet, FOLDOC, Factbook, Moby. Dictionary management has been implemented: they can not only be added from various sources, but also profiles can be created and grouped.
At the same time, the process of installing a Russian-language dictionary is not as simple as expected. Finding a free dictionary is not difficult, but its further connection is difficult due to the inconvenient interface, and indexing takes a long time.
Although it cannot be said that Fora Dictionary pleases with its modern design, the interface is flexible: article design, menu layout, panels and buttons. Navigation is also well thought out: hotkeys, abbreviations, side panel, search and navigation history.
The search supports fuzzy input, and hints are available as you type. The output can be formatted according to the Fora Dictionary settings, although it largely depends on the original layout of the dictionary.
For dubbing, speech synthesis (TTS, or Text-to-Speech) is used, available for English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. As an option, it is suggested to download an audio file High Quality. In addition, voice input can be used when searching.
Summary. Fora Dictonary has common features with GoldenDict: on the principle of adding dictionaries. True, in terms of the number of sources, none of these solutions can compare with this application. Given Fora's cross-platform nature, the same databases can be used on mobile and desktop platforms.
[+] Support for many dictionary formats
[+] Convenient navigation and customizable interface
[−] Inconvenient adding of custom dictionaries
Bigg
Bigg - English-Russian dictionary and phrasebook. The application is convenient because the dictionaries are available offline without any preliminary configuration, the need to download databases and other actions. All components occupy 50 MB and are copied to the SD card during installation. At this time, Bigg does not support external dictionaries or other translation directions. This is perhaps the only significant drawback when compared with competing solutions.
The dictionary includes Russian and English terms, in total more than 3 million dictionary entries and about 2 thousand phrases in the phrasebook. On the one hand, this is relatively small, but there are also advantages: quick start of the application and instant search according to the base. There is no need to switch the translation direction - the program does this automatically. The search is carried out taking into account morphology.
When translating, it is not necessary to open a dictionary entry: the search results already provide options. If multiple words are entered, the translation for each of them will be displayed. The article displays translation options grouped by parts of speech, and transcription is available. Through a separate section of the application you can familiarize yourself with irregular verbs.
The Bigg Phrasebook contains expressions in popular topics, general phrases - they are all carefully structured. Words and expressions from the phrasebook and dictionary can be added to favorites for quick access to them.
Summary. Bigg is one of the best English-Russian dictionaries. It will be useful to users learning the language. Very easy to use and contains only required functions, without requiring preliminary configuration. The only thing missing is the ability to add your own dictionaries and support for languages other than English.
[+] Speed and ease of use
[+] Translation is available immediately after installation
[−] Inability to connect custom dictionaries
ColorDict
ColorDict provides for connecting dictionaries from Google Play and other online sources. They can be used offline in the future. Some network functions are used, for example, when searching for a word on Wikipedia.
As for offline dictionaries, there is support for the relatively popular StarDict format. You can copy the required set to the dictdata folder. Dictionaries are indexed automatically and are subsequently available for use. In the corresponding section of the application, you can sort dictionaries and assign color labels to them - convenient, say, for grouping.
Search works well when working with many dictionaries: options are displayed, you can view previously entered terms in the history, add items to your favorites, and set their sorting order. The result from any field is copied to the clipboard. As a wish, it would be nice to implement adding results to favorites and then exporting them.
When displaying terms, blocks of different colors are used; reading is quite comfortable. There are three display options to choose from: WebView, TextView and TextView Space. Unfortunately, some dictionaries do not provide even minimal formatting, making the text difficult to read.
Language learners will find the TTS voiceover option useful, with American and British versions. Transcription is not available everywhere; this option depends on the original content of the dictionary.
From additional features- ColorDict integrates with reading programs, namely FBReader, Moon+ Reader, Cool Reader and ezPDF Reader. Thus, he can act as a context translator.
Summary. ColorDict works with local dictionaries and supports Wikipedia search. Another plus is integration with reading programs, which allows you to use ColorDict as a contextual translator (along with GoldenDict).
[+] Connecting StarDict dictionaries
[+] Integration with reading programs
[+] Color labels for blocks and dictionaries
"Offline dictionaries"
“Offline dictionaries,” as the name suggests, offer access to dictionaries without an Internet connection. However, to add them you still need to download the necessary databases. About 50 multilingual dictionaries of various directions are offered: English, Russian, French, German, Chinese, Hebrew, etc. For Russian, at the time of review, 12 directions and dictionaries are available, for English - 32. Adding local dictionaries is not provided.
The program is not very user friendly. Even if we assume that advertising - as a distracting factor - can be turned off when purchasing a license, the translation adds confusion: “option, preferences” and other inscriptions distract from the essence.
Now about the search. Filters allow you to set search criteria. In theory, this could be useful for clarifying spelling (although in in this case fuzzy search would be more convenient). Filters are ideal for solving crossword puzzles, although this task cannot be called specialized for translation.
You can display the result either on a separate dictionary page or in a list. Another inconvenience is that “Offline dictionaries” do not use a single database, which significantly slows down the search, taking up time when switching between dictionaries. The same GoldenDict dictionary offers a convenient option - displaying all results in a single list.
The actual display of articles in the “Dictionaries” is well detailed, there is a grouping by parts of speech. Highlighting is not available and transcription is not provided. TTS synthesis available (including British and American pronunciation, plus 6 additional languages), but it is also not very convenient, since the entire article is synthesized, and not the search word in the search line (see Fora Dictionary).
Summary. We can assume that the application copes with its main responsibilities, allowing you to quickly install the necessary dictionaries and get a comprehensive translation of a word. The negative factor is that insufficient attention has been paid to the ergonomics of the application. This is especially noticeable when actively accessing dictionaries and searching for words.
Pivot table
| Application | Google Translate | GoldenDict | Fora Dictionary | Bigg | ColorDict | Offline dictionaries |
| Developer | Google Inc. | GoldenDict | NG-Computing | Alexey Ilyin | Notes | NGHS.fr |
| Full version price | for free | $4,99 | for free | $2,99 | for free | $2,05 |
| Android version | depends on device | depends on device | 1.0+ | depends on device | depends on device | depends on device |
| Supported languages | 80 | not limited | not limited | Russian English | not limited | not limited |
| Adding online dictionaries | + | − | + | − | + | + |
| Adding local dictionaries | − | Lingvo, Babylon, MultiTran, StarDict, Lingoes, Dictd | StarDict, XDXF, DSL, DICTD, TSV | − | StarDict | − |
| Voice acting | + | + | + | − | + | + |
| Contextual translation (integration with reading programs) | − | + | − | − | FBReader, Moon+ Reader, Cool Reader, ezPDF Reader | − |
| Other options | Phrasebook; recognition of audio, photos, manuscripts; translation of phrases, SMS | − | Search on Wikipedia | Phrasebook |
