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German Dictionaries
Here is a comprehensive list of free online German dictionaries, paperbound German dictionary books, eBook compatible word translation databases, smartphone German dictionary applications such as iPhone apps, Android apps and Blackberry apps, German dictionary software packages and standalone electronic gadgets that serve as advanced translators from English to German and German to English or any other language.

If you need to look up the meaning of a word in German, or find German word definitions, and you want to unearth the best quality translator for free or reduced price German translator then look no further. We've included our own detailed, authoritative consumer reviews for you to read. We know these products inside and out because we literally use German dictionaries every single day. And if you are looking for a German slang dictionary, then our German Urban Dictionary page has a complete list of the best of those types of books and online resources.

Free German to English, English to German dictionaries online
Here are what we consider to be the finest free resources on the Web for finding the meaning of German words in English, and the definitions of English words in German:

Leo.org

Leo is simply the best free German dictionary on the Internet. We use it often and quite frankly couldn't live without it. That's why we were super pleased to learn that Leo has developed both iPhone German dictionary apps and apps for Android that are German dictionaries. It's not that we're being rude by checking our cell phones during our conversation meetings, we're actually using our smartphones to look up words and become better participants in the conversation! One note regarding the comprehensiveness of Leo.org, and something to be aware of: this dictionary does not insult your intelligence. It displays transation words alphabetically, not necessarily in the order of most-likely to least-likely. So it is definitely a hands-on tool for smart people who know what they are doing. Again, don't just choose the first word on the list. Look at all the words and make an educated decision accordingly. Check out the English to German dictionary by Leo.org

WordReference.com in German
Word Reference added German to their list of dictionaries only a couple years ago, but they've made strides quickly to be able to compete strongly with Leo.org, and the forum discussions have heated up so that there are plenty of helpful answers to those nuanced questions that translators and bilinguals like us are always facing. Really, it's a joy to use. When it comes to Leo.org versus WordReference.com, most of us go to the former out of habit, because it's been on the German scene much longer, but more often than not we've found Word Reference, vs Leo.org, to be invaluable when filling in the gaps the latter doesn't fill, and supplementing our German word definition needs. Between the forums on Wordreference.com's German section, and Leo.org, it's hard to go wrong. Check out the Word Reference German dictionary here.

Dict.cc
This is the indispensible go-to resource for professional translators. When doing a translation between German and English, it is necessary to have a wide array of possible words at your disposal. The most direct choice is always preferred, but isn't always right when aiming for a perfect translation. Dict.cc is precise and is an immense help in narrowing down the exact meaning of the German word in English, or English word in German, that you are looking for. And everyday it has a fascinating new discussion featured on its homepage. It's definitely worth checking out what the pros prefer to translate German to English, and vice-versa.

Beyond those three, Babylon is a strong runner up. In fact it's now among the best of the German to English and English-German dictionaries that you can use. And this comes with some authority. There are some truly bad German dictionaries out there which we've actually spent time using. Wasn't fun. While Babylon isn't in the top three, it's still worth listing on this site:

Babylon in German
Not to be discredited because of its poor performance just a few years ago, Babylon should probably get the award for the "most improved" free online German dictionary available on the Internet. It has a sleek, clean-looking interface that serves up thorough definitions of German words quickly and concisely. There's no reason this shouldn't be included in your roster of online dictionaries. Go to Babylon's German dictionary. They also offer a FREE German dictionary download - click here.

iPhone/iPod Touch German dictionary apps
Here are a few applications for your smartphone that come highly recomended. You can download them right here:

Duden - German Explanatory Dictionary Paragon Technologies GmBH
Advanced English-German Dictionary Pons
German English Dictionary & Translator by BitKnights

 

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