7 Best Korean Dictionary Apps for Your Smartphone
Learning Korean can be a challenge, so why not use technology to make it a bit easier?
Having a Korean dictionary app on your phone is a great way to give yourself some extra support.
You never know when you might need a new word or a quick translation.
In this post, you’ll learn about the top dictionary apps that can be your secret weapon for learning Korean.
Many of these options are free, and they’ve been programmed to make your life a little bit easier!
Contents
- 1. Korean English Dictionary App by Bravolol
- 2. Korean English Dictionary & Translator by EVOLLY.APP
- 3. Prime English-Korean Dictionary by Dong-A Publishing
- 4. Korean Dictionary by Innovative-Software
- 5. English Korean English Plus+ by DaolSoft
- 6. Korean Dictionary + by iThinkdiff
- 7. Talking Translator by GreenLife Apps
- Benefits of Korean Dictionary Apps
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
1. Korean English Dictionary App by Bravolol
Price: Free
This app features 160,000 Korean words and phrases. You can search in either English or Korean, and either way you’ll be given spelling suggestions as you type.
Every vocabulary term comes with audio, and words are accompanied by plenty of example sentences, both in Korean and English. This offers you more insight into how the target vocabulary works in relation to other words in the sentence.
Navigating the app is a breeze and the layout is easy on the eyes. It works even when you’re offline, and boasts that it has the fastest search speed of any Korean dictionary app.
And you can even share your progress with your friends through its links to social networking sites.
2. Korean English Dictionary & Translator by EVOLLY.APP
Price: Free
This one has a database of 500,000 words, phrases and sentences. You’ll find Korean idioms and contemporary sentence examples that could come in handy when talking to a native speaker.
The definitions and synonyms are well-rounded, providing the many different meanings and usages for each word. There’s also a database of pictures that you can search.
The app includes a powerful set of extra learning tools like Word Reminder and Word Lists that help you manage and review the words you’ve learned previously.
For extra reference, the app links you to other dictionaries like the Oxford Dictionary, Urban Dictionary, Wiktionary, Wikipedia and so on. And it works even when you’re offline!
3. Prime English-Korean Dictionary by Dong-A Publishing
Price: $13.99
It’s a rare feat when an app is able to bridge the two-way traffic between those who wanted to learn Korean and those who are interested in English. This one’s quite popular on both sides of the language spectrum.
The app’s popularity among both English and Korean learners earned it the official nod from ELLAK (The English Language & Literature Association of Korea).
The definitions come with plenty of nuanced sentence examples that allow you to really capture the subtle flavors of the language. It also contains idiomatic expressions with precise translation to Korean, so you can find out the Korean equivalent for whatever expression you want to use.
Use this app for all your more conversational, colloquial and authentic phrasing needs.
4. Korean Dictionary by Innovative-Software
Price: Free
This is a Korean dictionary app that also functions as a robust thesaurus, giving you more vocabulary options in the way of synonyms and antonyms.
The app has voice search as well as a speech-to-text feature, which will come in handy for auditory learners.
In addition to the classic “Word of the Day” feature (which can actually accommodate up to five words per day), there’s a Study Plan feature where you can add specific vocabulary that you want to master and remove words that you’ve mastered. There’s also a multiple-choice quiz to test your knowledge.
This one works offline but functions best when you’re connected to the Internet, especially when it comes to its audio capabilities. Pop-up ads come up every now and then, but they rarely get in the way of your learning.
5. English Korean English Plus+ by DaolSoft
Price: $13.99
This app is touted as the bestselling English-Korean, Korean-English dictionary on the market, with a database of 857,000 searchable vocabulary words—the fattest of its kind. And since the app is constantly being updated, there’ll be even more words in the coming versions.
Here you’ll have a healthy dose of contemporary Korean that can be commonly heard in everyday conversations. The definitions are highly nuanced and you’re pretty much given all the different things that the same word can come to mean in Korean.
The app has excellent technical support and you do really feel like there are people working behind the scenes, polishing up the app and trying to add even more cool features.
6. Korean Dictionary + by iThinkdiff
Price: Free
This app is very robust, and can even translate whole sentences for you. Oh, and you don’t even have to manually type these sentences out. Say there’s a road sign you don’t understand. Snap a picture of it and the app will do the search and translate it for you!
Features include a handy flashcard capability that allows users to review vocabulary and a “Phrase of the Day” option. You can even play multiplayer vocabulary games and climb to the top of the leaderboard.
The app can connect to social networking sites so you can share new words with your fellow Korean learners on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
7. Talking Translator by GreenLife Apps
Price: Free
Imagine typing a word, phrase or sentence and hearing it translated into the world’s major languages. Cool, right?
This app doesn’t just have Korean in its arsenal. It also has French, German, Spanish and the rest of the world’s major tongues. And every word comes with audio pronunciation.
The “Word of the Day” feature gives you a more detailed look into a word, offering a clear example of how it can be used in a sentence. In fact, many users have commented that they’ve learned as much from this feature as the talking translator itself.
If you’re traveling and need a quick language reference, this app is an excellent companion. Look beyond the ads that pop up from time to time and you’ve got a learning tool that will be useful wherever you go.
For more Japanese translator apps, check out this post:
7 Must-Have Korean Translator Apps for Fluent Communication | FluentU Korean Blog
Looking for a Korean translator app? If you’re not sure where to start, we’ll help you find out what the seven best apps are. Our list includes Naver Dictionary, Papago…
Benefits of Korean Dictionary Apps
- Speed and Availability: Having a dictionary app on your phone means that, at any given moment, whether you’re commuting, standing in line or waiting for someone, you’re just a few seconds away from learning some valuable Korean lessons. You never know when Korean translations will come in handy, or when an opportunity to learn some Korean might present itself.
- Extra Features and Robust Content: These apps don’t only give you the meaning or direct translation. You might see an illustration of the word, hear its pronunciation or see how it’s written in Korean. You might even be given synonyms for the word and usage examples in different contexts.
- Entertaining, Engaging and Educational: Your Korean dictionary app isn’t only educational, it’s also entertaining and engaging. All the colors, pictures and sounds stimulate your different senses and help to anchor the vocabulary in your memory. They can even assess your knowledge and share your progress with your friends!
For an even more robust learning experience, you can use the language learning program FluentU, which has its own built-in, interactive, contextual dictionary.
Here's a quick look at the variety of video choices available to you:
Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.
Don't stop there, though. You can use FluentU’s unique quizzes to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions.
FluentU even tracks your progress and remembers all the words you've learned, making for a 100% personalized experience.
Review sessions use video context to help embed the words in your memory. The best part? You can access the full FluentU video library with a free trial!
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
You’ll get exposure to real Korean conversations and culture. When you learn a new word, you can even search for it on the FluentU app or webpage to find videos where it’s used in different contexts.
With these Korean dictionary apps, you’ll have a learning tool to rely on wherever you go.
Pair them with a great Korean course and another resource or two, and you’ll be well on your way to fluency!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
