The best free Spanish dictionaries are definitely better than Google Translate…
Every language student wants a good resource for that quick translation to help you communicate your thought perfectly. The good news is that there are plenty of options. Unfortunately the go-to resource for may people is an online translator.
Instead of a translator, probably what you’re looking for is a solid dictionary. While online translators like Google Translate are getting better, they tend to miss out on the context that you’re speaking in – which can make a big difference.
It would be a mistake to assume that English terms that fit a variety of unrelated contexts will necessarily translate to 1 term in Spanish as well. Consider the word “back” in English. We use “back” in a variety of contexts (body part, part of a chair, a location within a room or space, etc.). A translator doesn’t ask for context – it just gives a translation. In the case of “back” it could produce espalda, respaldo, fondo, etc. A good dictionary will provide great contextual clues to help you select the right word for your context. To be fair, Google Translate is providing some additional words, but the context in English is weaker than some others.
Here is our list of the best free Spanish/English & English/Spanish dictionaries online:
If you’re looking for a traditional Spanish dictionary (to provide definitions in Spanish), try out this resource:
