English Dictionary
Look up word meanings, IPA pronunciations (US/UK), example sentences and pictures. Save the words you want to remember.
How to use this English dictionary
- Type an English word and press Enter or Search.
- Read the meanings, grouped by part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, ...), with example sentences and synonyms.
- Click the speaker next to US or UK to hear the word, and read the IPA to see exactly how it is said.
- Click Add to vocabulary to keep the word. Open My Vocabulary at the top to review your list later.
Every search gets its own link (for example /dictionary?w=resilient), so you can bookmark a word or send it to a friend.
How to read IPA pronunciation
Dictionaries write pronunciation in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) because English spelling often does not match the sound. Most consonant symbols look like normal letters (p, b, t, d, k, m, n, s). These are the symbols that learners ask about most:
| Symbol | Example | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| ʃ | ship, nation | "sh" |
| ʒ | measure, vision | the middle sound of "measure" |
| tʃ / dʒ | chair / jump | "ch" and "j" |
| θ / ð | think / this | "th" without voice / with voice |
| ŋ | sing, think | "ng" |
| j | yes, use | "y" (not "j") |
| ə | about, sofa | schwa: the weak "uh" in syllables without stress |
| æ | cat, trap | open "a" |
| ʌ | cup, love | short "u" |
| ɪ / iː | sit / see | short vs. long "i" |
| ʊ / uː | book / food | short vs. long "oo" |
| ɑː | father | long open "ah" |
| ɜː / ɝ | bird, word | UK / US form of the "er" vowel |
| ˈ ˌ | /ˈtɛləˌfoʊn/ | main stress / second stress, written before the syllable |
Example: schedule is /ˈskɛdʒuːl/ in the US and often /ˈʃɛdjuːl/ in the UK. Search it above and compare the two voices.
US vs. UK pronunciation
- The r after a vowel: Americans say it (car /kɑːr/), most British speakers do not (car /kɑː/).
- The "bath" vowel: bath, dance, ask and can't have /æ/ in the US but /ɑː/ in southern British English.
- The "lot" vowel: hot and stop have /ɑː/ in the US but a short, rounded /ɒ/ in the UK.
- The soft t: between vowels, American English turns t into a quick d-like sound (water, better, city).
- Some vowels and stress differ word by word: tomato is /təˈmeɪtoʊ/ in the US and /təˈmɑːtəʊ/ in the UK.
Both are correct. Pick one accent and use it consistently.
Tips for learning new words
- Save a word only after you have read one example sentence. A word in context is much easier to remember.
- Say it out loud with the audio, and stress the syllable after the ˈ mark.
- Review your vocabulary list for a few minutes the next day, then again after a week. Short repeats work better than one long session.
- Write your own sentence with the word, for example in our online text editor.
Frequently asked questions
Is this English dictionary free?
Yes. It is free, it needs no account, and there are no ads. Type a word and press Enter or Search. Your saved words stay in your own browser.
Where do the definitions and pronunciations come from?
Meanings, parts of speech, example sentences, synonyms and IPA come from an open dictionary database (freedictionaryapi.com, based on Wiktionary). Pictures come from Wikipedia or Openverse when a good one exists. The audio is made by your browser's built-in speech voices, so it can sound a little different on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone.
What do the slashes and symbols in /ˈwɜːrd/ mean?
That is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Each symbol stands for one sound, so you can read the exact pronunciation even when the spelling does not help. The mark ˈ comes before the stressed syllable, and ː makes the vowel before it long. The guide on this page lists the symbols that cause the most trouble.
Why are the US and UK pronunciations different?
Most words sound the same, but a few patterns differ. American English says the r after a vowel (car, water), and British English mostly drops it. Words like bath, dance and can't use a short vowel in the US and a long ɑː in the UK. The t between two vowels sounds like a soft d in American English (water, better).
How does the vocabulary list work?
Click Add to vocabulary on any word card. The word, its IPA, its first meaning and its translation are saved in this browser (local storage), and My Vocabulary at the top shows the list. Nothing is uploaded, so the list does not move to other devices, and clearing your browser data deletes it.
Can I share a word or bookmark it?
Yes. After a search, the address in your browser changes to something like geektools.net/dictionary?w=serendipity. Open or share that link and the word loads directly.
Why does a word card show Chinese text?
The line under the word is a short Chinese translation for learners whose first language is Chinese. The meanings themselves are always in English.