English-Spanish Reference Dictionary Review – A perfect bilingual dictionary for iOS devices

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On August 30, 2013

App Type: Uncategorized

English-Spanish Reference Dictionary Review – A perfect bilingual dictionary for iOS devices

Our rating:

By: Word Magic Software Ltda

Version #: 4.2

Date Released: 2013-08-14

Developer: Word Magic Software

Price: 7.99

User Rating:
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dictionary-ipad

There’s nothing better than a good dictionary. I know, hyperbole at its finest, but seriously. When you are reading a complex text, good definitions are a blessing. Bilingual dictionaries on the other hand are usually crap. I have quite a few at home (two-way English-Russian, Icelandic-English, two way Icelandic-English, two-way Spanish-English, two-way Spanish-French, two-way German-Spanish, two-way Greek-Spanish, two-way Italian-Spanish) and thus I can say without a doubt that they are usually crap. If I suddenly need to leave in a pinch I’d probably only pick the Icelandic-English one, not only it was the most expensive it is also the best, since it has also definitions.

This is something I can really value in a bilingual dictionary: having a definition. An easy example would be gato in Spanish, which means (usually) cat. You rent a car and the manual is only in Spanish, and says something about a cat. WTF? Turns out that gato is also a jack or lifting jack. That thing you use to change your tires. This is specially troublesome when doing translations, since it is very easy to go for the first word in a translation dictionary thinking they are synonims (puppy can be translated as perrito and cachorro, both are almost synonyms and would work as well in a phrase.) With the English-Spanish Reference Dictionary you don’t need to double-check words and outsmart translators. Yay! And it works offline, extra yay!

Shot5

The English-Spanish Reference Dictionary by Word Magic has a whooping 599803 English words and 594038 Spanish words. Which is incredibly impressive. In addition to this, it automatically detects language: you can search for gato or cat without needing to switch to or from English: a flag beside the word selects the base language (looking for gato only Spanish pops, if you search for taco you find English and Spanish versions. The search results is also improved with the addition of icons for verb conjugations. Speaking of flags, if some word is used just in some version of English (like British) or Spanish (like Argentinian) a flag will indicate so in the translation/definition page.

Most translations also have an example phrase (you can purchase additional example phrase as in-app purchase) and most words have synonyms and antonyms in both languages. To spice it up, there are 73000 quotes related to words (translated, too!), like this Chinese proverb in the page for rose:

A thorn defends the rose, harming only those who would steal the blossom.

Una espina defiende la rosa, dañando sólo a aquéllos quienes robarían la flor

English-Spanish Reference Dictionary also offers full conjugation details for verbs, both in English and Spanish. And with a internet connection you can listen to the pronunciation of any word (adding this to the app for offline use would be too much.)

The developers Word Magic also offer other dictionary related apps, like an English Thesaurus (I personally love my Roget’s Pocket Thesaurus I bought for 50 cents, but an app in my pocket is way, way better) and an Unabridged English Dictionary.

Special offer: Until this Saturday you can get the English Thesaurus and the Spanish Thesaurus for half price ($0.99 instead of $1.99)!!!!

Quick Take

Value:Huge.

Would I Buy Again:Yes.

Learning Curve:Medium, it has a lot of features.

Who Is It For:Anyone needing Spanish-English translations in her life.

What I Like:Featureful.

What I Don't Like:Nothing missing. It's great.

Final Statement:An almost perfect dictionary app.

Read the Developer's Notes:
“This is an excellent dictionary - very comprehensive and easy to use.” WORKS OFFLINE With over 739,000 entries, 1.2 million translations, 2 million synonyms, voice feature and a huge collection of idiomatic expressions in both languages.

Recommended by Apple in “Apps for Learning English as a Second Language.” Bilingual voice options for regional pronunciation and easy-to-follow verb conjugations create an interactive learning experience. Definitions and added examples are included in both languages and all terminology shows detailed classification, making gender, noun type or parts of speech easy to identify. Internet connection needed only for voices, images and spell-check.

Unique Features:
• Conjugation of Spanish and English verbs, all persons & tenses.
• 2 million+ Spanish conjugated verbal forms fully identifiable as dictionary entries, plus another two million plurals and feminines of nouns impeccably inflected in Spanish with their exact equivalencies in English
• Enabled Search for plurals, feminine forms and verb conjugations.
• Natural-sounding voices for entries, definitions and examples in both languages (British and American English, European and American Spanish)
• Covers International, European, Latin American and Mexican Spanish.
• Covers American and British English.
• IPA Phonetic transcription for American and British English. (Optional In-App purchase)
• IPA Phonetic transcription for American Spanish, Caribbean Spanish, River Plate Spanish and Spanish from Spain. (Optional In-App purchase)
• Intelligent Word List Display: identifies multiple forms of plural and feminine as well as Spanish verb conjugations (even with a misplaced or a missing accent).
• Identically spelled words in both languages are displayed twice in the List (each with a flag).
• Fuzzy Search: Detects misspelled words simultaneously in English and Spanish, offering close suggestions.
• Innovative “Scan Function” for conceptual search of idioms and related phrases.
• 40,000+ Phrasal Examples cross-linked to 200,000+ phrases & their translations (Optional In-App purchase)
• 40,000+ famous quotes in both languages. Linked to root words.
• Optional display of syllable separation (Spanish words).
• Delete all favorite words with one button
• Shake for random word.
• Share via Facebook and Twitter.
• Search History - share by email.
• Mark Favorite Words easily.
• Dropbox - Sync your favorites among your devices.
• Customize using available themes and fonts.

Display:

- Translations, Definitions, Synonyms, Antonyms, Pictures, Examples and Quotes
- Clear-cut separation of meanings, identified with WM’s “Descriptive Tags”
- Part of Speech and other grammar attributes: Noun, Verb, Adj, etc.
- Noun type classification: Concrete, Abstract, Animate, Animal, etc.
- Color Code icon indicates word usage: Easy, Normal, Difficult or Technical
- Field Classification, indicates area of usage: Zoology, Chemistry, Domestic, etc. - Idiomatic Use tags: Idiomatic, Slang, Figurative, Formal, Inf., etc.
- Colloquial words indicated with flag icon of each country
- On/Off display of slang, foreign or offensive words. Default ON.
- More than 55,000 color pictures help identify word meanings and context.

Curiosities:

- 1,332 fish names & their translations
- 1,917 names of foods and dishes around the world & translations
- 8,248 names of famous historic characters
- 13,100 famous people of today in arts, movies, sports, politics, etc
- 10,672 geographical names, cites, countries, nationalities, etc.
- 4,255 names of largest corporations in the US and Europe
- 3,322 names of largest universities in the US and Europe
- 24,000 + bird names in English, Spanish and Latin. (as separate In-App purchase)
- 4,500 + new difficult words (as separate In-App purchase)

Article By

Ruben Berenguel is finishing his PhD in Mathematics while writing in mostlymaths.net about being a 'geek of all trades'. He also happens to be the senior editor in the What's on iPhone network: any complaints go to him!

ruben has written 174 awesome app reviews.

You can read other great content from ruben at https://www.mostlymaths.net