If you are learning Spanish, the right tool can save you time and help you sound natural. The short answer: there is no single best app. The best setup is a combo of a bilingual dictionary with examples plus a translator for full sentences. For contextual practice, explore our graded Spanish stories.
Quick Recommendation
Use a two-tool stack:
- Dictionary for meaning, nuance, and conjugations
- Translator for full sentences and speed
Popular pairs: SpanishDict + DeepL, WordReference + Google Translate
The Winners by Use Case
- Best for meanings, conjugations, and usage: SpanishDict or WordReference
- Best for full-sentence translation quality: DeepL
- Best for fast camera and voice translation: Google Translate
- Best for real-life example sentences: Reverso Context or Linguee
- Best for advanced learners in Spanish only: RAE Diccionario de la lengua española (DLE)
New to conjugations? Review the present tense (-ar verbs) to get started.
Why you should pair tools
- Dictionaries help you choose the right sense of a word.
Example: bancobank or bench, asistirto attend, realizarto carry out. - Translators help you with phrasing and speed for full sentences.
- Context tools show how people actually use words in the wild.
You need to translate a full email quickly. Which tool should you start with?
App-by-app breakdown
SpanishDict
- Strengths: clear definitions, robust conjugations, audio, example sentences, common set phrases.
- Best for: A1 to B2 learners who want accuracy and friendly explanations.
WordReference
- Strengths: precise entries, collocations, regional labels, and an active forum where natives clarify nuance.
- Best for: A2 to C2 learners who need depth and regional usage.
DeepL
- Strengths: natural-sounding sentence translations, alternative phrasings, and rewrite suggestions in some platforms.
- Best for: B1 to C2 learners drafting messages and polishing tone.
Google Translate
- Strengths: very fast, huge language coverage, camera and voice modes, offline packs.
- Best for: Beginners and travelers who need quick checks on the go.
Reverso Context
- Strengths: example sentences from movies, subtitles, and the web, plus collocations and synonyms.
- Best for: Seeing how words behave in real sentences across registers.
Linguee
- Strengths: side-by-side human translations from real documents, helpful for technical or formal phrasing.
- Best for: Professionals and upper-intermediate learners writing in specific domains.
RAE DLE (monolingual)
- Strengths: the official Spanish definitions, usage labels, grammar notes.
- Best for: B1 and up, especially if you want to think in Spanish.
Features evolve
App features and pricing change. Always check the latest details in the app store or on the developer website.
Dictionary vs Translator in action
Drag the handle to compare
Why this matters:
- Literal English to Spanish often sounds stiff.
- Tools like DeepL can suggest better options, but verifying with dictionaries or context tools ensures the tone fits.
If you’re refining tone and register, see our guide on formal vs informal registers.
How to look up a word the smart way
- Start with a dictionary entry to disambiguate meaning.
Example: embarazadapregnant is not embarrassed. - Check conjugations or set phrases.
Example: tener fríoto be cold, not ser frío for people (review the verb tener and ser vs estar). - Confirm with examples for register and collocations.
- If writing a sentence, run a translator for fluency, then adjust with what you learned.
Level up at B1
Add a monolingual layer with the RAE DLE. You will learn core meanings, common prepositions, and subtle register differences faster.
Recommended stacks by level
- Beginner
- Google Translate for quick checks
- SpanishDict for meanings and conjugations
- Try our A1 stories for gentle exposure
- Intermediate
- WordReference for nuance and forum insights
- Reverso Context for real examples
- DeepL to draft full sentences
- Practice with graded B1 stories
- Advanced
- RAE DLE as your main reference
- DeepL for drafting and rephrasing
- Linguee for formal and technical phrasing
- Stretch with our C1 stories
Mini practice
You looked up the phrase tener ganas de and now you want to use it.
Arrange the words to form a correct sentence:
Common pitfalls to avoid
- False friends:
embarazadapregnant, not embarrassed.
asistirto attend, not to assist.
realizarto carry out, not to realize. - Register mismatches: choosing a phrase that is too formal or too casual for the situation.
- Over-trusting a single tool: always cross-check key phrases.
Not sure when to use por vs para? Review our guide on por vs para.
The bottom line
- Use a dictionary to learn the word.
- Use a translator to shape the sentence.
- Use context tools to sound natural.
If you want the simplest winning combo, go with SpanishDict plus DeepL, and add WordReference or Reverso Context whenever you need extra nuance. As you progress, bring in the RAE DLE to sharpen your Spanish from the inside.
Save these high-impact searches
- SpanishDict or WordReference for verb + preposition patterns
- Reverso Context for collocations and email phrases
- RAE DLE for core definitions and register labels