Translation is a piece of cake: if you are unsure where to start and how to translate, a great dictionary will not just fail to help but may also raise more questions. That is why we will share a few tips for successful English translation.
Where to start translating the word?
- Consider the context.
- Identify the parts of speech.
These factors guarantee 80% success. The other 20% depend on the dictionary and analytical thinking.
Context
Where did you get this word from or why? Is it colloquial or formal? Maybe it is slang or jargon? The word can also be a part of a saying or some sey expression. Afterwards, when the hands reach the dictionary, it will be very easy to choose the best option for translation.
Part of speech
When looking for a translation in the dictionary, you should understand whether you are translating a verb (or its form), a noun, an adjective, or another part of speech. Next, I will show why this is important.
An example of a translation
This sentence needs translation: He is such good fun – always game for anything. You open Google Translate and paste the sentence there:
The play of words is confusing... Judging by the sentence, "game" appears to function as an adjective. Therefore, the translation might be "gaming." Let's try to write a single word "game" in the dictionary:
Although Google offers you 8 translation options for this word, they are of little use if there is no context and understanding of which part of the language is provided.
Now you can easily add "ready (for something)" to the translation options of the word game.
How to check the translation for "correctness"?
Search for the meaning of the English word in a monolingual dictionary. Read the explanations in English, examples of its usage in sentences, and decide if it fits your context. So, let's move on to dictionaries.
It is such a great dictionary from the United Kingdom that can be used as both a monolingual and bilingual resource (for a specific list of languages).
Peculiarities:
- the possibility of creating your account and expand your dictionary;
- the pronunciation is both British and American.
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Beginner
AppStore, Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary English-Russian, GooglePlay
The most used dictionary in America. Its name can be heard in TV series, songs and even seen in books.
Peculiarities:
- specific transcription, only Americans must understand;
- children's definitions of words (plain English);
- the origin of a word;
- thesaurus (synonyms, antonyms, related to the word query).
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Intermediate
AppStore, GooglePlay
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
One of the most convenient dictionaries for students. It includes clear transcriptions for both American and British pronunciation.
Peculiarities:
- the ability to click on an unfamiliar word in the definition;
- examples of the word's usage in sentences;
- the option to listen to sentences with the given word;
- includes common phrases and collocations that come with the word;
- has a text translator for up to 300 characters.
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Pre-Intermediate
AppStore, GooglePlay
There is a definition of a word, a part of speech, synonyms, and even examples, as well as an opportunity to download documents for translation.
Peculiarities:
- translation of documents in various formats;
- translation of text up to 5000 characters;
- voice input capability;
- text translation by means of photos (in the mobile app);
- synonyms and various parts of speech.
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Beginner
AppStore, GooglePlay
Here is everything needed for learning: pronunciation, relatively simple word explanations, examples of word or phrase usage within a sentence.
Peculiarities:
- the explanation of words;
- the usage of the word or phrase in a sentence;
- different parts of speech;
- collocations and phrases;
- synonyms;
- the ability to click on any word in the explanation.
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Pre-Intermediate
AppStore, GooglePlay.
This English dictionary comes with illustrations, videos and translation for many languages.
Peculiarities:
- a video pronunciation of the word;
- a illustration or photo as a visual aid for the word;
- translation.
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Pre-Intermediate
AppStore, GooglePlay
One of the most popular dictionaries among the English-speaking population of the planet. The complexity of the explanation is the most significant drawback of this dictionary.
Peculiarities:
- the definition of the word;
- synonyms;
- idioms and phrases;
- the origin of a word;
- using a word in a phrase.
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Upper-Intermediate
AppStore, GooglePlay
The Oxford Dictionary is a classic way of having a certain "arrogance": the definitions are short, but complex.
Peculiarities:
- the explanation of the word followed by examples from real articles, books, etc.;
- a synonym for each meaning of the word;
- there is also a thesaurus;
- British and American peculiarities of word usage.
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Intermediate
AppStore, GooglePlay
The Oxford Dictionary is just for students: it has simpler explanations and examples. There are also very informative illustrations with related words.
Peculiarities:
- the explanation of words and phrases;
- constant expressions for each meaning of the word;
- separate articles for different parts of speech for one word;
- idioms;
- both British and American pronunciation;
- the ability to add a word to your own dictionary (for registered users).
Listen to the pronunciation: yes
Level: from Intermediate
AppStore, GooglePlay
This dictionary is consulted when translating street slang, phrases from movies, or TV shows. Caution! In the Urban Dictionary, explanations for almost every word may contain sexual context and offensive language.
Peculiarities:
- many explanations from different users;
- the ability to evaluate the interpretation of the word;
- not for children.
Listen to the pronunciation: no
Level: from Intermediate (age 16+)
М. ПЛОЩА УКРАЇНСЬКИХ ГЕРОЇВ,
