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WordReference VS Google Translate

Compare WordReference VS Google Translate and see what are their differences

WordReference logo WordReference

WordReference is a free online Oxford dictionaries for Spanish, French, Italian, German and more.

Google Translate logo Google Translate

Google's free service instantly translates words, phrases, and web pages between English and over 100 other languages.
  • WordReference Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-21
  • Google Translate Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-28

WordReference features and specs

  • Comprehensive Language Support
    WordReference supports a wide range of languages, including major languages such as English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and more. This makes it a versatile tool for multilingual users.
  • Detailed Dictionary Entries
    The site provides detailed dictionary entries with multiple definitions, word forms, and usage examples, which helps users understand context and nuances.
  • Language Forums
    WordReference hosts active forums where users can ask and answer questions about language usage, translations, and grammar, providing a community-driven support system.
  • Additional Tools
    The platform offers additional tools like verb conjugators and grammar guides, making it a comprehensive resource for language learners.
  • Mobile Accessibility
    WordReference has a well-optimized mobile website and apps, making it convenient for users to access language tools on the go.

Possible disadvantages of WordReference

  • Limited Offline Access
    Most of WordReference's features require an internet connection, which can be inconvenient for users who need to access language tools in offline situations.
  • Ad-Supported
    The website relies on ads for revenue, which can be distracting for users. Ad-free versions or subscriptions are not prominently offered.
  • User-Generated Content Variability
    While the forums are a valuable resource, the quality of responses can vary since they are user-generated. This may sometimes lead to inaccurate or less reliable information.
  • Not Comprehensive for All Languages
    Although the platform supports a wide range of languages, it is not as comprehensive for less commonly studied languages, limiting its usefulness for niche language learners.
  • Interface Complexity
    New users might find the interface somewhat complex and overwhelming, given the multitude of features and the community interaction components.

Google Translate features and specs

  • Free to use
    Google Translate is available at no cost, making it accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
  • Supports multiple languages
    It supports translation for over 100 languages, providing wide-ranging utility for users around the globe.
  • User-friendly interface
    The platform is simple and easy to navigate, making it convenient for users of all skill levels.
  • Real-time translation
    Google Translate offers instant translations, allowing for quick and efficient communication.
  • Multi-platform availability
    It is accessible via web, mobile apps, and browser extensions, providing flexibility in how it can be used.
  • Voice and image translation
    The service includes voice input and image translation features, broadening its usability.

Possible disadvantages of Google Translate

  • Translation accuracy
    Though improving, translations are not always perfect and can sometimes be awkward or incorrect.
  • Contextual limitations
    Google Translate may struggle with idiomatic expressions, slang, and context-specific translations.
  • Data privacy concerns
    Translating sensitive information on an online platform can pose data privacy risks.
  • Dependency on internet
    The effectiveness of Google Translate largely depends on the availability and speed of an internet connection.
  • Limited dialect support
    The service may not accurately translate regional dialects and less-common languages.
  • Human touch missing
    Machine translations lack the nuanced understanding and cultural context that human translators can provide.

Analysis of WordReference

Overall verdict

  • Yes, WordReference is considered a good resource for language translation and learning due to its extensive dictionary offerings and active user community.

Why this product is good

  • WordReference is highly regarded for its comprehensive language resources and forums. It offers detailed translations, example sentences, and pronunciation guides, making it a valuable tool for language learners and translators. The forums provide a platform for users to discuss language nuances and seek clarification from native speakers and experts.

Recommended for

    WordReference is recommended for language learners, translators, students, and anyone needing reliable translation support or looking to understand language nuances in depth.

Analysis of Google Translate

Overall verdict

  • Google Translate is generally considered effective for basic translations, offering a quick and easy solution for travelers, students, and casual users. However, it may not always provide the most accurate or nuanced translations for complex texts or specialized subject matter.

Why this product is good

  • Google Translate is a widely used translation tool known for its extensive language support, ease of use, and accessibility. It employs advanced machine learning algorithms to improve translation accuracy over time. Additionally, features like camera translation, voice input, and real-time conversation translation make it versatile for various contexts.

Recommended for

  • Travelers needing quick translations for signs, menus, or basic conversation.
  • Students looking to understand foreign-language texts or for language learning aids.
  • Businesses that require informal and basic translation services but not for legal or technical documents.

WordReference videos

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Google Translate videos

Google Translate 2018: Instant Interpreter!

More videos:

  • Review - Using Google Translate When Traveling | Explore a Foreign Country with Ease!
  • Tutorial - Google translate kaise chalaye | how to use google translate in mobile in hindi

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to WordReference and Google Translate)
Dictionary
100 100%
0% 0
Languages
8 8%
92% 92
Online Dictionary
100 100%
0% 0
Translation Service
2 2%
98% 98

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare WordReference and Google Translate

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Google Translate Reviews

  1. i love this apps

    🏁 Competitors:
    👍 Pros:    Affordable price
    👎 Cons:    Affordable price

The best machine translation software you can try in 2022
Google Translate needs no introduction, being probably the most well-known machine translation software out there. Launched in 2006, the translation tool previously used SMT to churn out word-for-word translations. Since then, however, Google has abandoned SMT in favor of the more accurate NMT, resulting in ever-improving translation quality. Dubbed Google Neural Machine...
Source: weglot.com
8 Best Online Translators to Using in the Real World
If you have a small sentence or a few words to translate, then you can directly place them in the box without opening its website. But, if you have a long text to be translated, you need to open the Google Translate website. This is where you will receive more space for putting up your text, and you also get an option to choose your input method from keyboard and handwriting...
Source: geekflare.com
112 Best Chrome Extensions You Should Try (2021 List)
Google Translate chrome web extension is an easy tool to understand the meanings of languages on web pages. You can just hit the extension icon to translate any highlighted part or the entire page. It supports most of the notable languages. But note that perfect and exact translation is not always accurate.
7 Best Google Translate Alternatives for 2020
But among all the apps around, Google translate is probably on everyone’s fingertip. With more than 200 million users daily, Google translate is defiantly a trustworthy + multilingual + mechanical + translator.
Source: blog.bit.ai
Best Google Translate Alternative for 2020 Onward
One of the most common reasons people search for the best Google Translate alternative is its functional limitations. While Google Translate is free and easy to use, it’s also extremely limited due to the way it works. With Google Translate alone, what you get is what you get. There’s no way for you to train the machine translation engine to produce better translations.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Google Translate should be more popular than WordReference. It has been mentiond 510 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

WordReference mentions (51)

  • quelle est la meilleure façon l'extension mon vocabulaire
    I rely on wordreference.com as a dictionary. It is very extensive and the forum is a goldmine. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Which does mean "Je viens de" mean?
    I recommend using wordreference.com. It will give you a bunch of alternate uses so you can try to sus out the pragmatics from context more effectively. This is especially useful for words like venir. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How to say “host a dinner party”
    Look up words in a dictionary and use a grammar book to help. If you don't have a dictionary and can't get hold of one, http://wordreference.com is a good resource. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Flew right by them
    "trans" (the prefix) means "across"/"beyond"/"the other side of", so I would assume trans-gender would mean a different gender (in pretty much any language), not "someone with gender dysphoria" Transgender in french is "transgenre" with genre meaning "gender" and trans, most likely, meaning the same in english and french. Also, on wordreference.com it says transgenre means "(person) with different gender... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Better dictionary than Google Translate?
    You're doing nothing wrong, it's that no app is perfect! I use wordreference.com , it is the most accurate online dictionary, and even though it might not be exactly what you're looking for, forvo.com is also a great tool for pronunciation. For verb conjugations, some learners use cooljugator.com but I find it has many mistakes, so, not ideal. You could try instead... Source: over 2 years ago
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Google Translate mentions (510)

  • US pauses new student visa interviews as it mulls expanding social media vetting
    > Maybe China can become the destination for ambitious smart people. Don't underestimate the language barrier. All those stereotypes about Chinese people mixing Rs and Ls? That works both ways, not just tongue twisters like Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den*, but even "Hello":... - Source: Hacker News / 3 days ago
  • The Technology Behind YouTube’s Auto-Captioning System
    Additionally, YouTube’s system supports multiple languages and is regularly updated to include new ones. This multilingual capability is made possible by training models on diverse datasets and leveraging translation technologies like Google Translate. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Fans learn they can't trust AI translations
    20 years ago, in simpler times, people were sharing badly done human translations: https://archive.org/details/engrishtwotowerssubtitles And just plain mistakes: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7702913.stm I've also encountered a case of real paid humans translating the English word "drake", in a mythological context where it was obviously a dragon, as if it were used in the sense of "male duck". Myself, I decided to... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • 12,419 days of Strandbeest evolution [video]
    As stated in the video, it translates to 'beach beast'. What I find remarkable is how difficult it seems for a lot of native English speakers to correctly pronounce the word. https://translate.google.com/?sl=nl&tl=en&text=strandbeest&op=translate. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • How to Create Inclusive Multilingual Apps
    *Automating Translation with Machine Translation Systems * Integrating machine translation can significantly speed up the localization process. Tools like Lingvanex, Google Translate, or DeepL offer APIs that enable instant translation. However, it’s not enough to simply “turn on” machine translation—you need to integrate it thoughtfully for maximum impact. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing WordReference and Google Translate, you can also consider the following products

GoldenDict - The program has the following features: Use of WebKit for an accurate articles' representation, complete with all formatting, colors, images and links.

DeepL Translator - DeepL Translator is a machine translator that currently supports 42 language combinations.

Wiktionary - Open Source wiki-dictionary by the Wikimedia foundation

Microsoft Translator - Microsoft Translator is your door to a wider world.

dict.cc - dict.cc is not only an online dictionary translating from English and German to 21 languages.

Mate Translate - Ultimate translation app for Mac, iOS, Chrome and many more