Not all online translation websites are created equal. Some will transcribe your spoken words into a different language and then speak the result to you. Others are less detailed and are better for simple word-to-word translations or website translations.
The on-demand translator sites listed below are great for very specific situations, like when you don’t know what the text on a picture says because it’s not in your language. For true language learning, including grammar rules and basic terms, you might prefer a language learning service or language exchange site.
Google Translate: Best Overall Translator
Google’s online translator website translates text you enter into the box, as well as documents and entire web pages.
Works quickly.
Identifies languages automatically.
Supports a huge variety of languages.
Can read the translation aloud.
It’s been known to make very wrong translations.
This translator excels when you want to convert single words or phrases to see how they appear or sound in another language. It also works surprisingly well if you need to speak with someone when neither of you can understand the other language. Just type or speak, and then watch the translation appear off to the right.
One of its best features is the ability to take any text you throw at it and accurately determine what language it’s in, and then instantly put it into a language you can understand. This is great if you don’t know the originating language; it beats clicking through every one of them until the translation works.
You can type text, speak it, or use an on-screen keyboard. For the output side, you can have the translation read back to you in the translated language, which is not only helpful if you’re trying to learn the language, but also super beneficial if you’re with someone in person and they can’t read the language well, but can understand it when spoken.
Any word you highlight in the input text box shows definitions, example sentences, and translation information. Click those terms to add them to the translation box, which provides a dictionary-like way of learning a language.
Other features Google Translate offers:
- Translate websites, translate documents (DOCX, PDF, PPTX, and XLSX), and even translate your email.
- Save translations for reference later.
- Download language packs to use Google Translate offline.
- Use some of the translation features right from Google Search.
- The Translate Community verifies translations to help make the service more accurate.
Microsoft Translator: Best for Live Conversations
Like some other translation sites, Bing Microsoft Translator (pictured above) offers an auto-detect feature for those times you can’t guess the language you need to translate. One thing that makes this translator website different is its simplicity: there’s next to nothing on the screen, yet it still works great.
Really easy to use.
Translates instantly.
Supports lots of languages.
Only translates text (not images, websites, etc.)
Here are some notable features:
- Lets users improve mistakes.It’s easy to copy the translated text.You can swap between the two languages with one button.Works through Bing searches.Lets you speak into the text box and hear some translations aloud.Includes one-click access to translations of widely used phrases.
Another translator Microsoft has is called Conversations, and it’s by far one of the coolest ones available. It lets you speak with someone in your native language, even when the other person is speaking in a different language. In real-time, the text you type or the words you speak are translated into text that the other person can understand. You’re given a special code that anyone can enter to join the conversation.
Yandex Translate: Best Translator for Images and Websites
Yandex Translate is an absolute beast. It translates between lots of languages, works very quickly, looks great, and doesn’t stop at just normal text translations. Use it to translate websites, documents (including PDFs, spreadsheets, and slideshows), and images.
Supports voice input and output.
Can add translations to your list of favorites.
A special link of the translation can be shared with anyone.
Checks spelling as you type.
Photo translator accepts only files you upload, not online images.
It’s really helpful for one-time lookups, but is also nice to use for learning a new language. When you translate a website, position the foreign page right next to the one in your language so that you can learn which words are being translated to what, and the translations even continue as you click through the site.
If you’re using the image translator, zoom way up if you have to, to see tiny text. Swapping to a different language during the translation doesn’t force you to re-upload the image, which is great.
Here are some other features:
- Suggest fixes for bad translations.Enter text with up to 10,000 characters.Swap between the two languages with one button.
Reverso: Best Language Learning Translator
Like Google Translate, Reverso translates between languages automatically and supports several of the more common languages.
Has a spell checker.
Translates without having to click a button.
Listen to the source and translated text.
Can translate documents.
Supports just over a dozen languages.
Instant translations are often slow.
Something worth mentioning about this website is the context translations it offers. After performing a translation, just below the text, you’ll find a box of a few more examples of how that translation might look if the input text were slightly different.
For example, translating “My name is Mary” to French gives the regular answer of Mon nom est Mary, but you can also see translations for “My name is Mary Cooper and I live here” and “Hello, My name is Mary, I’ll be with you till you go on this evening.”
Internet Slang Translator: Best Informal Translator
As the name would suggest, Internet Slang Translator is more for fun, not practical use. Just type some words you want to be converted into slang, or enter internet slang to translate it to proper English.
Conversions happen automatically (no button-clicking needed).
Translates common internet lingo.
Only supports English.
Lots of slang terms don’t translate appropriately.
Some regular words are translated incorrectly.
While you might not use it for anything realistic, it can still be fun to see what it comes up with as you type slang. Then again, maybe you’re new to some internet terms, in which case it might help you get a feel for what all the kids are talking about.
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