Dictionary consultation is part and parcel of language-learning, but with German it is particularly relevant to the Deutsch als Fremdsprache (DaF) approach where it assumes an even higher frequency and importance. I begin with some general remarks that apply to all dictionaries, be they in print or digital format.
Dictionaries are not mere vocabulary lists. They strive to impart a wealth of information within the compass of their prescribed size. Of necessity, the information is presented in a highly compressed format. However, the sheer density of abbreviations and symbols can often make the content somewhat impenetrable. It’s also true that not every dictionary will suit every person or every occasion. It’s worth spending a bit of time trying to find one or more that will satisfy your needs (most of the time) without causing too much irritation while doing so. A dictionary should be inviting enough that you relish the opportunity to consult it.
Obviously, I can’t review every dictionary out there. Also, editions and names change; indeed it is often difficult to know even who the actual publisher is. I give here comments on dictionaries I have used, mainly to give you an idea of the sorts of things to consider when making your own selection. Specifications and operation may no longer be current.
Here I coin a term and propose a definition.
Search match discontinuity: A digital search engine dysfunction whereby display of a progressively refined list of possible matches for a search term is halted during entry of the term and an erroneous match failure error returned before resumption of list display as further characters are added in the search field.
In other words, in some digital dictionaries the search engine will display a list of possibilities that changes as you type each additional character in the search field. But sometimes, after a certain number of characters, the nature of the list suddenly changes, with a “Did you mean…?” query and/or an explicit statement that there is no match for your search term. The implication is that the sought term (word or expression) is not included in the dictionary at all and hence there is no point in adding more characters. This may in fact be the case. However, in many cases, this is a false negative because, if you persist and keep on typing to the end of your search term, you eventually do arrive at a match, demonstrating that the term is in fact in the dictionary and that the search engine has been in error in its previous advice.
The following list of considerations is offered as a guide when making your own selection. They are things you should at least be aware of when making your decision. Some relate to printed books, some to digital dictionaries, and some to both. They are not listed in any particular order; in any case, the ordering of priorities is a very individual matter and you will have your own. Almost certainly you will need to compromise somewhere along the way. But of course, no one says you can’t have more than one dictionary!
Portability
Where you plan to use a book is an important consideration, as the size will determine the scope of its content. You will probably get at least one large volume for use at home and a small volume for carriage on your travels (be they to your garden or to foreign lands). You might (as well or instead) get one or more dictionary applications for your computer or smartphone, which solves the problem of portability. However, print editions often include lots of useful supplementary material and also offer the enormous learning opportunites that only serendipitous browsing of a printed book can present.
Robustness
Since you will have your book for a long time and use it a lot, pay special attention to the quality of the binding. It’s worth the extra expense if it means pages won’t fall out.
Legibility
A very high priority. The publisher can cram in all the detail it wants, but it’s of little use if the presentation makes it so difficult to read that you baulk at opening the book. All sorts of things come into play here, including the typefaces and use of color. This is where that representative two-page spread helps enormously in your assessment. You want the print to be large enough, and the items associated with each entry distinguishable enough, in order for you to retrieve with ease the information you want at the time. Remember that it’s not always a headword (ie, the primary word of an entry) you seek: often it’s its usage in a particular expression.
Clarity
Dictionaries frequently look as though they are written in code, with lots of abbreviations and special symbols. Try to get one where the price of brevity is not too much obscurity.
Number of languages
Make sure you know whether you’re getting a monolingual (entirely German) dictionary or a bilingual one (English and German). If the latter, do you want a two-way dictionary (German↔English), or is a one-way dictionary (German→English, say) sufficient for your purpose?
Be aware that the two halves of a two-way dictionary may not be symmetrical. For example, only one half may give word pronunciations. It depends on the intended readership.
Remember that, for a given size (number of pages or megabytes), a single-language dictionary is going to have more words and expressions than a two-way bilingual dictionary. I think it’s a good idea to have at least one German-only dictionary and to challenge yourself to consult it in the first instance as often as possible.
While we’re on the subject of languages, you need to ensure you’re getting the right version of German for your purpose. For example, a dictionary specializing in Austrian German or Swiss German may not suit you when you are actually studying German German. I’m just being super-cautious here because I haven’t personally come across such resources, but no doubt they exist. When all is said and done, though, good (non-specific) German dictionaries will indicate when a word or expression relates more to Austrian or Swiss variants of the language; indeed, such indication also applies to regional usage within Germany (such as northern or southern parts of the country).
Pronunciation
Some dictionaries give no pronunciation guide to individual words. It’s best to check before purchase if this is important to you. Many do not give pronunciation for compound words, but this is not much of a problem.
Pronunciation may be given in IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) phonetics or in some English-language approximation. The latter is usually reserved for phrasebooks. I would opt for the former in a serious dictionary.
Digital dictionaries frequently offer spoken (audio) pronunciations but generally not for every single word. Check before purchase whether this feature requires an Internet connection or whether it is available offline.
Comprehensiveness
Inevitably there will be words or expressions that are missing from one otherwise excellent dictionary but listed in another; this latter dictionary, however, will be found to suffer the same defect. Desirable though it be, completeness is an overrated feature: of higher value is usability. A more comprehensive dictionary may have less appeal in other respects. The important thing is to have a dictionary you are happy to consult at the drop of a hat. You can always have a more comprehensive reference sitting on the shelf, ready for special occasions. Or you can look at one of the major online dictionaries when the opportunity presents itself.
Gender
The gender of all German nouns needs to be clearly indicated, regardless of headword language. This applies to German→English, English→German and German-only dictionaries.
Syllabification
Very handy for the purposes of pronunciation, hyphenation (if the word has to be split at the end of a line) and appreciation of a word’s constituent parts.
Separability of verb prefixes
It’s not enough to view syllabification of a verb in German. If it has one of the standard prefixes, you want to know whether the prefix is separable or not. Even then, things are not always as easy as they should be. Take the verb “voranstellen”, for example. Some dictionaries don’t list it at all. Some state that it has a separable prefix but leave you guessing whether it is “vor” or “voran”. (Once you know some German, you will know the answer to this, but dictionaries are for people who do not know everything about a language.) Some have the separability indication mixed in (somewhat obscurely) with the pronunciation. (Sigh!)
Standard conjugated forms shown with verbs
Most German dictionaries provide two or three standard conjugation forms alongside the infinitive of a verb, together with some indication of whether the perfect tense is formed with “haben” or with “sein”. This can be very handy and save you having to rummage through separate tables or scour the verb’s entire entry in the hope of finding one of these forms among the examples of usage. The main German-only Duden dictionary is an exception here, but it is on no account to be dismissed as a consequence; indeed, it should be part of every student of German’s reference library.
All conjugated forms of verbs listed as headwords
It is not obvious that “gewesen” (for example) is a form of “sein”. It has to be easily found as a word in its own right, either in the normal alphabetical listing in a print dictionary or via a search engine in a digital dictionary. It is not sufficient for it to be listed simply under “sein” or be buried in a table of irregular verbs somewhere.
Compound words and derivative expressions
Compound words, which may or may not be hyphenated, may be listed with one of the constituent headwords or be listed as headwords in their own right. Derivative expressions are generally listed with one or more of the headwords they contain. In all situations, it must be possible to find such words or expressions with ease, either via helpful layout and formatting or via an efficient search engine.
Dative
If a verb takes an object in the dative case instead of the accusative case, there should be some indication of this. This may be via a specific reference to the dative or by implication via an expression containing (for example) “jemandem”.
Substitute symbols
If every occurrence of a word within the dictionary entry for that word were spelled out in full (ie, in each example of usage), the resulting bulk and cost of the book could be prohibitive. Therefore, many dictionaries use a substitute symbol to represent subsequent instances of headwords. The swung dash (“∼”) is commonly employed for this purpose.
Especially with a lengthy entry, one needs constantly to bear in mind what the symbol stands for on this particular occasion. Perusing the entry for an expression of interest can be somewhat hampered because the sought expression does not leap out at you, as it were. The degree of obscurity imposed by this device may or may not be a deal-breaker for you. Other things being equal, I would prefer a dictionary to spell out each occurrence of a word rather than use substitute symbols. Given that other things are not always equal, I have both sorts of dictionary in my library.
With capacious modern digital devices, there should be little need to use substitute symbols. However, some excellent digital dictionaries still do so.
Search
With digital dictionaries, the search operation needs to find what you are looking for. It is useful for a search engine to accommodate wildcard searches whereby you can insert a symbol (such as “?”, for example) to stand for one or more letters when you are not quite sure of the spelling or whether there is an umlaut or not, or when you are looking for multiple variants of a word. Sometimes search engines find only headwords and not expressions. (This is not necessarily a huge problem, but it is not ideal.)
Some search engines exhibit the phenomenon of search match discontinuity. If you can’t avoid it, at least be aware of it and the remedy (viz, disregard the match failure message and finish typing the complete search term before accepting that the term is not to be found). Digital is not always better than print!
Supplementary material
It’s always fun to see what supplementary material a dictionary contains. Many will have such things as lists of irregular verbs, cardinal and ordinal numbers, days of the week, months of the year, and the like. Some will have templates for email messages, business letters, accommodation enquiries, and extending and accepting invitations. Every now and then, though, a publisher excels itself and produces a publication that is worth buying for the supplementary material alone — which is not to impugn the quality of the dictionary proper. The print version of Barron’s German–English Dictionary is one such example.
Cost
Dictionaries are something you keep for many years, so cost should not be an overriding consideration. If the worst comes to the worst, you can pick up a second-hand dictionary for a pittance.
I encourage you to read the remarks in my Introduction to Resources.
Langenscheidt Taschenwörterbuch Englisch, published by Langenscheidt
ISBN: 978-3-468-11139-6Despite the title, this chunky little 1600-page two-way bilingual dictionary, bound in the familiar soft yellow plastic cover, would challenge most pockets for accommodation. Nevertheless it is a highly portable solid little work of reference.
Note that this particular edition is probably meant for German students of English, as evidenced by the fact that pronunciations are only given for English words, there is no indication whether a German verb is separable or not, and conjugated forms can only be inferred from examples. I review the book here because I have it and use it, and because such comments might help guide you in your own selection. There may well be a better Langenscheidt alternative for English-speaking students of German.
Compound words and derivative expressions are generally listed with the headword and not as headwords in their own right, but the blue coloring of these words, as well as of the headwords themselves, makes it easy to find them amongst the rest of the black text.
Illustrative examples represent the headword with a “~”. This latter device is common in dictionaries; it saves space in an already hefty volume, but at the expense of readability.
Pronunciations are given, but not for all compound words.
The gender of German nouns is given in both parts of the dictionary (ie, German→English and English→German sections). The case governing German prepositions is only given in the English→German section.
Definitions are contextualized, to facilitate choice of the correct word or expression in the setting of interest. In addition to phrases incorporating a headword, there are sometimes examples of complete sentences.
Barron’s German–English Dictionary
ISBN: 978-1-4380-0709-0
(Downloadable computer version included in the price of the print edition.)This is an extremely useful two-way bilingual dictionary. It is a substantial tome of approximately 1,260 pages bound in a soft plastic cover. A small bilingual color atlas separates the two language sections. The black-and-white typography in the dictionary proper makes good use of boldface and italics in order to make finding things easy. The typeface is sufficiently large that it should be comfortable enough for most people — unlike that in the comprehensive Collins dictionary reviewed next, where the print is so small that I consult it but rarely.
Compound words are listed as headwords in their own right, which is good, but non-initial occurrences of a headword in a paragraph are represented by a “~”. This latter device is common in dictionaries; it saves space in an already hefty volume, but at the expense of readability.
Pronunciations are given, but not for all compound words.
German verbs have the usual minimal conjugated forms in their main entry, together with (where appropriate) prefix separability and indication that “sein” is the relevant auxiliary verb. The gender of German nouns is given in both parts of the dictionary (ie, German→English and English→German sections). Relevant prepositions and case are also given.
Definitions are contextualized, to facilitate choice of the correct word or expression in the setting of interest. In addition to phrases incorporating a headword, there are often examples of complete sentences.
It is almost worth getting this book just for the 150-page Appendix which has lots of useful grammar and lists. Of particular note are the tables of prefixes and suffixes which I have not encountered anywhere else and which serve to illuminate the meanings of numerous words containing them; they are a veritable treasure trove of information.
Adding to the value of your purchase is availability of a downloadable dictionary application for macOS or Windows computers, at no extra charge. I only have experience of the Mac version. Among other things, it offers multi-colored text, wildcard searches and (for many but not all words) audible pronunciations. However, apart from a minimalist list of irregular German verbs, it lacks the supplementary material found in the Appendix of the print edition.
In summary, I think this book (even without the associated computer application) represents excellent value for money and has much to offer the student of German. Recommended.
Collins German Dictionary, Concise Edition
ISBN: 978-0-00-722408-1This particular edition appears to have been superseded.
This substantial volume of almost 1,400 pages is a true two-way bilingual dictionary, to the extent that, not only are pronunciations given in both halves, but the Introduction and the extensive notes on dictionary usage are given in both languages, side by side in two columns. The supplementary material is likewise bilingual and provides a rich source of expressions and templates for various occasions.
The use of color is helpful, but the print is so small that readability suffers. You need a magnifying glass to read the phonetic pronunciations. The swung dash (“∼”) is used as a substitute symbol, but it is so small that it is difficult to distinguish it from an em dash (“—”). The way words are grouped (those commencing with “Wasser”, for example) is also confusing. All this is a real shame, as this book is replete with information and examples of usage. A more recent edition may be an improvement, but, given the absence of any views inside the books on the publisher’s Website, I would be loath to recommend purchasing any of them without first physically holding them in the hand.
Collins German School Dictionary
ISBN: 978-0-00-756934-2It is difficult to know which of the current line-up of Collins dictionaries is closest to the one I review here.
A similar physical size to the Langenscheidt dictionary reviewed above, but, at around 620 pages, not quite so thick. Good for beginners, with helpful formatting. Pronunciations are not given, but relevant grammatical information and some examples of usage are. An interesting feature is the appendix of verb tables giving the full conjugations of some 97 verbs — interesting because verbs in the body of the dictionary refer you to the table number of the verb that is conjugated similarly.
Many traditional lexicon publishers have subsets of their databases converted to digital format by a single software manufacturer which specializes in this sort of product. This explains why many of the digital dictionaries share the same features and deficits.
Be aware that not all iOS apps work the same (if at all) on all iOS devices: my experience of iOS apps is on an iPhone only. Always check the hardware and system requirements for any software before purchasing.
Note, too, that most of the products reviewed here are also available in versions having greater or lesser specification. For example, the fact that a particular PONS dictionary here is more comprehensive than a particular Langenscheidt one does not mean that Langenscheidt does not also offer a dictionary that is comparable to, or exceeds, the PONS product with respect to number of words and expressions.
Langenscheidt Professional-Wörterbuch Englisch
macOS application, iOS app, Android app, Windows phone app(Here I review the macOS application. The version reviewed here is actually titled Langenscheidt English↔German Talking Dictionary Professional, but it appears to be the same application.)
This two-way bilingual dictionary is generally the first one I consult on my computer because it does not use substitute symbols. It is reasonably comprehensive (equivalent to the printed Langenscheidt dictionary reviewed above), has attractive formatting and gives you the simple grammatical information you want. Phonetic pronunciations are given for English words but not for German words, which suggests it was originally meant for German speakers. However, spoken (audio) pronunciations are given for many words in both languages; this does not require an Internet connection.
The English→German half has an innovative feature that is sadly lacking in the German→English half. For many (but not all) words, clicking on “a…” to the right of the word in the headword listing replaces the definition display with a display of relevant grammar; eg, noun declension, verb conjugation, adjective comparison. Very handy!
Unfortunately, there are some display bugs, and full-text search does not seem to work at all. But normal headword searching is not affected by search match discontinuity. So, for use as a straightforward digital substitute for a printed dictionary, it suits my purpose.
Langenscheidt Professional-Wörterbuch Englisch
macOS application, iOS app, Android app, Windows phone app(Here I review the iOS app on an iPhone. The version reviewed here is actually titled Langenscheidt German↔English Talking Dictionary Professional, but it appears to be the same app.)
The transposition in the original name notwithstanding, this two-way bilingual dictionary is the iOS equivalent of the macOS dictionary above. It is generally the first one I consult on my iPhone because it does not use substitute symbols. (I use it so often that it occupies one of the privileged positions in the Dock.) It is reasonably comprehensive, has attractive formatting, and gives you the simple grammatical information you want. Wildcard search and anagram search are offered, as is search history. Again, phonetic pronunciations are given for English words but not for German words, which suggests it was originally meant for German speakers. However, spoken (audio) pronunciations are given for many words in both languages; this does not require an Internet connection.
The English→German half has an innovative feature that is sadly lacking in the German→English half. For many (but not all) words, clicking on an icon in the header opens a window with relevant grammar; eg, noun declension, verb conjugation, adjective comparison. Very handy!
In contrast to the macOS version, there are no display bugs and full-text search does work, albeit exhibiting search match discontinuity.
PONS English–German Premium Dictionary
macOS application, iOS app, Android app(Here I review the iOS app on an iPhone.)
An excellent two-way bilingual dictionary. It is more comprehensive than the Langenscheidt dictionaries reviewed above — so much so that you will do lots more scrolling, which can at times be irksome. Audio pronunciations (not requiring Internet connection) are available for many words in both halves of the dictionary. The swung dash is used as a substitute symbol. Wildcard search is offered, but the app suffers from search match discontinuity. However, it has multi-colored text and attractive layout, together with the grammatical features you want.
The English→German half has an innovative feature that is sadly lacking in the German→English half. For many (but not all) words, clicking on an icon in the header opens a window with relevant grammar; eg, noun declension, verb conjugation, adjective comparison. Very handy!
This is generally the second dictionary I consult on my iPhone, the substitute symbol device demoting it from Number One.
Barron’s German–English Bilingual Dictionary
macOS application, iOS app, Android app(Here I review the macOS application.)
This is the downloadable application available for no extra charge when you purchase the printed edition. It appears to be based on a dictionary from PONS, but it is not so comprehensive as the PONS iOS app reviewed here. An advantage of this is that there is less scrolling!
With multi-colored text and attractive layout, it is pleasing to use. It has most of the features you want, including grammatical information and wildcard search, but it uses the swung dash as a substitute symbol and suffers from search match discontinuity.
It is bilingual to the extent that audio pronunciations (not requiring Internet connection) are available for many words in both halves of the dictionary. However, as with the PONS iOS app reviewed above, the two halves are not symmetrical, in that the English→German half has an innovative feature that is sadly lacking in the German→English half. For many (but not all) words, clicking on a small icon opposite the headword entry opens a small window with relevant grammar; eg, noun declension, verb conjugation, adjective comparison. As I say, very handy!
Duden-Wissensnetz deutsche Sprache
Free download to Dictionary application in macOSGerman-only. Etymologies are included. You generally need to scan the examples of usage if you are looking for conjugated forms.
Greyscale appearance and use of vertical lines rather than line breaks to separate examples of usage make finding what you want difficult. At least substitute symbols are not employed, so that helps somewhat.
Can be very challenging for someone with limited knowledge of German but worth having a go. This dictionary will often come up trumps when others fall short.
Duden — Deutsches Universalwörterbuch
macOS application, iOS app, Android app(Here I review the iOS app.)
German-only. Similar to the macOS application above in actual dictionary content, so the same comments on usefulness apply. More operational features than the macOS application.
The initial letter of a word is used as a substitute symbol for the word in examples of usage, which can make things a bit obscure, but at least line breaks are employed to separate examples of usage.
Wildcard search and anagram search are offered, as is search history. However, the application suffers from search match discontinuity.
This app is part of the Duden Wörterbücher Deutsch suite. You download the free Duden Wörterbücher Deutsch app, then purchase from within it whatever components of the suite you want.
Duden — Das Synonymwörterbuch
macOS application, iOS app, Android app(Here I review the iOS app on an iPhone.)
A thesaurus is invaluable if you do any writing; I wouldn’t be without one. They are good, too, for increasing your vocabulary.
This is a German-only thesaurus. Synonyms are grouped according to connotation, and regional or colloquial usage is indicated where relevant. Wildcard search and anagram search are offered, as is search history. A very interesting feature is the Volltextsuche which here acts as a “reverse thesaurus” whereby the search engine can return a list of all entries containing the search term. Note that no grammatical information (such as gender) accompanies the synonyms.
This app is part of the Duden Wörterbücher Deutsch suite. You download the free Duden Wörterbücher Deutsch app, then purchase from within it whatever components of the suite you want.
Oxford German Dictionary
Free download to Dictionary application in macOSYou could probably get by with this dictionary, but it is not so easy to use as one might like. Although it is a two-way dictionary, it is not immediately apparent which direction you are looking at. Main words have phonetic pronunciations, but some notation is obscure and there is no guide to explicate it. Despite not employing substitute symbols, the greyscale appearance makes it difficult to spot the expression you seek amongst the examples of usage of a word, so it doesn’t quite have the appeal of some other dictionaries. It does offer a fair bit, though, and I do use it occasionally.
- Duden (nur Deutsch)
- BEOLINGUS
- Langenscheidt
- PONS
- dict.cc
- langua.de
- woerterbuch.info (mit Synonymen)
- DWDS (Wörterbuch und Thesaurus, nur Deutsch)
- OpenThesaurus (nur Deutsch)