PONS Dictionary review
A broad bilingual dictionary with useful learning tools, mobile access and an API.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
PONS Dictionary is an online reference and translation service for people learning or using foreign languages. It supports bilingual lookup for words, phrases, expressions and common word combinations, with searches in both language directions. Pronunciation audio, usage examples, context information, grammatical details and verb conjugation tables make it useful beyond simple word definitions. The service is available on the web, iOS and Android, with an API for websites and applications.
Its strongest area is phrase-level and bidirectional lookup. Users can check how a word or expression is used, listen to playable pronunciation audio and review verb forms without switching between separate reference tools. Text translation is available alongside individual-word lookup, while the mobile app adds downloadable dictionaries for offline access. The mobile translation app covers 36 languages, although the available language combinations differ from the online dictionary. This makes PONS a practical fit for language learners, travelers and multilingual users who need both reference and translation functions.
The pricing model is freemium. Free online access includes advertising, while the mobile translation app offers paid ad-free options through PONS Pur. The service also provides the PONS Online Dictionary API, allowing lookup capabilities to be integrated into websites and applications. That combination gives developers an integration path and gives mobile users offline access, but people seeking an ad-free experience need a paid option. Choose PONS for broad bilingual lookup, pronunciation, examples, conjugation and mobile reference. Consider another dictionary if your priority is a single, uniform language set across every surface or an entirely ad-free free tier.
PONS Dictionary pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free bilingual lookup across 36 languages
- Pronunciation, examples and verb conjugation support
- Offline mobile dictionaries and an integration API
- Where it doesn't
- Free online access includes advertising
- Ad-free access requires a paid option
- Language coverage varies by dictionary combination
PONS Dictionary fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update