Has your child started reading? Now is the perfect time to expose them to new words and let them learn in a fun environment. However, finding age-appropriate content for children to learn can be tricky. Therefore, we suggest online dictionaries for kids.
We’ve prepared a list of the top 8 kids’ online dictionaries. Besides the list of online kids’ dictionaries, we’ve prepared a few tips on how to help your kids learn with their online dictionaries. Go through our list and pick the best online dictionary for kid.
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Online dictionaries help children understand new words’ meanings, play exciting word games, develop research skills, and have fun. Although the Internet gives plenty of learning opportunities for all age groups, to make learning the most effective for your child, you must find age-appropriate content for them to enjoy learning new words fully.
However, it can be hard to go through all the online dictionaries for kids to find the one you find most appropriate for your child. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of the top 8 kids’ online dictionaries to help your child fully enjoy the online learning experience.
Ludwig Dictionary is an online sentence search engine. This kids’ online dictionary finds sentence examples for words your child wants to learn. It searches newspapers, scientific journals, and documents for the best examples. Your child just types in their sentence or word, and Ludwig Dictionary gives examples of the sentence or expression used in context.
They can type in any language and let Ludwig automatically translate it into English. Ludwig Dictionary offers advanced features that compare frequencies of similar expressions, find missing words, paraphrase sentences, give synonyms, etc.
Even though Ludwig provides a free plan, it limits your child to 15 search results. On the other hand, premium plans, starting at $3.99 per month, give much more, including unlimited daily queries, a library, interactive results, and more.
Britannica is the biggest name for dictionaries and encyclopedias. Today, children can enjoy Britannica Kids Dictionary online. It’s one of the best sources for homework for children of any age. Britannica Kids offers two categories – kids and students – making it suitable for all ages.
This online dictionary includes articles, interactive world atlas, media libraries, texts for all age groups, speech-to-text features, and more. Searching for word meanings is also easy and quick. Your child just needs to type in the word and get the full definition of it.
Britannica Kids Dictionary offers a free 7-day trial, a monthly subscription of $8.99, and an annual subscription of $74.95.
Macmillan Dictionary offers much more than just word definitions. With this online dictionary, your kids will have full experience with pronunciations, idioms, collocations, and synonyms. Moreover, they’ll have fun with images, videos, emojis, and sound effects.
Macmillan Dictionary also has a crowdsourced Open Dictionary, allowing users to submit their proposals for words, phrases, or expressions for the website to consider and add to their library. Additionally, this online dictionary has the BuzzWord feature that allows kids to discover new, fun ways to use words.
Learning through jokes and humor, metaphors, and language infographics makes Macmillan Dictionary one of the best free online dictionaries for kids.
WordWeb Dictionary is an online dictionary for kids that offers an easy and intuitive mobile app. By installing the app, your child is just a few clicks away from learning new words, definitions, and more. Your child can bookmark useful words to find them easily later.
As your child types, WordWeb Dictionary suggests spelling corrections to help them learn. Each word search also comes with synonyms, antonyms, and sentence examples. Furthermore, your child can learn about words that sound similar to the given word and find related words for possible collocations.
WordWeb Dictionary has a free version that can be downloaded on the child’s phone. However, WordWeb also has a monthly pricing plan for premium accounts starting at $1.25, giving your child more features like audio pronunciations, custom glossaries, etc.
Merriam-Webster is one of the most popular online dictionaries, offering clear definitions, pronunciations, synonyms, antonyms, sentence examples, and much more. Merriam-Webster Word Central is a perfect online dictionary for kids.
This kids’ online dictionary offers age-appropriate definitions of words, a thesaurus, a rhyming dictionary, usage, and grammar. What makes Merriam-Webster Word Central perfect for kids is its incredible features, such as challenges to test their vocabulary, spelling quizzes, word of the day, crosswords, and other games.
Merriam-Webster Word Central is a free online kids’ dictionary. However, it also has a monthly premium option, starting at $4.95.
Kids.Wordsmyth offers an intuitive interface for kids. It’s suitable for kids of different ages with numerous features to help your child with word meanings and to improve reading levels and allows children to search for specific words or vocabulary categories at age-appropriate levels.
The Kids.Wordsmyth Dictionary offers several levels for children of different ages, from beginner to advanced. Word definitions, reading tasks, and animations fit the level and age of your child. This online kids’ dictionary offers fantastic features, such as reverse search, word part search with roots and affixes, and several quizzes to test their knowledge.
Fortunately, the Kids.Wordsmyth Dictionary is mostly free, with numerous features available. However, it does have an annual subscription plan starting at $9.95, which includes advanced options with personalized entry display, unlimited wordlists, and without ads.
Google Dictionary is one of the most extensive and complete online dictionaries. It comes as an extension to Google Chrome, which allows your child to look up words as they browse the Internet without the need to open a separate online dictionary. It allows for easy word-meaning access in several different languages.
Google Dictionary is perfect for kids as it allows them to learn new words on the go while they’re surfing the Internet. This online dictionary offers detailed definitions, sentence examples, synonyms, antonyms, word origin, translation, and a graph showing the word’s popularity and use over time.
Google Dictionary can store a history of words your child searched for and make flashcards with given terms and definitions.
Most importantly, the Google Dictionary extension is completely free for Google Chrome users.
Fact Monster is much more than just an online dictionary for kids. Besides a dictionary, your child can learn from encyclopedias, history timelines, almanacs, atlas, and more. Thus, besides words, your child can learn math, history, science, social studies, etc. This allows for the perfect age-appropriate content for learning.
Fact Monster Dictionary provides your child with several applicable definitions for each term they search for. The kids can learn proper pronunciation and practice what they’ve learned through fun challenges, such as spelling bees, word quizzes, crosswords, analogies, and other games. This website also provides excellent homework and test materials.
It’s one of the best online dictionaries for kids because it’s free.
Online dictionaries are perfect tools for your children to learn new words and have fun doing so. Since they can be found online, they allow children to learn wherever and whenever they want. However, getting your child used to an online dictionary can be tricky. Therefore, you can help your child learn new words by following these tips.
Nowadays, children are very tech-savvy and hooked on using the Internet for everything they need, so online dictionaries present a perfect learning tool for your child. However, they can quickly get bored with so many different websites at their fingertips.
Luckily, mobile apps are much more interactive and attractive to children, so check if an online dictionary has an app available. This will reduce the possibility of your child getting bored and abandoning their online dictionary. Kids’ online dictionary apps are intuitive, colorful, and appealing for children, making them interact and learn in a fun and age-appropriate way.
As much as kids’ online dictionaries are safe and encouraged to use, monitoring your child’s internet use is strongly advised. The Internet is full of content you don’t want your child exposed to, so you have to be careful of their Internet usage. But how can you do that? Installing a parental control app gives you control over what and when your child searches online.
Therefore, we suggest Wondershare FamiSafe for ensuring your child’s safety online. Wondershare FamiSafe is installed on both child’s and parents’ phones. As a parent, you can control your child’s screen time and what apps and websites they use. You can also restrict certain words and search results from appearing and, thus, protect your child from unwanted content.
Your child might get bored quickly using an online dictionary, so it’s essential to make a habit of learning new words while also keeping it fun. If you present your child with an online dictionary and tell them to use it to learn, they’ll probably have an aversion to it. Therefore, you have to find a different approach.
Children love spending time with their parents and having their full attention – we suggest using an online dictionary together. You can show your child how fun it is to use a kids’ online dictionary and use it with them until it becomes a habit so that they can use it on their own.
You’ll get to spend quality time with your child, trying different online dictionaries and choosing the best one.
Another part of helping your child learn and enjoy learning is supporting them and praising their progress. Your child strives for your approval as they view you as their role model, so besides using an online dictionary together, you can follow their progress and ensure they know you’re proud of them.
You can check their progress by doing a quiz or spelling bee together. Stay with them while they answer questions and wait for the results – it shows your child they’re acknowledged and endorsed. You can also actively participate in testing their knowledge by using flashcards and solving crosswords together. Make sure you praise their progress along the way.
While your child is doing word quizzes, crosswords, or spelling bees, they will make some mistakes. It’s your job as a parent to make them understand it’s okay to make mistakes. Avoid criticizing and condemning them when they make mistakes, but explain that making mistakes is a part of the learning journey.
Tell them that practice makes perfect and that everyone initially makes mistakes. They’re a standard part of learning. Your child should still know you’re proud of them and their progress, and you can suggest learning that part together so you can help them understand it better.
That way, you ensure a healthy environment for your child to learn and progress by showing support and compassion.
If you want to help your child learn new words and practice reading, make sure they use a kids’ online dictionary. Since there are numerous online dictionaries for kids, it can be hard to pick the best one. That's why we’ve prepared reviews for our top eight online kids’ dictionaries.
You can implement some of these tips on helping your child use online dictionaries, find the best online dictionary for kids, and help your child enjoy learning in a safe and fun environment.