Please: Which is Best (Software-Usability-Tech-Advanced) ANDROID Thai-Eng-Thai Dictionary?

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

Sometimes, you will see the "which is best dictionary" question posed on the Thai Language SubForum, however the commenters do not often comment on software design and usability, search algorithms, menu design and readability,and other aspects that make one dictionary the best in its class. Sometimes if you read reviews of English dictionaries, then reviewers will discuss design and performance, and so I wonder if there is one dictionary that really stands out as being clearly the best to provide the fastest, most accurate English-Thai, Thai-English word lookup when using the keyboard on an Android device such as a tablet or small smartphone.

You might think that this topic should be placed in the Thai language section of this forum, but I do not think so. Reason - there are plenty of people here who are both very conversant with android devices, and who might be developers, and for whom Thai might be a first or a fluent second language, and I think we will get better answers and comments here than over int the Thai Language subforum.

Most of these dictionaries are just operating with the same databases anyway, the LEXiTRON developed by NECTEC Thailand. Lecitron priject, if I am right was begun by some IT Profs in Europe or somewhere, who knows, and I could be wrong. So, we do not really need to discuss the dictionaries content here, since probably they are mostly the same.

Instead, I just want to know about ease of use, about ease of virtual keyboards used, and all tech aspects which make Lookup in English or Thai lightening fast as possible.,

IF A DIC IS Slow in use, then we tend not to use it very much while reading or studying, and there are many of these lying around here, both paper bound and electronic.

My thesis is that the computer guys on this forum know more about electronic language dictionaries than the language learners in most cases, and please give us your best ideas concerning the number ONE Android choice. 1.FAST, 2.ACCURATE IN ENGLISH OR THAI. 3 HOPEFULLY with Pronunciation Features and 4. Database to enter newly learned words.

There are quite a few to choose from, but we should choose those without ads if possible, so that we do not become too annoyed while using them;

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.htcheng.enth

.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.astrotek.dictionary.thfree

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.minimal.thaiengdict

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.akdevelopment.dict.enthai.free

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dictionary.en_th

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.thana.thaidict

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=okmonkeys.knowledge4

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=en.th.best.dict

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codemobiles.droidslator.dictbundle

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dictionary2.en_th

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.codegent.learnthai

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=androidcode.in.th.Handwrite

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clickforbuild.thaienglishdictionary

So of these, and probably a few others, what can we say to help others, and ourselves, stop wasting time finding the best.

I would rather spend this time on dictionary use, not so much on constant dictionary comparison and self-doubt, about whether I found the one.

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

Just for the fun of it, I again downloaded 18 different English-Thai-English dictionaries to both a tablet and an android smart phone, including all the above listed apps.

I have no idea which is the best, and wish someone knew.

[crazygreg44]

have you checked Click Thai English/Thai yet ?

[kimbathewhitelion]

Once again avoiding reading past the subject/topic title, but what about Google's "Translate". Works great for me & the wife. Also use it with Thai businesses.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

have you checked Click Thai English/Thai yet ?

Yes, definitely, thank you.

However, I had thought that Click Thai has the online dictionary, but does not have the Android app available for download from Google Play Store.

If they do, I will definitely download it to the tablet and begin using it, because I find their website really helpful.

ALSO, now that I have downloaded the 18 different dictionaries, I have found 2 of they where they provide both English and Thai pronunciation (so far).

AND, already I can see a big difference in the SPEED. One takes 1/2 second to render the pronunciation "Thai Dictionary" With the British Flag on the logo, is much slower and sometimes takes SIX seconds.

The one from AK Development that says English Thai Dictionary renders pronunciation very fast.

The interface of the the slower one is nicer.

I suppose we should number these somehow, and then we could vote on them, or at least have an easier time referring to them.

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

Once again avoiding reading past the subject/topic title, but what about Google's "Translate". Works great for me & the wife. Also use it with Thai businesses.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

The Google Translate is a good service, however the definitions are not based on dictionary methods, but on a Google search of thousands of printed documents using computer algorithms and who knows what.

In my opinion, the definitions are not good for a direct mapping of English to Thai.

Please do not take my word for it:

Google has a very good write-up which tells us exactly how their program works, how words are chosen, and how translations are made.

Google Translate is NOT a dictionary, and I don't think it is designed to be one.

It is a very good application for many things, such as typing Thai, and searching for Thai words.

Of course the Google Input Tools are useful for typing Thai on PC, but I have not used them on Android Phone or Tablet.

[kimbathewhitelion]

Dictionary App wise can't say, I used books for the tonal pronunciations & sentence structure.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

After beginning to go through these dictionary apps one by one, they use different methods for generating the audio for pronunciation.

The one I am on now, "Thai Fast Dictionary ver 1.2" uses Thai TTS, which is a plugin that is similar to the one used on ANKI to add obtain audio files from Google translate service. This is called Thai TTS, and then there is another one Awesome TTS.

Other dictionaries use various methods including Google Translate.

Google Translate audio is very accurate for Thai language, and the pronunciation and tones are good. (Just my humble opinion)

If you are interested in Thai, these are mostly free apps, so you ought to download them and then comment here.

TKS!

[MichaelJohn]

Google works for me - no ads :-)

[schondie]

If you have a constant internet connection then there's only one choice;

thai2english.com

It works both ways - Eng-Th and Th-Eng. The best there is for free. This has all the definitions of each word or phrase.

Google translate looks very amateur compared to this site.

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

If you have a constant internet connection then there's only one choice;

thai2english.com

It works both ways - Eng-Th and Th-Eng. The best there is for free. This has all the definitions of each word or phrase.

Google translate looks very amateur compared to this site.

I have seen that there is a "mobile phone" choice on this website, I think, but will this work with Android tablet and Android phone while connected to the net?

And, how fast compared to other dictionaries?

(The content is another issues, but that question should be addressed in the "Thai Language" subforum.

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

If you have a constant internet connection then there's only one choice;

thai2english.com

It works both ways - Eng-Th and Th-Eng. The best there is for free. This has all the definitions of each word or phrase.

Google translate looks very amateur compared to this site.

After re-visiting the website you link, there is NO MENTION of any Android app.

Do you have an Android App Link for the source you mention?

[BB1950]

If you have a constant internet connection then there's only one choice;

thai2english.com

It works both ways - Eng-Th and Th-Eng. The best there is for free. This has all the definitions of each word or phrase.

Google translate looks very amateur compared to this site.

I checked the site mentioned. The Windows version is not free, it's a free trial.

If you're installing for the first time, Thai2English will initially run as a trial version. This is fully functional, except for being limited to 15 days of use and disallowing copying to the clipboard. Both these restrictions are removed when you purchase a license key.

The personal use license is $39.95 and good for use on multiple computers.

[Somtamnication]

Thai dic by Ponjaman Becker is brilliant. A bit expensive and all the audio is recorded by.....her. Shows different scripts used by them as well.

Layout is ok. A bit primitive but it does have romanization of Thai words as well. Negatives are no phrases and it has not been updated in over a year.

I use it daily to practice MY pronunciation.

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

Thai dic by Ponjaman Becker is brilliant. A bit expensive and all the audio is recorded by.....her. Shows different scripts used by them as well.

Layout is ok. A bit primitive but it does have romanization of Thai words as well. Negatives are no phrases and it has not been updated in over a year.

I use it daily to practice MY pronunciation.

Agreed, that everyone who uses this likes it, and it is very fast. All good points.

BUT, as you say, there is the price issue, and the fact that if you buy the Windows, or the Iphone software, then it cannot be used on the ANDROID without buying a whole new set of software even though you are using the same dictionary, basically.

And, as someone pointed out, there is no History, or databases where you can save favorite words, or words just learning.

IF, this company finally offers a price where you can pay 800Baht, and where one can use that ticket you buy to have the dic run on all three platforms, then I will buy.

BUT NO TIL THEN.

[BKKdreaming]

google and Bing translaters seem to give weird results for Thai

if you do a German or French page you can normally read all of it , maybe there is more imput

buy Thai does not seem to translate well, maybe a native speaker can explain why

thanks

[CzarThustraThusSpake]

google and Bing translaters seem to give weird results for Thai

if you do a German or French page you can normally read all of it , maybe there is more imput

buy Thai does not seem to translate well, maybe a native speaker can explain why

thanks

Since we are in a foreign land, Thailand, we are more interested than most in machine translation.

I have read some about Google Translate, and this Google Link explains what is going on, and why some languages are translated more accurately, and many other questions:

http://translate.google.com/about/intl/en_ALL/

I think that the reason that Thai has so many weird translations offered for the same word or phrase is that the documents on line, which the Google robot reads and stores in its database, are not as many as in some other languages, so the bot does not have as many usage examples to work with. Probably there are other reasons, such as human writers who don't know how to write proper Thai, or proper English, or both.

Basically, what we need is a computer interface on our Android Devices which is:

1 FAST

2 SIMPLE TO OPERATE (ON THE GO WHEN YOU ARE TALKING TO SOMEONE)

3 HAS HUGE NUMBER OF ENTRIES (For different fields of inquiry, such as Sciences, Math, History, Gas Station, etc.)

4. True, so far I have downloaded quite a few, but I have not done much work to compare them.

I was hoping that someone here might have already made the effort to compare these in a more methodical way.

[bino]

Once again avoiding reading past the subject/topic title, but what about Google's "Translate". Works great for me & the wife. Also use it with Thai businesses.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

+ 1. Google translate works for me and every situation I have been in where I needed it. The voice translation is also very cool. Speak to it and hear in Thai.

I tried a few dictionaries from the Play Store a long time ago and gave up ont hem because Google Translate just works.

[dominique355]

I don't know if this is the best dico, but I use the "Talking Thai<>English Dictionary" by Paiboon Publishing Inc.

I allows you to hear the Thai and/or the English word's pronunciation. It costs something but it's worth the money.