The Best 5 Translation Sites of 2019

When you need to read another language, these sites have you covered

Keyboard with country flags and translate button

cybrain / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Not all online translation websites are created equal. Some will translate your spoken words into text, translate that text into another language, and then finally speak the translation in the other language. Others are less detailed and are better for simple word-to-word translations or website translations.

Here are the best sites to help you translate from one language to another.

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 app or language exchange site.

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Google Translate: Best Overall Translator

Google Translate English to Arabic

What We Like

  • Works quickly.

  • Identifies languages automatically.

  • Supports a huge variety of languages.

  • Can read the translation aloud.

What We Don't Like

  • It's been known to make very wrong translations.

Google has as online translator website called Google Translate, and it's the best one out there. If you try only one translator site, make it be this one. It translates text you enter into the box as well as documents and entire web pages.

Google Translate excels when you want to translate single words or phrases to see how they appear or sound in another language. It also works surprisingly well if you're needing to speak with someone when neither of you can understand the other language. Just type and watch the translation appear off to the right.

One of the best features of Google Translate is its 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. You can click those terms to instantly add them to the translation box, which provides a dictionary-like way of learning a language.

These are some other features Google Translate offers:

  • You can translate websites and translate documents.
  • Save translations to your own phrasebook for reference later.
  • Use some of the translation features right from Google Search.
  • The Translate Community verifies translations to help make Google Translate an accurate translator.
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Yandex Translate: Best Translator for Images and Websites

Yandex Translate image translation from Russian to English

What We Like

  • 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.

What We Don't Like

  • Photo translator accepts only files you upload, not online images.

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. You can also use it to translate websites and even to translate images.

This translate website is really helpful for one-time lookups but is also nice to use for learning a new language. When you translate a website, you can 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, you can zoom way up if you have to and even highlight specific words to be translated. For example, you can select just one word to get that translation or select the whole image to have everything translated. 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 you'll get with Yandex Translate:

  • Fixes can be suggested for bad translations.
  • Supports text input of up to 10,000 characters.
  • You can swap between the two languages with one button.
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Reverso: Best Language Learning Translator

Reverso translation website

What We Like

  • Has a spell checker.

  • Translates without having to click a button.

  • Listen to the source and translated text.

  • On-screen keyboard for many languages.

  • Improve translations with ratings.

What We Don't Like

  • Supports only a dozen languages.

  • Instant translations are often slow.

  • Doesn't auto-identify the input language.

  • Can't transcribe your speech into text.

Another online translation service is available at Reverso. Like Google Translate, it can translate between languages automatically and supports several of the more common languages.

Something worth mentioning about the Reverso translation website is the context translations they offer. After performing a translation, just below the translated text is a box of a few more examples of how that translation might look if the input text was 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."

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Bing Microsoft Translator: Easiest Translator to Use

Bing translator website

What We Like

  • Really easy to use.

  • Translates instantly.

  • Supports lots of languages.

What We Don't Like

  • Many languages aren't supported.

Like some other translation sites, Bing Microsoft Translator offers an auto-detect feature for those times you can't guess the language you need to translate. What makes this translator website different is its simplicity: there's next to nothing on the screen yet it still works great.

However, that's about all that makes this translation site worth it. The Bing translator is basically the same as any other simple translator website. However, it does work with lots of common languages and is very, very easy to use for anyone.

Here are some other notable features:

  • The input text box accepts up to 5,000 characters.
  • It has an attractive, modern interface.
  • It's easy to share the translation or copy it to the clipboard.
  • You can swap between the two languages with one button.
  • Works through Bing searches.
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Internet Slang Translator: Best Informal Translator

An internet slang translator

What We Like

  • Conversions happen automatically (no button-clicking needed).

  • Translates common internet lingo.

What We Don't Like

  • Only supports English.

  • Lots of slang terms don't translate appropriately.

  • Some regular words are translated incorrectly.

As the name would suggest, Internet Slang Translator is more for fun, not practical use. Just type some words you want converted into slang, or enter internet slang to translate it to proper English.

While you might not use this translator site 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.