Free Dictionary

Overview

Free Dictionary API (dictionaryapi.dev) returns rich English dictionary entries — definitions, parts of speech, phonetics with audio files, synonyms, and example sentences — as clean JSON. Free, keyless, and ideal for word-of-the-day widgets, writing apps, and language-learning tools.

Quick Start

Look up a word:

curl "https://api.dictionaryapi.dev/api/v2/entries/en/hello"

The response is an array of entries, each with phonetics (including audio URLs), meanings grouped by part of speech, and example sentences.

A missing word returns HTTP 404:

curl -i "https://api.dictionaryapi.dev/api/v2/entries/en/notaword123" | head -3

What’s in each entry

• word + phonetic spellings
• phonetics[] — text and audio URLs (US/UK pronunciations)
• meanings[] — grouped by part of speech (noun, verb, …), each with definitions[] (definition, example, synonyms, antonyms)
• sourceUrls[] — links to the source dictionary

Authentication

None — keyless.

Rate Limits & Notes

• Free and open; no documented hard limit, but be reasonable.
• 404 = word not found — handle it in your client (don’t treat it as an API error).
• Some words return multiple entries (e.g. homonyms with different etymologies) — the array length varies.
• Audio URLs point to third-party pronunciation files — check licensing if you redistribute them.

FAQ

Is Free Dictionary free? Yes — free and keyless.

What does a 404 mean? The word isn’t in the dictionary — that’s a normal “not found”, not a broken API.

Can I use the pronunciations in my app? The audio URLs are provided by the API; verify the source license if you plan to redistribute audio files.