Translations API

The Oxford Dictionaries API is a single API that supports multiple language capabilities, including dictionary data and lexical data. This page describes how to use it for bilingual dictionary translations across supported language pairs.

Use this capability when you need translation data for words, alongside structured lexical metadata such as examples, pronunciations, domains, registers and alternative spellings.

What can you do with the Translations API?

Use this capability to retrieve word-level translations between supported language pairs.

Typical Use Cases

The Translations API capability is typically used for bilingual lookup for:

  • Bilingual dictionary applications
  • Language learning platforms
  • Writing and vocabulary tools
  • Cross-language lexical reference tools

How this maps to the API

The Translations API capability is implemented using the Translations endpoint.

Languages supported by the Translations API capability

English (en) ↔ Arabic (ar), German (de), Greek (el), Spanish (es), Hausa (ha), Hindi (hi), Indonesian (id), Italian (it), Marathi (mr), Malay (ms), Portuguese (pt), Russian (ru), Tatar (tt), Simplified Chinese (zh).

Telugu (te) → English (en)

English (en) → Farsi (fa), Igbo (ig), Georgian (ka), Romanian (ro), Tajik (tg), Yoruba (yo).

Spanish (es) ↔ Quechua (qu)

See also: the Languages page.

Recommended workflows

Flow A: Raw user input → resolve headword → retrieve translations

Use this when input may be inflected or uncertain.

  1. Call the Search Translations endpoint to check whether a translation exists and retrieve the correct headword.
  2. Call the Translations endpoint with the resolved headword.
  3. (Optional) Enrich further using Words if additional dictionary data is required. See also: Dictionary API capability page.

Example:

Input: walked

Step 1: Search Translations → returns walk

Step 2: Translations → Spanish translations for the English word “walk” alongside examples, pronunciations and lexical data:

GET https://od-api.oxforddictionaries.com/api/v2/translations/en/es/walkCopy

Step 3: Words → British English monolingual entry for the word “walk”:

GET https://od-api.oxforddictionaries.com/api/v2/words/en-gb?q=walkCopy

Flow B: Known headword → retrieve translations only

If you already have a known headword and need translations only:

  1. Call the Translations endpoint directly using the translations field parameter.
  2. (Optional) Combine with Words for expanded monolingual dictionary content.

Example:

Input: contento

Step 1: Translations → English translations for the Spanish word “contento”:

GET https://od-api.oxforddictionaries.com/api/v2/translations/es/en/contento?fields=translationsCopy

Step 2: Words → Spanish monolingual entry for the word “contento”:

GET https://od-api.oxforddictionaries.com/api/v2/words/es?q=contentoCopy

When to use which endpoint

Situation Recommended endpoint
I have raw user input and need to check if a translation exists for it Search Translations
I already have a headword Translations
I need dictionary definitions/examples (not bilingual data) Words

FAQs

Does the Translations endpoint accept inflected forms?

No. It behaves like the Entries endpoint and requires a non-inflected form of a word. Use the Search Translations endpoint to resolve inflected forms first.

Is this machine translation?

No. This provides structured bilingual dictionary data linked to headwords. It does not translate arbitrary sentences.

What lexical metadata is included?

Translations response may include: domains, examples, inflections, pronunciations, regions, registers, alternative spellings. Availability does depend on the language dataset.

What’s the difference between the dictionary data and translations?

The Dictionary API capability (via the Words or Entries endpoints) provides monolingual dictionary content such as definitions, example sentences, pronunciations, synonyms and lexical metadata. The Translations API capability provides bilingual dictionary content, linking a headword to its translations in supported language pairs. It also includes structured lexical metadata. See the Dictionary API page for monolingual definitions and usage examples.

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