Google Dictionary Phonetics
The Google Dictionary Phonetics source provides high-quality audio pronunciations of words and phrases, primarily from Oxford dictionaries. This resource helps language learners and anyone looking to perfect their pronunciation with authentic recordings by native speakers.
When you hover over the speaker icon, you'll also see phonetic transcriptions in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), giving you both audio and visual pronunciation guidance.
Usage
- Select or type a word/phrase to search with Definer
- Click on the audio button (speaker icon) with a small "G" that appears above your results
This source works immediately after installation with no additional setup required.
Example of using Google Dictionary Phonetics in Definer
Configuration
To customize your Google Dictionary Phonetics settings, go to:
Options → Sources → Google Dictionary Phonetics → Settings.
Autoplay
When enabled, the Google Dictionary Phonetics will automatically begin playing audio as soon as your search results appear, removing the need to click the play button manually.
This option is disabled by default to prevent unexpected audio in quiet environments.
Smart Word Recognition
One of the standout features of this source is its intelligent word form recognition. If you search for inflected forms like "running" or "walked", it automatically provides the pronunciation for the base form ("run" or "walk"). This saves you time and helps you learn the fundamental pronunciations.
Base form pronunciation
Multiple Pronunciations
You'll often notice several pronunciation options for a single word, which can occur for several reasons:
- Different parts of speech: Words like "record" have distinct pronunciations depending on whether they're used as a noun (/ˈrɛkərd/) or a verb (/rɪˈkɔrd/).
- Alternative acceptable pronunciations: Some words have multiple valid pronunciations even within the same part of speech. For example, "psyche" can be pronounced differently based on its context and etymology.
- Voice variety: Sometimes Google Dictionary offers the same pronunciation spoken by different voices (such as male and female speakers) to provide variety.
These authentic human recordings typically offer better quality and natural intonation compared to computer-generated speech.
Multiple word pronunciations