ABBYY Lingvo

ABBYY Lingvo provides electronic dictionaries for work and study on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Its Windows multilingual version covers 10 languages, and the multilingual Professional edition includes more than 80 general, explanatory, and specialist dictionaries. Listed subject areas include law, economics, finance, engineering, oil and gas, chemistry, medicine, and biology. Windows can translate words under the cursor in pictures, web pages, and subtitles. On macOS, lookup works through Services or keyboard shortcuts, with cursor translation in Safari. Mobile apps provide offline access. Android supports photo and video translation and grammatical word forms; iOS can translate photographed text and synchronize user-created vocabulary cards across devices. Mobile pages offer five basic free dictionaries covering English, German, French, Spanish, Latin, and Russian, with additional dictionaries available for purchase. The Windows x6 trial gives full program access for 15 days from first launch. Listed three-year Windows licenses include 8,349 RUB for multilingual Home and 13,965 RUB for multilingual Professional.

Lingvo combines general and specialist dictionaries with lookup and learning tools across desktop and mobile platforms. Check the edition and platform details to match its dictionary coverage and features to your needs.

Lingvo may suit students and professionals who need dictionary lookup across desktop and mobile devices. Its specialist dictionaries and offline mobile functions may be useful for focused study or reference.

ABBYY Lingvo is a dictionary suite for desktop and mobile lookup, with tools for vocabulary study. It is a stronger fit for language learners and readers of specialist material than for someone who only needs occasional everyday definitions. Its paid Windows editions offer the deepest dictionary collections; the mobile apps provide a narrower free entry point.

Overview

Lingvo is designed for work and study, pairing dictionary lookup with ways to encounter and practice vocabulary. Windows cursor translation can identify words in pictures, web pages and subtitles, while Lingvo Tutor exercises meanings and spelling. That combination suits sustained reading and study better than a bare search tool, though the breadth of dictionaries depends on the edition.

Key features

The Windows multilingual version covers 10 languages. Its Professional edition includes more than 80 general, explanatory and specialist dictionaries, with subject coverage spanning law, economics, finance, engineering, oil and gas, chemistry, medicine and biology. This is the clearest reason to choose Lingvo for technical or professional reading: a general dictionary may not provide the same specialist range. For basic lookup, the larger collection may be unnecessary.

On macOS, translation is available through Services or keyboard shortcuts, with cursor lookup in Safari. The iOS app translates photographed text and synchronizes user-created vocabulary cards across devices. Android adds photo and video translation and grammatical word forms. Both mobile apps say all functions are available offline, a practical advantage when connectivity is unreliable. Audio pronunciation, usage examples and translation lookup round out the reference tools.

Pricing

The mobile apps are free to download and include five basic dictionaries across English, German, French, Spanish, Latin and Russian; additional dictionaries are available for purchase. This is a reasonable way to start with mobile lookup, but it is not equivalent to the extensive paid Windows collections.

Windows x6 offers a 15-day trial with full program access from first launch. The English Professional per-seat plan costs 4,018 RUB, paid once for a three-year license, with 3–20 licenses, and covers English and Russian. It is aimed at organizations or groups buying multiple seats rather than a single casual user. The Multilingual Home edition costs 8,349 RUB, paid once for a three-year license and covers 10 languages. The Multilingual Professional edition costs 13,965 RUB, paid once for a three-year license, also covering 10 languages and including more than 80 dictionaries. The Home option gives up the Professional collection's stated breadth, while Professional is the better fit when specialist reference matters. The listed terms are fixed three-year licenses, not annual subscriptions.

Platforms

Lingvo is available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. Windows requirements include Windows 11, 10, 8.1 and 8, as well as Windows Server 2019, 2016 and 2012 R2. Desktop capabilities differ by platform: Windows has cursor translation across pictures, web pages and subtitles, while macOS supports lookup through Services, shortcuts and Safari. Mobile apps emphasize offline access, with photo translation on iOS and photo and video translation on Android.

Technical support is available to registered users of licensed versions during Moscow business hours, Monday through Friday, 09:00–18:00.

Who it's for

Lingvo makes the most sense for learners who want lookup and vocabulary exercises together, and for professionals or students who need specialist dictionaries. Mobile users get offline reference and useful image-based lookup, while Windows buyers can choose among broader dictionary collections. If the need is only occasional general-purpose lookup, the free mobile dictionaries may be enough; paying for a large Windows collection would be harder to justify.

Pros and cons

• Pros: The Windows Professional collection brings together more than 80 dictionaries, including specialist fields, making it suited to technical and professional reading.
• Pros: Mobile apps support offline use, and photo translation is available on both iOS and Android; Android also handles video translation.
• Pros: Lingvo Tutor adds meaning and spelling exercises, supporting vocabulary practice beyond looking up a word.
• Cons: The free mobile offering is limited to five basic dictionaries, with additional dictionaries requiring purchases.
• Cons: The 15-day full-access trial applies to Windows x6, so it does not provide the same evaluation terms across every platform.
• Cons: Paid Windows plans are three-year licenses; the Professional per-seat plan also requires 3–20 licenses.

Alternatives

For a broader set of online dictionaries, compare dedicated web-based options. Choose dict.cc instead if free browser access and apps across mobile, macOS and web are more important than Lingvo's specialist Windows collections. Linguee is a free option for readers who prefer a service without a paid trial or plan. Merriam-Webster Dictionary is another freemium choice, with a free app that includes ads and offline dictionary and thesaurus access. Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries offers free online access to its Advanced Learner’s and Advanced American dictionaries, plus word lists and a text checker. Pleco Chinese Dictionary is the more relevant choice for Chinese lookup, with a free version that includes handwriting and basic search, though some reader, audio and flashcard functions are limited. PONS Dictionary offers free online lookup and a free-to-download translation app with in-app purchases. The Free Dictionary suits readers who want a free online reference with multiple dictionaries, a thesaurus, encyclopedias and translation content. WordWeb is worth comparing for its free Windows version with definitions, synonyms, examples and translations, subject to its licensing terms.

Verdict

Choose ABBYY Lingvo if your language work calls for offline lookup, vocabulary practice and, especially on Windows, substantial specialist dictionary coverage. Its central advantage is the depth of its paid collections; look elsewhere if you need only free general lookup or do not want a three-year Windows license.