There is no single best Cantonese dictionary; each of the established ones wins a different job. This page compares them fairly, including where this site loses. Checked October 2026.
| This dictionary | words.hk | CantoDict | cantonese.org | HKDictionary | Jyut Dictionary | cantonese.hk | YumCha | Pleco | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entries | 33,000+ (CC-Canto) | ~20,000, curated (also at cantowords.com) | Large, community-built | Large (CC-Canto home) | 150,000+ | 300,000+, 700,000 definitions | 80,000+ | 120,000+ | CC-Canto add-on |
| Example sentences | Some entries | Best — checked, graded | Many entries | Some | Yes | 150,000+ (8 sources) | Yes | Yes | Via dictionaries |
| Audio | Not yet | Some entries | Some | No | Yes, tones | Yes (computer voice) | Lessons audio | Yes, native + speech check | Yes (paid voice) |
| Offline / app | No, web only | No | No | No | No, web + flashcards | Yes (Windows/Mac/Linux app) | Web, account-based | Yes (iOS/Android) | Yes — best offline |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Freemium (courses paid) | Freemium (lessons paid) | Free + paid add-ons |
| Best for | Fast free lookups, toneless search, no install | Serious study with trusted examples | Deep community archive | Raw CC-Canto data | Modern web lookup with audio | Maximum coverage offline on desktop | Dictionary inside a course | Guided learning with audio | Phone dictionary offline |
SearchCanto (open-data web search) was unreachable when checked and is left out of the table rather than guessed at.
Studying seriously with example sentences? Start at words.hk — its checked, graded examples are unmatched, and nothing here replaces them. Want maximum coverage on a computer, offline? Jyut Dictionary is in a league of its own. Want a modern web dictionary with audio? HKDictionary. Learning with guidance, audio and feedback? YumCha (or cantonese.hk's courses). Living on your phone offline? Pleco with the CC-Canto add-on.
Want the fastest free web lookup — half-remembered sound, no tones, either script — plus a pinyin converter and word of the day, with no account and nothing to install? That is exactly what this dictionary is built for.