# Dictionary Universal

> Offline dictionary viewer for StarDict and Lingvo DSL formats. (iPhone/iPad app by Dmitry Zhuk.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionary-universal/id312088272 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Dmitry Zhuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1274744830)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: $5.99
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 26 App Store ratings · 181 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 2 MB
- Languages: American English, Russian
- Released: 2009-04-29
- Data updated: 2026-08-25
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionary-universal/id312088272/reviews.md

## What is Dictionary Universal?

Dictionary Universal is iPhone, iPod touch and iPad application for viewing StarDict dictionaries and dictionaries in Lingvo DSL format ¹. Many of these dictionaries are available on the Internet for free ². 

Features:
* Very fast. After dictionary is indexed, minimal time is required to start before you can type text. List of matches appears without delay while you type.
* Supports morphology for English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
* Fuzzy search. This functionality will help you find words if they are misspelled or when you don't know how to type word correctly. Just type in the text and hit Search button on the keyboard.
* Pronunciation support.
* Searching text in currently displayed article.
* Profiles group dictionaries, pronunciation and morphology for quick switching. Useful if you work with several languages.
* Favorites and Search History. 
* Ability to lookup word in clipboard when switching to the application. Copy word to clipboard and switch to Dictionary Universal to see translation.
* Most complete StarDict format support in the AppStore (including images, synonyms, and various dictionary formats). 
* Color highlighting for better text readability (when supported by dictionary format). 
* Arbitrary word lookup. Tap any word in article to lookup it in loaded dictionaries.
* Full screen mode support. 
* Compressed dictionaries and resources support.
* Embedded web browser for downloading dictionaries from the Internet.

¹ Lingvo DSL format is a text format with dictionary source code. Dictionary Universal does not support compiled Lingvo dictionaries (LSD format).

² No dictionaries are bundled with the application. You will need StarDict or Lingvo DSL dictionaries to use them with the application.

## Key features

- StarDict and Lingvo DSL support
- Fast search and fuzzy matching
- Morphology support
- Pronunciation playback
- Dictionary profiles
- Favorites and history
- Clipboard lookup

## Recent user reviews (10 of 181)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionary-universal/id312088272/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Отличное приложение

*2026-06-09*

Одно из приложений в категории must have.
Есть небольшие ошибки и недочеты. 
Из тех что сильно раздражает (но возможно относится к самой платформе): если слово находится в начале строки, то не возможно выделить его часть, т.к. слева нет отступа и левую границу выделения сложно сдвинуть. То же самое , когда  в начале строки слово короткое - на него нельзя кликнуть , чтобы перейти на связанную статью

### 4/5 — Feature request: Default Translation App

*2026-02-16*

Been using this for a decade but it really needs to make use of the Default Translation setting on iOS.

### 5/5 — Works well

*2026-01-26, version 8.6.2*

If you have right type of file, and if you understand how to read it through this app, it’s perfect

### 5/5 — Спасибо

*2025-11-26*

Очень рад, что наткнулся на это приложение уже очень давно. Пользуюсь постоянно. И апдейты выходят с каждой новой версией iOS.

### 1/5 — broken

*2025-11-07, version 8.6.2*

Import feature is broken, dont bother

### 4/5 — Split View

*2025-08-27, version 8.6.2*

Please add the Split View support

### 5/5 — Супер

*2025-06-01*

Отличная программа, постоянно в использовании

### 5/5 — Perfect

*2024-12-18*

I’ve been searching for a GoldenDict alternative for iOS. I used Dicty for a little while and wasn’t entirely satisfied, but so far this app has been amazing. The UI is much cleaner, all my dictionaries were indexed without hassle and the search functionality works great. 👌

### 4/5 — can you please make it work in split view for ipads?

*2024-12-09*

awesome app, just wishing it could work in split mode on an ipad!

### 5/5 — Feature request

*2024-12-08*

I really enjoy the app! I have a feature request to improve the search experience: trim leading and trailing whitespaces from search phrases. Currently, when a word is selected from the keyboard suggestion, it gets pasted with a trailing space, making it unsearchable until the space is removed.

## Frequently asked questions about Dictionary Universal

### What is Dictionary Universal?

Dictionary Universal is an application for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad that allows you to view dictionaries in StarDict and Lingvo DSL formats. It provides fast searching, morphology support, fuzzy matching, and pronunciation for a comprehensive dictionary experience.

### How do I get dictionaries for Dictionary Universal?

No dictionaries are bundled with the application. You will need to download StarDict or Lingvo DSL dictionaries separately from the internet. The app includes an embedded web browser to help you find and download these dictionaries.

### Is Dictionary Universal free to use?

Yes, the application itself is free to download and use. However, you will need to acquire compatible dictionary files (StarDict or Lingvo DSL) separately, which may or may not be free depending on their source.

### What devices is Dictionary Universal compatible with?

Dictionary Universal is designed for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices. It leverages the capabilities of these Apple devices to provide a smooth and efficient dictionary lookup experience.

### What are the main benefits of using Dictionary Universal?

Key benefits include its very fast search performance, morphology support for several languages, fuzzy search for misspelled words, pronunciation playback, and the ability to group dictionaries into profiles for easy switching between languages.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 8.6.2 — 2025-08-19

v8.6.2
* Minor fixes

v8.6.1
* Fixed issues with handling some types of archives

v8.6
* Improved compatibility with some StarDict dictionaries
* Added support for compressed synonyms (.syn.gz and .syn.dz files) in StarDict format.
* Dictionaries can be exported and shared via AirDrop: open list of dictionaries in Settings and press ⓘ to open dictionary information page, where sharing option is available.

### 8.6.1 — 2025-08-15

v8.6.1
* Fixed issues with handling some types of archives

v8.6
* Improved compatibility with some StarDict dictionaries
* Added support for compressed synonyms (.syn.gz and .syn.dz files) in StarDict format.
* Dictionaries can be exported and shared via AirDrop: open list of dictionaries in Settings and press ⓘ to open dictionary information page, where sharing option is available.

### 8.6 — 2025-08-13

* Improved compatibility with some StarDict dictionaries
* Added support for compressed synonyms (.syn.gz and .syn.dz files) in StarDict format.
* Dictionaries can be exported and shared via AirDrop: open list of dictionaries in Settings and press ⓘ to open dictionary information page, where sharing option is available.

### 8.5 — 2024-08-04

* Improved support for latest iOS versions.
* Dictionaries can now be imported from local uncompressed files - just select dictionary files to install it.
* Appearance preferences - it is possible to use light or dark appearance independent from system appearance settings.
* Font selection improvements - more fonts are available in preferences.

### 8.4 — 2020-02-10

* iOS 13 support
* Dark mode support (iOS 13)
* Shortcuts integration
* Dictionaries and pronunciation can now be installed from file browser

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-25.*