# Tongan-English Dictionary

> A digital Tongan-English dictionary with over 40,000 definitions. (iPhone/iPad app by Jordan Gardner.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tongan-english-dictionary/id1328558547 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Jordan Gardner](https://appshunter.io/developer/903121717)
- Category: Books, Reference
- Price: $9.99 with in-app purchases
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.4 · 101 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-09-30
- Data updated: 2026-09-02
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tongan-english-dictionary/id1328558547/reviews.md

## What is Tongan?

C. Maxwell Churchward's Tongan-English Dictionary, for iPhone and iPad.

The most complete digital record of the Tongan language: 37,428 entries and more than 43,000 definitions, hand-transcribed from Churchward's 1959 dictionary and searchable in both directions.

Whether you grew up hearing Tongan at home and want to understand more of it, or you're learning the language for the first time, it's here whenever you need it.

SEARCH THE WAY YOU SPEAK
Macrons and glottal stops are awkward to type on a phone, so you never have to. Type "faele" and the app finds "fa'ele". Search Tongan to find the English, or English to find the Tongan — same box, both directions. And when the word itself escapes you, describe it: the app searches inside every definition, not just the headwords.

FOLLOW THE LANGUAGE
More than 63,000 cross-references are tappable. Jump from one entry to a related term and back again without ever losing your place.

ROOM TO READ
On iPhone you get one word at a time, full width. On iPad the word list sits beside the definition, so following a cross-reference never costs you your spot in the list. Light, dark and system themes, plus a choice of app icons.

WORKS COMPLETELY OFFLINE
The entire dictionary lives on your device. No account, no connection required — on a plane, in the islands, or anywhere the signal runs out.

A LIVING TRANSCRIPTION
Every entry was transcribed by hand from the printed dictionary, and that work is ongoing. Corrections and refinements ship regularly, and you can report a mistake from the bottom of any entry.

'Ofa atu

## Key features

- Over 40,000 definitions
- Searchable word list
- View word definitions
- Jump to related terms
- Tongan language learning tool

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $9.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| App Icon Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #180 in Top Paid · Book (US App Store)

## Recent user reviews (10 of 11)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tongan-english-dictionary/id1328558547/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Easy to use, with some issues

*2024-09-15, version 1.1*

Great adaptation of the dictionary into app form. Quite a few times though I have searched a word that I know is in the dictionary but because of a spelling mistake within the word it does not appear in the search results. I then have to manually locate it by scrolling through alphabetically until I find it and discover the issue. Still wonderful and convenient but could do with an editor going through to make the necessary corrections

### 4/5 — Not a Complete Dictionary

*2021-11-20*

Itʻs definitely helpful and a resourceful source to confirm word translation and their meaning. It is my “go-to” dictionary to translate & correctly spell the word accurately. Thank you for providing a useful tool!

### 4/5 — Missing some words

*2021-09-03*

I like this app. It’s just missing some words like: ‘olevá, mapuhoi, etc

**Developer response:** Saia, thank you for downloading Tongan-English Dictionary for iOS! We appreciate your feedback and are working to identify new/missing definitions.  Please send any suggestions you may have to jordan@tongandictionary.com and we'll make sure to review them!

For your information as well, the phrase "'oua leva" (which when spoken quickly can sound like "'oleva") translates to "hold up" or "wait a second".

### 3/5 — Pretty Good

*2021-08-24*

This dictionary is pretty good. It is searchable. I like the Exact Match, Words Starting With…, and Words Containing…features. There are some misspelled words and some of the links don’t work. I hope that the updates will correct the misspelled words because this is critical for all dictionaries.

**Developer response:** Tkaili, mālō 'aupito for using our app! We are currently working on updating misspelling errors found within the dictionary. We appreciate your feedback and patience as we work to improve the app!

### 5/5 — It works great

*2020-12-27*

I recant my previous review.  Having taken the time to listen to my complaint.  The issue with my phone was fixed.  And the app is really very good.  I give it highest marks allowed. 

What a wonderful tool.  Unique to this language, I am so grateful to have this in my phone.  

I recommend this app to everyone learning to speak Tongan .

And I apologize for not being smart enough to fix my other review.

**Developer response:** UPDATE: We now support dark mode so the app should work on your iPhone 11!

Mālō 'aupito for purchasing the app!  I'm so sorry to hear it isn't working and would love to help remedy that.  If you could please email me at jordan@tongandictionary.com we can work to see what's going on.

### 5/5 — Finally 🙏

*2020-08-02*

Great tool. Been waiting for an online Tongan dictionary for the longest time. Where do we report potential spelling errors though? Eg “Shop lifting” translates to kauha’a. Instead of kaiha’a. Anyways, thank you! Love this app and totally recommend the download! Super quick response too :)

### 5/5 — Great app

*2020-06-16, version 1.1*

Worthwhile addition & well worth the money. 

Exactly what I was looking for. 

Easy to navigate and find exactly what you’re looking for.

### 1/5 — Black and red

*2020-04-22*

The definitions are black text in black boxes, you can’t use the app without taking extra steps to copy and paste the definition into a separate location.

**Developer response:** So sorry for the trouble.  Great news! We've updated our app to support dark mode so you should now be able to use the app without seeing black boxes with black text.

Send me an email at jordan@tongandictionary.com if you have any other concerns and we'll be glad to help!

### 1/5 — This doesn’t show the definitions

*2020-02-20, version 1.0*

This doesn’t show the definitions

### 4/5 — Really useful but...

*2019-11-30*

This app is really handy and has most words I’m looking for to form sentences. But it would be better if it had examples of when to use the words and the pronunciation. But still, a great app!

## Frequently asked questions about Tongan

### What is the Tongan-English Dictionary?

The Tongan-English Dictionary is a digital reference tool containing over 40,000 definitions to assist both Tongan and English speakers. It allows users to search for words, view their definitions, and easily navigate to related terms.

### How many definitions are included in the Tongan-English Dictionary?

The Tongan-English Dictionary includes over 40,000 definitions, making it a comprehensive resource for language learners and speakers.

### Is the Tongan-English Dictionary available offline?

The provided data does not specify offline functionality. However, as a dictionary app, it is likely designed for quick access to its extensive word list.

### What devices support the Tongan-English Dictionary?

The Tongan-English Dictionary is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices, as indicated by its platform compatibility.

### What is the age rating for the Tongan-English Dictionary?

The Tongan-English Dictionary has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users interested in language learning.

### How often is the Tongan-English Dictionary updated?

The Tongan-English Dictionary was last updated on May 31, 2020, with version 1.1. This indicates a moderate update frequency for the application.

### What is the price of the Tongan-English Dictionary?

The Tongan-English Dictionary is a paid application, priced at $7.99. This one-time purchase provides access to its full range of features and definitions.

### Does the Tongan-English Dictionary have ads?

No, the Tongan-English Dictionary does not contain advertisements. It is a paid application that offers an ad-free experience.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 2.0.0 — 2026-08-19

Version 2.0 is a complete rebuild of the app, from the ground up.

• A new design built with native iOS components throughout — including a proper iPad layout, with the word list beside the definition.
• Rebuilt search. Results are grouped and ranked: exact matches first, then words that start with or contain what you typed, then close spellings for when you mistype, then matches found inside the definitions themselves.
• You never need macrons or glottal stops. Type "faele" to find "fa'ele".
• Search Tongan to English or English to Tongan from the same box.
• More than 63,000 tappable cross-references.
• Light, dark and system themes, plus a choice of app icons.
• Report a mistake from the bottom of any entry, so the transcription keeps improving.
• The whole dictionary still works completely offline.

Thank you for your patience with this one — and please keep the corrections coming.

### 1.1 — 2020-05-31

Added support for dark mode

### 1.0 — 2019-09-30

No release notes.

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## More apps by Jordan Gardner

- [Hearts: Scoreboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearts-scoreboard/id6736599187)

All apps by Jordan Gardner: https://appshunter.io/developer/903121717

## Related topics

[tongan language](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tongan-language)

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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 2026-09-02.*