The best dictionaries for learning Tamil

We tracked down 3 of the best dictionaries for learning Tamil, including 2 you can use for free. Our top picks right now are Agarathi, Wiktionary and Forvo. Every entry below is hand-checked, and the ones that teach you come first — with free options ahead of paid ones wherever they are as good.

3 resources · 2 free

A fast Tamil dictionary that searches several sources at once.

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Dictionaries Free BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
VocabularyReading
Details

Aggregates the Tamil Lexicon and other dictionaries into one quick lookup, in Tamil script or transliteration. Fast enough to use while reading, which is the only property that matters in a dictionary you consult every second sentence.

Wiktionary

Multi-language

Free multilingual dictionary with etymologies, IPA and full conjugation tables.

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DictionariesWebsites Free BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
VocabularyGrammarPronunciation
Details

Over 100 language editions; the English edition alone has millions of entries covering hundreds of languages, with IPA, declension and conjugation tables, etymologies and usage notes that commercial apps usually paywall. The etymology sections are quietly one of the best vocabulary-retention tools available. Being crowd-sourced, coverage is uneven and rare entries can be wrong — cross-check anything unusual against a native-language dictionary.

Forvo

Multi-language

Crowd-sourced pronunciations of nearly any word by native speakers.

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DictionariesTools Freemium BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
PronunciationListening
Details

Around 6 million words recorded by native speakers across 400+ languages, usually with several accents per word so you can hear regional variation. Free to search on the site; the paid tiers are aimed at API users and bulk audio downloads. Indispensable for names, place names and anything a TTS voice would mangle — many learners wire it directly into Anki for card audio.