RealDict 한국어

Look up your own dictionaries from any app with (Control+Option+D)

Open your StarDict, DSL or MDict files. Select a word anywhere, press the shortcut, and the definition appears.

Coming soon $8 one-time See the changelog

macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon and Intel · No subscription

RealDict main window showing a search result
Searching in the main window · Dictionaries: WordNet 1.7, English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Your lookups stay on your Mac

No tracking
No analytics and no usage statistics.
Works offline
Search, vocabulary, study and macOS voices all work without a connection.
Kept on your Mac
Your dictionary files, history and vocabulary live on your Mac.

The network is used only for features you turn on, such as downloading dictionaries, Azure speech or Google sync. See exactly what each feature sends

Five ways to look up without leaving your app

The same popup opens over your browser, a PDF, an email or a document.

Shortcut

Select text and press ⌃⌥D. The popup opens right where you are reading. You can change the shortcut.

Needs Accessibility permission

Selecting a word in TextEdit and pressing ⌃⌥D · Dictionaries: WordNet 1.7, English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Holding ⌥ over “discoveries” finds the base form “discovery” · Dictionaries: WordNet 1.7, English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Hover with a modifier key

Hold ⌥ ⌃ ⇧ or ⌘ and rest the pointer on a word. Point at an inflected form and you get the base word. Off by default.

Needs Accessibility permission

Pointing at “garden” inside an image in Preview · Dictionaries: WordNet 1.7, English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Text inside images and screenshots

Where the text can’t be read directly, as in an image or a screenshot, RealDict recognizes the word on screen and looks it up.

Needs Screen Recording permission

Services menu

Select a word, right-click, and pick it from the Services menu.

  1. Right-click
  2. Services
  3. Look Up in RealDict

Menu bar

Click the RealDict icon in the menu bar and type a word. The definition opens in the lookup popup, right under the icon. Right-click the icon to open RealDict, open Settings or quit. On by default; you can turn it off in Settings.

  1. Menu bar icon
  2. Type a word
  3. Lookup popup

There is also a clipboard watch that looks up words as you copy them. It is off by default and skips anything copied from a password manager. RealDict can also open when you log in to your Mac; that is off by default too. To turn on permissions, see Permissions.

RealDict lookup popup over another app
The lookup popup over another app · Dictionaries: WordNet 1.7, English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0)
  • Switch between dictionaries with a tab for each.
  • Follow links inside a definition, and go back.
  • Save to your vocabulary, along with the sentence around the word and the app it came from.
  • Hear the word read aloud, or open it in the main window.
  • Play recordings that come with the dictionary.
  • See the reading and meaning of each Hanja character under the headword.
  • Pick a size (S, M, L or custom). The popup follows the app’s style and light or dark setting.
  • Lookup keeps running after you close the main window.

Bring the dictionaries you already have

RealDict ships with no dictionaries. Open the files you own, or download openly licensed ones from inside the app.

Supported formats and file extensions
FormatFiles
StarDict.ifo .idx .idx.gz .dict .dict.dz .syn
Lingvo DSL.dsl .dsl.dz
including annotations and media
MDict.mdx .mdd
v1.x and 2.x, unencrypted
Hunspell.aff .dic
for word forms
Archives.zip .tar.gz .bz2 .xz .zst
drop one in and the dictionaries inside are found

Not supported yet

  • Encrypted MDict files and the MDict 3.0 format
  • Importing XDXF or BGL
  • Regex or full-text search
  • Apps for iOS or Windows
The Get dictionaries window in RealDict, listing each dictionary with its languages, size, license and source
Get dictionaries · every entry shows its license and source

  • Get dictionaries

    Download curated picks such as Wiktionary-based dictionaries, WordNet and GCIDE, the full FreeDict list and 14 Hunspell word-form packs in one click. There are also Korean → English and English → Korean dictionaries converted by RealDict from the National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary. Checksums are verified where available.

  • Drop it in

    Drop files or folders and RealDict searches every subfolder. Dropping a part file such as .idx or .mdd finds its main file.

  • Order and profiles

    Drag to set priority and keep several sets as profiles. Removing a dictionary never deletes its files.

More on adding dictionaries

Keep the words you look up, then study them in Anki or right here

Save words with a deck, tags, the sentence, the source app and the dictionary, then find them again with search and filters.

  • Export to Anki

    Export an .apkg file; exporting again updates the same notes. Pronunciation audio is included only with your own Azure key. Anki export help

  • FSRS spaced repetition

    Review with built-in flashcards. Set new cards per day (default 20) and target retention (default 0.90).

    Space flip1–4 Again · Hard · Good · Easy

  • CSV and lists

    Export to CSV, paste a word list to import it, or copy the list.

RealDict vocabulary list
The vocabulary list · Definition: English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0)

One vocabulary across your Macs

Your vocabulary and study progress stay in step between your Macs. Off by default.

  • iCloud Drive, or any synced folder such as Dropbox or a NAS
  • Google Drive syncAdvanced
    Requires your own Google OAuth client ID.
  • Google SheetsAdvanced
    Sends the day’s words to your own sheet through an Apps Script you deploy.

Sync help

Hear it spoken

macOS system voices by default: free, and they work offline.

  • Pick separate English and Korean voices, and set the rate from −50% to +50%.
  • Azure neural voicesOptional
    Uses your own Azure key, stored in the Keychain. A 5-step guide in the app walks you through setup.

Make it comfortable to read

Combine 4 styles with 4 accents, in light, dark or your system setting.

Styles
Minimal Clean · Editorial · Soft Modern · Dark Premium
Accents
Ink Navy · Olive Green · Burnt Orange · Monochrome
Access
Full keyboard access with visible focus; honors Reduce Motion
RealDict style and accent settings
Style and accent settings

The interface comes in 20 languages: English, 한국어, 简体中文, 繁體中文, Español, Português (Brasil), Français, Deutsch, 日本語, Русский, العربية, हिन्दी, Bahasa Indonesia, Tiếng Việt, Türkçe, Italiano, ไทย, Polski, Українська, Nederlands

What RealDict does

  • Your own dictionary filesOpens StarDict, DSL and MDict files.
  • A popup in any appLook up with a shortcut, a hover, the Services menu or the menu bar.
  • Text inside imagesFinds words in images and screenshots too.
  • Word forms and typosMaps inflections to the base word and suggests close matches for typos.
  • Vocabulary and studyFSRS spaced repetition and Anki (.apkg) export.
  • SyncKeep one vocabulary across your Macs with iCloud Drive or a folder you choose.
  • One-time priceTry it free for 14 days, then pay $8 once. No subscription.
  • No trackingNo analytics and no usage statistics.
  • 20 languagesThe interface is available in 20 languages.

Keyboard shortcuts

KeysAction
⌃⌥DLook up selected text in any app (changeable)
Hold a modifier and hoverLook up with the pointer
⌘LFocus the search field
⌘F · ⌘G ⇧⌘GFind in definitions · next · previous
⌥← ⌥→Back · forward
⌥↑ ⌥↓Previous · next dictionary
⌘+ ⌘− ⌘0Larger · smaller · default text
Space · 1–4Study: flip card · rate

$8, paid once

$8one-time

  • 14-day free trial with every feature
  • No subscription
  • macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel
  • Payments will be handled by Gumroad
  • All 1.x updates are free, and one key works on up to 3 of your Macs.
Coming soon $8 one-time

ChangelogRefund policy

Questions

Where do I get dictionaries?

RealDict ships with none. In the app, Get dictionaries offers openly licensed dictionaries such as Wiktionary-based ones, WordNet, GCIDE, the Basic Korean Dictionary and the FreeDict list, and shows the license and source of each.

If you use dictionary files you already have, follow their terms of use. See Adding dictionaries for the details.

Which file formats can it open?

StarDict (.ifo, .idx, .idx.gz, .dict, .dict.dz, .syn), Lingvo DSL (.dsl, .dsl.dz) and MDict (.mdx, .mdd, v1.x and 2.x). Hunspell (.aff, .dic) is used for word forms.

Encrypted MDict files, MDict 3.0, XDXF and BGL are not supported yet.

Does it use MDict .mdd files?

Yes. An .mdd file holds an MDict dictionary’s resources, such as images and sound, and RealDict reads it together with the .mdx. Dropping an .mdd file finds its matching .mdx.

Why does it need permissions?

The lookup shortcut and hover lookup need Accessibility to read the text you select or point at in other apps. Looking up text inside images and screenshots also needs Screen Recording.

If you only search in the main window, you need neither. See Permissions to turn them on.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Search, lookup in other apps, vocabulary, study and macOS system voices all run on your Mac. You need a connection only for features such as downloading dictionaries, Azure speech or Google sync.

What data leaves my Mac?

Only what a feature you turned on sends. For example, Azure speech sends the text to read and your Azure key to Microsoft, and Google Sheets sends the day’s words to the Apps Script you deployed. The privacy policy lists every feature.

Can I try it before buying?

Yes. Every feature is free for the first 14 days.

What stops working when the trial ends?

Without a license key, lookup from other apps (the shortcut, hover, the Services menu and clipboard watch) and Anki export are locked. Search in the main window keeps working.

Your vocabulary is never deleted or changed when the trial ends. Enter a key to unlock everything again; one key works on up to 3 of your Macs.

Are updates included? Can I use it on more than one Mac?

All 1.x updates are free. One license key works on up to 3 of your Macs. A major 2.0 release may be sold separately, with a discount for existing customers.

Can I get a refund?

See the refund policy.

Which Macs does it run on?

It needs macOS 14 or later and runs on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

Are there Korean dictionaries?

Get dictionaries includes Korean → English and English → Korean dictionaries converted by RealDict from the Basic Korean Dictionary. The English → Korean one works as a reverse index, finding Korean words through their English definitions. Source: National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (CC BY-SA 2.0 KR).

Korean → English (Wiktionary) is available too. Korean dictionaries you already have can be opened if they use a supported format. The interface is available in Korean, and you can pick a separate Korean voice.

Can Anki cards include pronunciation audio?

Only when you set up your own Microsoft Azure speech key. Without one, words, definitions and context are still exported. See Exporting to Anki.

All help topics

Look it up without leaving the page

Coming soon $8 one-time

No subscription · macOS 14 or later · Apple silicon and Intel · Changelog