The ultimate e-reader dictionary guide: kindle, kobo, boox & pocketbook

A good dictionary transforms your e-reader into a powerful learning tool. This guide covers dictionary support for every major e-reader brand — with download sources, installation steps, and the best dictionaries for each platform.

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Part 1: Kindle Dictionaries

Kindle has the richest dictionary ecosystem — hundreds of community-created dictionaries in MOBI format.

Built-in Kindle Dictionaries

Every Kindle comes with these dictionaries pre-installed (available via cloud):

Dictionary	Language
New Oxford American Dictionary	English (US)
Oxford Dictionary of English	English (UK)
Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus	English (US)
Diccionario de la lengua española	Spanish
Duden Deutsches Universalwörterbuch	German
Dictionnaire Cordial	French
Lo Zingarelli Vocabolario	Italian
Progressive English-Japanese Dictionary	Japanese

How to Install Kindle Dictionaries

USB Transfer (Recommended)

1. Download the .mobi or .prc dictionary file
2. Connect Kindle to computer via USB
3. Copy files to the dictionaries folder on your Kindle
4. Eject safely and restart

Set as Default

Go to Settings → Language & Dictionaries → Dictionaries → tap your language → select the dictionary

English-English Dictionaries

Name	Type	Size	Notes
New Oxford American Dictionary	US English	28MB	Built-in, best for US English
Oxford Dictionary of English	UK English	30MB	Built-in, best for UK English
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate 11th	US English	37.3MB	Standard US dictionary
Merriam-Webster Advanced Learner	Learner’s	14.8MB	Simple definitions
Collins Cobuild Advanced (3rd ed)	Learner’s	12MB	Full-sentence definitions
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5th	Learner’s	120MB	Excellent for learners
Oxford Advanced Learner’s 8th	Learner’s	24.6MB	The gold standard
Oxford Advanced Learner’s 9th	Learner’s	24.6MB	Newest edition
American Heritage Dictionary 5th	US English	91.1MB	Comprehensive
Macmillan English Dictionary	Learner’s	15MB	Clear definitions
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s	Learner’s	18MB	British English focus
WordNet 2.0 (Princeton)	Thesaurus	29.2MB	Synonyms and relationships

English-Chinese Dictionaries

Name	Size	Notes
Oxford Advanced Learner’s (7th ed) Bilingual	21MB	Best for learners
Modern English-Chinese Dictionary	6.2MB	Official Kindle dictionary
21st Century English-Chinese Bidirectional	29.4MB	290,000+ entries
Collins King Mixed Dictionary	38MB	Premium examples
Longman English-Chinese	9MB	Everyday use
Oxford English-Chinese (9th ed)	32.8MB	Latest edition
Oxford Intermediate (4th ed)	9MB	Simplified
Oxford English-Chinese (7th ed, seid)	27.3MB	Community-made
Xiang’s Dictionary	8.8MB	Popular community dictionary
Concise Bing Dictionary	94.5MB	Comprehensive

English-French / French-English

Name	Size
French-English Dictionary	473KB
Pocket Oxford French-English	752KB
Dictionnaire Cordial (built-in)	—

English-German / German-English

Name	Size
Duden Deutsches Universalwörterbuch (built-in)	—
New German-Chinese Dictionary	8.6MB
Pocket Oxford German-English	1.6MB

English-Japanese / Japanese-English

Name	Size
Progressive English-Japanese (built-in)	—
Shogakukan Japanese-Chinese	12.5MB
Shogakukan Chinese-Japanese	11.1MB
Digital Daijisen	28.4MB

English-Spanish / Spanish-English

Name	Size
Diccionario de la lengua española (built-in)	—
Pocket Oxford English-Spanish	1.9MB
EGC Spanish-English Dictionary	6.2MB

English-Russian / Russian-English

Name	Size
One-Touch Russian-English	14MB
Lingvo Universal English-Russian	31.6MB
NBARS Dictionary	37.6MB

Specialty Dictionaries

Dictionary	Category	Size
Oxford Concise Medical	Medical	3.8MB
12-in-1 Medical Dictionary	Medical	4MB
English-Chinese Medical Dictionary	Medical	281MB
Oxford Dictionary of Law	Legal	903KB
Oxford Dictionary of Chemistry	Science	2.1MB
Oxford Dictionary of Physics	Science	1.8MB
Oxford Dictionary of Biology	Science	2.6MB
Oxford Dictionary of Economics	Economics	984KB
Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy	Philosophy	881KB
Oxford Dictionary of Art	Art	1.4MB
Oxford Dictionary of Music	Music	2.9MB
Oxford Dictionary of the Bible	Religion	778KB
Oxford Dictionary of World History	History	3.4MB
Encyclopedia Britannica (Concise)	Encyclopedia	17.4MB
Chinese Encyclopedia	Encyclopedia	182.5MB

Where to Find Kindle Dictionaries

• MobileRead Forums — the largest collection of user-created Kindle dictionaries
• WordNet — Princeton’s free dictionary database
• Community forums — many dictionaries shared in comment sections

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Part 2: Kobo Dictionaries

Kobo uses a different dictionary system — dictionaries are organized by language and come in .dic format.

Built-in Kobo Dictionaries

Kobo includes dictionaries for these languages (varies by region):

Language	Dictionary
English (UK)	Oxford Dictionary of English
English (US)	New Oxford American Dictionary
French	Le Robert
German	Duden
Spanish	Diccionario de la Real Academia
Italian	Lo Zingarelli
Dutch	Van Dale
Portuguese	Dicionário Priberam
Japanese	Progressive Japanese
Chinese	Oxford Chinese Dictionary

How to Install Custom Dictionaries on Kobo

Method 1: Via Kobo Desktop App

1. Connect Kobo to computer
2. Open Kobo Desktop App
3. Go to Settings → Dictionaries
4. Download additional dictionaries
5. Sync to device

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Connect Kobo to computer via USB
2. Navigate to .kobo/dict/ folder (hidden by default — enable “Show Hidden Files”)
3. Add custom .dic files
4. If the folder doesn’t exist, create it
5. Eject safely and restart

⚠️ Kobo custom dictionary installation is more limited than Kindle. Not all .dic files work on all firmware versions.

Best Kobo Dictionaries

Dictionary	Language	Notes
Oxford Dictionary of English	English (UK)	Built-in, excellent
New Oxford American	English (US)	Built-in
Collins COBUILD Advanced	English (Learner)	Downloadable from Kobo
Oxford Advanced Learner’s	English (Learner)	Downloadable from Kobo
Merriam-Webster	English (US)	Available in Kobo store
Le Robert	French	Built-in
Duden	German	Built-in
Van Dale	Dutch	Built-in
WordNet	English Thesaurus	Free download

Kobo Bilingual Dictionaries

Kobo offers bilingual dictionaries for language learners:

• English-French
• English-German
• English-Spanish
• English-Italian
• English-Dutch
• English-Portuguese
• English-Japanese
• English-Chinese

Available from the Kobo Store (most are free).

Limitations of Kobo Dictionaries

• No custom font dictionary support — Kobo doesn’t easily support third-party .dic files
• Fewer community dictionaries — smaller ecosystem than Kindle
• Firmware dependent — some firmware versions break custom dictionary support
• Hidden folder required — .kobo folder is invisible by default

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Part 3: BOOX Dictionaries

BOOX runs Android, so you have access to all Android dictionary apps. This is the most flexible option.

Built-in Dictionary

BOOX’s NeoReader includes a basic dictionary that supports:

• Long-press word lookup
• Multiple dictionary backends
• Wikipedia lookup
• Translation integration

Best Android Dictionary Apps for BOOX

GoldenDict (Free, Recommended)

The most powerful dictionary app for BOOX.

• Supports multiple dictionary formats: MDX, MDD, StarDict, Babylon, Lingvo, DSindex
• Works completely offline
• Customizable interface
• Supports images and pronunciations

Install: Google Play or APK from official site

MDict (Free)

• Supports MDX/MDD dictionary format (most common format for high-quality dictionaries)
• Huge library of downloadable dictionaries
• Works offline
• Supports images, sounds, and styles

Best dictionaries for MDict:

Dictionary	Language	Size
Oxford Advanced Learner’s 9th	English (UK)	50MB
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary 6th	English (UK)	80MB
Collins COBUILD Advanced	English (UK)	40MB
Merriam-Webster Collegiate 11th	English (US)	35MB
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s	English (UK)	45MB
Oxford English-Chinese	Bilingual	60MB
21st Century English-Chinese	Bilingual	30MB

ColorDict (Free)

• Supports StarDict format
• Multiple dictionary lookups simultaneously
• Wikipedia integration
• Simple, clean interface

Aard 2 (Free)

• Wiktionary-based offline dictionary
• Many language pairs
• Very fast lookups
• Small file sizes

Dictionary Apps for Specialized Use

App	Best For	Format Support
GoldenDict	Power users, multiple formats	Everything
MDict	Chinese bilingual dictionaries	MDX/MDD
ColorDict	Simple lookups	StarDict
Aard 2	Wiktionary, offline	Custom
DeepL	Translation	Online/offline
Google Translate	Quick translation	Online

Where to Find MDX/MDD Dictionaries

• MobileRead Forums — the gold standard source
• PDAWiki — large collection of MDX dictionaries
• dicxiang.com — Chinese dictionary resources
• Freemdict — free dictionary community

BOOX Dictionary Pro Tips

• Set GoldenDict as default — it integrates with NeoReader’s long-press lookup
• Install multiple dictionaries — GoldenDict can search all of them
• Use split-screen — dictionary on one side, book on the other (BOOX exclusive!)
• Download offline first — you won’t always have internet

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Part 4: PocketBook Dictionaries

PocketBook supports dictionaries differently — some are built-in, some downloadable from the PocketBook store, and some can be installed manually.

Built-in Dictionaries

PocketBook devices come with:

• ABBYY Lingvo dictionaries for multiple languages
• Basic English, German, French, Spanish, Russian dictionaries
• Varies by region and model

How to Install Dictionaries on PocketBook

Method 1: PocketBook Store

1. On your PocketBook, go to Settings → Dictionaries
2. Browse available dictionaries
3. Download directly to device
4. Most are free, some are paid

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Connect PocketBook to computer via USB
2. Copy dictionary files to the dictionaries or system/dictionaries folder
3. Supported formats: .dic, .pbi
4. Eject and restart

Method 3: Via Dropbox

1. Upload dictionary files to Dropbox
2. Download to PocketBook wirelessly
3. Move files to the dictionaries folder

Best PocketBook Dictionaries

Dictionary	Language	Notes
ABBYY Lingvo Comprehensive	Multi-language	Best for PocketBook
Oxford Dictionary of English	English (UK)	Available in store
Merriam-Webster	English (US)	Available in store
Duden	German	Free in store
Le Petit Robert	French	Premium option
WordNet	English Thesaurus	Free download

PocketBook vs Other Brands for Dictionaries

Feature	PocketBook	Kindle	Kobo	BOOX
Dictionary quality	Good	Excellent	Good	Excellent
Offline support	✅	✅	✅	✅
Custom dictionaries	⚠️ Limited	✅ Great	⚠️ Limited	✅ Unlimited
Community dictionaries	Small	Very large	Small	Large
Easiest to set up	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Part 5: Universal Dictionary Resources

Top Sources for All Brands

Source	Brands Supported	Notes
MobileRead Forums	Kindle, Kobo, BOOX	The largest ebook community — thousands of dictionaries
Project Gutenberg Dictionary Collection	Kindle, BOOX	Public domain dictionaries
WordNet (Princeton University)	Kindle, Kobo, BOOX, PocketBook	Free thesaurus database
Wiktionary Export	BOOX (Aard 2)	Exportable wiki dictionary
Kobo Store	Kobo	Official, easy to use
Amazon Kindle Store	Kindle	Free built-in dictionaries
PocketBook Store	PocketBook	Official dictionaries
Google Play	BOOX	Full Android dictionary apps

Universal Dictionary Installation Guide

Brand	File Format	Installation Location	Difficulty
Kindle	.mobi, .prc, .azw	dictionaries/ folder	Easy
Kobo	.dic	.kobo/dict/ folder	Moderate
BOOX	Any (app-based)	Install app from Play Store	Easy
PocketBook	.dic, .pbi	dictionaries/ folder	Easy

Pro Tips for All Brands

• Install bilingual dictionaries for language learning — works on all brands
• Medical and legal dictionaries are available for Kindle and BOOX; limited on Kobo and PocketBook
• Multiple dictionaries — Kindle and BOOX support multiple simultaneous dictionaries; Kobo and PocketBook use one per language
• Back up your dictionaries — they can be hard to find again
• Share dictionaries across devices — if you have both a Kindle and a BOOX, the dictionary files are different formats, but MDX/MDD dictionaries on BOOX can cover both uses

Troubleshooting

Problem	Kindle	Kobo	BOOX	PocketBook
Dictionary not showing	Restart device	Check .kobo folder visibility	Check app settings	Check folder path
Wrong definitions	Set correct default dictionary	Check language settings	Try a different app	Reinstall dictionary
Garbled text	File may be corrupted	Incompatible .dic format	Font issue in app	Incompatible format
No offline access	✅ Works offline	✅ Works offline	✅ Download dictionaries first	✅ Works offline

Community dictionaries: a legal note

Community dictionaries are conversions of publicly available dictionary data — JMdict, WordNet, CC-CEDICT — that are licensed for free distribution. The Oxford and Merriam-Webster community conversions sit in a gray area: they are ubiquitous and have been available for over a decade without takedown requests, but they are technically copyrighted. Use them at your own discretion. JMdict, WordNet, and CC-CEDICT are completely free and legal to download and use.

Avoid Send-to-Kindle for dictionary files — Amazon sometimes fails to recognize them and they end up as unopenable documents. USB transfer is more reliable on Kindle. On Kobo, keep dictionary zips in .kobo/dict/ without extracting them.