Look up a word — translation, definition, and AI
SnapVerbo gives you three layers of meaning for any word or phrase. The first two are free and instant; the third uses AI for harder cases. Knowing which to reach for saves time and credits.
The free layer — translation and definition
When you tap a word on the OCR result screen (or after sharing/typing text), a chip appears next to your selection with:
- The translation in your default target language.
- The definition when one is available from the free dictionary.
- A ▷ Pronounce button (speaker icon).
- A bookmark to save the entry.
This works without an account, without credits, and without an internet connection on most languages (the free dictionary and on-device translation handle the common cases). For 90% of look-ups, this is all you need.
The AI layer — Advanced lookup
For harder cases — slang, idioms, words whose meaning depends entirely on context, words your dictionary missed — open the saved entry’s detail screen and use Advanced lookup:
- Open the entry from your Vocabulary list.
- Tap Edit to enter edit mode.
- Look at the row of icons above the translation/definition fields. Tap the sparkle icon (
✨). The tooltip reads “Advanced lookup” (or “Advanced lookup · 12/20 credits” if you’re on the free tier). - The AI replaces the translation and definition with a richer, context-aware version.
Advanced lookup is what to use when the free dictionary returns nothing useful, when the word has multiple meanings and the wrong one was picked, or when you want a sentence-level explanation rather than a word-by-word translation.
Guiding the AI with a hint
The AI doesn’t always pick the right interpretation on the first try. The hint tool lets you nudge it.
Next to the sparkle icon, tap the lightbulb-with-tips icon (💡). The tooltip reads “Advanced lookup hint”. A small text field appears, labeled “Optional hint for advanced lookup”, with placeholder “Short note to narrow down the meaning”.
Type something short, like:
- “in a cooking recipe”
- “slang from 1990s Mexico City”
- “this is a verb, not a noun”
- “part of a legal contract”
Then tap the sparkle (✨) again to re-run with the hint. The hint persists for that entry until you clear or change it.
When to use which
| You want… | Use |
|---|---|
| A quick meaning while reading | Free tap-to-translate (chip) |
| A richer, context-aware explanation | Advanced lookup (sparkle) |
| To narrow down a word with multiple meanings | Advanced lookup hint + sparkle |
| To re-run the free lookup if something went wrong | Standard lookup (refresh icon) — see Refreshing a lookup |
Free vs paid
- Free tap-to-translate and the dictionary definition: always free, no credits used.
- Advanced lookup: costs one AI credit per run unless you’re on a paid plan or have unlimited entitlement (the tooltip will say “Advanced lookup · unlimited”). The small bar under the sparkle shows your remaining credits.
If you’ve run out of credits, see Earn AI credits with ads.