Best pocket-sized Spanish dictionary for travel
In an age of increasingly sophisticated online dictionaries and translation smartphone apps, it may sometimes seem like the physical paper dictionary is all but extinct. But, if you are going to be traveling abroad, you may regret not having one. You may find yourself in an area of the world with spotty mobile internet, or you may be without access to a place to charge for a few days. After an exhausting backpacking trip, the last thing you want is to find yourself checking into a hostel late at night and needing to look up a word you don’t know on a dead cell phone.
Best Spanish travel dictionaries
| Title | Photo | Pages | Dimensions (inches) | Weight (oz.) | Price | Published | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover publishers "Say It in Spanish". |  | 272 | 3.5 x 0.5 x 5 | 8 | $ | 2011 | Learn more |
| Vest Pocket Spanish" by Cortina Institute (Institute for Language Study) |  | 128 | .8 x 0.4 x 6.2 | 4 | $ | 1990 | Learn more |
| Rick Steves’ Spanish Phrase Book & Dictionary |  | 448 | 4 x 0.6 x 5.4 | 7.2 | $$ | 2019 | Learn more |
| Collins Spanish Phrasebook and Dictionary. |  | 256 | 3.2 x 0.5 x 4.6 | 3.5 | $ | 2016 | Learn more |
| Lonely Planet Phrasebooks |  | 272 | 3.7 x 0.5 x 5.5 | 5 | $ | 2018 | Learn more |
| The Penguin Spanish Phrase Book |  | 368 | 4.4 x 0.9 x 6.3 | 6.4 | $$$ | 2013 | Learn more |
| Medical Spanish Visual Phrasebook |  | 160 | 8.5 x 0.3 x 5.5 | 11.2 | $$$$ | 2017 | Learn more |
I would argue that a good lightweight pocket Spanish dictionary should be a mainstay of your study abroad packing list. It might seem like a simple enough purchase to make, but you want to make sure you get one that’s actually going to be useful on the road. To make things easier for you, we’ve ranked our favorite Spanish dictionaries for travelers. In order to make the cut, they must be complete enough to get you out of a variety of jams, thorough enough to give you sufficient information, yet still lightweight enough to toss in a day pack and not break your back.
Dover publishers “Say It in Spanish”.
This is more of a basic tourist phrasebook than a standard dictionary, which may come in handy on your travels. Rather than looking up individual words, it will offer commonly used phrases you can read directly or point to if you’re uncomfortable with the pronunciation. At only $3, it fits in a small pocket (only approximately 3×4 inches, less than an inch thick), it’s a sound investment for any foreign traveler.
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“Vest Pocket Spanish” by Cortina Institute (Institute for Language Study)
This is a micro-sized paperback and can almost be considered a mini-course in the Spanish language for beginners. This one may be trickier to use as a reference on the fly, but is a solid recommendation to brush up on some beginner phrases on the plane or train. There is also a condensed dictionary in the back, with grammar references that are extraordinarily helpful. (For example, sections on tenses, use of articles, sentence structure, etc).
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Rick Steves’ Spanish Phrase Book & Dictionary
This pocket Spanish dictionary includes a thematically organized phrasebook, including phonetic pronunciation for popular travel situations like dining and shopping. You will never find yourself struggling to say a word with this guide.
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Collins Spanish Phrasebook and Dictionary.
Aside from basic traveler’s, phrases it also includes useful tips on how to decode the menu, different types of tapas (small food plates) that you might encounter, ordering drinks, shopping terminology, and much more.
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Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
Lonely Planet is already extremely well known and respected for its travel resources, and this visually appealing and convenient travel phrasebook is no exception. It is divided between a phrasebook and standard dictionary sections, and very simple to browse.
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The Penguin Spanish Phrase Book
This pocket-sized travelers’ handbook includes common phrases, vocabulary, and basic grammar rules. With minimal visual distractions, this is a no-fluff and no-nonsense travel dictionary. It’s set up in three columns (English phrase, Spanish phrase, and Spanish pronunciation) for easy reference. It’s designed specifically for complete beginners, so this is a great option for travelers with minimal Spanish experience.
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Medical Spanish Visual Phrasebook
This is a handy buy for those who may be traveling to a Spanish speaking country to something like volunteer work or Doctors Without Borders. The book includes phrases to check-in for an appointment, common medical questions regarding how to communicate symptoms, etc. It has been adapted to be used by pointing at specific words and phrases so that those with different levels of Spanish experience can all find it useful.
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Don’t get stuck in a Spanish speaking country without one!
More reasons to carry a lightweight Spanish pocket dictionary when you travel:
- You’ve already dropped a lot of time, money, and effort planning your foreign travel or study abroad trip. Don’t risk getting stuck in a situation you can’t get out of by relying on an app or website for translation. A small investment in a pocket-sized Spanish travel dictionary might just end up saving your trip from disaster.
- If a stranger is trying to communicate something to you, you will probably feel more comfortable passing them a pocket dictionary to point to rather than handing over your phone.
- If you pick a good one, it can be an enormous source of information and a real relief in a potentially challenging situation, all while taking up virtually no space or weight in your luggage.
- Unlike small electronic translators, you will never have to worry about running out of battery at a critical moment, or finding a charger when you should be focusing on enjoying your study abroad experience.
Hopefully, this is not the case, but foreign travel is not the best time to figure out that you overestimated your Spanish skills! A lot of travelers do really well in a structured classroom setting, but then get stumped with basic things like ordering in a restaurant. When you think about it, you may be dealing with a lot of factors that aren’t present in a Spanish class: strong accents, native speakers talking very quickly, different dialects, slang. Even if you are already a Spanish master, Spanish travel phrasebooks are a convenient way to make sure you are communicating clearly, help you improve your language skills, and create more flexibility and versatility in your language skills by finding new ways to say familiar things.
It can make the difference between crystal clear, effortless communication and awkward pointing.
Recap: 7 Best pocket-sized Spanish dictionaries for travel
- Dover publishers “Say It in Spanish.
- Vest Pocket Spanish” by Cortina Institute (Institute for Language Study)
- Rick Steves’ Spanish Phrase Book & Dictionary
- Collins Spanish Phrasebook and Dictionary.
- Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
- The Penguin Spanish Phrase Book
- Medical Spanish Visual Phrasebook
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