English Reference Dictionary

EFL-friendly definitions with CEFR levels from englishreference.com. Dual definitions & free vocabulary lesson plans.

EnglishReference.com is a pedagogical dictionary for learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) and the teachers who guide them. Select a word and a small icon appears next to it. Click the icon and a compact card opens in place — no new tab, no losing your place in the text. WHAT'S ON THE CARD • Up to three senses, numbered, so a word with several meanings stays readable • A CEFR level (A1–C2) on each sense, so you can see at a glance whether a meaning is everyday or advanced • IPA pronunciation, with a choice of US or UK • Audio pronunciation where available • An example sentence for each sense DEFINITIONS WRITTEN TWICE Every entry is written two ways: a precise version for teachers, and a plainer version for learners. Switch between them in Settings. Teacher wording is the default. THREE WAYS TO LOOK UP • Select a word and click the icon • Right-click a selection and choose "Look up" • Select and press Ctrl+Shift+X (Cmd+Shift+X on Mac) — the letter is yours to change in Settings IF THE WORD ISN'T THERE Spelling variants resolve automatically — look up "colour" and you get "color", "aeroplanes" gets you "airplane". Misspell something and you get suggestions to pick from. Nothing is a dead end. ALSO • Works on local files, once you allow it in Chrome's extension settings • Light, dark, or follow your system • Never appears while you're typing — text boxes and editors are left alone • Settings follow you between computers when Chrome sync is on FREE, AND STAYING THAT WAY No account. No sign-up. No ads inside the extension. No premium tier. No analytics, no tracking, and nothing is sold to anyone. The extension exists to be useful and to introduce people to englishreference.com — that's the whole business model. The looked-up word is sent to englishreference.com to fetch its definition. That's the only thing that leaves your browser. Your settings stay in Chrome's own storage.