PanLex: radically inclusive translation

Mission


PanLex is a nonprofit whose mission is to overcome language barriers to human rights, information, and opportunities.

We believe that nobody should have their rights restricted because of the language they speak.

PanLex is building the world’s largest lexical database


What we do

For over 10 years we have been building the world’s largest lexical translation database, and we keep adding new words and languages all the time. By transforming thousands of translation dictionaries into a single common structure, the PanLex database makes it possible to derive billions of lexical translations that are not found in any single dictionary.

Why it matters so much

There is a growing divide between the opportunities available to speakers of major languages and to those who speak under-served languages. Making translation dictionaries and technology available in under-served languages helps speakers exercise their rights and access equal opportunities, while supporting their social, cultural, and economic well-being.

How we are different from Google Translate

Google Translate and other machine translation applications translate whole sentences and texts in up to a hundred major world languages. PanLex translates words in thousands of languages. Our database is panlingual (emphasizes coverage of every language) and lexical (focuses on words, not sentences). The data is free and open.

Current database coverage

dictionaries

languages

words

translations

Work with us


Global humanitarians

We help international organizations working in health, law, land rights, agriculture, education, refugee support, disaster relief, and other fields to reach more people, be more effective in what they do, and have a greater impact.

Global businesses

We help global businesses reach customers in their own language. We can build a custom solution to help you be more effective in more markets.

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