Forvo
Forvo is a pronunciation dictionary built from recordings by native speakers.
What Forvo is
Forvo is a pronunciation dictionary built from recordings by native speakers. Its community database contains nearly 6 million words and phrases in more than 430 languages. People can use the website or iOS and Android apps, while an API supplies pronunciation audio and translations for applications. API results can be filtered by language, location, gender, or user. A free account lets members add words, vote on pronunciations, create favorites lists, follow additions, and download pronunciation MP3 files. Only registered users may add words or record pronunciations, and submissions exclude words longer than 40 characters, onomatopoeias, and invented words. API plans have daily request limits that reset at 22:00 UTC; application playback counts as a request. Generated audio links last two hours, and caching is not allowed.
Good
- Nearly 6 million words
- More than 430 languages
- Free account for listening tools
- API filters by language and speaker details
- iOS, Android, and web access
Watch out
- API limits vary by plan
- Audio links expire after two hours
- Caching API pronunciations is not allowed
- Commercial Corporate price is unlisted
Who it suits
Forvo suits language learners and developers who need spoken examples or pronunciation data. Its free account supports personal participation, while API plans address academic, individual, and commercial uses.
Verdict
Forvo combines a large community pronunciation collection with apps and an API. It is useful when native-speaker audio matters, but API request rules and plan restrictions should be checked before integration.
Plans and prices
From Forvo's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Profit | $2 a month | 500 requests/day · commercial use not allowed · Forvo attribution · no SLA · per month |
| Commercial Small Business | $28.95 a month | 10,000 requests/day · commercial use allowed · Forvo attribution · no SLA · per month |
| Commercial Corporate | Priced on request | 100,000 requests/day · commercial use allowed · attribution not required · SLA included · Contact us! |
The facts
Each one read from Forvo's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Analytics and advertising integrations
- The privacy policy names Google Analytics and Google Ad Manager as services used by the website or app.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API audio limitation
- Generated audio links remain valid for two hours and the documentation forbids caching pronunciation audio.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API audio links
- API-generated audio links remain valid for two hours, and caching audio pronunciations is not allowed.checked 4 Oct 2026
- API capabilities
- The API provides access to audio pronunciations and translations, with results filterable by language, location, gender, or user.checked 4 Oct 2026
- API coverage
- Forvo says its API provides access to about 6 million audio pronunciations and translations in more than 430 languages.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API documentation
- The documentation covers general information, attribution, word pronunciations, standard pronunciation, language lists, popular languages and several search methods.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API formats
- The words-search API accepts XML or JSON output, with optional JSONP callback parameters.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API key policy
- An application may use only one API key and may not ask end users to supply their own keys.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API request accounting
- API usage limits reset daily at 22:00 UTC and every audio playback from an application counts as a request.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API service limitation
- Forvo states that the API is supplied without uptime or error-free guarantees and that it may close the service.checked 15 Oct 2026
- API usage limits
- API request limits vary by plan and reset daily at 22:00 UTC; each audio playback through an application counts as a request.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Community content
- Native speakers create and maintain Forvo's database of nearly 6 million words pronounced in over 430 languages.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Community recordings
- Registered users can add words, record pronunciations, vote on recordings, follow additions, save favorites and download MP3 files.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Content restrictions
- Words exceeding 40 characters, onomatopoeias, and made-up words are not allowed.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Content rules
- The FAQ allows most dictionary words but excludes onomatopoeia, made-up words and entries over 40 characters.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Contributions
- Only registered users can add words and record pronunciations.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Data controller
- The privacy policy identifies FORVO MEDIA S.L. as the data controller and gives its address in Rentería, Gipuzkoa, Spain.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Forvo Kids
- Forvo Kids targets children aged 3–6 with vocabulary games covering five languages, ten topics and more than 135 basic words.checked 15 Oct 2026
The company
- Company facts from Crunchbase
- Crunchbase lists Forvo as a private, active, for-profit company in Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain, with 1–10 employees and Felix Vela as CEO and co-founder.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Company legal name
- The owner is Forvo Media S.L., registered at Txirrita Maleo 1, Renteria, Gipuzkoa, Spain.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Founded
- Forvo says it was founded in 2008.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Headquarters
- Rentería, Spainchecked 28 Sep 2026
Money
- Free account
- Users can sign up free to add words, vote on pronunciations, create favorites lists, track additions, and download pronunciation MP3s.checked 4 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Google Play app details
- Google Play lists Forvo Travel at $2.99, with 10K+ downloads, an Everyone content rating and an August 28, 2024 update.checked 15 Oct 2026
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