How to Look Up a Word You Don't Know on Your iPhone

Remember reaching for the big Webster's dictionary on the shelf whenever a word tripped you up in the morning paper? That heavy book with the thin pages and the little tabs cut into the side. You'd flip to the right letter, run your finger down the column, and there was your answer.

Your iPhone has that same dictionary tucked inside — and you don't have to type a thing. If you can tap a word, you can look it up.

The Simple Trick: Press and Hold

Whenever you're reading something on your iPhone — a news article, a text message from your niece, an email, a recipe — and you come across a word you don't recognize, here's what to do:

Touch the word with your finger and hold it there for about one second.
Let go. A little bar of choices will pop up above the word (things like "Copy" and "Look Up").
Tap Look Up.

A panel will slide up from the bottom of the screen with the meaning of the word, how to pronounce it, and sometimes even where it came from.

When you're finished reading, tap Done in the top corner, or swipe the panel down with your finger. You'll be right back where you started, in the middle of your article.

What If You Tapped the Wrong Word?

Don't fret. When you press and hold, the iPhone highlights the word in blue with two little dots on either end — those are called handles. You can drag those handles left or right to grab a different word, or even a whole phrase.

If the whole thing goes sideways, just tap anywhere else on the screen to start over. Nothing you do here can hurt anything.

More Than Just Definitions

Here's a pleasant surprise. When you tap Look Up, your iPhone doesn't only show you the dictionary meaning. Scroll down the panel with your finger and you may also see:

Suggested websites about the word
Movies, songs, or places with that name
Nearby locations, if the word is a place

So if you're reading an article that mentions "Reykjavik" and you're not quite sure where that is, Look Up will happily tell you it's the capital of Iceland — and show you a little map, too.

A Quick Example

Say you're reading a book review in an email and the writer calls the story "quixotic." You've seen the word, but you couldn't define it if someone paid you.

Press and hold on quixotic. Tap Look Up. Up comes the definition: exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical. Ah — like Don Quixote tilting at windmills. That's where it came from. Mystery solved in about four seconds, without leaving the email.

Try It Today

Open any article, email, or text on your iPhone right now. Find a word — any word, even one you already know, just for practice. Press and hold it, then tap Look Up.

Once you've done it once, you'll do it forever. It's the same satisfaction as finding the word in the old Webster's — just without the heavy lifting.

Need a hand with your technology? We're here to help. Give PorchSwing a call or book an appointment, and we'll walk you through it at your own pace — no rush, no jargon.