Old English Translator
Anglo-Saxon ↔ Modern English
Translate Old English to Modern English, or modern English to Old English (Anglo-Saxon) for free. Academic-grade bidirectional translation powered by Bosworth-Toller dictionary + AI. No signup required.
Quick Reference
Translation Style
- Academic — Accurate and scholarly. Preserves grammatical nuances.
- Literal — Word-for-word. Preserves original sentence structure.
- Poetic — Preserves alliteration, meter, and poetic devices.
- Simplified — Modernized vocabulary, easier reading.
Output Format
- With Explanation — Translation + grammar & context notes.
- Plain — Translation only.
- Word by Word — Translation + clickable word breakdown.
- Gloss — Detailed word-by-word grammatical annotation.
- With IPA — Translation + pronunciation guides.
Why Choose Us
- Click-to-Define — Click any word in Word by Word for instant dictionary lookup with etymology and inflection tables. No other OE translator offers this.
- Confidence Score — Each translation includes a high/medium/low confidence rating. Other tools give you no way to judge reliability.
- Academic Notes — Detailed linguistic explanations with grammatical analysis, kenning breakdowns, and cultural context.
- Bidirectional — Translate both Old English → Modern English and Modern English → Old English.
- Free & Unlimited — No account, no paywall. 5 lookups/hour, 10 translations/day.
Common Old English Words & Their Meanings
Whether you need to translate English to Old English or decode an Anglo-Saxon passage, these frequently encountered words will help you get started. Our Old English translatorcovers thousands more in the full Bosworth-Toller dictionary.
| Old English | Modern English | Example / Note |
|---|---|---|
| hwæt | what / lo! | Poetic interjection — "Hwæt! We Gar-Dena…" (Beowulf) |
| cyning | king | Se cyning ricsaþ — "The king rules." |
| þæt | that / the (neut.) | Neuter demonstrative — "þæt land" (that land) |
| eall | all | Eall þis — "All this." |
| eorþe | earth | Eorþe and heofon — "Earth and heaven." |
| lufu | love | Lufu is strang — "Love is strong." |
| niht | night | Niht and dæg — "Night and day." |
| dæg | day | Tōdæg — "Today." |
| mann | man / person | Menn (plural) — "People, men." |
| frēond | friend | Frēond is gōd — "A friend is good." |
| gōd | good | Gōd and yfel — "Good and evil." |
| strang | strong | Strang and mihtig — "Strong and mighty." |
| sēo | the (fem.) | Feminine demonstrative — "sēo sunne" (the sun) |
| wīf | woman / wife | Wīf and wer — "Woman and man." |
| wer | man / husband | Wer is gōd — "The man is good." |
Need to translate words to Old English or look up a specific term? Just type in the translator above and click Translate — or click any word in the result for a full dictionary entry with etymology and inflections.
Who Uses the Old English Translator?
Our free Old English translator serves a wide range of users — from students decoding Beowulf to game developers building immersive medieval worlds. Here is what each group uses it for:
Students & Researchers
Working with primary sources like the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Beowulf, the Exeter Book, and legal charters. Our bidirectional translator provides word-by-word breakdowns with grammatical annotations.
Fantasy Writers & Authors
Creating authentic Anglo-Saxon dialogue, character names, battle cries, and inscriptions. Our Modern English to Old English translator generates historically grounded output, not pseudo-medieval gibberish.
Game Developers & RPG Designers
Adding linguistic flavor to quest text, NPC dialogue, item descriptions, and world-building documents. Use the light flavor mode for player readability or full reconstruction for lore.
Tattoo & Jewelry Enthusiasts
Verifying that permanent inscriptions use real Old English (Anglo-Saxon) vocabulary — not fake archaic spelling or Shakespearean English masquerading as authentic.
Language & History Enthusiasts
Exploring the roots of modern English vocabulary — how words like sky, egg, window, and they came from Old Norse into English via Viking settlement.
Content Creators & Social Media
Turning boring captions into viral medieval moments. Try our fancy Old English translator for fun, shareable translations — or use the academic mode for real historical accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about our Old English (Anglo-Saxon) translator — how it works, what it can do, and how it differs from other tools.
Is this Old English translator free?
Can I translate Modern English to Old English?
What is the difference between Old English and Anglo-Saxon?
Is Google Translate good for Old English?
What is the difference between a translator and a converter?
How accurate is AI-powered Old English translation?
Can I use this for a tattoo or permanent inscription?
What is Click-to-Define?
Old English vs Shakespearean English vs Modern English
One of the most common misconceptions we encounter. Many people searching for an Old English translatoractually want Shakespearean-style text — but these are completely different stages of the English language.
| Old English (450–1150) | Shakespearean (1500–1700) | Modern (Today) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | Hwæt! We Gar-Dena… | To be, or not to be… | What's up? |
| Vocabulary | 85%+ unrecognizable today | Mostly intelligible | Contemporary |
| Noun Cases | 4 cases (nom/acc/gen/dat) | Only possessive | Only possessive |
| "the" | se / sēo / þæt (3 genders) | the (invariant) | the (invariant) |
| "you" | þū / git / ġē | thou / you | you |
| Verb Form | ic eom / þū eart | I am / thou art | I am / you are |
| Learning Effort | Foreign language | Readable with glossary | Native |
If you need a translate Old English to Modern English tool, you are in the right place. If you want Shakespearean text, you need an Early Modern English resource — a common distinction that many Old English language converter tools blur. Read our detailed comparison for more.
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