Source language and target language
The source language is what you are writing. The target language is what you want LingoKey to produce. Keeping them separate makes the direction of translation clear before you send a message.
Keyboard input languages
LingoKey currently includes dedicated keyboard input and composition support for six language families:
- Simplified Chinese: Chinese Pinyin for
zh-CN - English: general English plus United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, India, and South Africa variants
- Spanish: Spain and Latin America
- French: France and Canada
- German: Germany
- Portuguese: Brazil and Portugal
These are source keyboards, not the full translation catalog. A dedicated source keyboard handles typing behavior such as layout, composition, punctuation, capitalization, and candidate suggestions for that language.
More than 100 translation targets
The target selector includes more than 100 languages and regional variants. It is intentionally broader than the source-keyboard list: you can type with one of the supported LingoKey keyboards and translate the result into a language that does not yet have a dedicated LingoKey input layout.
The current in-app selector is the source of truth because language availability can expand between website updates. Search by the language’s name and check the region where more than one locale is offered.
Change the pair as the conversation changes
You can keep one pair for a long conversation or switch when you move between work, travel, and personal messages. The selected pair remains visible in the keyboard toolbar so you can check the direction before translating.
Recent language pairs make recurring conversations easier to resume. Source and target direction matters: English to French is a separate direction from French to English.
Language and writing style are different
A target language answers “which language?” A writing style answers “how should it sound?” LingoKey includes Natural, Casual, Formal, Business, and Social presets, and you can create a custom style with your own name and translation instruction. Choose an icon, preview the result, and make selected styles available from the keyboard without changing the language pair.
Regional variants matter
When LingoKey offers a regional choice, select the one that matches how you type or the audience you are addressing. Regional variants can affect spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, and keyboard behavior. They do not guarantee that every phrase will be localized perfectly, so review high-impact messages before sending.
Website language is separate again. Changing this website to French, Spanish, German, Brazilian Portuguese, or European Portuguese changes only the site interface and articles; it does not change the pair saved in the LingoKey app.
Learn how those controls fit together in How LingoKey works.