Regex Translator

Translate any regular expression into plain English — understand every part instantly.

Enter a pattern to see its explanation

What is the Regex Translator?

The Regex Translator is a free tool that converts any regular expression into a plain English explanation. Instead of mentally parsing symbols like (?<=\s)(\w+)(?=\s), the translator breaks it down token by token and tells you exactly what each part does — in clear, readable language. It's the fastest way to understand a regex written by someone else, or to verify that your own pattern does what you think it does.

How to Use the Regex Translator

1
Paste your regular expression
Type or paste any regex pattern into the input field at the top. You can include flags (g, i, m, s, u, y) using the flag toggles.
2
Read the plain English translation
The translator instantly breaks your pattern into labeled components. Each token is color-coded by type — anchors in blue, quantifiers in purple, groups in pink, lookarounds in yellow.
3
Test the pattern in the playground
Once you understand what the regex does, switch to the Regex Playground to test it against real input and see matches highlighted live.

What the Translator Explains

Anchors

^, $, \b, \B

Where in the string the pattern must match.

Quantifiers

*, +, ?, {n,m}

How many times a token can repeat — greedy or lazy.

Character Classes

[a-z], \d, \w, \s

Sets and ranges of characters that can match.

Groups

(...), (?<name>...), (?:...)

Capture groups, named groups, and non-capturing groups.

Lookarounds

(?=...), (?!...), (?<=...)

Zero-width assertions that check context without consuming characters.

Alternation

a|b

Match one pattern or another.