diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
index e18aee6..cb1069c 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@
     private native long openNative(String sourceDir, long dictOffset, long dictSize,
             int typedLetterMultiplier, int fullWordMultiplier, int maxWordLength, int maxWords);
     private native void closeNative(long dict);
-    private native boolean isValidWordNative(long dict, int[] word, int wordLength);
+    private native int getFrequencyNative(long dict, int[] word, int wordLength);
     private native boolean isValidBigramNative(long dict, int[] word1, int[] word2);
     private native int getSuggestionsNative(long dict, long proximityInfo, int[] xCoordinates,
             int[] yCoordinates, int[] inputCodes, int codesSize, int[] prevWordForBigrams,
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@
     public boolean isValidWord(CharSequence word) {
         if (word == null) return false;
         int[] chars = StringUtils.toCodePointArray(word.toString());
-        return isValidWordNative(mNativeDict, chars, chars.length);
+        final int freq = getFrequencyNative(mNativeDict, chars, chars.length);
+        return freq >= 0;
     }
 
     // TODO: Add a batch process version (isValidBigramMultiple?) to avoid excessive numbers of jni
diff --git a/native/jni/com_android_inputmethod_latin_BinaryDictionary.cpp b/native/jni/com_android_inputmethod_latin_BinaryDictionary.cpp
index f130062..d10dc96 100644
--- a/native/jni/com_android_inputmethod_latin_BinaryDictionary.cpp
+++ b/native/jni/com_android_inputmethod_latin_BinaryDictionary.cpp
@@ -173,12 +173,12 @@
     return count;
 }
 
-static jboolean latinime_BinaryDictionary_isValidWord(JNIEnv *env, jobject object, jlong dict,
+static jint latinime_BinaryDictionary_getFrequency(JNIEnv *env, jobject object, jlong dict,
         jintArray wordArray, jint wordLength) {
     Dictionary *dictionary = (Dictionary*)dict;
     if (!dictionary) return (jboolean) false;
     jint *word = env->GetIntArrayElements(wordArray, 0);
-    jboolean result = dictionary->isValidWord(word, wordLength);
+    jint result = dictionary->getFrequency(word, wordLength);
     env->ReleaseIntArrayElements(wordArray, word, JNI_ABORT);
     return result;
 }
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@
     {"closeNative", "(J)V", (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_close},
     {"getSuggestionsNative", "(JJ[I[I[II[IZ[C[I)I",
             (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_getSuggestions},
-    {"isValidWordNative", "(J[II)Z", (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_isValidWord},
+    {"getFrequencyNative", "(J[II)I", (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_getFrequency},
     {"isValidBigramNative", "(J[I[I)Z", (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_isValidBigram},
     {"getBigramsNative", "(J[II[II[C[III)I", (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_getBigrams},
     {"calcNormalizedScoreNative", "([CI[CII)F",
diff --git a/native/jni/src/dictionary.cpp b/native/jni/src/dictionary.cpp
index 65d0f73..1fb0247 100644
--- a/native/jni/src/dictionary.cpp
+++ b/native/jni/src/dictionary.cpp
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@
     delete mBigramDictionary;
 }
 
-bool Dictionary::isValidWord(const int32_t *word, int length) {
-    return mUnigramDictionary->isValidWord(word, length);
+int Dictionary::getFrequency(const int32_t *word, int length) {
+    return mUnigramDictionary->getFrequency(word, length);
 }
 
 bool Dictionary::isValidBigram(const int32_t *word1, int length1, const int32_t *word2,
diff --git a/native/jni/src/dictionary.h b/native/jni/src/dictionary.h
index 87891ee..9f23679 100644
--- a/native/jni/src/dictionary.h
+++ b/native/jni/src/dictionary.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
                 maxWordLength, maxBigrams);
     }
 
-    bool isValidWord(const int32_t *word, int length);
+    int getFrequency(const int32_t *word, int length);
     bool isValidBigram(const int32_t *word1, int length1, const int32_t *word2, int length2);
     void *getDict() { return (void *)mDict; }
     int getDictSize() { return mDictSize; }
diff --git a/native/jni/src/unigram_dictionary.cpp b/native/jni/src/unigram_dictionary.cpp
index 8d2f4cd..d68265a 100644
--- a/native/jni/src/unigram_dictionary.cpp
+++ b/native/jni/src/unigram_dictionary.cpp
@@ -748,8 +748,21 @@
     return maxFreq;
 }
 
-bool UnigramDictionary::isValidWord(const int32_t* const inWord, const int length) const {
-    return NOT_VALID_WORD != BinaryFormat::getTerminalPosition(DICT_ROOT, inWord, length);
+int UnigramDictionary::getFrequency(const int32_t* const inWord, const int length) const {
+    const uint8_t* const root = DICT_ROOT;
+    int pos = BinaryFormat::getTerminalPosition(root, inWord, length);
+    if (NOT_VALID_WORD == pos) {
+        return NOT_A_PROBABILITY;
+    }
+    const uint8_t flags = BinaryFormat::getFlagsAndForwardPointer(root, &pos);
+    const bool hasMultipleChars = (0 != (FLAG_HAS_MULTIPLE_CHARS & flags));
+    if (hasMultipleChars) {
+        pos = BinaryFormat::skipOtherCharacters(root, pos);
+    } else {
+        BinaryFormat::getCharCodeAndForwardPointer(DICT_ROOT, &pos);
+    }
+    const int unigramFreq = BinaryFormat::readFrequencyWithoutMovingPointer(root, pos);
+    return unigramFreq;
 }
 
 // TODO: remove this function.
diff --git a/native/jni/src/unigram_dictionary.h b/native/jni/src/unigram_dictionary.h
index b923351..b708940 100644
--- a/native/jni/src/unigram_dictionary.h
+++ b/native/jni/src/unigram_dictionary.h
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 
     UnigramDictionary(const uint8_t* const streamStart, int typedLetterMultipler,
             int fullWordMultiplier, int maxWordLength, int maxWords, const unsigned int flags);
-    bool isValidWord(const int32_t* const inWord, const int length) const;
+    int getFrequency(const int32_t* const inWord, const int length) const;
     int getBigramPosition(int pos, unsigned short *word, int offset, int length) const;
     int getSuggestions(ProximityInfo *proximityInfo, WordsPriorityQueuePool *queuePool,
             Correction *correction, const int *xcoordinates, const int *ycoordinates,