Merriam Webster App

The Merriam-Webster App (available for Android and iOS) is a free dictionary, much like dictionary.com and its associated apps. There is a free version of the app available which includes many of the features of the paid version.

These include:

• Finding words using your voice:Search for words simply by speaking to the app – the voice recognition is very good, although this does depend on knowledge of the correct pronunciation.
• Find detailed information about the words you search for:Once you have found the word you were looking for, you can:
  • see a definition
  • find synonyms and antonyms for the word
  • find out the origin of the word
  • hear the word spoken aloud
• Offline Browsing of words:Use the Android and iOS apps to search for words even when you have no internet connection.
• Play word games to boost your vocabulary:The Merriam-Webster App includes several word games that test your vocabulary and knowledge of word meanings, although only “light” difficulty levels are available on the free version of the app.

In summary, the Merriam-Webster app is a solid dictionary for looking up and learning about words. It does have some shortcomings though. Unlike dictionary.com, the app won’t correct misspellings when searching for words (though it will give you a list of options if you know the first few letters) and the free version includes advertisements which are occasionally get in the way when you are searching for a word. It’s also worth noting that this is an American app, and consequently, spellings and pronunciations use American English. While it does include some British English spellings as well, this could be confusing for UK users.