# American Heritage® Dictionary — UniDict® - 4th Edition (AHD4)

> Comprehensive digital dictionary with extensive definitions, audio pronunciations, and etymology. (iPhone/iPad app by Enfour, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-heritage-dictionary/id284965601 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Enfour, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284965604)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: $12.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 199 App Store ratings · 157 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 385 MB
- Languages: Hiligaynon, Western Panjabi, Nigerian Pidgin, Esperanto, Danish, Ukrainian, Russian, Sinhala, Croatian, Icelandic and 44 more
- Released: 2019-02-02
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-heritage-dictionary/id284965601/reviews.md

## What is American Heritage® Dictionary?

*NOTE: there is a newer version of American Heritage® Dictionary available on the AppStore.  Tap on the "Enfour, Inc." link for AHD5.

The entire 2,074 page, 7.5 pound dictionary with its nearly 300,000 terms –plus 64 thousand recorded sound files by native speakers -all available instantly at your fingertips.

________________________________________

"In the battle of the Big Three dictionaries, American Heritage® stands out on iPhone" (4 mice)
— MacWorld
________________________________________

More than 33,000 written examples, totaling 4,222,000 words, makes this largest mobile dictionary on ANY platform 
The indexes alone are larger than most brand-name dictionaries. Even without the sound files, AHD would still be the largest dictionary in the AppStore.

Main Features:
● the entire text of this best selling book
● complete front matter and appendices
● three-way cross-referencing search
● real-time progressive look-up
● wildcard pattern searches (with * ?)
● spelling suggestion dictionary included
● internal hyperlinking & supports copy/paste
● pop-up pronunciation symbols chart
● IPA pronunciation symbol conversion
● etymology (word history) with root links
● professionally recorded sound files
● zoomable graphics
● fallback online search for esoteric or archaic words and the latest slang
● unique two-way external application interaction
 — first iPhone dictionary with external linking and now most advanced!
● bookmarks with editable notations
● automatic search history
● an "AI Teacher" for deeper explanations or help for ESL students in 98 languages
● AI boosted anagram generator
● "Today" & LockScreen widgets
● 3D Touch support
● DarkMode support
● Siri support
● iPad multi-screen and Drag & Drop
● iPhone 17 & iOS26 support
● iPhone, iPod, iPad and macOS support
● complete offline use - no Internet connection

The renowned American Heritage® Usage Panel, a group of more than 200 distinguished writers, scholars, and scientists, offers advice on problems of grammar and style; engaging notes explain word histories and clarify differences among synonyms; thousands of quotations and example sentences show words in context; and elegant definitions are enhanced by numerous full-color photographs, drawings, and maps, making this one of the most complete reference tool available on any mobile platform.

Reviews for the application:

"As apps go, only Enfour’s American Heritage® Dictionary stands out for its graphic appeal and functionality. Although I was pleased to have so much lexical firepower in such a compact form, I was annoyed at how poorly the other dictionaries present on the platform." (4 mice)
— MacWorld

Editor's Choice. ranking = "Great"
— MacLife

Reviews of the print version:

"The Best Dictionary...Designed to appeal to the eye as well as the mind, it is notable for its imaginative illustrations....This is a great family dictionary, and ideal for schoolrooms."
— The Courier Journal

"This dictionary, now in its fourth edition, makes it fun to look up definitions of words....This up-to-date and eminently useful dictionary features a fabulous full-color design that quickly and effectively guides users to the information they seek."
— Library Journal

________________________________________

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
http://www.hmco.com

________________________________________

Powered by Enfour's "UniDict® Engine 16"

  —thesaurus links work with these products:
    "Roget's II: New Thesaurus"
    "Companion Thesaurus"
    "Companion Synonyms"
and many more

## Key features

- Full dictionary text
- 33,000+ example sentences
- 64,000+ recorded sound files
- Three-way cross-referencing search
- Etymology with root links
- AI Teacher for ESL students
- Offline use

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $12.99.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Roget's II Thesaurus | $4.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of American Heritage® Dictionary?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Comprehensive and authoritative
- 👍 Excellent pronunciation audio
- 👍 Helpful etymologies and word roots
- 👍 Seamless integration with Roget's Thesaurus
- 👍 Regularly updated

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔋 Large app size can cause sync issues
- 🔒 Concerning privacy/security issues with unauthorized social media posts
- 👎 Overpriced compared to alternatives
- 👎 Lack of customization options (font size, themes, etc.)

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Unreliable audio playback
- Unexpected behavior when clearing search history

**Most requested features**

- Ability to bookmark words and organize them into custom categories
- Improved search functionality (e.g. tapping words in definitions to jump to them)
- Landscape mode support
- Better sync/backup options for user data
- More visual aids and illustrations

## Recent user reviews (10 of 157)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-heritage-dictionary/id284965601/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Pastor

*2026-03-06, version 16.1*

Excellent tool. Works great. Thank you…

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2026-02-24*

Je l’utilise pour l’étudie de la Bible. Elle est parfaite.

### 5/5 — So easy!

*2025-09-18, version 16.0.1*

This ap is invaluable to me! I use it often while writing or reading. Because it’s on my phone and not a book I have to find and go through, finding words is so easy! I even use it instead of a thesaurus while writing.

### 5/5 — Dictionary

*2025-09-17, version 16.0.1*

A great piece of labor for all who are seeking!

### 5/5 — Loved

*2023-12-12, version 15.0*

I’m thanking you .

### 5/5 — The American Heritage Dictionary 5

*2023-03-08*

Excellent dictionary

### 5/5 — Stopped working

*2023-01-30, version 13.4*

I do not want to update to the new version but the #4 sends me to your web page and no longer works. I use a dictionary everyday and have had to go to the web for my dictionary needs. Please fix version 4. Today, the best dictionary reigns again. Thank you for the update, now, all is calm, all is bright.

### 5/5 — Awesome dictionary.

*2023-01-29, version 13.4*

An education in the English language. Great definitions, sometimes including useful pictures to illustrate the concept, and (as far as I’ve found) always having a button to give audio pronunciation of the word. Includes surprisingly useful background in how the dictionary is developed, history of the English language, and a comprehensive listing of Indo-European roots… that I didn’t realize would be useful to have til I’d been using this dictionary for a few years! NOTE - this version of the dictionary is MUCH better than the other one available as an app… I got confused and thought support for this version had been dropped and bought the other one… really a shadow of the value!

### 5/5 — This app is broke again

*2023-01-25, version 13.3.2*

Not working on iPad Pro 11” (2020). When you open the app, you get a flash screen that says “total failure” before sending you to the App Store. Please fix.

### 5/5 — AHD

*2022-10-14, version 13.3*

Very useful

## Frequently asked questions about American Heritage® Dictionary

### What does the American Heritage Dictionary app do?

This app provides the complete text of the renowned American Heritage Dictionary, including nearly 300,000 terms, 33,000 written examples, and 64,000 professionally recorded sound files by native speakers. It offers advanced search capabilities, etymology, and AI-powered tools for deeper language understanding.

### What are the key features of this dictionary app?

Key features include the entire dictionary text, complete front matter and appendices, three-way cross-referencing search, real-time progressive look-up, wildcard searches, spelling suggestions, internal hyperlinking, pop-up pronunciation charts, IPA conversion, etymology with root links, professionally recorded sound files, and offline use.

### Is this app free to use?

The application is available for free with in-app purchases. While the core dictionary content is accessible, certain advanced features or additional content may require purchase.

### What devices and operating systems are supported?

The app supports a wide range of Apple devices, including iPhone, iPod, iPad, and macOS. It is designed to be compatible with the latest iOS versions, ensuring a smooth experience on modern devices.

### Who would benefit from using this app?

This app is ideal for students, writers, scholars, language learners (including ESL students), and anyone who needs a comprehensive and reliable reference for English words. Its detailed definitions, etymology, and example sentences make it a valuable tool for understanding language in depth.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 17.0 — 2026-07-14

Updates Bookmark sync and backup.
Add support for Anki.

### 16.2 — 2026-03-12

Improved iOS26 support

### 16.1 — 2026-02-24

Better support for iOS26

### 16.0.2 — 2025-09-22

A fix for search on conjugations.

### 16.0.1 — 2025-09-07

Fix for Today Widget

## Apps similar to American Heritage® Dictionary

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| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Dictionary.com: English Words](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionarycom-english-words/id308750436) | 4.8 (327,803) | Free | Reference |
| [Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oxford-dictionary-and-thesaurus/id978674211) | 4.6 (28,630) | Free | Reference |
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## More apps by Enfour, Inc.

- [Wall Street Words](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wall-street-words/id284967941)
- [American Heritage® Desk](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/american-heritage-desk/id286269540)
- [Roget's II: New Thesaurus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rogets-ii-new-thesaurus/id286861782)
- [ロングマン英和辞書](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id289569759)
- [100 Words Everyone Confuses and Misuses](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/100-words-everyone-confuses-and-misuses/id293782249)

All apps by Enfour, Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/284965604

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-28.*