# NAWL Builder > Academic vocabulary learning tool for English language learners using the NAWL. (iPhone/iPad app by EFL Technologies.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nawl-builder/id902964659 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [EFL Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/942981362) - Category: Education, Lifestyle - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 5 App Store ratings - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 7.0 · 46 MB - Languages: American English, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French (France), German (Germany), Greek, Hebrew and 15 more - Released: 2014-07-31 - Data updated: 2026-07-04 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nawl-builder/id902964659/reviews.md ## What is NAWL Builder? NAWL Builder: This application is designed to help learners and teachers make use of one of the most important lists of academic vocabulary words for second language learners of English, the New Academic Word List (NAWL). The list is open source and is used with permission of the authors. The app contains simple tools to help you download, email and organize the NAWL, as well as science-based study tools to quickly and efficiently learn the words, keep detailed record of your progress and the ability to email your progress to yourself or a teacher. The original definitions are written in simple English and the app also give you pronunciation of each word by a professional voice talent who is a native speaker of English of North American English. About the NAWL: The first version of the New Academic Word List (NAWL 1.0), published by Dr. Charles Browne, Dr. Brent Culligan is finished and available at the following link (www.newgeneralservicelist.org). The list is available in alphabetical order, with inflected forms, and with Standard Frequency Indices (Carroll, Davies, & Richman, 1971; Carroll, 1971). How many words are in the NAWL? The NAWL is a list of 963 words derived from an academic corpus containing about 288 million words. What are the components used in building the corpus? The first major component of the corpus is the Cambridge English Corpus. This corpus is comprised of academic journals and non-fiction, student essays, and academic discourse. According to Cambridge English Corpus website, the corpus includes “text from academic books and journals from the UK and US covering a wide range of disciplines and topics.” This part of the Corpus contained about 249 million words and yielded a single word list with frequencies. The rest of the corpus was assembled from other sources. The oral part of the corpus used was compiled from two corpora of spoken English, the Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English (MICASE), and the British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus. These corpora were put together and re-sorted into four categories, namely Arts and Humanities, Life Sciences, Social Sciences, and Physical Sciences, giving four separated word lists and frequencies. The third and final part, Textbooks, was assembled from a corpus of published textbooks including many of the top 100 best-selling textbooks. The textbooks were also divided into the same four categories as the spoken English corpus and generated four word lists with frequencies. The steps to get the list were as follows. The final corpus was analyzed using procedures outlined in Carroll, Davies, and Richman (1971) and Carroll (1971) to obtain D, an index of dispersion over the nine word lists, U, an adjusted estimation of the occurrence of the word frequency per million, and the SFI, the Standard Frequency Index. The words from the New General Service List (NGSL) were accounted for and a list of candidates was selected based on frequency, dispersion, and appropriateness. About Intelligent Flashcards: The app also contains an Intelligent Wordlist Maker and Intelligent Flashcard system. The Intelligent Wordlist Maker helps you to quickly and efficiently pick only the words you don’t know for study in the flashcard system. Rather than force you to go through the entire list at once, Intelligent Wordlist Maker guides you through the list by frequency bands, allowing you to add words little by little, just as you need them or when you have time. Based on the well documented science of “spaced-repetition”, the Intelligent Flashcard system systematically and efficiently helps you to review the words several times over a period of a month, giving you extra time with the words that are giving you difficulty. References Carroll, J. B. (1971). Statistical analysis of the corpus. In The American Heritage Word Frequency Book (pp. xxi – xl). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ## Key features - Study tools for NAWL words - Download and organize word lists - Progress tracking - Email progress reports - Native English pronunciation - Simple English definitions ## Frequently asked questions about NAWL Builder ### What is the NAWL Builder app? NAWL Builder is an educational application designed to help users learn and master the New Academic Word List (NAWL), a crucial set of vocabulary for English language learners. It offers tools for studying, organizing, and tracking progress with these academic words. ### How many words are in the NAWL list used by NAWL Builder? The NAWL list, as utilized by NAWL Builder, comprises 963 words. These words were derived from an extensive academic corpus of approximately 288 million words. ### Does NAWL Builder offer pronunciation guides? Yes, NAWL Builder provides pronunciation for each word by a professional voice talent who is a native speaker of North American English. This feature aids learners in correctly pronouncing academic vocabulary. ### Can I track my learning progress with NAWL Builder? Absolutely. NAWL Builder allows you to keep detailed records of your progress as you study the words. You can also email your progress reports to yourself or a teacher. ### What devices is NAWL Builder available on? NAWL Builder is currently supported on iPhone and iPod devices. It is designed for users who want to learn academic vocabulary on the go. ### How often is NAWL Builder updated? The latest version of NAWL Builder is 2.1, and it was last updated on November 13, 2015. While updates have not been frequent recently, the app provides stable functionality for its core purpose. ### What is the age rating for NAWL Builder? NAWL Builder has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of learners. Its focus on vocabulary acquisition is beneficial for students of all ages. ### Does NAWL Builder have ads? No, NAWL Builder does not contain advertisements. As a free application, it provides an uninterrupted learning experience without any ad interruptions. ## Version history (last 3 releases) ### 2.1 — 2015-11-13 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. Minor bug fixes ### 1.1 — 2015-04-09 - Minor bug fixed ### 1.0 — 2014-07-30 No release notes. ## Apps similar to NAWL Builder | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [4K Essential English Words 4](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4k-essential-english-words-4/id1281016429) | 4.9 (24) | Free | Education | | [4K Essential English Words 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4k-essential-english-words-2/id1259788274) | 4.7 (31) | Free | Education | | [4K Essential English Words 5](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4k-essential-english-words-5/id1300117124) | 4.2 (13) | Free | Education | | [4K Essential English Words 6](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4k-essential-english-words-6/id1301762462) | 4.9 (15) | Free | Education | | [4K Essential English Words 3](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4k-essential-english-words-3/id1260125132) | 4.6 (30) | Free | Education | | [4K Essential English Words 1](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/4k-essential-english-words-1/id1259013612) | 4.7 (94) | Free | Education | ## More apps by EFL Technologies - [AWL Builder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awl-builder/id501624983) - [NGSL Builder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ngsl-builder/id892335804) - [AWL Builder 日本語版](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awl-builder/id972955597) - [NAWL Builder 日本語版](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nawl-builder/id973368033) - [GSL Builder 日本語版](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gsl-builder/id973368329) All apps by EFL Technologies: https://appshunter.io/developer/942981362 ## Related topics [nawl builder](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nawl-builder) --- *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 2026-07-04.*