# WordWhile — Great literature. Know it? > Interactive literary game filling missing words in classic texts. (iPhone/iPad app by Gregory McDonald.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordwhile/id1250527022 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Gregory McDonald](https://appshunter.io/developer/992464989) - Category: Games, Entertainment, Family, Word - Price: Free (on sale, was $1.99) - Rating: 4.70/5 from 166 App Store ratings · 19 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 9+ - Requires: iOS 8.0 · 47 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2017-06-21 - Data updated: 2026-09-05 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordwhile/id1250527022/reviews.md ## What is WordWhile? Nursery rhymes, tongue twisters, proverbs, great prose and poetry. These timeless texts are missing words. Tap the author's word and feel clever. Don’t know it? Don’t sweat it! Our ”Wrong answers” are usually pretty funny. Now you can even add your own! Nearly 5,000 timeless words in 50 playable texts with over 1,500 missing words and 15,000 hand-crafted Novel alternatives to select...or avoid. * RELAX in Zen Mode or THRILL to Timed Mode * LAUGH at the Silly solutions * REFLECT on the Tricky ones and the source texts * CREATE custom solutions * READ the original texts * SAVE your completed texts however you filled those gaps * REVIEW your saved versions * COMPARE your solution to the author's * ADMIRE the classy Victorian styling * ENJOY a growing collection of playable texts (see below) FUN FOR AGES 10+ : * DISCOVER classic texts playfully with your kids * GIGGLE at the puns, crazy rhymes, category errors,... * GROW from ACCESSIBLE texts like proverbs and nursery rhymes to literary gems from Shakespeare, Dickens, Byron, Wordsworth and more * BOOKISH KIDS love it, even if (especially because?) it’s not “made for kids” CLASSROOM and LIBRARY FRIENDLY : * Unlimited player profiles on the same device * No ads or in-app purchases * Works offline * No links or sharing outside the app SILLY FUN or EXTREME LITERARY SPORT : * Think you know these texts cold? Try picking the _wrong_ Tricky word on purpose every time with a time limit. We call that 100% Novel. It can be brutal! * Have you got the endurance to complete the Virtuoso Race on “Once more unto the breach”? How about the “Major-General’s Song”? * Achievements for all modes of play, text collections and challenge categories. How many can you earn? WARNING: possible side effects of playing WordWhile include: increased vocabulary, improved memory, greater familiarity with literary classics, learning poems and famous speeches by heart...and laughter. The WordWhile Editorial Team assumes no responsibility for any learning incurred as a result of playing WordWhile...but the laughing is entirely our fault. WHICH TIMELESS TEXTS? The collection of playable texts is growing and any new texts will come to you as free updates. That is worth repeating: when WordWhile gets an update, take a look at "What's New". There are always new texts to try. 1) “Proverbs”: over 40 well-known proverbs divided into eight playable texts 2) “Shakespeare: Speeches and Sonnets”: "To be or not to be", "O Romeo", "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day" and five others 3) "Children's Classics" --- 8 nursery rhymes, tongue twisters and several "Poems Every Child Should Know" including "Jabberwocky" (ADDED September 2017) 4) "Pickin's from Dickens": "Please, sir, I want some more", "It was the best of times", and 10 more (ADDED September 2017) 5) "Selected Poems": "How do I love thee", "She walks in beauty", "Death, be not proud" and 5 more (ADDED Winter 2017) 6) "Love, sweet love": "Roses are red", quotes from Fitzgerald's "Tender is the Night", Hamlet's love letter to Ophelia, Hugo, Austen, Burns (8 texts, ADDED Valentine's Day 2018) ## Key features - Fill missing words in classic texts - Humorous wrong answer options - Create custom solutions - Zen and Timed play modes - Save and review completed texts - Compare to original author's words - Victorian-inspired styling ## Recent user reviews (10 of 19) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordwhile/id1250527022/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Great game *2024-10-25, version 2.1.1* Will be really neat when the collection grows larger I suggest adding a “rate us” button spin side the settings, so it’s easier for users to get to the app page. There was at least 30% of ,e about to just not do it, cuz we’re all lazy ### 5/5 — Fun and beautifull *2023-05-31, version 2.1.1* Love to play with words? Love poetry and classic literature? This for you my friend. ### 5/5 — Addicting and educational *2022-11-18, version 2.1.1* I have never enjoyed poetry as much as I do with this app! Although I completed all the content in one day….I need more!!! Especially Shakespeare!!! ### 5/5 — Thoroughly delightful *2022-05-18, version 2.1.1* Any literature nerd will be positively giddy about this little game! The visual style is lovely and sets the mood perfectly. It’s a game that simultaneously celebrates fine works of literature while not taking itself too seriously. In fact, the player can decide exactly how serious they want to be! Recommend 100% ### 5/5 — Love this, would pay for extra content! *2021-11-23, version 2.1.1* What a little gem! The illustrations are fantastic, and the content is great. Relaxing /challenging modes, and a fun gameplay scheme. I’d buy extra content packs in a heartbeat. Great job. ### 5/5 — Wish there were more . . . *2021-10-12, version 2.1.1* I adored this game; I only wish there were more quotations or in app purchases. ### 5/5 — Awesome *2021-09-17, version 2.1.1* Great app very stimulating and entertaining. ### 5/5 — Enjoy this entertaining and educational escapade!!! *2020-07-11, version 2.1.1* Really enjoyed this - whether trying to get all the words of a poem from memory or coming up with delightfully fractured (think Consequences) versions of famous texts Well worth paying for! ### 3/5 — *Accessibility*Problem* - Why is there no landscape option... *2019-09-06, version 2.1.1* Why, oh why is there no landscape display option for this game, the mode I can use to play games on my iPad⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️ Developer: As a humanitarian gesture, please update accordingly, let me know, and I’ll happily write a complete game review after reinstalling this app. Meanwhile, I just wasted my money on an app I can’t use. ☹️☹️☹️ ### 5/5 — So Fun! *2019-08-03, version 2.1.1* As an English major with a love of Mad Libs and silly jokes, this game couldn’t be more up my alley. I can quiz myself on classic texts, read and remember things I haven’t read in a long time, and let my kids play along with me and learn some of these texts. Plus, I can make up silly versions and then read them aloud in funny voices until my daughters roll their eyes at me and that’s worth the price of the game all on its own. I would love to see some more classic children’s lit (Anne of Green Gables, Secret Garden, Black Beauty, Treasure Island, etc.) and maybe some really tough challenges (a little Gertrude Stein?) It would also be cool to play with more plays than just Shakespeare’s. Marlowe, Shaw, Chekov, Ibsen, Strindberg—all would be great! Thanks for the great game! ## Frequently asked questions about WordWhile ### What is WordWhile? WordWhile is an interactive game where you fill in the missing words in classic literary texts, nursery rhymes, and proverbs. It offers a playful way to engage with timeless words and texts, providing both educational value and entertainment. ### What are the key features of WordWhile? Key features include filling in missing words, humorous incorrect answer options, the ability to create custom solutions, Zen and Timed play modes, saving and reviewing completed texts, comparing your solutions to the author's original words, and a classy Victorian styling. ### Is WordWhile free to use? Yes, WordWhile is completely free to use. The description explicitly states there are no ads or in-app purchases, and that new playable texts are provided as free updates. ### What devices is WordWhile compatible with? The description does not specify exact device compatibility, but it mentions it is a mobile application and works offline, suggesting it is designed for smartphones and tablets. It also highlights classroom and library friendliness with unlimited player profiles on the same device. ### Who is the target audience for WordWhile? The app is designed for ages 10 and up, making it suitable for children discovering classic texts with their families, bookish kids, and adults looking to expand their vocabulary and familiarity with literary classics. It is also noted as classroom and library friendly. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.1.1 — 2018-07-14 This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included. Correcting a few typos and pesky bugs pointed out by my longtime friend CD—stout fellow! ### 2.1 — 2018-02-14 LOVE is in the air with this The Valentine’s Day Update. As is our custom, we have added more playable texts: — a new collection of eight LOVE-themed texts including some Fitzgerald, some Victor Hugo in translation and a bit more Shakespeare, as requested in User Reviews — all the “Selected Poems” are now playable (for a total of eight) — all the “Pickin’s From Dickins” are also now playable at long last (for a total of 12) Other improvements introduced are: — a Novelty Exposure Gauge which indicate the fraction of Novel possibilities for a given text that have been show to you during the current gaming session — many more Achievements with better progress messages, suggestions for experimentation and browsing in the Gallery — the Tutorial has been streamlined (Thank-you for the feedback, Notorious R.O.B.) As always, thank-you for your wonderful feedback and reviews. Your LOVE of WordWhile warms the HEART of The WordWhile Editorial Team (a.k.a. Me). Send me a Valentine: greg@goojaji.com ### 2.0 — 2017-12-07 - CREATE your own Novel solutions to fill in the gaps - SAVE texts for later viewing - Looks great on iPhone X now too - Another playable addition to the "Selected Poems" collection: "Major-General’s Song" ### 1.3.2 — 2017-11-04 The sonnet ”Remember” by Christina Georgina Rossetti, Lord Byron‘s ”She Walks In Beauty” and Yeat’s “The Lake Isle of Innisfree”. The other texts in Dickens and Selected Poems will be along shortly. The WordWhile Editorial Team is almost finished work on the Major-General's Song. How do you make a silly song sillier? Suggestions for future texts? Questions? Affectionate comments? greg@goojaji.com, if you please. ### 1.3 — 2017-09-19 More texts, a new app icon and lines in the right order! 1) The first eight (of a planned 12) texts in "Pickin's from Dickens" are here to play. "Flite's birds" in Timed Tricky mode is exceptionally brutal. 2) The raw (readable in Choose & Peruse but not yet playable) texts for the next collection, "Selected Poems". 3) New app icon that I call "Chill & Skull". Hoping it better conveys WordWhile's mix of classy and playful. Let me know what you think wordwhile@goojaji.com. 4) We have also fixed a bug causing lines of text to appear out of order, as that just will not do. The texts in the collection "Player's Picks" speak volumes. Thanks for your support and enjoy the Dickens out this update (sorry, I couldn't resist). ## Apps similar to WordWhile | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Hangman Solver: Hint, Cheat](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hangman-solver-hint-cheat/id1605530377) | 4.0 (3) | Free | Games | | [Biblegram: Bible Word Puzzle](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/biblegram-bible-word-puzzle/id6743155243) | 4.0 (6) | Free | Games | | [YaDicee](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/yadicee/id6470756818) | — | Free | Games | | [Words and Sums](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/words-and-sums/id1469501240) | 5.0 (6) | Free | Games | | [Swatch This](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swatch-this/id1522807853) | 4.1 (68) | Free | Games | | [Chessbot AI](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbot-ai/id6743318675) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Games | ## More apps by Gregory McDonald - [Planet Lettra](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/planet-lettra/id992464990) - [Teen & Adult Phonics Library](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teen-and-adult-phonics-library/id1189152100) - [Funny Phonemes](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/funny-phonemes/id1367922163) - [TAP Library School Edition](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tap-library-school-edition/id1407324366) All apps by Gregory McDonald: https://appshunter.io/developer/992464989 ## Related topics [literature games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/literature-games) --- *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 2026-09-05.*