DDSA Steingass Dictionary vs Learn Persian Language Phrases
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DDSA Steingass Dictionary
This app provides a searchable digital version of a comprehensive Persian-English dictionary. It allows for both online and offline use, with flexible search options including headword, fulltext, and substring matching. Users can enter search terms in Perso-Arabic, accented, or unaccented Latin characters.
- Searchable Persian-English dictionary
- Online and offline functionality
- Headword and fulltext search
- Wildcard search support
- Multiword and boolean operators
- Substring matching options
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The Steingass Persian-English dictionary app is a product of the Digital South Asia Library program (https://dsal.uchicago.edu) at the University of Chicago. The app offers a searchable version of Francis J. Steingass's "A Comprehensive Persian-English dictionary, including the Arabic words and phrases to be met with in Persian literature," London: Routledge & K. Paul, 1892. The Steingass dictionary app can be used both online and offline. The online version interacts with a database that runs remotely on a server at the University of Chicago. The offline version uses a database that is created on the device upon first download. By default, the app operates in the online mode. The app allows users to conduct both headword and fulltext queries. The default mode for this app is to search headwords. To search for a headword, touch the search box at the top (magnifying glass icon) to expose the on-screen keyboard and begin searching. Headwords can be entered in Perso-Arabic, accented latin characters, and unaccented latin characters. For example, headword searches for کلا, kalām, and kalam all yield a definition for "A word, speech, oration, harangue." After entering three characters in the search box, a scrollable list of search suggestions will pop up. Touch the word to search for and it will automatically fill in the search field. Or ignore suggestions and enter the search term completely. To execute the search, touch the return button on the keyboard. By default, headword searches expand off the end of the search term. In other words, searching for "ram" will generate results for headwords that begin with "kal" and have any number of trailing characters, like "kala" (کالا, kālā), "kalar" (کالار, kālār) etc. To expand the front of a query, users can enter the "%" character at the beginning of search term. For example, "%kal" will find "ittikal" (اتكال ittikāl), "ashkal" (اشكال ashkāl), etc. The wildcard character at the front of a word also expands search suggestions. For fulltext searching, select the "Fulltext" search scope button and then enter the search term in the search box at the top. Fulltext searching supports multiword searching. For example, the search "horse colt" returns 14 results where "horse" and "colt" can be found in the same definition. Multiword searches can be executed with the boolean operators "NOT" and "OR" as well. The search "horse OR colt" returns 1253 fulltext results; "horse NOT colt" returns 1156 fulltext results. To conduct substring matching, select an option from the "Search Options" sub-menu at the bottom right of the screen enter a string in the search field, and touch return. The default for all searching is "Words beginning with." But for example, selecting "Words ending with," "Search all text," and then entering "ham" as the search string will find 434 examples of words that end in "ham." Search results come first in a numbered list that displays the Persian headword, the accented latin transliteration of the headword, and a chunk of the definition. To see a full definition, touch the headword. In online mode, the full result page also has a page number link that the user can click to get the full page context of the definition. Link arrows at the top of the full page allow the user to click to previous and next pages in the dictionary. To select either online or offline mode, simply toggle the selector at the top of the screen. Note that on start up, the app will test to see whether the device has an internet connection and the remote server is available. Again, the app operates in online mode by default. The user should select the appropriate mode before conducting a search.
Learn Persian Language Phrases
Master Persian Farsi with a comprehensive course designed for beginners and travelers. Build fluency through over 8000 words, 200 topics, and interactive quizzes. Learn pronunciation, grammar, and real-life conversations offline.
- Over 8000 words and phrases
- 200+ topics and 23 structured chapters
- 6 interactive quiz modes
- Native speaker pronunciations
- Offline learning capability
- Progress tracking and flashcards
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Learn Persian, also known as Farsi, with useful words, everyday phrases and short lessons supported by pronunciation guides and audio. Explore 48 chapters and 432 lessons containing over 5,000 words and phrases. Begin with the Persian alphabet and first conversations, then progress through everyday situations and more advanced communication. START WITH FIRST CONVERSATIONS Learn Greetings, Goodbyes, Polite Essentials and Simple Replies. See Persian text alongside English meanings and Romanized pronunciation guides, and replay recordings as you study. BUILD PRACTICAL VOCABULARY Explore People and Family, Daily Routines, Food and Drink, Shopping, Places and Directions, Eating Out, Travel, Work and Health. Continue into discussions, presentations and more detailed ways to communicate. PRACTICE AND REVIEW • Listen to included audio recordings offline. • Adjust playback speed, volume and repetition. • Reveal answers or switch to Direct Learning. • Reinforce your learning through quizzes. • Track your word and lesson progress. • Save favorite words with color highlights. • Add, remove and reorder chapters in My Interests. • Develop a regular habit with daily learning tasks. START FREE The first four lessons in Chapter 1 are available immediately. Complete preceding lessons to continue through the free chapter. PREMIUM OPTIONS Weekly, Yearly and Lifetime plans unlock premium chapters and remove ads. Eligible users may receive a 3-day free trial on the Weekly plan when offered by the App Store. Rewarded ads, when available, provide temporary chapter access for the current app session. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled. Canceling stops future renewal; access continues until the paid period ends. Lifetime access is a one-time purchase. Prices and available offers appear before purchase. Make Farsi learning part of your day—one useful lesson at a time. Privacy Policy: https://owlspeak.web.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Learn Persian Language Phrases at 4.9 against DDSA Steingass Dictionary's 4.3. Learn Persian Language Phrases also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (16 vs 3). DDSA Steingass Dictionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Learn Persian Language Phrases sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. DDSA Steingass Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.
Learn Persian Language Phrases holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Learn Persian Language Phrases has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
DDSA Steingass Dictionary ships an update every 8 months, Learn Persian Language Phrases every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DDSA Steingass Dictionary | Learn Persian Language Phrases |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (3 ratings) | 4.9 (16 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 16 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 200 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Charles Cooney | Ali Umer |
Customer experience
DDSA Steingass Dictionary
Learn Persian Language Phrases
In-app purchases
DDSA Steingass Dictionary
No in-app purchases
Learn Persian Language Phrases
- Learn Persian3 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Persian$12.991 Month
- Persian$34.991 Year
- Persian$3.99
- Persian$5.99
- Persian Language$5.99
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- Persian$7.99
- Persian$10.99
- Persian$59.99





