# Basic for Listening vs Essential Words

The clearest difference is rating: Basic for Listening at 5.0 against Essential Words's 4.5. Basic for Listening also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Essential Words's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (63 vs 5). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Basic for Listening holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Essential Words has 63 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Basic for Listening ships an update every 13 months, Essential Words every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic for Listening | Essential Words |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-for-listening-3rd/id1505006587/reviews)** | [4.5 (63 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-words-4000/id6449967910/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **63** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported |
| Size | 116 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Le Bin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1259013611) | [Son Le](https://appshunter.io/developer/1595071046) |

## What reviewers say

### Basic for Listening

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-for-listening-3rd/id1505006587)

This app offers an activity-rich listening course designed to build skills in listening and conversation. It includes practice for testing and exam techniques, aiming to develop confident listeners and improve exam success.

**Highlights:** Activity-rich listening course, Builds listening and conversation skills, Practice for testing and exam techniques, Engaging and motivating activities, Short, practical content chunks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Essential Words

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/essential-words-4000/id6449967910)

Master 4000 essential English words through definitions, examples, and audio pronunciations. Learn vocabulary in context with engaging stories and bookmark words for review. Ideal for all English learners.

**Highlights:** 4000 essential English words, Detailed definitions and examples, Audio pronunciation, Engaging stories for context, Bookmark words for review

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basic for Listening free?

Basic for Listening is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Essential Words free?

Essential Words is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Basic for Listening or Essential Words?

Basic for Listening is rated higher. Basic for Listening averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Essential Words averages 4.5 from 63 ratings.

### Do Basic for Listening or Essential Words have ads?

Both Basic for Listening and Essential Words show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Basic for Listening or Essential Words?

Basic for Listening ships an update every 13 months, and Essential Words every 2 days. Most recently, Basic for Listening was updated on October 14, 2026 and Essential Words on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*