Concise English Dictionary vs Merriam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Concise English Dictionary
Explore a vast English dictionary and thesaurus with detailed definitions, pronunciations, and word origins. Access over 591,700 entries and 4.9 million words, with offline capabilities and a user-friendly interface for enhanced language learning.
- Comprehensive dictionary database
- High-quality audio pronunciations
- Extensive IPA pronunciation guides
- In-depth word origins (etymology)
- Detailed definitions and example sentences
- Integrated thesaurus with synonyms
- Offline access
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Discover the power of words with Concise English Dictionary & Thesaurus, an exceptional all-in-one reference app designed to elevate your language experience on iOS. Endorsed by Experts: "The app’s clean interface, speed, and size make it a compelling and useful addition to the iPhone or iPod touch." — Ben Boychuk, MACWORLD Key Features: • Comprehensive Database: Access one of the largest English dictionary databases, with up to 591,700 entries and over 4.9 million words, ensuring you find exactly what you need. • High-Quality Audio Pronunciations: Hear words pronounced in American, British, and Australian English, with options for both male and female voices. • Extensive Pronunciation Guides: Includes 134,000 guides in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), with easy-to-use symbol assistance—just tap the guide to understand pronunciation details. • In-Depth Word Origins: Discover the etymologies of words to better understand their histories and how meanings have evolved. • Detailed Definitions and Examples: Get clear, precise definitions along with sample sentences to see words in context, enhancing your writing and speaking skills. • Thesaurus Integration: Expand your vocabulary with word links that provide synonyms and related terms. • Diverse Lexical Entries: Beyond everyday words, find biographical and geographical data, technical and scientific terms, idioms, prepositions, conjunctions, determiners, interjections, abbreviations, contractions, common misspellings, irregular forms, and even Old English words. • User-Friendly Experience: Enjoy fast look-ups and a snappy user interface with smooth-scrolling screens, specifically designed for iOS devices. • Customizable History and Bookmarks: Keep track of your search history and bookmark favorite words for quick reference. • Fun and Educational Word Shake: Shake your device to discover random words and expand your vocabulary in an enjoyable way. • Offline Access: Use the app anytime, anywhere, without needing an internet connection.
Merriam
Access America's most respected dictionary, updated with new words and meanings. This app offers offline access, voice search, daily vocabulary challenges, and a thesaurus. It's designed for English language reference, education, and vocabulary enhancement.
- Offline dictionary access
- Voice search for words
- Daily Word of the Day
- Vocabulary word games
- Integrated thesaurus
- Audio pronunciations
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Get America's most useful and respected dictionary, optimized for your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Continuously updated with the newest words and meanings, this is the premier iOS app for English language reference, education, and vocabulary building. Key Features: * Offline access: Complete access to definitions and synonyms whether or not you're connected * Voice Search: look up a word without having to spell it * Word of the Day: learn a new word every day * Word Games: fun, fast quizzes to test your vocabulary * Favorite Words and Search History: keep track of the words that are most important to you * Favorite Word Syncing Through iCloud: share your favorites between devices and on the Web * In-app purchase: an ad-free experience + access to Kids, Medical, and Legal dictionaries * For Tablets: browse the entire dictionary with a scrolling index * Apple Watch Extension: see the Word of the Day and find watch-sized definitions with voice search Expert Word Guidance: * Integrated Thesaurus: more than 200,000 word choices with examples of their use * Example Sentences: understand how a word is used in context * Audio Pronunciations: voiced by real English speakers, not text-to-speech robots Terms of Use: https://www.merriam-webster.com/terms-of-use
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Merriam at Free against Concise English Dictionary's $0.99. Merriam also leads on ratings volume (331K vs 30) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Concise English Dictionary's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment 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
Merriam is free to download; Concise English Dictionary costs $0.99 up front. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. Concise English Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.
Merriam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 331K ratings behind it against 30, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Concise English Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 83% of Merriam's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Concise English Dictionary ships an update every 9 months, Merriam every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Concise English Dictionary | Merriam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (30 ratings) | 4.8 (331K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.0% of reviews — better | 83.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 30 | 331K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #50 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 317 MB | 255 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | JDMI Kft. | Merriam-Webster, Inc. |
Customer experience
Concise English Dictionary
Merriam
User reviews
Concise English Dictionary
From 30 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Offline functionality
- 🔍 Comprehensive word coverage
- 📚 Useful for improving vocabulary
Room to improve
- 🐛 Functionality issues (e.g., idioms search not working)
- 🔍 Limited thesaurus features
- 📱 Lacks landscape mode support on iPad
- 💬 Some definitions lack detail
- 🔍 Struggles with obscure or technical words
Merriam
From 331K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Comprehensive definitions
- 👍 Helpful thesaurus
- 🚀 Offline access
- 👍 Word of the day feature
Room to improve
- 🐛 Ads can be intrusive
- 🐛 Difficulty closing ads
- 🐛 Repetitive game questions
- 🐛 Missing words in dictionary
- 🐛 Unreasonable level progression in games
Bugs and requests
Concise English Dictionary
Reported bugs
2 issues- Occasional crashes
- Inconsistent behavior when searching for words
Requested features
5 requests- Dark mode option
- Improved thesaurus functionality
- Ability to sync bookmarks across devices
- Predictive text support for easier word lookup
- Integration with system-wide search (e.g., Spotlight)
Merriam
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes when searching for certain words
- Widget does not update daily word
- Scribble feature is buggy
- Inconsistent ad behavior
Requested features
5 requests- Add spelling correction suggestions
- Improve word game timer and scoring
- Expand etymology information
- Add more languages beyond English
- Improve widget functionality
In-app purchases
Concise English Dictionary
No in-app purchases
Merriam
- Premium Monthly$1.791 Month
- Remove Ads$2.991 Year
- All References + Remove Ads7 Days trial$5.991 Year
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- Premium Annual7 Days trial$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Concise English Dictionary free?
Is Merriam free?
Which has better reviews, Concise English Dictionary or Merriam?
Do Concise English Dictionary or Merriam have ads?
Which is updated more often, Concise English Dictionary or Merriam?
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