WordWeb Dictionary vs Merriam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WordWeb Dictionary
This app provides a comprehensive offline English dictionary and thesaurus with fast searching, spelling suggestions, definitions, and usage examples. It offers extensive word data and advanced search filters without requiring an internet connection.
- Offline dictionary and thesaurus
- Fast searching
- Spelling suggestions
- Definitions and usage examples
- Synonyms and related words
- Advanced search filters
- Bookmark and history support
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The WordWeb English dictionary and thesaurus: fast searching, spelling suggestions, definitions, usage examples, synonyms, related words - and no adverts. An offline audio version is available separately. The comprehensive WordWeb dictionary database includes: - 285,000 words, phrases and derived forms - 225,000 word sense definitions - 70,000 usage examples - 85,000 text pronunciations - Synonyms, similar and related words - N. American, British, Australian and international English A version with 70,000 professionally recorded audio pronunciations is available as a separate product. The intelligent word entry suggests possible correct spellings as you type, as well as listing words that sound the same or are often confused. Additional features include the ability to drill down on any word in a definition, full bookmark support and history. Search features include: - Alphabetical listing - Spelling suggestions - Sounds-like and often-confused - Fast pattern-matching search (*, ?, vowel and consonant) - Filter search results by noun, verb, adjective, adverbs - Customize search options (case, derived forms, etc) No Internet connection is required to use WordWeb, and it's free. Chambers dictionary and thesaurus are also available, and you can cross-reference to both Chambers and old Oxford dictionary apps from WordWeb.
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 in-app purchases: WordWeb Dictionary at none against Merriam's 4. WordWeb Dictionary also leads on ads (none vs shown). Merriam's advantage is ratings volume (328K vs 268) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support 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. Merriam sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.79 per month. WordWeb Dictionary asks for nothing beyond the download.
Merriam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merriam has 328K ratings behind it against 268, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of WordWeb 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.
WordWeb Dictionary ships an update every 5 months, Merriam every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WordWeb Dictionary | Merriam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (268 ratings) | 4.8 (328K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 90.2% of reviews — better | 83.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 268 | 328K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #39 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 77 MB | 255 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Antony Lewis | Merriam-Webster, Inc. |
Customer experience
WordWeb Dictionary
Merriam
User reviews
WordWeb Dictionary
From 268 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Simple and user-friendly
- 🔒 No ads or data tracking
- 💡 Offline functionality
- 👍 Comprehensive definitions
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Limited word suggestions
- 📏 Needs adjustable text size
- 🔀 Difficulty clearing search history
Merriam
From 328K 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
WordWeb Dictionary
Reported bugs
2 issues- Text input field not working on some devices
- Definitions not updating with latest changes
Requested features
4 requests- Add audio pronunciation
- Expand thesaurus and etymology features
- Implement a random word generator
- Allow customizing word list display
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
WordWeb 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 WordWeb Dictionary free?
Is Merriam free?
Which has better reviews, WordWeb Dictionary or Merriam?
Do WordWeb Dictionary or Merriam have ads?
Which is updated more often, WordWeb Dictionary or Merriam?
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