Comparison

RootWords vs Word Radicals

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RootWords

Learn vocabulary by deconstructing words into their root parts. Discover meanings, build new words, and improve your understanding of English. Ideal for students and English language learners.

Highlights
  • Deconstruct words into root parts
  • Discover word meanings
  • Build new words from roots
  • Learn vocabulary for tests
  • Progress tracking
  • Daily streaks
Features
Read full description

RootWords - Root, not Rote! Choose a root, spin as many words as you can, and show you know their meaning. Don't know the word? Tap the parts (morpheme, not morphine!). Each part has a meaning and will help you learn the word. The more you play, the fewer times you will need to tap the parts. Great for the 5th and 6th grade vocab cliff, and helpful for English language learners and students working on vocabulary for tests. Free: Learn mode, every word. Test and Audio ($1.99 per month or $19.99 per year): hear every word and test yourself. Full Access ($5.99 per month or $59.99 per year): all games, Daily Streak, Custom List, and progress tracking. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Manage or cancel in your App Store account settings. Log in with the same account on the web and your plan unlocks automatically. RootWords offers subscriptions, which are subject to this terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Word Radicals

Explore the historical origins of English words by tracing their linguistic journeys through Latin, Greek, and other languages. Discover morpheme breakdowns and original definitions from classical lexicons. This app offers an offline, minimal interface for an immersive etymological experience.

Highlights
  • Etymology chains showing word journeys
  • Morpheme breakdowns
  • Classical lexicon sources
  • Semantic relationship analysis
  • Offline functionality
  • Minimal dark interface
Features
Read full description

Ever wonder where English words really come from? WordLookup traces any English word back through history to its Latin, Greek, Old English, French, Germanic, Sanskrit, and Arabic origins. See the full etymology chain — every language a word passed through on its way into modern English. Search for "compel" and watch it unfold: borrowed from Latin compellere, itself from com- ("together") + pellere ("to drive"). Search "philosophy" and trace it from Greek philosophia — philos ("loving") + sophia ("wisdom"). FEATURES - Etymology chains showing the complete journey of a word through languages - Morpheme breakdowns revealing how Latin and Greek words were built from smaller parts - Classical sources from Lewis & Short (Latin) and Liddell-Scott-Jones (Greek) lexicons, with original definitions and quotations - Semantic relationships including cognates, doublets, calques, and loan translations across languages - Word definitions with online dictionary fallback - Falling words — an ambient display of etymology-rich words you can tap to explore - Dark, minimal interface designed for reading - Entirely offline — no internet connection required after download

Screenshots

RootWords4 screens
Word Radicals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Word Radicals at 4.8 against RootWords's 4.0. Word Radicals also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). RootWords's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RootWords sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Word Radicals asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Word Radicals holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 5 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RootWords ships an update every 2 months, Word Radicals every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
RootWords versus Word Radicals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRootWordsWord Radicals
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings45 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB79 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperCharlotte O'Connelljohn mckenna

Customer experience

RootWords

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Word Radicals

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

RootWords

Subscriptions4
  • Test and Audio$1.991 Month
  • Full Access$5.991 Month
  • Test and Audio$19.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Full Access$59.991 Year
None

Word Radicals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RootWords free?
RootWords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Word Radicals free?
Word Radicals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, RootWords or Word Radicals?
Word Radicals is rated higher. RootWords averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Word Radicals averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.
Do RootWords or Word Radicals have ads?
Neither RootWords nor Word Radicals shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RootWords or Word Radicals?
RootWords ships an update every 2 months, and Word Radicals every 5 days. Most recently, RootWords was updated on November 4, 2026 and Word Radicals on November 5, 2026.

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