Comparison

HiWord.AI vs Speak850

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

Head to head
About

HiWord.AI

Features
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HiWord.AI helps you turn real English into words you can actually use β€” through reading, listening, shadowing, and conversation. Instead of memorizing another word list, you learn a handful of words each day and meet them again in an article, a sentence to read aloud, and a conversation. That is how "I recognize it" becomes "I can say it." DAILY PATH Each day HiWord picks a small set of words for you and carries them through learning, practice, reading, shadowing, and AI conversation. Ten minutes a day is enough to keep moving. FLASHCARDS WITH SPACED REPETITION Review at the right moment, not every day. Words you save are mixed into your daily cards, and each word tracks how well you know it: seen, understood, read, said, and mastered. ASK HIWORD Look up a word, a phrase, or a whole sentence β€” in English or Chinese. Get clear meanings ordered by how common they are, example sentences with translations, usage notes, and related word forms. Ask how to say something in English, or check whether your own sentence sounds natural. READING AND DAILY NEWS Read articles with bilingual support, full-text audio, and tap-and-hold word lookup. A short Daily News brief arrives every morning, written in plain English. Turn on Immersive mode when you just want to read. IMPORT YOUR OWN ENGLISH Bring in links, text, photos, documents, and audio β€” or share straight from Safari and other apps. HiWord turns them into readable articles you can listen to and practice from. SHADOWING WITH FEEDBACK Read sentences aloud and get feedback on accuracy, rhythm, stress, fluency, and clarity, plus tips for the sounds that need work. AI TALK Chat with five characters who each have their own personality, voice, and level β€” from a patient beginner coach to a sharp investor. Every session ends with a short review of what went well and what to rephrase. WORDBOOKS Daily English, Ogden 850, KET, PET, IELTS, Gaokao, CET-4, CET-6, Business, Crypto, PSLE, World Cup, F1, and more. Every word comes with phonetics, part of speech, Chinese meaning, and example sentences. ON YOUR IPHONE, IPAD, AND WATCH Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show what to study next. Review cards on Apple Watch. Your progress syncs across devices, and core learning works offline. HIWORD PRO HiWord is free to download, and flashcards and practice are free. With HiWord Pro you can use AI chats, shadowing packs, and imports without holding back. HiWord Pro is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel it in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://hiword.ai/privacy Support: support@hiword.ai Stop studying. Start using.

About

Speak850

Features
Read full description

Speak English with just 850 words. Speak850 teaches you Basic English β€” the famous method created by linguist C. K. Ogden in 1930: a small, carefully chosen core of 850 words that can express almost any everyday idea. Master this core and you can communicate right away β€” then grow naturally toward full English. Learn in your own language. Pick from 22 native languages and every word and example sentence is shown with a translation you understand, plus clear on-device audio. WHAT YOU GET β€’ A complete 14-week course β€” all 850 Basic English words, grouped into clear topics (People, Actions, House & Home, The Body, and more). β€’ Smart flashcards with spaced repetition (SRS) that bring words back exactly when you're about to forget them. β€’ A daily review queue, study streak, daily goal, and an optional reminder to keep the habit. β€’ Listen and learn β€” natural pronunciation for every word and sentence. PRO unlocks the full experience β€’ The complete course β€” every topic and all 850 words. β€’ Unlimited mixed practice: choose the meaning, pick the word, listen, and spell. β€’ Example Sentences β€” see every word in real context, with audio and a translation in your language. β€’ Word Combinations & Grammar guides β€” the heart of the method: how a few verbs plus direction words (get up, put on, take off, give up…) and a handful of simple rules let you say almost anything. One-time purchase. No subscription. Free updates. The first topics and a daily review are free, so you can feel the method before you decide. Your progress is private β€” stored on your device and synced through your own iCloud. No accounts, no ads, no tracking. Note: This app is an independent work that teaches the public-domain Basic English method. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by C. K. Ogden's estate or the Orthological Institute. All example sentences and translations are original.

Screenshots

HiWord.AI4 screens
Speak8504 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: HiWord.AI at daily against Speak850's every 9 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. HiWord.AI sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year and Speak850 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HiWord.AI ships an update daily, Speak850 every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
HiWord.AI versus Speak850: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHiWord.AISpeak850
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily β€” betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size61 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVinehoo.comYI LIU

In-app purchases

1 purchases

HiWord.AI

Subscriptions1
  • HiWord.AI Pro$39.991 Year
1 purchases

Speak850

One-time1
  • Speak850 Pro$4.99

Questions

Is HiWord.AI free?
HiWord.AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Speak850 free?
Speak850 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do HiWord.AI or Speak850 have ads?
Neither HiWord.AI nor Speak850 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HiWord.AI or Speak850?
HiWord.AI ships an update daily, and Speak850 every 9 days. Most recently, HiWord.AI was updated on October 25, 2026 and Speak850 on October 25, 2026.

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