BE850 Ogden's Basic English vs Speak850
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BE850 Ogden's Basic English
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Say everything with just 850 words — that was the vision of linguist C.K. Ogden when he created Basic English in 1930. BE850 turns these 850 carefully selected core words into an elegant digital study handbook. Perfect for English beginners, young learners, ESL/EFL students, teachers, and anyone curious about the Basic English system. Five Clear Categories • Operations (100): verbs, prepositions, conjunctions • General Things (400): abstract nouns • Picturable Things (200): concrete, visible objects • Qualities (100): common adjectives • Opposites (50): paired antonym adjectives Bilingual Definitions Each word includes a Chinese definition, English explanation, example sentence, and Chinese translation of the example. UK & US Pronunciation Switch between British and American English speech. Tap to hear any word, definition, or example sentence read aloud. IPA Phonetics Both UK and US IPA transcriptions are shown for every word. Flashcard Practice Full-screen card mode: see the word on the front, tap to reveal the meaning. Filter by category, shuffle order, enable auto-speak. Swipe to mark words as "Got it" or "Review". Progress Tracking See your viewed, remembered, and review counts at a glance. Synonym Expansion Each word comes with 2–3 synonyms to broaden your vocabulary network. Simplified / Traditional Chinese Toggle between Simplified and Traditional Chinese display with one tap. Bilingual Interface Switch the app UI between Chinese and English at any time. Fully Offline All data is built into the app. No internet required, no ads, no sign-up. Learn anytime, anywhere — on your commute, in class, or on the go. --- Based on Charles Kay Ogden's Basic English (1930). The word list is in the public domain; definitions and examples are original.
Speak850
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Speak English with just 850 words. Speak850 teaches you Basic English — 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 — 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 • A complete 14-week course — all 852 Basic English words, grouped into clear topics (People, Actions, House & Home, The Body, and more). • Smart flashcards with spaced repetition (SRS) that bring words back exactly when you're about to forget them. • A daily review queue, study streak, daily goal, and an optional reminder to keep the habit. • Listen and learn — natural pronunciation for every word and sentence. PRO unlocks the full experience • The complete course — every topic and all 852 words. • Unlimited mixed practice: choose the meaning, pick the word, listen, and spell. • Example Sentences — see every word in real context, with audio and a translation in your language. • Word Combinations & Grammar guides — 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 — 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.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BE850 Ogden's Basic English at none against Speak850's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Speak850 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BE850 Ogden's Basic English asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | BE850 Ogden's Basic English | Speak850 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | — | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ZHIXIANG LING | YI LIU |
In-app purchases
BE850 Ogden's Basic English
No in-app purchases
Speak850
- Speak850 Pro$4.99
Questions
Is BE850 Ogden's Basic English free?
Is Speak850 free?
Do BE850 Ogden's Basic English or Speak850 have ads?
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