Comparison

Etymonline English Dictionary vs Spellable App

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

Head to head
About

Etymonline English Dictionary

Explore the origins and history of English words with this comprehensive dictionary app. It offers instant search, related word suggestions, and an offline mode for premium users. Enhance your vocabulary and understanding of word roots.

Highlights
  • Word origin exploration
  • Instant search with suggestions
  • Related words by root
  • Offline dictionary (Premium)
  • Ad-free experience (Premium)
Features
Read full description

The official, complete app of Douglas Harper's Online Etymology Dictionary, with useful features to help you understand the origins of words as well as improve your vocabulary. • From etymonline.com, the internet's top choice for quick, reliable, comprehensive yet comprehensible English word origins • Instantaneous search with spelling suggestions works fast on your iPhones • Offline Dictionary - find out word origins anytime, anywhere (Premium only) • Universal app - works on your iPhones and iPads • Related Words - easily access words that share the same origin/root. For example, you can check out all the words with root –logy, such as agriology, anthropology, biology, cardiology, choreology, Christology, chronology, cosmology, etc. Get even more with ETYMONLINE PREMIUM: • No Ads - Enjoy a calm, ad-free reading environment • Offline dictionary - Search and view etymology without the need of an internet connection - Privacy Policy: https://www.etymonline.com/legal/privacy - Terms of Use: https://www.etymonline.com/legal/terms

About

Spellable App

Enhance your spelling skills with interactive lessons and gamified challenges. Focus on word structure, meaning, and relationships for a smarter approach to spelling. Adapt your learning path and request custom content.

Highlights
  • Gamified word matrices
  • Spelling rule practice
  • Interactive word lessons
  • Word structure analysis
  • Leaderboard competition
  • Custom lesson requests
Features
Read full description

Master Spelling with Spellable Spellable empowers adults to enhance their spelling skills with innovative tools and engaging lessons. Say goodbye to the unreliable "sound it out" approach—Spellable focuses on word structure, meaning, and relationships for a smarter way to spell. Key Features: Play Matrix Mania - Gamify your learning with 130+ word matrices and counting! - Build as many words as possible in five minutes by adding prefixes and suffixes to a base. - Practice essential spelling rules like Doubling, Drop E, and Change Y/I. - Explore meanings and pronunciations for every word you create. - Compete on the leaderboard and challenge yourself daily! Take Spelling Lessons - Access 40+ lessons on commonly misspelled words (and growing). - Start with familiar words and progress to more challenging ones (e.g., fine > define > definite > definitely). - Learn the "why" behind spelling with interactive word sums and matrices: - Solve: Build words from elements (suc + cess → success). - Parse: Break words into their components (conscious → con + sci + ous). - Combine: Type both sides of a word sum to solidify your skills. - Test yourself with quizzes and earn points to climb the leaderboard. Flexible Learning - Choose what to study—no rigid sequences or required mastery before moving on. - Don’t see a word you need? Request custom lessons or matrices! Spellable helps you build confidence in written communication with intuitive, research-backed methods. Whether you’re practicing spelling rules, exploring word families, or honing specific skills, Spellable adapts to your needs. Download Spellable today and take your spelling to the next level!

Screenshots

Etymonline English Dictionary4 screens
Spellable App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spellable App at none against Etymonline English Dictionary's 3. Spellable App also leads on ads (none vs shown). Etymonline English Dictionary's advantage is ratings volume (12K vs 3) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Etymonline English Dictionary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Spellable App asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Etymonline English Dictionary against 5.0 for Spellable App. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Etymonline English Dictionary has 12K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Etymonline English Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spellable App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Etymonline English Dictionary ships an update every 9 days, Spellable App every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Etymonline English Dictionary versus Spellable App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEtymonline English DictionarySpellable App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (12K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews94.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB1 MB
Age rating12+4+
Developer崇伟 柳Dulcie Crowther

Customer experience

Etymonline English Dictionary

All ratings11,697 ratings
Positive98.8%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews274 reviews
Positive94.2%
Neutral1.8%
Negative4.0%

Spellable App

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Etymonline English Dictionary

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Bottom of related words list cut off
  • Search bar not always visible
  • App version not compatible with dark mode

Requested features

3 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Offline access to full entries
  • One-time purchase option instead of subscription

Spellable App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Etymonline English Dictionary

Subscriptions3
  • Etymonline Premium 1 Month7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Etymonline Premium 6 Months14 Days trial$13.996 Months
  • Etymonline Premium 12 Months1 Month trial$17.991 Year
None

Spellable App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Etymonline English Dictionary free?
Etymonline English Dictionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spellable App free?
Spellable App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Etymonline English Dictionary or Spellable App?
Spellable App is rated higher. Etymonline English Dictionary averages 4.9 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Spellable App averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Etymonline English Dictionary or Spellable App have ads?
Etymonline English Dictionary shows ads; Spellable App does not.
Which is updated more often, Etymonline English Dictionary or Spellable App?
Etymonline English Dictionary ships an update every 9 days, and Spellable App every 3 weeks. Most recently, Etymonline English Dictionary was updated on November 6, 2026 and Spellable App on November 4, 2026.

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