Etymonline English Dictionary vs Spellable App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Word origin exploration
- Instant search with suggestions
- Related words by root
- Offline dictionary (Premium)
- Ad-free experience (Premium)
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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
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.
- Gamified word matrices
- Spelling rule practice
- Interactive word lessons
- Word structure analysis
- Leaderboard competition
- Custom lesson requests
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
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.
| Parameter | Etymonline English Dictionary | Spellable App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (12K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 94.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 12K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 崇伟 柳 | Dulcie Crowther |
Customer experience
Etymonline English Dictionary
Spellable App
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
Etymonline English Dictionary
- 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
Spellable App
No in-app purchases






