Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary and WordReference are free apps you can download on your iPhone or Android to improve your vocabulary. My students really appreciate these apps for their convenient features.
I always encourage students to keep a vocabulary notebook they can easily access and read to review words regularly. These apps can serve as a digital vocabulary notebook, conveniently available on your phone at all times. Learning a new word is one thing, but remembering it and actually using it in conversation can be challenging if we don’t revisit it.
Here are a couple of features that make these apps especially useful:
-
Save words for later: Both apps let you save words to a personal list. On Merriam-Webster, click the ribbon icon underneath a word; on WordReference, click the star. Your saved words can then be found in your “Saved Words” (Merriam) or “Preferred Words” (WordReference) list via the menu (three bars in the top left corner).
-
Offline access: You can look up definitions even without an internet connection, which is perfect for studying on the go.
These small tools make it easier to review, retain, and use new vocabulary consistently.
Download one of these apps to help expand your vocabulary!