WordBook English Dictionary & Thesaurus
by TranCreative Software
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Description
* “One of 15 Best iPhone Apps for English Majors” - April Lentini, CollegeTimes.us
* “None measure up to WordBook” Score: 10/10 - Michael Alexander, AppCraver.com
* “WordBook leads the parade of free and low-cost dictionary options” - Ben Boychuk, MacWorld.com
* “WordBook's iPhone dictionary - the standard for reference apps” Rating: 5/5 - Steven Yaccino, appolicious.com
WordBook is a comprehensive, quick and intuitive dictionary and thesaurus of the English language. It's a great combination of comprehensive contents and fast intuitive interface.
WordBook has been the top selling commercial English dictionary app on iTunes store since its release in 2008.
FEATURES:
* 150,000 entries with more than 220,000 definitions, 70,000 usage samples
* 23,000 root word origins (etymologies)
* 120,000 pronunciation guides in International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and other notations
* Real human voice pronunciations
* Built-in thesaurus and word links connecting words semantically
* Unmatched index, wildcard, anagram search capabilities
* Bookmark (with user's notes) and history management
* Words of the Day: you get to learn new words daily, shake the device for new random words
* Browser-like definition content navigation, ability to tap on any word in the content to look up its definition
* Extending up to 5 web dictionaries to supplement built-in contents
NOTES:
- WordBook does not required an internet connection except to view web dictionaries or to play online pronunciation voices.
- WordBook includes entries of both American/British spellings. Definitions are written in American English.
What's New in Version 4.1
- Pronunciation guide revisions
- Word Finder searches for words in Official Tournament Word List (TWL) instead of default word list
- Use of proper-case in index view and search results
- Showing website icons if available when accessing web contents
Customer Reviews
WordBook vs. AHD 4
I bought this dictionary while waiting for AHD4 to do something other than brick my phone.
As I wandered thru the WordBook I began to really like its features.
The reference links are great and I still don't understand why these bigger, more expensive
dictionaries don't supply a decent thesaurus. WoodBook does and it's not half bad.
In defense of AHD4, ever since the 2.1 upgrade it has worked flawlessly.
it does have a slightly larger vocabulary than WoodBook for the most part
(altho AHD4, why no "hypernym?").
It also boasts the pronunciation and a voice recording for most of its words
it has NO thesaurus and takes up a huge chuck of real estate file size wise
(audio files demand space)
The definitions tend to be longer and more complete with AHD4 and both
apps are easy to use with similar search functions.
Which one is better?
Well, I have and Use Both and as a writer one dictionary
is never really enuf. If you must have pronuciation and
word history (or even tiny pics of various word definitions)
then go for AHD4, but if you're just looking for a good
dictionary/decent thesaurus then save a few bucks and
go with the excellent WoodBook.
Great UI and excellent performance, but the content can't compare to the "name-brand" dictionaries
WordNet, a project of the Cognitive Science Laboratory of Princeton University, is a freely available online lexicon for the English language. It maps words by their semantic relationships -- not just the commonly referenced "same/opposite" relations that we find in synonyms and antonyms, but many more, such as the "X is a kind of Y" relationships of hyponyms (as in "a cat is a kind of feline") or the "X is a part of Y" relationships of meronyms (as in "a page is a part of a book"). WordBook, unfortunately, doesn't take full advantage of WordNet's semantic relationship system; as far as I was able to tell, it only lists synonyms for any given word, and doesn't even list antonyms.
WordNet also happens to include definitions, and because it is freely available, it's a good source for free or inexpensive dictionaries such as WordBook. Unfortunately, these definitions, while certainly adequate for most purposes, are not generally written with the same care, precision, or artistry as you'll find in the well-respected commercial dictionaries such as Merriam-Webster or the OED. If you are a serious student or you make a living writing or editing, it's probably worth it to pay more for a professional dictionary, though you probably already know that.
But for a dictionary application that uses free definitions, WordBook is undoubtedly impressive; WordBook distinguishes itself with snappy performance and a very thoughtfully designed UI. All your basic dictionary app needs are easily available from the tab bar; you can search or browse for words, mark words as favorites, and browse your lookup history. No space is wasted, and everything you need to do is easy to get to. (If you dig deeper, there's even a neat "Puzzle Word Finder" feature that helps you solve crossword puzzles or anagrams.)
WordBook is an impressive effort, and it's probably as good as a low-cost dictionary app can get. The content could be better, but the app shows all the signs of smart design -- I'd even go so far to say that it's too bad that the owners of the name-brand dictionary IP didn't hire the creators of WordBook to develop their iPhone software. This is definitely an app to consider.
WOW is all I have to say
This application is not only a comprehensive dictionary and thesaurus, but also a good word finder. It allows you to use wild card characters to find words for cross words and scrabble. By far the most comprehensive dictionary and thesaurus on iTunes. Even the User interface is top notch. What impressed me the most was the cross references contained within the definitions. Competitors with this dictionary do some things well, or maybe one thing well, and that is fine, but Wordbook does everything I want/need VERY well.
You can tell there was a massive amount of thought put into this application because it shows.
It was well worth the money. I would even hazard to say it is worth more than what they are charging.
- Category: Reference
- Updated Nov 28, 2009
- Current Version: 4.1
- 4.1 (iPhone OS 3.0 Tested)
- 20.2 MB
- Languages: English
- Seller: TranCreative Software
- © 2008 TranCreative LLC
Requirements: Compatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iPhone OS 2.0 or later.
