Questions about Headword
Updated 28 October 2026
Short answers about the app, what is free and what Plus adds. Anything else: support@headwordapp.com.
- What is Headword?
Headword is an iPhone app for people who already speak English and want to use more exact words. Every day it brings one new English word as a full dictionary entry, on your Lock Screen and in the app, and then has you practice it by typing it, saying it and writing your own sentence with it, so the word becomes one you use, not just one you recognize.
- Who is Headword for?
Non-native professionals who work in English every day, starting with Spanish speakers, and native speakers who read widely and want rarer, more exact words. It assumes upper-intermediate English or better. It is not a beginner's course and does not teach grammar.
- Is Headword free?
Yes. Free, forever: the daily word with its complete entry, saving words and collections, every widget, daily notifications, unlimited practice of the word on screen, one Review session a day, and the word games in Play, including the daily grid. Headword Plus is optional.
- What does Headword Plus cost, and what does it add?
In the US, Plus is $2.99 a month, $29.99 a year, or $99.99 once for life; other countries see local prices in the App Store. The monthly and yearly plans start with a 7-day free trial for readers who have not had one. Plus adds 5 or 10 words a day across the hours you choose, words from topics you pick, unlimited Review sessions, the next word whenever you want it, your full word history, custom collections, past daily grids, and unlimited hints with no ads in Letter ring.
- What does each word come with?
A definition, a register note (formal, literary, informal and so on), two example sentences, a General American IPA transcription and a recorded pronunciation, synonyms and opposites, the words it usually goes with, and its origin when it is worth telling.
- How does the practice work?
Practice asks more of a word as you get to know it. A new word is completed in a sentence by typing it and matched to the right tone; a stronger one is recalled from its meaning, spelled from its sound, and set against its opposite. You also say it aloud and write a sentence of your own. Review brings words back on a spaced-repetition schedule (FSRS) just before you would forget them.
- How many words does Headword have?
A little over 4,000, chosen for usefulness at work rather than rarity. At one word a day that is years of material; at 5 or 10 a day with Plus, many months.
- Is Headword on Android or iPad?
No. Headword is iPhone only, with widgets for the Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy, and a Control Center button for the next word. It needs iOS 18 or later.
- What languages does it support?
The interface is in English and Spanish (Latin America), following your iPhone's language. The words you learn are English for everyone.
- Do I need an account?
No. Your words, progress and the sentences you write stay on your iPhone. Signing in with Apple is optional and only keeps Plus with you across devices.
- Are there ads?
Not in your words, practice, review, profile, widgets or notifications. The only ads are in the Letter ring word game, for readers without Plus, and they are non-personalised. Plus removes them.
- Does Headword collect my data?
The app sends a record of which parts of the app you use, under a random ID, to Headword's own database, never what you write or say, and you can turn it off in Settings. Details are in the privacy policy at headwordapp.com/privacy/.
- Where do the definitions come from?
Definitions, etymologies and pronunciations come from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences, register notes and practice material are written for Headword and checked before they ship. The full attribution is in the app under Settings → About.
- How is Headword different from WordUp or Vocabulary?
Most vocabulary apps test recognition: you pick a word's meaning from a list. Headword makes you produce the word, typed, spoken and in a sentence of your own, and tells you its register, so you know where it fits. It teaches fewer words, more deeply. A longer comparison is at headwordapp.com/guides/vocabulary-apps-for-work/.
Guides: How to improve your English vocabulary for work · The best apps to improve your English vocabulary for work