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FAQ: Merriam-Webster iPhone and iPad Apps

App Store Purchases

I have a question about or problem with my App Store purchase. What should I do?

For questions and problems relating to purchases made in Apple's App Store, kindly contact Apple Support.

Audio Pronunciations and Voice Search

Why can't I hear the audio pronunciations?

Please check that your device is not muted:

  • For iPhones, your ringer/mute switch on the side of your device should be set so that you do not see a red/orange indicator beside it. If there is a red/orange indicator showing, please move the switch to the opposite (unmuted) position.

  • For iPads, if you have a side switch that is set to function as a mute control, please follow the iPhone instructions above. If your side switch is set to lock rotation instead of to mute your device, or if your iPad does not have a side switch, you can instead change your mute setting via the Control Center. For more information about the Control Center, please consult Apple’s support pages or your iPad’s user manual.

Also, please check to make sure that you are connected to the Internet. Though the app allows you to look up words independently of a network connection, a network connection is required to access the graphical illustrations, audio pronunciations, voice search, and Word of the Day.

My app's voice search feature doesn't work properly. What should I do?

Please check that microphone permissions are enabled for the app. You can enable or disable each app's microphone access individually under Settings > Privacy > Microphone.

Also, please check to make sure that you are connected to the Internet. Though the app allows you to look up words independently of a network connection, a network connection is required to access the graphical illustrations, audio pronunciations, voice search, and Word of the Day.

You may also need to use the voice search in a quieter environment. Loud background noise can sometimes interfere with the proper operation of the voice search feature.

Favorites and Recent

How do I add a dictionary entry to my Favorites list?

Tapping on the heart icon beneath an entry will save the entry to your Favorites list. The heart will become solid blue to indicate that you've saved the word. To later remove the entry from the list, just tap on the heart again.

For instructions on removing multiple words from the list, see "How do I delete words from my Favorites and Recent lists?" below.

How do I view my Favorites list?

To view your Favorites list:

  • iPhone app: Tap on the "hamburger" menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the upper left corner of the screen, then select "Favorites."

  • iPad app: Tap on the "Favorites" button in the upper left corner of the screen.

How do I delete words from my Favorites and Recent lists?

To delete words from your Favorites or Recent list:

  • iPhone app: Tap on the "hamburger" menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the upper left corner of the screen. Select "Favorites" or "Recent," depending on which list you want to edit, then tap on the "Edit" link. Select one or more words and tap "Delete" to remove those words from the list, or tap "Delete All" to clear the whole list.

  • iPad app: Tap on the "Favorites" or "Recent" button in the upper left corner of the screen, depending on which list you want to edit, then tap on the "Edit" link. Select one or more words and tap "Delete" to remove those words from the list, or tap "Delete All" to clear the whole list.

Can I transfer, sync, or export my Favorites or Recent list?

No. Unfortunately, this feature is not currently available. However, we are always adding new content and features to our apps.

Can I alphabetize my Favorites or Recent list, or organize it into folders?

No. Unfortunately, these features are not currently available. However, we are always adding new content and features to our apps.

Premium Apps

How are your premium Merriam-Webster Dictionary & Thesaurus apps different from your free Merriam-Webster Dictionary apps?

Our premium iPhone and iPad apps have no third-party ads. They also include over 1,000 graphical illustrations and over 20,000 additional entries covering people, places, and foreign terms.

Why am I still seeing third-party ads after purchasing your premium app?

Our premium app and our free app install separately on your device. The premium app does not replace the free app. Therefore, you may have two Merriam-Webster Dictionary apps on your device.

If you are still seeing third-party ads after purchasing the premium version, please check that you are opening the premium app and not the free app. The premium app icon features a golden circle around the Merriam-Webster logo.

Where can I find the pictures in your premium apps?

If an entry includes a picture, you can view it as follows:

  • iPhone app: Tap on the picture icon at the top of the entry.

  • iPad app: Scroll down through the entry. The picture should appear at the end of the entry.

Miscellaneous Technical Issues

My app crashes or freezes. What should I do?

Please follow Apple's advice for troubleshooting app problems.

If the problem persists even after following these steps, please contact us via the contact form on our main web site. Please include your device's model, as well as its iOS version number (found under Settings > General > About > Version).

Miscellaneous Suggestions

How can I contact Merriam-Webster to make a suggestion about your apps?

Please feel free to contact us via the Feedback link in your app or the contact form on our main web site. (App suggestions may not receive a response. However, we do review and value your feedback.)

Word of the Day

Why isn't the Word of the Day updating daily?

Please check to make sure that you are connected to the Internet. Though the app allows you to look up words independently of a network connection, a network connection is required to access the graphical illustrations, audio pronunciations, voice search, and Word of the Day.

Also, please note that while the Word of the Day article itself updates daily, the Word of the Day icon in the app (which looks like a small calendar) does not change.

Finally, if the Word of the Day widget in the Today screen is not updating, please note that you may need to unlock your device in order for the widget to refresh its content.

Scrolling Index (iPad apps only)

I don't see the vertical scrolling index. Where is it?

The vertical scrolling index is visible only when the iPad is oriented horizontally (landscape view).

Synonyms/Thesaurus

Where can I find synonyms and antonyms?/Where is the thesaurus?

The full thesaurus in our iOS apps can be accessed in two ways:

1) When you type a word into the search box, you can select "Dictionary" or "Thesaurus" in the search results list to choose a reference; or

2) After you've looked up a word in the dictionary, if there is a corresponding thesaurus entry for that word, you will see a pair of buttons labeled "Dictionary" and "Thesaurus" on the bar at the bottom of the screen. Tap on the "Thesaurus" button to view the word's thesaurus entry. (In our iPhone app, if the bar with the buttons is not visible, place your finger near the center of the screen and slide your finger slightly towards the bottom of the screen. The bar should then appear.)

Please note: Not all words have synonyms, so not all dictionary entries have corresponding thesaurus entries.

Words and Dictionaries

Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions About Words and Dictionaries page.

My question isn't answered here.

If you have a support question that is not answered above, please contact Merriam-Webster via our contact page. Please include your device's model name, as well as its iOS version number (found under Settings > General > About > Version).

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of exorbitant

See Definitions and Examples »