App overview
WordBranch 字首字根字尾字典 is a free iPhone app created by YiLin Tsai. First released in 2016 and continuously updated since then, it focuses on learning English vocabulary by breaking words into prefixes, roots, and suffixes. The tool is useful for self-study and exam preparation alike.
Who benefits from it
This app is aimed at learners preparing for high-stakes and academic English tests — examples include GRE, GMAT, SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC — as well as local certification exams or general vocabulary expansion.
Key capabilities
- Create and review custom flashcards for rapid memorization and focused exam practice.
- Consult extensive reference charts summarizing common affixes and their meanings.
- Watch short YouTube lessons that explain the usage and history of prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
- Listen to pronunciations displayed with KK (Kenyon and Knott) phonetic markings.
- Browse a broad collection of prefixes, roots, and endings with explanatory notes.
- Perform instant lookups across a corpus of decomposable entries — more than 30,000 analyzable items within an overall database of about 100,000 words.
Why choose it
The app emphasizes morphological learning (breaking words into meaningful parts) and claims one of the most complete, carefully compiled lists of affixes available for mobile study. Its mix of reference material, multimedia explanations, and active study tools makes it especially handy for exam-focused learners.
Alternative recommendation
If you want a paid option for young learners, consider iTrace — a handwriting app designed for children.
Technical
- iPhone
- Chinese (Simplified)
- English
- Free