App review by Stacy Zeiger, Common Sense Education | Updated December 2013
Thesaurus Rex By Dictionary.com
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Thesaurus Rex by Dictionary.com

Digital reference tool helps kids spice up their writing

Get it now
  • Download from App Store
Learning rating
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Grades
4–12
Subjects & Skills
English Language Arts, English-Language Learning, Communication & Collaboration
Platforms:  iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch
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Take a look inside

4 images
Watch the video tutorial for help getting started.
Change how search results appear.
Search results appear in order of relevance by default.
Narrow search results by complexity and length.

Pros: Kids can sort words by relevance, word length, and complexity.

Cons: Using special features such as rhymes, syllable counts, and examples requires in-app purchases.

Bottom Line: This digital tool definitely trumps a traditional thesaurus, but some of the best features require in-app purchases.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Thesaurus Rex can definitely help your students spice up their writing, but its use isn't limited to individual writing tasks. You could use it as part of a larger lesson on word choice, having the class come up with ways to spice up examples of dull writing. It may also have a place in general vocabulary instruction; you can encourage students to look up vocabulary words in the app to help them gain a better understanding of the meanings.

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Standards:

Just like with a regular thesaurus, in Thesaurus Rex, kids look up a particular word and receive a list of synonyms. Unlike a regular thesaurus, however, the synonyms come organized by relevance. If seeing words sorted by relevance isn't enough, kids can also narrow their search results by word length and complexity. As kids skim the lists of words, they can see a short definition for each word and hear an audio pronunciation as well. In-app purchases unlock additional features, allowing kids to use the app to find rhyming words and sort words by syllable count or see examples of words used in sentences. When they find words they like, they can save them for quick reference later.

No matter what students are writing, Thesaurus Rex can help them improve. The app encourages kids to think beyond simply adding a few big words to their writing and encourages them to choose words that fit the overall tone and meaning of the piece. The short definitions that accompany the words help kids quickly determine whether the synonyms will fit, as do the examples available through the Examples & Tips upgrade. For kids working on more creative pieces, such as poems and songs, the audio pronunciation feature helps them hear whether the word fits the overall tone of the piece and the Rhymes & Syllables upgrade helps them find the perfect words to keep their overall rhythm and flow.

Overall Rating
Engagement

No flashy graphics or sound effects here; it's focused solely on helping kids find the perfect words for their writing.

Pedagogy

Search results sort words by relevance, word length, and complexity. Words come accompanied by their definitions and audio pronunciations.

Support

A YouTube tutorial highlights the features of the app. Upgrades allow kids to search by syllable count and rhyming words, as well as see examples and tips.

Common Sense reviewer
Stacy Zeiger Homeschooling parent
See how we rate and review

Key Standards Supported

Language

  • L.4.3

    Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

  • L.4.3a

    Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.*

  • L.4.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.4.4c

    Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

  • L.4.5

    Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • L.4.5c

    Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

  • L.5.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.5.4c

    Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.

  • L.5.5

    Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • L.5.5c

    Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better understand each of the words.

  • L.6.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.6.5

    Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • L.7.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.7.4c

    Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

  • L.7.5

    Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • L.7.5b

    Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.

  • L.8.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.8.4c

    Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

  • L.8.5

    Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • L.8.5b

    Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.

  • L.9-10.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.9-10.4c

    Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

  • L.9-10.5

    Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • L.9-10.5b

    Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

  • L.11-12.4

    Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • L.11-12.4c

    Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.

  • L.11-12.5

    Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • L.11-12.5b

    Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

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