30 days of Premium, free, no card
Learn German words that actually stick.
See why every German word means what it means. Built for B1 to C1 learners.
WordDNA exampleB1
unterstützen to support; to help
unter- under+stützen to prop, to support
unter + stützen = to prop up from under = to support
Word family: Unterstützung · abstützen · stützen
WordDNA
Every word connects to ones you already know.
- untergehen, to set / go down (B1)
- unternehmen, to undertake (B2)
- unterschreiben, to sign (A2)
- unterstützen, to support (B1)
- Unterstützung, support (n.) (B1)
- abstützen, to prop up (B2)
- Stütze, a support (B1)
- aufwachen, to wake up (A2)
- aufmachen, to open (A1)
- aufgeben, to give up (B1)
- aufstehen, to get up (A1)
- bestehen, to pass / persist (B2)
- anstehen, to queue up (B1)
- entstehen, to arise (B2)
Drag to explore · tap any word to save it and open its WordDNA.
The Worio Loop
Take your words through the whole loop.
Capture them, understand them, practice them, recall them, one step at a time. Jump between steps anytime; your library grows as you go.
Capture words · Step 1 of 4
Tap the words you want and save them to start the loop.
Process new vocabulary
Paste text
179/30,000
Suggested vocabulary
Tap chips to select what you want to save.
Saving unlocks the rest of the loop
2 Understand3 Practice4 Recall
Built for B1 to C1 learners and exam candidates
The words that get you through the exam.
German exams reward the words you can produce on the spot, not just the ones you recognize. Worio makes them stick, from B1 to C1 and beyond.
Works alongsideGoethe-ZertifikattelcDTZÖSDTestDaF
“My words are scattered across notebooks, screenshots and tabs.”
One tap, one vocabulary bank
Save a word from your course book, a Modelltest, DW news or last night's series, it all lands in one place you actually revisit.
“I recognise words I can't produce when it counts.”
Practice recall, not recognition
Cloze & retrieval drills the exact skill Schreiben and Sprechen are graded on, producing the word, not just spotting it.
“I'm never sure I'm studying the right words.”
The right words for your level, first
Frequency-first across A1-C2 puts the words most likely to appear at your level up top, the strongest predictor of recall.
WordDNATap a word →
Tap any word built on machen to save it and see how it's built.
machenroot · to do / make
nach-after+machento do→“do it after someone”=to imitate
Why Worio
How Worio compares with Anki, Duolingo and dictionaries
Each tool is good at something different. Here is where Worio fits, and where another tool is the better choice.
| What you want | Worio | Anki | Duolingo | Dictionary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explains how a word is built | Yes: prefix, root and family, in English | Only what you write on the card | No | Sometimes an etymology note |
| Save words from what you read | Paste text, tap a word to save | Make cards by hand or import decks | No, fixed lessons | History or bookmarks only |
| Spaced review | Built in: 4 modes plus Story Practice | Yes, the classic, fully customisable | Inside its lessons | No |
| Best level fit | B1 to C1 (works A1 to C2) | Any level, you pick the decks | Beginners | Any level |
| Other languages and subjects | German only | Anything you can put on a card | Many languages | Depends on the dictionary |
| Setup before you start | None | Decks, note types, tags | None | None |
| Cost | Free plan, Premium €8.99/month | Free on desktop and Android, one-time fee on iPhone | Free with ads, paid plan | Mostly free |
Woriofor B1 to C1
Explains how a word is builtYes: prefix, root and family, in English
Save words from what you readPaste text, tap a word to save
Spaced reviewBuilt in: 4 modes plus Story Practice
Best level fitB1 to C1 (works A1 to C2)
Other languages and subjectsGerman only
Setup before you startNone
CostFree plan, Premium €8.99/month
The others
AnkiMost control, any subject, you build the cards
DuolingoBest for beginners, guided lessons
DictionaryFastest single lookup, no practice
Worio is a good fit if you
- know the basics and are somewhere between B1 and C1
- read or listen to real German and keep meeting words you half understand
- want to know why a word means what it means, not just its translation
- are preparing for a B1 to C1 exam such as Goethe, telc or TestDaF
Another tool is a better fit if you
- are starting from zero and want a guided course: try Duolingo or a class
- want full control over your own cards for any subject: Anki is excellent
- only need a quick translation: a dictionary is faster
- are learning a language other than German: Worio is German only for now
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Worio
Worio is a German vocabulary app for English-speaking learners, built especially for CEFR levels B1 to C1: people who know the basics, read or listen to real German, and keep meeting words they only half understand. It also works from A1 to C2.
No. You see the English meaning, but WordDNA also shows how the word is built: its prefix, root and suffix with each part explained in English, its word family, which preposition a verb takes, example sentences, synonyms and antonyms. The goal is to understand why a word means what it means, so you can work out related words on your own.
WordDNA is the part of Worio that explains each word you save. It breaks the word into its building blocks (prefix, root, suffix) and explains each one in English, shows its word family and related words, the preposition a verb goes with, its grammar role, example sentences, synonyms, antonyms and memory cues. New words then link to words you already know instead of being memorized in isolation.
A dictionary is the fastest way to look up one word, and Worio does not replace it. Worio is for the words you want to keep: you save them, see how they are built and how they connect to words you know, then practice them with spaced review in four modes plus Story Practice.
For German vocabulary, yes, if you don't want to build cards yourself. Worio fills in the meaning, word parts, word family and examples for every word you save, and schedules your reviews. Anki is the better choice if you want full control over card design, study subjects other than German, or want a free desktop app.
Yes. WordDNA splits words like aufmachen, unterstützen or bestehen into prefix and root and explains each part in English, so you see what auf-, unter- or be- add to the meaning, and which other words share the same root.
Yes. Type one word, just the bare German word, and Worio fills in the card for you: the meaning, example sentences, the article for nouns, the CEFR level and, when the word has parts, the prefix-root-suffix breakdown. You never type the meaning yourself.
Yes. Worio shows the morphology of the words you save: the prefix, root and suffix when a word has them, and the particle of a separable verb, with short English explanations. Wiktionary has similar data, but you look it up yourself and build the card by hand.See how the word breakdown works
You can start at A1: Worio suggests words for your level and adapts from your first session. It is built especially for learners at B1 to C1, though. If you are starting from zero and want a guided course, a beginner course will serve you better at first, and Worio fits in once you know the basics.
Not at the moment. You add words by pasting German text or typing a word, and Worio picks out the vocabulary for you. Importing from links, files or videos is not available.
Worio is an app for iPhone and iPad (iOS 15.1 or later) and for Android. It is free to start, and every new account gets 30 days of Premium with no card.
Worio has a free plan with no time limit. Premium costs €8.99 a month or €79 a year in euro countries. Founder rate: as a Founding Member you get the same Premium for €51 a year, 35% off the standard yearly price, and the price stays locked for as long as you stay subscribed. Limited availability. Prices in the App Store and Google Play vary by country.
Download Worio and you get 30 days of Premium automatically, no credit card, no signup hoops. The trial doesn't auto-renew: when day 30 ends, your account simply continues on the Free plan. If you want to keep Premium after that, you can subscribe inside the app via the App Store or Google Play.
No. Your saved words, progress, and history stay with you. Some Premium-only features become unavailable, but everything you've learned is still there, and you can resubscribe anytime without losing a thing.
Offline access is part of Premium. With Premium you can practice flashcards and review your word bank without internet, and your progress syncs once you're back online. Everything else needs a connection.
German is our launch language. Additional languages are planned and will roll out gradually after launch, your saved words and progress stay yours as the app grows.