Words. Rooted. (formerly Trace the Word)

Support

Every tree is a word. Every root tells a story.

Contact us

Questions, problems or feedback? Email legal@sequoyahinstitutefortechnology.com. Include your device model, its iOS or Android version, and the word you were looking at if relevant. We aim to reply within 2 business days.

Getting started

Trace a word: type any English word or phrase on the Trace page and tap Reveal.
Explore: scroll the Word Tree for its definitions, ancestry and etymology, pronunciation and related words. Tap a related word to follow the trail.
Start again: tap Home in the bottom bar to trace a new word.

Accounts

Do I need an account?

No. You can explore every word as a guest. A free account is only needed to save Words to My Forest and to save Trails.

Create an account or sign in

Open any word and tap You in the bottom bar.
Choose Create Account (or Sign In), enter your email and a password of at least 6 characters.

Saving Words and Trails

Save a Word: tap the heart on the word’s banner. Tap it again to remove it.
Save a Trail: in the research section, choose a lens or type a trail, then tap the bookmark. Tap it again to remove it.

Where are my saved items?

Tap Library in the bottom bar for My Forest (saved Words), or Saved for your saved Trails. You need to be signed in to see them.

Changing your email address

Email changes are not available in the app. Contact us from your current address and we’ll help.

Forgot your password?

Tap You, make sure Sign In is selected, and enter your account email.
Tap Forgot password?. We email you a one-time reset code.
Enter the code, choose a new password (at least 6 characters), confirm it, and tap Set New Password. You’ll be signed in.

Didn’t get the code? Check your spam or junk folder and make sure the email address is the one you signed up with. Codes expire after a limited time; tap Send a new code to get a fresh one and use the most recent email. If it still doesn’t arrive, email us.

Deleting your account

Open any word and tap You in the bottom bar (sign in if needed).
Tap Delete Account, then Delete Permanently.

This permanently deletes your account, your email address and every saved Word and Trail. It cannot be undone. Can’t sign in? Use our account deletion request page.

Troubleshooting

“… is not in the forest yet.”: That word isn’t in our English lexicon. Check the spelling, or try the base form of the word. Words. Rooted. currently covers English only.
“The trail went quiet.”: The app couldn’t reach our servers. Words. Rooted. needs an internet connection; check your connection and try the word again.
A section is empty or says no records have reached this word yet.: Not every word has every kind of record. Etymology, pronunciation and related-word information is available for many words but not all.
No pronunciation audio.: Recorded audio exists only for some words. Check your volume, and on iPhone that the Ring/Silent switch isn’t muting sound.
Saved items are missing.: Make sure you are signed in with the same email you saved them under.
A source link won’t open.: Source links open in your web browser; check that a browser is available and you’re online.
Anything else: Close and reopen the app, and make sure it’s updated to the latest version. If the problem continues, email us.

About the content

Definitions and etymologies are derived from English Wiktionary via Wiktextract/Kaikki (CC BY-SA) and Princeton WordNet 3.0. As a comprehensive dictionary, it includes offensive and adult terms as they are documented in those sources; their inclusion does not reflect our views. Spotted an error? Let us know.