vocabulary

Vocabulary .NET fails the test

Vocabulary .NET is a free tool designed to help users learn new words and new languages. It incorporates Google Dictionary and TTS, and it comes with an English dictionary, though you can import dictionary files as well as create, edit, and export your own custom dictionaries. It's completely portable, which enhances its educational value, but it requires Microsoft .NET to run. While Vocabulary .NET's basic version is free, you must obtain a commercial license to use all its features, including bilingual translation.

Some of Vocabulary .NET's definitions seem highly questionable. For instance, the two definitions for "… Read more

Square's Jack Dorsey reconsiders the term 'user'

One of George Orwell's famous rules of writing is "Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent."

It seems Square's founder and CEO Jack Dorsey was channeling the famous "Animal Farm" writer in a Tumblr blog he penned today. Known for ruminating on concepts and ideas, Dorsey called into question the tech world's use of the word "user."

"It's time for our industry and discipline to reconsider the word 'user,'" he wrote. "We speak … Read more

Improve your vocabulary and flick-bowl: iPhone apps of the week

The big news this week was the leaked information uncovered by the folks at PadGadget about approved iPad titles already showing up in the Web-based version of iTunes App Store. Apparently Apple listed a few of the titles with its "XL" or "HD" versions that weren't supposed to be unveiled until the April 3 iPad launch date. Some of the titles shown included popular games Worms HD, Flight Control HD, Plants vs. Zombies HD, and Labyrinth 2 HD. Apple has since fixed the site removing all the iPad versions in advance of launch day.

In … Read more

General vocab builder

Vocabulary Builder for SAT ACT GRE GMAT LSAT is a basic program that contains more than 2,000 words for vocabulary practice. Although the program works fine, we wish we knew more about where its words come from and their relevance to each test.

The program's interface is basic, with separate sections for memorizing words and taking practice tests. The word memorization section features an audio recitation feature using Microsoft Sam, which we didn't particularly like; we've always found Sam kind of hard to understand, and we'd rather read the words and definitions anyway. We wish … Read more

Enjoyable word game

We have to admit, it took us way longer than necessary to test BanderSnatch...because we couldn't stop playing it. Part Tetris, part Scrabble, BanderSnatch is a simple game that's surprisingly addictive.

The program's interface is nothing to write home about, but it's easy to understand. Round tiles containing letters fall against a green background, and as they accumulate, users create words from adjacent tiles. Users can either click on each letter or drag the mouse through the letters. Once each word is accepted, it disappears. Each letter has a point value, much like in Scrabble, … Read more

Versatile vocabulary program

Voca is a versatile program that lets users practice their vocabulary in any language, provided they can come up with a list of vocabulary words.

The program's interface is sleek and attractive, but it's not immediately obvious how a user should get started. A visit to the online Help file reveals that users must either create their own list of vocabulary words or visit the publisher's Web site to download a list created by another user. Both options are easy to do, and once the vocabulary list is created or loaded, the program offers a variety of … Read more

Swedish vocabulary help

WordBanker English-Swedish allows users to practice their Swedish vocabulary using several different formats. Although the program is not the most intuitive we've ever seen, it's fairly easy to use and is a great way to improve your Swedish vocabulary.

The program's interface is not particularly attractive and can sometimes be hard to navigate. Each function opens a separate window within the program, and it's hard to know at first if closing the window is going to take you back to the main menu or close the program completely. Continued use of the program helps with this. … Read more

Effective German practice

WordBanker English-German allows users to practice their German vocabulary using several different formats. Although the program is not the most intuitive we've ever seen, it's fairly easy to use and is a great way to improve your German vocabulary.

It's not Greek to you

WordBanker English-Greek allows users to practice their Greek vocabulary using several different formats. Although the program is not the most intuitive we've ever seen, it's fairly easy to use and is a great way to improve your Greek vocabulary.

Effective vocabulary practice

WordBanker English-Croatian allows users to practice their Croatian vocabulary using several different formats. Although the program is not the most intuitive we've ever seen, it's fairly easy to use and is a great way to improve your Croatian vocabulary.