Vocabulary – Dictionary, Thesaurus and Citation Assistance
BibGuru – https://www.bibguru.com/ – Organize sources systematically for more structured papers. Create accurate citations, bibliographies and works cited lists in all common citation styles like APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago or Vancouver. Properly give credit to sources and understand their relevance.- Big Huge Thesaurus – https://words.bighugelabs.com/ – A developer-focused API for getting synonyms and antonyms for your apps and websites. Also has a link to a Story Plot Generator.
- Bibliography.com – https://www.bibliography.com/ – Take the stress out of citations with the quick, automatic and easy-to-use bibliography maker. Organize citations how you want. Easily create in-text citations, references or export to Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
- Collins Dictionary – https://www.collinsdictionary.com/ – Expanding from the long-time published version, Collins has provided a website for both their dictionary and thesaurus. They also included a translator and grammar guide.
- Dictionary.com – https://www.dictionary.com/ – Simply out of fairness, this website has been added as an option for a dictionary. However, it would be suggested to go to Collins or Merriam-Webster for authentic information. This website has many errors.
- Easybib – https://www.easybib.com/ – No matter what citation style being used (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), this website will help create the right bibliography. Scan any essay to catch unintentional plagiarism. It will flag grammar and writing issues and provide smart suggestions. The free option is very limited.
- Exam Word – https://www.examword.com/ – It focuses on building vocabulary, the most challenging job in studying English, for either native speakers or ESL students. The primary goal of the website is to help students who are struggling to build vocabulary. Note: The free option provides a lot of content but to access the premium content, there will be a monthly fee.
Flocabulary – https://www.flocabulary.com/subjects/vocabulary/ – Using hip hop as the inspiration behind the learning on this website, each grade has a separate section for learning about vocabulary. After viewing the video, students complete the vocab cards/game, read and response or the quiz to further their learning. Note: The individiual teacher account has limitations. - Infercabulary – https://infercabulary.com/ – Students actively infer the meaning of words based on seeing multiple images illustrating the word used in different contexts. It is an interactive, web-based visual vocabulary and critical thinking tool for K-12 students. It not only uses best practices in vocabulary instruction, but introduces a unique method for teaching nuanced words.
- Inside Story Flashcards – http://insidestoryflashcards.com/printable_flashcards/index.php – Offers digital flashcards with words, high-quality photographs, an example sentence and a brief description. The flashcards are divided into basic, easy, medium and hard. Teachers can pick the words they want their students to learn. The flashcards can be printed or viewed online – allowing you to choose the best option for your classroom. One drawback: there is no searchable database.
Membean – https://www.membean.com/ – Knowing the meanings of words, and being able to use them, is an essential skill for both reading comprehension and effective writing. Membean provides more than seven different ways of learning a word. With engaging content such as audio, video, and word pictures, Membean’s game-like format succeeds in overcoming short attention spans.- Merriam-Webster – https://www.merriam-webster.com/ – the online version of the long-time published American dictionary (since 1828) with both an option to search words in the dictionary or in the thesaurus. Students can also look up the Word of the Day and Words at Play as well as try their hand at some interesting quizzes.
- MyBib – https://www.mybib.com/ – A free bibliography and citation generator that makes accurate citations to copy straight into academic assignments and papers. It creates accurate citations automatically for books, journals, websites, and videos just by searching for a title or identifier (such as a URL or ISBN).
- Reverso – https://www.reverso.net/ – Listen how texts are being pronounced by native speakers to improve your oral skills. Use the integrated dictionaries to fine-tune the translation: synonyms in one click and translations with examples in context.
- ReWordify – https://rewordify.com/ – Do you dislike dictionaries because they’re confusing and unhelpful? You’ll love the clear, easy-to-understand definitions—they change to match the original word or phrase’s part of speech, verb tense, and singular/plural form, so they make sense.
- Scribbr – https://www.scribbr.com/mla-citation-generator/ – It is easy to use, accurate, and accessible for all students. Some features include lightning-fast autocite (using a URL, DOI, ISBN or title), smart citation forms to help avoid incorrect citations and quick tips to make citing easier.
- Spelling Classroom – https://spellingclassroom.com/ – An interactive spelling & vocabulary program that rewards student effort and makes it easy for teachers to create, assign, assess and manage word lists. Create custom word lists and/or select from 2,600+ preloaded lists and customize weekly lessons from 31+ interactive fun learning modules. Assign specific lists to students. There is a flexibility with the test settings – passing grade, retries and specific day availability.
- SpellQuiz – https://spellquiz.com/spelling-bee-online – Devised spelling lessons to match the cognitive abilities K-12 students with a vocabulary testing tool to assess a student’s vocabulary level in under 10 minutes. While practicing through the platform, learners can track their progress through quantitative parameters like total attempts, mastered words, sessions’ duration, and Smart Score™.
- Spellzone – https://www.spellzone.com/index.cfm – Unlocks the mystery of Canadian, British and American English spelling and adapts to all abilities including SEND, SLD and ESL. Students can study independently online. Dynamic reporting tools provide teachers with time-saving monitoring and evaluation of all student activity and results.
- Thesaurus.com – https://www.thesaurus.com/ – Not one of the first websites that should be visited as there are a lot of errors or some suggestions are improperly made. It has been put on this list simply out of fairness but it is recommended to go to a recogized academic or published site for the best information.
- Visual Dictionary Online – http://www.visualdictionaryonline.com/ – Merriam-Webster has designed a visual dictionary that will be useful to young readers and ELL students. It helps the user understand a phenomenon and quickly grasp the meaning of a term, the characteristics of an object or simply learn something new. It also includes a list of themes in the left side bar. A great way for younger readers to get excited about words.
- Visual Thesaurus – https://www.visualthesaurus.com/ – An interactive dictionary and thesaurus which creates word maps that blossom with meanings and branch to related words. Its innovative display encourages exploration and learning. You’ll understand language in a powerful new way.
- Visuwords – https://visuwords.com/ – An online graphical dictionary that provides definitions and pronunciation like a traditional dictionary but generates a visual representation of the word. The comprehensive database has nouns, adjectives, adverbs and verbs. You can search for the exact word you need and students can use this website as a thesaurus when they want to expand their vocabulary. Suggest using this with grade 3 students or older.
- Vocabulary.com – https://www.vocabulary.com/ – Although it is not as flashy as other websites, there is the ability to create quizzes and can be ideal for elementary students because it provides a hint for students who are stuck on words. With these online vocabulary builders, ensure students that they will learn the words they need to know. Free as a learner, teacher resources require payment.
- Wordcraft – https://www.playwordcraft.com/ – An adaptive platform for vocabulary and reading comprehension. Every student progresses along the same ladder of knowledge. In the beginning students are taught the roots of words, and as the game progresses, other aspects of knowledge are tested, such as spelling, reading comprehension, and trivia. The adaptive nature of the game ensures that questions are never too hard or too easy.
- WordFlyers – https://www.3plearning.com/software/wordflyers/ – Available to educators and students in Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and the Caribbean. Covering spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, grammar and writing, WordFlyers reinforces the basics so you can focus on the trickier subjects.
- Wordsmyth – https://www.wordsmyth.net/ – Touted as “The Premier Educational Dictiomary-Thesaurus”. It is a good resource for all grade levels with a picture dictionary (called WILD) for younger students and lots of other tools in addition to the dictionary and thesaurus for older students. There is a limited free option for educators but the subscription is actually very economical for the premium features.
- Zoterobib – https://zbib.org/ – It helps you build a bibliography instantly from any computer or device, without creating an account or installing any software.
