Simplicity

Zendict places a strong emphasis on simplicity. This is because many people, myself included, lack a background in linguistics. Technical jargon and complex explanations can be overwhelming and confusing, which is why Zendict strives to provide clear and concise definitions that are accessible to everyone.

For example, consider comparing the definition of the word "sarcophagus" in Wiktionary and Zendict. Assuming that you are unfamiliar with the meaning of the word, how long would it take for you to figure it out in each case? Do you see the difference?

Structure

Each word article consists of the same parts: "Meanings", "Origin" (also referred to as "Etymology"), and "Examples". Usually there are five examples included in each case.

If a word has the ability to function as multiple parts of speech, then a distinct entry is provided for each individual part of speech.

When a word has multiple meanings within the same part of speech, those meanings are presented in the same entry. Refer to a dictionary entry for the word "oversight", for an example.

Search panel

Clicking on the "Search" menu item or pressing Ctrl-B opens a Search panel on the left side of the page. As you type in your search term, the panel displays the first 20 matches, prioritizing matches at the beginning of the word. You can press the "Enter" key at any time to view the article for the first word in the list.

Frequency indicator

Zendict provides a word frequency indicator to give an idea of how often a word is used. All words are categorized into 12 groups based on their frequency of use, with the most commonly used words placed in group 12 and the least commonly used words in group 1. The frequency of a word is presented using a pie indicator, with the larger fraction of the pie filled indicating a higher frequency of word usage.

Pronunciation

An audio file is provided for each word with an American pronunciation. To listen to the audio, click on the "volume up" button. As I often find myself listening to each word multiple times, the recording includes three pronunciations of the word: the first at normal speed with rising intonation, followed by a slower version, and ending with a final pronunciation at normal speed with falling intonation.

3 random words

I wanted to encourage people to explore and read as many word articles as possible. To accomplish this, I have included in each article links to three random words, that are not related to the current context. This way, you don't have to procrastinate on what word to search for next. You can simply pick one at random.