Once solely a reference source, Dictionary.com [1] has evolved into a comprehensive online and mobile learning destination that offers a blend of free and subscription-based personalized vocabulary and writing help to students. This customizable website offers quizzing applications across multiple platforms, as well as interactive study tools that support curricula from elementary through graduate school, its creators say.
The website’s Word Dynamo service, which is free of charge, uses gaming and social features to bridge the gap between classroom and home learning. It enables students to grow their command of language at their own pace, and teachers also can use the service to augment in-class lessons and as a resource for homework assignments and study tools.
Writing Dynamo, billed as a “personal writing coach,” is a subscription-based writing analyzer that helps students improve their writing skills. For $5 per month, students can use the service to fine-tune their copy for polished final drafts—or even get feedback on resumes and college application essays.
A Spanish feature includes English-Spanish translations, word definitions, audio pronunciations, and learning tools such as Word of the Day, Phrase of the Day, and Travel Narratives. Designed to accommodate all levels of users, from novice to advanced students, the service can help users with everything from learning pronunciation to boosting conversational Spanish. What’s more, a Translator service can translate any page or word into more than 50 languages; users can translate more than 2,000 characters at a time.