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Ask HN: Will you use an "Evernote for words" I plan to build?
I'm planning on building a dead simple word list app that lets you store difficult words that you stumble upon while surfing (via a browser add-on). This list then gets synced across your devices, much like Evernote.
The app then pulls the corresponding meanings to become your private repository of those tricky words that you tend to look up (and subsequently forget - only, now you won't) when reading articles online.
A few months back, I decided to use Evernote to consciously capture new or challenging words that I encountered while reading books or surfing. (If you read pg's essays fairly regularly, I bet you've stumbled upon at least the odd word you didn't already know). Alarmed at how rapidly this list exploded, I decided I could use an app that automated sorting of the words, fetching of their meanings and most importantly, syncing of the list across devices and browsers.
I'd like to know if there's an app out there that does this well that I don't know about yet. If not, is this an itch that we share? Do you see yourself using this app if I build it? Please give me a shout, it'll spur me on for sure.
[I'm aware that dictionary.com lets you maintain word lists and create flash cards. This, however, doesn't solve my "one universal account that syncs across multiple devices" need which is make-or-break IMO.]
- scrrr 16y agoI'm using catch.com for text snippets I need to have both on my computer and on my Android phone. So I wouldn't have a use for your app I think. Suggestion: I could imagine to use an app that gives me a few new words to learn in a foreign language every day. Perhaps with a feature that tests previous days words when I log on to check what is new.
- noelsequeira 16y agocatch.com seems to be similar to Evernote or SimpleNote. My app intends to be a dictionary-integrated word list for words that you discover and want to remember, not a note syncing app. So you might eventually find it useful. That said, "words of the day" is an interesting feature (although it isn't on my roadmap for v0.1).
- dlib 16y agoI would certainly look into it. I regularly stumble upon words I don't know (or don't know the exact meaning of) either in my native tongue (Dutch) or in English even though my vocabulary in both languages is extensive. Sometimes I write them down or store them somewhere but mostly I do not because it's not worth the effort. If it's easy to store words into this service, through an extension or a bookmarklet, it might work for me. A problem I come across with Dutch words is that there is no proper Dutch dictionary on the internet and I have to VPN into the university library to look up the definition, which is a bit of a hassle. Aggregated data of the users might also provide valuable information as to which words are generally considered difficult.
- noelsequeira 16y agoAwesome, the first HNer whose frustration resonates with mine! I must admit, internationalization didn't cross my mind. It shouldn't be too hard though, all we'll need is a decent API / site that we can scrape.
- AnupamTulsyan 16y agoIt seems like a utility app and could be very useful in a long run.
- kieranoneill 16y agoI think you want honest feedback here: I won't use that, and I don't think the vast majority of "normal people" would either. A lack of place to save difficult words isn't a common problem for most people I don't feel. Also, I think most people don't even look up words they don't know - they just skip over them. That said, if success for you would be a small userbase of people who rely on it, then why not.
- 9ec4c12949a4f3 16y agoIf it's online I'll check Merriam-Webster. If I notice I keep mis-spelling a word, I'll dedicate my mistake to memory.
- noelsequeira 16y agoI used to do that myself. Until I discovered I'd looked up "proselytize" on 6 different occasions and it just wouldn't stick. So I began building a personal list of to-revise words until it became bloated and unwieldy.
- noelsequeira 16y agoI completely agree this isn't for everyone - until a couple of months back I used to overlook tough words or try to interpret their meaning in the context of what I was reading. I've discovered though, that making a conscious attempt to identify these words is quite rewarding and I recognize that's my personal opinion. Success for me will be helping a few folks scratch this itch. I really don't intend to monetize the app.
- ZeroMinx 16y agoThis could be useful for people learning a new language. There are already plugins for getting translations of words/phrases, but if this service also stores the words I've looked up, I can go back and repeat. Maybe I can even be quizzed on my stored words? With device syncing, I can read and add words during the day, and then I can get quizzed on my Android phone first thing in the morning before leaving bed. As I like learning new languages myself, I'm thinking this could be quite useful. I realize this is probably drifting a bit from your idea though.. Just thinking out aloud.
- noelsequeira 16y agoYup, the service at its very core is a list of words you've looked up so that you can go back and repeat. Quizzing sounds like a good way to make repeating fun, so I'll put that on my to-do list. I conceived the idea with the vocabulary-mastery use case in mind, but as you've pointed out, it seems to fit the get-proficient-at-new-language use case quite well.
- _grrr 16y agoI read a lot on my Kindle and use the kindle notes/highlights feature to mark & collect interesting words (generally words I had to look up in the dictionary). So it's certainly a feature that is useful, in the right context. Although for me I guess it's still only a nice to have, rather than something I would seek out. How would you monetise it?
- noelsequeira 16y agoAgree that it's nice to have. I wouldn't die without it myself. Which is why I don't really have plans to monetize it. It'll be a fun project to work on made even better by the knowledge that it's solving a problem for a niche.
- iterationx 16y agoYou should design it to work for people learning foreign languages (as well as your initial goal), and also take into consideration the successes of supermemo.
- noahc 16y agoThis needs to be more than just a service. You need to think about about the psychology of it all. I come across words all the time that I don't know, but I don't look them up. I have plenty of excuses why not, but those don't matter. Just like loosing weight. The point is that to 'win' you need to address the psychology of looking words up. How is this going to be easier than looking them up my self. This service would be useful for many people, if it just e-mailed you the next day all the words you didn't know and definitions, and then sent you an e-mail at the end of each week. If you really wanted to market it well, I'd do this and then do research on word exposure frequency like being exposed to it every day for 2 days, then every 3 days for 6 days, then every week for 6 weeks, then once a month 5 months or something like that. And this strategy increases word retention by 65%. These numbers are all made up, but that's the gist of it.
- tricky 16y agoI might use it if you would include spaced repetition learning as a service. For example, I would like to get a text message or even an email at some user defined interval (every 6 hours, once a week, etc.) with words in the list selected by a spaced repetition algorithm so I can really learn what they mean. If I just added it to a list, I doubt I'd ever really learn them and the service would be useless to me.
- winthrowe 16y agoI look up odd 'words' all the time. However the vast majority are not verbs, adjectives, or simple nouns, but proper nouns, and in effect 'proper verbs' (scientific/technical, actual code). How are you going to beat selecting in Chrome, and right-click google?
- takameyer 16y agoWhile reading online books, I generally have another browser open to look up those difficult words. The tabs tend to expand quite quickly after hours of reading. If the interface were dead simple, then I would find this very useful. I've been looking for ways to expand my vocabulary. Being able to access a listing of these words that I lookup would be quite interesting and may actually help me out quite a bit. Keeping it universal is a great idea. Whenever I find myself with downtime, I'm generally looking on my phone for something to read. It would be great to access this listing on the go. I'm excited to try this out!
- noelsequeira 16y agoWe're on the same wavelength - this is the exact flow I have in mind! Now to get back to work.
- ilconsigliere 16y agoI would use this immediately. Scattered across my apartment are notebooks with hand-written definitions (words & phrases) I have recorded with the intent of incorporating them into my vocabulary. The problem is I cannot regularly recall the words because I cannot regularly access the list. The app would be great if it provided incentives for legitimately storing the words into one's semantic memory.
- bobf 16y agoIf you pivot this into a language-learning tool, you'll probably be more successful because the market is much, much larger.
- cjlars 16y agoThis could be an interesting browser plugin, but I have a hard time seeing a business model. FWIW, I wouldn't use it, simply because I tend to remember looking the word up, and if I can't remember what it means, I get frustrated and look it up again. That said, I might be inclined to replace my lookup plugin if it works like this: Use the same functionality as any other define plugin (ie, right click -> define word), but with the extra feature that the next N times you see that word in your browser, the plugin highlights the word and then displays the definition if and only if you mouse over it. Naturally, you'd add two items to the right-click menu. 1) define, 2) see recent definitions. Not sure how much this helps, but good luck.
- runjake 16y agoOn the Mac at least, I use Spotlight to look up a word (hit Apple-Spacebar and type "stupendous"). In Cocoa apps, I right-click on a word. This is my repo and it's already populated. I prefer to see at least a prototype, instead of a "would uou use?" scenario, but I can't see using something like this. But it might be a good programming exercise, and YOU'D use it, so why not go for it, come up with new ideas and find new pivots along the way, and post a link when you have a prototype ready?
- maguay 16y agoMarket it to students ... many teachers and parents would be thrilled if their kids/students actually increased their vocabulary from using the computer. If it automatically finds definitions, could quiz you, and maybe include some game-style incentives to get kids to actually really memorize the words and correct spellings, you could find a real market IMO. Make it simple and cheap ... well less than the price of a Flickr Pro subscription ... and I think it could do good. Then, though, you'd have to publish lists of how often kids used it to look up internet slang and abbreviations. Share that part with HN =D
- whimsy 16y agoPersonally, I agree with some other folks here - your market is students and people learning languages. Add really good pronunciation help - something you can hear. Make sure you integrate SRS - see Piotr Wozniak's work on the forgetting curve. (Also see Mnemosyne, Anki, etc.) Check out lingt.com - they're the leader (feature-wise) in the language learning market for Chinese... at least from what I've seen. I recommend it to friends here at college that are trying to learn Chinese. Personally, I learn English words /really fast/. I can see them once and get a definition and I'll be good for two years. This doesn't work for any other sort of information... only English words. Why? I have no clue. Anyway, my point is that no, I wouldn't see myself using it. Sorry.