ProfessorWord

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    About

  • What is a bookmarklet?

    A bookmarklet is a browser tool that is saved like a bookmark. When you click a saved bookmarklet (a portmanteau of 'bookmark' and 'applet'), it will launch the browser tool instead of opening a website. For more information, visit Wikipedia's 'bookmarklet' entry.

  • What is the ProfessorWord free bookmarklet?

    The ProfessorWord free bookmarklet can be used on any website to:

    • Get the definition of any word with the click of your mouse
    • Identify more than 5,000 SAT/ACT vocabulary words

    Saving the free bookmarklet is easy and takes about ten seconds. Check out our Getting Started guide for step-by-step instructions.

    No matter what your goals are, find out how ProfessorWord can help!

  • What is the ProfessorWord free account vs. a premium account?
    Student Accounts

    With a ProfessorWord account (coming soon!), you can save the vocabulary words that you encounter while surfing the web. Simply click on the save button inside the definition pop-up and the word will automatically be saved to your account. Now, you'll have a personalized study list of the vocabulary words that you need to learn!

    A free account allows you to save up to 1,000 words for 30 days. After 30 days, your saved words will roll off your account and disappear. If you reach the limit of 1,000 words before 30 days is up, you will have to delete words if you want to add additional words to your account.

    We all know that it's hard to retain new words that you've only seen once. So create personalized study lists by saving new words to a ProfessorWord account.

    A premium account allows you to save an unlimited number of words. You'll also be able to take review tests, create flashcards, customize the bookmarklet based on your target score and study progress (i.e., highlight in red the words that you've struggled with recently), learn on the go using your mobile phone, and share words, word lists, and review tests with friends.

    Upgrade to a premium account to accelerate your test prep: Take review tests, create flashcards; Learn on the go with a smartphone; Share words and tests with friends; Customize the bookmarklet based on your target score and progress.

    ProfessorWord accounts will be available soon!

    Teacher Accounts

    With a free teacher account, you'll have all the features of a free student account and you'll be able to oversee a group of student accounts, assign readings, and track student progress — articles read, words looked up, and words saved.

    We're working on developing these accounts right now, so if you have suggestions for other features you'd like or if you want to help beta-test the account features when they're ready — please contact us!

    Monitor student progress on reading and vocabulary building

    ProfessorWord accounts will be available soon!

  • Where do the ProfessorWord definitions come from?

    ProfessorWord definitions come from WordNet®, a lexical database (a.k.a. dictionary) of English that can be downloaded and used freely. For more about WordNet, visit their website.

  • Does the bookmarklet work on any website?

    Yes, except for sites secured through HTTPS*. Visit any HTTP* website and select the ProfessorWord bookmarklet that you've saved to your Bookmarks Bar. Once run, ProfessorWord lets you get the definition of any word on the website with the click of your mouse. We even automatically highlight all the SAT/ACT vocabulary words for you.

    Unfortunately, ProfessorWord does not currently work on Facebook, Gmail, or any other site that is secured through HTTPS. We're working on a version of ProfessorWord that will work with HTTPS, but, for now, we can only process the information on HTTP sites.

    If you find any other website where the ProfessorWord bookmarklet does not work, let us know at . Please email us the following info:

    • Nature of the problem
    • The URL of the webpage(s)
    • Your operating system (i.e. Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.6)
    • Your browser. We detect that you are using:
    • The version info of your ProfessorWord bookmarklet.
    To get the version info of your ProfessorWord bookmarklet: 1. Click the PW button in the upper left corner, 2. Select 'About ProfessorWord' on the main menu, 3. Copy the version info found at the end of the page.

    Thank you very much for your help - we really appreciate it.

    ___________________________

    * HTTPS sites are sites with web traffic that is encrypted for security and privacy. They have web addresses that start with "https://", have a padlock near the web address, and may have a green address bar. Example sites include https://www.facebook.com, https://mail.google.com, and all the major financial institution websites (for example, https://www.discover.com, https://www.bankofamerica.com, and https://www.paypal.com).

    On the other hand, HTTP sites (the overwhelming majority of websites) do not encrypt their traffic. They have addresses that start with "http://", but for the most part, you won't even see that. You'll just see, for example, www.nytimes.com. Many browsers will drop the "http://" part of the web address (and only show those that are "https://").

  • Does the bookmarklet work with any web browser?

    Yes! The ProfessorWord bookmarklet works with all major computer browsers (Chrome 3+, Safari 4+, Firefox 3+, and Internet Explorer 8+) as well as on Safari for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

    We detect that you are using: , so you are good to go.

    Save the bookmarklet to your current browser or view the instructions for all devices/browsers.

  • Does the bookmarklet work on my tablet/smartphone (iPad, iPhone, etc.)?

    Yes! The ProfessorWord bookmarklet works on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch! Check out our instructions for saving the bookmarklet to these devices. Instructions for other smartphones and tablets coming soon.

    The ProfessorWord bookmarklet works on your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch. Please visit the special instructions.

    • Free Bookmarklet

  • Basics

  • How do I save the bookmarklet?

    For step-by-step instructions along with screenshots for how to save the ProfessorWord bookmarklet to your current device, visit our Getting Started guide. You can also view the instructions for other devices/browsers.

    The ProfessorWord bookmarklet works on all major computer browsers (Chrome 3+, Safari 4+, Firefox 3+, and Internet Explorer 8+) as well as on Safari for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

    We detect that you are using: , so you are good to go.

  • How do I use the bookmarklet?

    Visit any website. With that page open, select the ProfessorWord bookmarklet that you saved to your Bookmarks Bar to run the ProfessorWord tool.

    Visit any website and then select the saved bookmarklet from your browser's bookmarks/favorites toolbar to run ProfessorWord on the website that you're visiting.

    After running ProfessorWord, you can click any word to view its definition.

    See a word you don't comprehend? After running ProfessorWord, you can click any word to view its definition. Try it right now on this page!

    ProfessorWord automatically highlights all SAT/ACT vocabulary words for you.

    ProfessorWord automatically highlights all the pertinent SAT/ACT vocabulary words used on any website. You can turn this utilitarian feature on/off under preferences.

    You can turn this feature on/off in the bookmarklet menu under Preferences.

    Run ProfessorWord using your saved bookmarklet, then 1. Click the PW button in the upper left corner, 2. Select Preferences from the main menu, 3. Change and save your preferences. Don't forget to save your preferences.

    For step-by-step instructions along with screenshots for how to use the ProfessorWord bookmarklet, visit our Getting Started guide.

  • How do I get the definition of a word?

    After running ProfessorWord, you can just click any word to view its definition.

    See a word you don't comprehend? After running ProfessorWord, you can click any word to view its definition. Try it right now on this page!

    You'll notice that ProfessorWord automatically highlights all the SAT/ACT vocab words for you. You can turn this feature on/off in the bookmarklet menu under Preferences.

    Run ProfessorWord using your saved bookmarklet, then 1. Click the PW button in the upper left corner, 2. Select Preferences from the main menu, 3. Change and save your preferences. Don't forget to save your preferences.

    To get a definition quickly for a word not on the website, you can use the 'Look up a word' functionality from the bookmarklet menu.

    The bookmarklet menu lets you customize your preferences, and much more.

    For step-by-step instructions along with screenshots, visit our Getting Started guide.

  • Why do I have to run ProfessorWord every time I visit a new page?

    ProfessorWord is currently offered as a bookmarklet, so you will need to run it every time you surf to a new page. However, we are working on offering ProfessorWord as a browser extension which would automatically run ProfessorWord for you every time you visit a new website. If you would be interested in using a browser extension, please let us know!

  • How do I turn on/off the automatic highlighting of SAT/ACT words?

    ProfessorWord will automatically highlight all the SAT/ACT vocabulary words used on a page. You can turn on/off this feature in the bookmarklet menu under Preferences.

    Run ProfessorWord using your saved bookmarklet, then 1. Click the PW button in the upper left corner, 2. Select Preferences from the main menu, 3. Change and save your preferences. Don't forget to save your preferences.

    ProfessorWord uses third-party cookies in your browser to remember these preferences. Please make sure your browser options/preferences are set to allow these cookies; otherwise, we are unable to remember your preferences. If you have questions, please check out our Privacy Policy.

  • Can I customize the bookmarklet to just highlight certain words?

    With a ProfessorWord premium account (coming soon!), you will be able to customize the ProfessorWord bookmarklet based on your target score or study progress. For example, you will be able to set the bookmarklet to highlight only 700-800 level SAT/ACT vocabulary words or only the words that you've gotten wrong recently on review tests.

  • How do I move or resize the definition pop-ups?

    There are many ways to move or resize the pop-ups:

    • move the pop-up by clicking and dragging it around with your mouse
    • minimize, maximize, or close using the upper-right buttons
    • resize the pop-up by dragging the bottom right-hand corner
    • rotate the pop-up around its source word by using CTRL+M

    The definition pop-ups will automatically reposition themselves next to their source words, as needed.

    Click and drag the top bar to move the pop-up; Use the upper-right-hand buttons to minimize, maximize, or close the pop-ups; Click and drag the bottom-right-hand corner to resize the pop-up.
    If the pop-up definitions are being blocked by ads or photos, you can move the pop-up around the word using Ctrl+M

  • How do I print the definition pop-ups?

    When you print a page after running ProfessorWord, the definitions of all the words you clicked and viewed will print as footnotes.

    When you print a page after running ProfessorWord, the definitions of the highlighted SAT/ACT words will print as footnotes.

    Please contact us if you have suggestions for what else you would find useful!

  • What keyboard shortcuts can I use to move the pop-ups?

    You can use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+M to move the definition pop-up around its source word. This is handy when the definition pop-up is blocked because of an ad or photo overlay on the website.

    If the pop-up definitions are being blocked by ads or photos, you can move the pop-up around the word using Ctrl+M

    The word you are currently on is highlighted in pink. Navigate to the previous word with CTRL+J, the next word with CTRL+L. Press CTRL+K to open its pop-up and CTRL+I to close it.

    Looking for other keyboard shortcuts? Ctrl+J: goes to the previous SAT/ACT word; Ctrl+I: closes the pop-up; Ctrl+L: goes to the next SAT/ACT word; Ctrl+K: opens the pop-up

  • Troubleshooting

  • I'm having trouble saving the bookmarklet.

    Try our Getting Started guide that provides step-by-step instructions along with screenshots for how to save the bookmarklet to your web browser. If you're still having problems, please contact us.

  • I saved the bookmarklet, but I don't see it on my Bookmarks Bar.

    Check to make sure that your Bookmarks Bar is visible:

    Press Ctrl-Shift-B.

    Make sure your Bookmarks Bar (should be located below the web address bar) is visible so you can see the saved bookmarklet. To show it, press Ctrl-Shift-B.

    Right-click on an empty section of the Tab Strip (above the web address bar) and select Bookmarks Toolbar.

    Make sure your Bookmarks Bar (should be located below the web address bar) is visible so you can see the saved bookmarklet. To show it, right-click on an empty section of the Tab Strip<br />(above the web address bar) and select 'Bookmarks Toolbar.'

    Select Toolsnext stepToolbarsnext stepFavorites Bar.

    Make sure your Favorites Bar (should be located below the web address bar) is visible so you can see the saved bookmarklet. To show it, select Tools --> Toolbars --> Favorites Bar.

    Right-click the Tools button Tools button and select Favorites Bar.

    Make sure your Favorites Bar (should be located below the web address bar) is visible so you can see the saved bookmarklet. To show it, right-click the Tools button and select 'Favorites Bar'.

    Press Shift-Command-B.

    Make sure your Bookmarks Bar (should be located below the web address bar) is visible so you can see the saved bookmarklet. To show it, press Shift-Command-B.

    A. Update Safari Settings to show Bookmarks Bar (if not already shown)

    • Go to Settings Settings and select Safari settingsSafari.
    • Turn Always Show Bookmarks BarAlways Show Bookmarks Bar ON.

    B. Move the ProfessorWord bookmarklet to Bookmarks Bar

    • Tap Safari bookmark buttonnext stepEditEditnext stepSelect Run ProfessorWord bookmarkletRun ProfessorWord !.
    • ChangeBookmarksBookmarks to Bookmarks BarBookmarks Bar.
    • Tap out of the bookmarks window to save.

    To find the saved bookmarklet, tap Safari bookmark button and look for Run ProfessorWord bookmarkletRun ProfessorWord !.

    Then, if the saved bookmarklet is still not visible, check the drop-down list on the upper-right hand corner that shows all the additional bookmarks that you saved but don't fit onto the Bookmarks Bar. If you see the ProfessorWord bookmarklet there, we suggest that you move it higher up on the list so that it will appear directly on the Bookmarks Bar. You can do this by organizing your bookmarks.

    Can't find the bookmarklet of your toolbar? Don't forget to check the end of the toolbar for bookmarks/favorites that didn't fit. Move the PW bookmarklet to the top of the toolbar for easier access: You can just drag the PW bookmarklet onto your toolbar, OR you can organize your bookmarks/favorites toolbar by clicking here.

    If you still can't find the ProfessorWord bookmarklet, please contact us.

  • ProfessorWord does not run when I click the bookmarklet.

    Unfortunately, ProfessorWord does not currently work on Facebook, Gmail, or any other site that is secured through HTTPS*. We're working on a version of ProfessorWord that will work with HTTPS, but, for now, we can only process the information on HTTP* sites.

    If you are on a HTTP site, try reloading the page. Let the page completely finish loading before you select the saved ProfessorWord bookmarklet to run the tool again. Most of the time, this will solve the issue.

    If reloading the page doesn't solve the issue, please contact us.

    ___________________________

    * HTTPS sites are sites with web traffic that is encrypted for security and privacy. They have web addresses that start with "https://", have a padlock near the web address, and may have a green address bar. Example sites include https://www.facebook.com, https://mail.google.com, and all the major financial institution websites (for example, https://www.discover.com, https://www.bankofamerica.com, and https://www.paypal.com).

    On the other hand, HTTP sites (the overwhelming majority of websites) do not encrypt their traffic. They have addresses that start with "http://", but for the most part, you won't even see that. You'll just see, for example, www.nytimes.com. Many browsers will drop the "http://" part of the web address (and only show those that are "https://").

  • ProfessorWord does not work on Facebook, Gmail, or other HTTPS sites.

    Unfortunately, ProfessorWord does not currently work on Facebook, Gmail, or any other site that is secured through HTTPS*. We're working on a version of ProfessorWord that will work with HTTPS, but, for now, we can only process the information on HTTP* sites.

    ___________________________

    * HTTPS sites are sites with web traffic that is encrypted for security and privacy. They have web addresses that start with "https://", have a padlock near the web address, and may have a green address bar. Example sites include https://www.facebook.com, https://mail.google.com, and all the major financial institution websites (for example, https://www.discover.com, https://www.bankofamerica.com, and https://www.paypal.com).

    On the other hand, HTTP sites (the overwhelming majority of websites) do not encrypt their traffic. They have addresses that start with "http://", but for the most part, you won't even see that. You'll just see, for example, www.nytimes.com. Many browsers will drop the "http://" part of the web address (and only show those that are "https://").

  • ProfessorWord is not automatically highlighting the SAT/ACT words.

    ProfessorWord allows you to turn on or off the automatic highlighting of SAT/ACT vocab words.

    Go to the ProfessorWord bookmarklet menu and view Preferences. Make sure the setting Show highlighted SAT/ACT words is checked and then click Save Preferences.

    Run ProfessorWord using your saved bookmarklet, then 1. Click the PW button in the upper left corner, 2. Select Preferences from the main menu, 3. Change and save your preferences. Don't forget to save your preferences.

    ProfessorWord uses third-party cookies in your browser to remember these preferences. Please make sure your browser options/preferences are set to allow these cookies; otherwise, we are unable to remember your preferences. If you have questions, please check out our Privacy Policy.

    All the SAT/ACT vocabulary words on the page should now be automatically highlighted for you. If it still does not work, we suggest reloading the page. Let the page completely finish loading before you run ProfessorWord. Most of the time, this will solve the issue. If reloading the page doesn't solve the issue, please contact us.

  • Definitions do not appear when I click a highlighted word.

    Try reloading the page. Let the page completely finish loading before you select the saved ProfessorWord bookmarklet to run the tool again. Most of the time, this will solve the issue.

    If reloading the page doesn't solve the issue, please contact us.

  • Definitions that appear do not match the word I clicked.

    Make sure that you scroll through all the definitions in the pop-up. A lot of words have many definitions, so you will need to review them all to find the one that fits the context in which the word is being used. Pay close attention to these words with multiple meanings because test makers like to focus on them.

    If it still does not work, please contact us.

  • Pop-ups are being hidden by the website (i.e., behind ads or photos)

    Try dragging and moving the pop-up with your mouse so that it is no longer being blocked by the website element. If that doesn't work, you can also use the keyboard short-cut CTRL+M to move the pop-up around its source word. If it still does not work, please contact us.

    Click and drag the top bar to move the pop-up; Use the upper-right-hand buttons to minimize, maximize, or close the pop-ups; Click and drag the bottom-right-hand corner to resize the pop-up.
    If the pop-up definitions are being blocked by ads or photos, you can move the pop-up around the word using Ctrl+M

    For step-by-step instructions along with screenshots, visit our Getting Started guide.

  • Pop-ups are not formatting correctly (i.e., scrollbar stuck, can't resize)

    Try reloading the page. Let the page completely finish loading before you select the saved ProfessorWord bookmarklet to run the tool again. Most of the time, this will solve the issue.

    If reloading the page doesn't solve the issue, please contact us.

  • My bookmarklet preferences are not being saved.

    ProfessorWord uses third-party cookies in your browser to remember these preferences. Please make sure your browser options/preferences are set to allow these cookies; otherwise, we are unable to remember your preferences. If you have questions, please check out our Privacy Policy.

  • I want to delete the bookmarklet from my Bookmarks Bar.

    Right-click the bookmarklet on your Bookmarks Bar and then Delete it.

    Tap Safari bookmark buttonnext stepEditEditnext stepSelect the Red Circle next to Run ProfessorWord bookmarkletRun ProfessorWord !, and then the Delete button, and then tap Done two times.

  • I have a problem not described here.

    If you have a problem not described above, please contact us. We want to help!

    • Free Account

  • What do I get with a ProfessorWord free account?

    Student Accounts

    With a ProfessorWord account (coming soon!), you can save the vocabulary words that you encounter while surfing the web. Simply click on the save button inside the ProfessorWord definition pop-up and the word will automatically be saved to your ProfessorWord account. Now, you'll have a personalized study list of the vocabulary words that you need to learn!

    A free account allows you to save up to 1,000 words for 30 days. After 30 days, your saved words will roll off your account and disappear. If you reach the limit of 1,000 words before 30 days is up, you will have to delete words if you want to add additional words to your account.

    We all know that it's hard to retain new words that you've only seen once. So create personalized study lists by saving new words to a ProfessorWord account.

    Teacher Accounts

    With a free teacher account, you'll have all the features of a free student account and you'll be able to oversee a group of student accounts, assign readings, and track student progress — articles read, words looked up, and words saved.

    We're working on developing these accounts right now, so if you have suggestions for other features you'd like or if you want to help beta-test the account features when they're ready — please contact us!

    Monitor student progress on reading and vocabulary building
  • When will accounts be available?

    We hope that the ProfessorWord free account will be available very soon!

    • Still have questions? Please contact us!

ProfessorWord: An easier way to learn new words!
Try it right now!
  • Click a word
  • Get its definition

We've even highlighted all the SAT/ACT vocab words for you!

Save our free bookmarklet to do this on any website.

ProfessorWord: An easier way to learn new words!
Getting Started

New to ProfessorWord?

Our 4-step guide has everything you need to know.

1.Save the free bookmarklet
2.Use the bookmarklet
on any website
3.Learn about some
cool features
4.Sign up for a free
account to save words