NWA-PCUG 08/2000 NewsLetter Article 18861 N. Hwy 112, Springdale, AR 72762-9303 Ken's Korner Check Out WordWeb 1.61, Free Dictionary, Thesaurus by Ken Fermoyle Do you ever get stuck for the meaning of a word, or grope for a synonym that eludes you completely? The handiest tool I've found for such occasions is a software program called WordWeb for Windows. In fact, I count it as one of the most valuable utilities currently installed on my computer. And the basic program, Version 1.61, is free for the downloading! There is one version for Windows 95/98/NT and another for Windows 3.1. Sorry, DOS diehards, there's no version for you. As a writer, avid reader and major crossword fan, I've depended on dictionaries since childhood. I taught my kids to use them from the time they were very young, often much to their chagrin. ("Dad, how do you spell ____?" "Look it up; you know where the dictionary is." "Aw, Da-a-d, do I hafta?) But they've thanked me since for that training. In the five months since I discovered WordWeb, I find myself making fewer trips to the bookshelf for my hardbound Webster's University dictionary or to the big Webster's unabridged version on its own stand in the living room. Instead, I click on the WordWeb icon on my desktop or, if I'm using Word, I simply open the Tools menu and select WordWeb from it. Version 1.61 contains definitions and synonyms for 120,000 root words, 100,000 synonym sets, many antonyms, a host of proper nouns and more. It also has an installation feature that allows you to tie it to Word, as mentioned above. The Setup program asks if you want to include a template to make WordWeb available from within MS Word. (I only wish a similar option was available for WordPad, which I use for a lot of my writing, but I guess that might be difficult.) I've tried WordWeb on several of my computers and it runs fast on all of them, even the oldest model with a 225MHz cpu. It not only comes up fast when using it on a stand-alone basis, but pops up definitions and synonyms in its own window from within MS Word in a hurry, too All you have to do to get a definition or synonym while in Word is highlight or just click your cursor on the word you want to check. Then open the Tools menu and click on the WordWeb icon. At the top of the WordWeb dialog box is the Lookup line, which contains the word you want defined. (If you use WordWeb outside of MS Word, you must type in the word at this point.) Below that line is the definition window, then comes a series of tabs: synonyms, antonyms, types, etc. You click on whatever tab you want to get additional information about your Lookup word. It's even simpler than it sounds, actually. You can download the program at: www.netword.demon.co.uk/wweb/ Developer Antony Lewis also offers two other programs, including WordWeb Pro, which adds several features to the basic utility: 1. Wildcard word searches. For example ??d??ek would find the word midweek. 2. Find straight and multi-word anagrams. For example WordWeb Pro finds powder brow + many others. 3. You can edit and add to the dictionary/thesaurus as well! The first two items are especially important to crossword fans (like me!) and the latter is a big benefit for anyone. Cost of the Pro version is just $18. The third program Lewis has written is Crossword Compiler, which turns you into an instant crossword puzzle constructer. This one costs $45 for the full version but a demo version, restricted to 10x10 squares, can be downloaded for free. Lewis also offers various word and language lists to add to the programs, as well as assorted bundles. I started with the free WordWeb utility, then upgraded to the Pro version. I like the "add & edit" feature, and the wild card and anagram features are helpful when you're trying to solve a really tough crossword puzzle. WordWeb Pro takes up 7.74MB of hard drive space. The base version is about 1MB smaller. Frankly, I think the free version of WordWeb is one of the best deals you will find on the Internet but check it out for yourself at the URL given above. Copyright 2000 by Ken Fermoyle, Fermoyle Publications. Ken Fermoyle has written some 2,500 articles for publications ranging from Playboy and Popular Science to MacWeek, Microtimes & PC Laptop. Ken's Korner, a syndicated monthly column, is available free to User Groups. For information or permission to reprint this article, contact kfermoyle@earthlink.net.