Dictionary

Kids Open Dictionary
The dictionary builder is now up! Please join us and help build the future of open education. -- We are working on setting up a collaboration for an open kids simple dictionary. This will be aimed at primary and early secondary aged students and will be written in kid-friendly language.

If you are interested in being a part of this, let us know here. -- Idea List

These are ideas for future features to incorporate:
 * Output of final "frozen" dictionary to various formats including:
 * Ebooks (Mobipocket, Microsoft Reader)
 * PDF
 * Print
 * Web-based
 * Cell phones (??)


 * Allow users to select a custom word list for output (This would allow people to put out mini-glossaries for various purposes.


 * Include pictures and voice pronunciations


 * Provide a way to do multilingual versions

-- Here is a brief analysis of some of the main open dictionaries available. The purpose of this analysis is to determine which might be the best to use as a base for the Kids Simple Dictionary.

[Note: We have decided not to use any of these for the various reasons listed, but we are starting with a public domain word list.

See sample entries from each of these here.

Dictionary: WordNet/Princeton License: Custom, pretty open but probably not compatible with GFDL Strengths: Weaknesses: Other comments:
 * includes good examples of use

Dictionary: Webster's 1913 (also at Gutenberg) License: public domain Strengths: Weaknesses: Other comments:
 * archaic language; would require LOTS of editing

Dictionary: The Online Plain Text English Dictionary License: public domain; must remain free and open (yes, I know this doesn't make sense, but that's what it says) Strengths: Weaknesses: Other comments:
 * SIMPLE (much less to weed out)
 * Some words are missing
 * Some are picked up from Websters and need editing

Dictionary: Wiktionary License: GFDL Strengths: Weaknesses: Other comments:
 * LOTS to weed out
 * There is also the Simple English Wiktionary. I added this to the spreadsheet with sample entries. What is there is good, but there is not much there. Only 2 of the 10 sample words had entries here. Perhaps this could be a base to expand from but the goals of non-native English speakers are quite different from English speaking kids in an academic setting.

Dictionary: .gov glossaries License: Strengths: Weaknesses: Other comments: These are glossaries mostly in the public domain. (Thanks Randy.) They mostly cover specific sub-topics (space, weather, etc.) and could work as valuable additions to one of the above standard dictionaries.

Dictionary: License: Strengths: Weaknesses: Other comments:

DictionaryInterface