AllWords - dictionary for crosswords, poetry and writing

January 2007 will mark the 8th year for the allwords dictionary, a search site that allows you to go beyond the basic word search.

Imagine you are trying to compose a poem and have to find words that would work with Geranium .. type your need into AllWords "words ending in nium" and you get back:


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aluminium
chem (symbol Al , atomic number 13) a silvery-white light metallic element that forms strong alloys which are used in the construction of aircraft and other vehicles, door and window frames, household utensils, drink cans, etc.

millennium
a period of a thousand years.

pandemonium
noise, chaos and confusion.

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In addition AllWords is a perfect resource for crossword puzzle enthusiasts as well, allowing you to search for words that contain or start with certain letters.

Most other major dictionary sites only allow the user to search for words that match exactly or start with the string/letters typed in by the users. The AllWords search box allows users 4 matches.

1. Words matching the typed in phrase/letters. Type in "cat" and only exact matches result.
2. Words starting with a phrase/letters. Type in "cat" and cat, category, etc. are returned.
3. Words that contain the entered phrase/letters. Type in "zz" and blizzard and jazz result.
4. Words that end with the entered letters. Type in "zz" get buzz, jazz, but not blizzard.

They also have a directory of language sites and word of the week etymology articles as well. You can even have your word translated into Dutch, French, German, Italian, or Spanish - or search for words in those languages.

I use Dictionary sites all the time in writing, researching a word, looking for possible alternatives that I can use, confirming the spelling when I am not quite certain about a work or maybe double checking that it actually does mean what I think it does. As a writer, and the daughter of a person that loves crosswords, I can see where this site could be a very good resource for others. My only suggested fix might be if they made it so I can searchable from the Firefox tool bar.