Quizlet

Readers of William Safire's On Language columns  might really like Quizlet. If you know Safire's column, you'll know that it typically takes a deep dive into the genesis of words. Whenever I read it (which is not often enough these days), I typically walk away with a few more words in my vocabulary. For word or language lovers, Quizlet is a fun way to keep your mind attuned to those many unfamiliar words read or heard, but more often than not are never used. This is a great tool for kids studying the SATs too. On Quizlet, you can test yourself on the 100 most common SAT words. It's also free. On Amazon.com, a book on 500 SAT words costs $12.80. As a journalist, I enjoy reading and learning new words. I also am trying to learn French. Quizlet is an interesting tool to test me on certain words I don't often use, but would like to use more often. Anyone can sign up and create their own list of words, and the site will test you on those words. Additionally, the service lets anyone create lists â?? of say French words under a group name say French Lessons. And, the person who created the group can make it private, or invite friends or the public to enjoy those lists through perusing them or taking tests on those words. Since I'm trying to learn French, I joined a French 2. Ms. Kaiser's Class  since that was open to the public. It was quite fun getting tested on French words, even though I didn't score well. Quizlet is not only a useful service, it's entertaining as evidenced in the popularity of "word-a-day" services, such as desktop calendars. The market opportunity is probably pretty large too. Just take a look at how many books on acing the SATs there are. On Amazon, there are 48 such books.