Power Vocabulary Builder

Power Vocabulary Builder is another vocabulary software product on the market.  It is based around creating your own word lists and using the program to learn words.

User interface

Power Vocabulary Builder has a fairly intuitive interface and is easy to navigate through. Our main criticism is that the font size is too small and in some cases the font also looks a bit “fuzzy”. This makes it more difficult to read especially for any prolonged period of time. 

Word database and core words

Power Vocabulary Builder has 2,200 core words and these are of high quality.  It’s a lot more than Wordsmart but a lot less than Ultimate Vocabulary.  You can’t use this program as a dictionary.

eLearning educational framework

Power Vocabulary Builder has a good educational framework structured around a List Builder, Flash Cards and a Test. The eLearning tools are good, but could be extended. One good feature is that you can sort out all of the words by categories, so you can for example, learn only the words you want to focus on. Like Ultimate Vocabulary you can set your words as “Mastered”.

Usage examples and other features

For the word explanations, every word has a definition, synonyms, antonyms and four word usage examples. In this regard Power Vocabulary Builder clearly outperforms Wordsmart, but it is not as rich and diverse as Ultimate Vocabulary 2007 with its 50 Power Word examples. Ultimate Vocabulary has many more learning examples and ways to understand words than Power Vocabulary Builder.

Customization and flexibility

Power Vocabulary Builder has an “Add a Word” feature where supposedly you can add a word that is not in the 2200 database – a situation most likely to occur with such a small database.  In reality though, the practical application of this “Add” tool is quite difficult. When you try to “Add” your own words, you have to go through the tiresome process of adding in the definition, synonyms, antonyms, usage example etc.  It’s quite time consuming, especially because the program forces you to enter at least 4 usage examples. 

In summary, this feature has little practical application and can become very frustrating. You should expect to stick only to the recommended words of the Power Vocabulary Builder.  It doesn’t compare to the quite effortless process of adding your own words provided in Ultimate Vocabulary.  The only other customization offered is the ability to “Shuffle” the words in your lists which may help some people. There is also no Mac version of this program. 

Overall Verdict

Power Vocabulary Builder can be used to improve your vocabulary for a limited number of words, but it lacks the advanced framework and professionalism of Ultimate Vocabulary. The 2,200 words just won't be enough for most people, especially if you are planning professional use of the learned words. As mentioned, the customization and “Add a word” feature really let the program down. Power Vocabulary Builder is ok for the price, but there are other programs on the market that will get you more for your money.

Click here to see our recommended choice

Read more articles here to help you improve your vocabulary ...

Home | Contact | Order | Site Map |Subscribe   

Copyright 2006 Jennifer Stewart Write101.com