Look Up Words
Dictionary, translation, and highlight menu for instant word definitions and language support.
What’s in This Section
Look Up Words provides instant access to definitions and translations. Select any word or phrase and get immediate help understanding it — no copy-pasting to other sites.
Features: Dictionary Lookup, Translation, Highlight Menu
Dictionary Lookup
What It Does
Provides instant definitions for any selected word. Shows pronunciation, part of speech, multiple meanings, and example sentences.
How to Enable
Dictionary is enabled by default. Select any word and use the shortcut or highlight menu.
The dictionary is the Free Dictionary API, an online service, so the first time you look a word up, AssisT asks whether it may send the word there. Only the word is sent, nothing around it. If you choose not to, the lookup says that nothing was sent; you can change your answer in the popup under Advanced options, Your data.
Using Dictionary Lookup
Method 1 — Keyboard shortcut:
- Select a word
- Press
Alt+Shift+D - Definition appears in a popup
Method 2 — Highlight menu:
- Select a word
- Click Dictionary icon in the highlight menu
- Definition appears
What You’ll See
- Word — The selected term
- Pronunciation — Phonetic spelling
- Part of speech — Noun, verb, adjective, etc.
- Definitions — Multiple meanings if applicable
- Examples — Sentences showing usage
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Alt+Shift+D | Look up selected word |
Escape | Close dictionary popup |
Tab | Navigate popup elements |
Tips
- Works on single words or short phrases of up to three words
- Looks words up in English
- No API key required
Translation
What It Does
Translates selected text into any of 37 languages. Works with words, sentences, or entire paragraphs.
How to Enable
Translation is enabled by default. Select text and use the highlight menu or shortcut.
Translation uses MyMemory, an online service, so the first time you translate, AssisT asks whether it may send your selected text there. Translate Page, which translates the whole page, has its own separate question, because it sends all the visible text of the page. That can include other people’s names, such as classmates on a discussion page, so it shows you how much text the page holds and how it starts before you answer.
Using Translation
- Select the text you want to translate
- Press
Alt+Tor click Translate in the highlight menu - Choose your target language (or use your default)
- View translation in the popup
Supported Languages
The translation dialog lets you pick a source language, or Auto-detect, and a target from 37 languages:
| English | Spanish | French |
| German | Italian | Portuguese |
| Dutch | Polish | Russian |
| Chinese | Japanese | Korean |
| Arabic | Hindi | Turkish |
| Vietnamese | Thai | Czech |
| Danish | Finnish | Greek |
| Hebrew | Hungarian | Indonesian |
| Malay | Norwegian | Romanian |
| Slovak | Swedish | Ukrainian |
| Bulgarian | Catalan | Croatian |
| Estonian | Latvian | Lithuanian |
| Slovenian |
The dialog shows the original and the translation side by side.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Alt+T | Translate selected text |
Escape | Close translation popup |
Settings
- Default target language — Set in the popup under Reading, Translate Page, Target language. The popup list offers 14 of the languages; the dialog lets you pick any of the 37
- Source language — Choose one in the dialog, or leave it on Auto-detect
Tips
- Works on entire paragraphs, not just single words
- No API key required. MyMemory is the only translation service AssisT uses
- Translation quality varies by language pair
Highlight Menu
What It Does
A floating toolbar that appears when you select text. Provides quick access to Dictionary, Translation, TTS, Notes, and more.
How to Enable
- Click the AssisT icon
- Choose the Writing group
- Toggle Quick Actions Menu ON
Inside Google Docs, Sheets and Slides the menu does not appear, because extensions cannot select the words in those editors. See Troubleshooting.
Using the Highlight Menu
- Select any text on a page
- The highlight menu appears near your selection
- Click any icon to use that feature
Menu Icons
Always visible:
| Icon | Feature | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Speaker | Read | Read selected text aloud |
| Book | Define | Look up word definition |
| Globe | Translate | Translate selected text |
| Note | Annotate | Add a note to selection |
| Pin | Cite | Save the selection as a citation |
| Lightning | Speed | Speed Read the selection, one word at a time |
| Brain | Map | Add to mind map, while Mind Map is on |
| Card | Card | Make a flashcard, while Flashcards is on |
AI-powered actions (appear when AI is enabled):
| Icon | Feature | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Summary | Summarise | AI summary of selected text |
| Simplify | Simplify | Rewrite in simpler language |
| Tasks | Break Down Assignment | Break into step-by-step tasks |
| Tutor | Socratic Tutor | Generate guiding questions |
| Graph | Knowledge Graph | Visualise concept connections |
| Cite | Citation Analyzer | A quick look at the clues in a source, with a plain rating and its reasons |
| Compare | Multi-Document Compare | Contrast several sources side by side |
| Study | Study Path | Build a study plan from the selection |
Add to mind map sends the phrase into whichever map is set as the target under Mind Map in the popup, so a quotation you find while reading ends up in your essay plan without you leaving the page. See the Mind Map guide.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Ctrl+Shift+H | Turn the Quick Actions Menu on or off |
Customisation
In the Quick Actions Menu settings in the popup, you can:
- Choose whether the Read Aloud, Dictionary, Translate, Annotate and Speed Read buttons appear
- Set how long the menu waits before it hides itself
For Educators & Parents
Why Look Up Words Matters
For English language learners:
- Instant definitions without leaving the page
- Translation maintains reading flow
- Builds vocabulary in context
For students with reading difficulties:
- Quick access to word meanings
- No need to navigate away from assignments
- Reduces frustration with unfamiliar vocabulary
For research and study:
- Quick fact-checking
- Efficient note-taking with annotations
- No context-switching to other tabs
Classroom Tips
- Set default translation language based on student’s native language
- Encourage dictionary use for vocabulary building
- Combine with TTS — look up word, then hear pronunciation
- Use highlight feature to mark important terms for review
Privacy Note
Dictionary and Translation use free online services that need no account: the Free Dictionary API and MyMemory. AssisT asks before it sends anything to either, and sends only the word or the text you chose to translate. What those services do with a request is covered by their own terms; the privacy policy links to them. Fiavaion collects nothing.
Learn More
- Keyboard Shortcuts Reference — All lookup shortcuts
- Reading Help — Combine with TTS for pronunciation