Word Wise for the books Kindle leaves out
Word Wise is one of the best ideas in e-reading: a brief hint above harder words, and nothing over the easy ones. The catch is where you can actually use it. According to Amazon, Word Wise only works on English books, and even then, not on every Kindle title.
Solaread’s reading feature takes the same approach and applies it to the files you already own.
Your eyes stay on the line
Translations appear right after the word on the same line, rather than off in a side panel. You never have to look away from the page and then hunt for your place again. We built Solaread this way so you can keep your focus on the text.
It stays out of the way, too. You get a short gloss in parentheses right in the sentence, there if you need it and easy to read past if you do not. It gives you a hand without pulling you out of the book.
What Solaread does
When you import an EPUB, TXT or PDF, Solaread figures out which words are likely new to you and drops a short translation right after them in the line. Words you already know are left alone.
- Tuned to you. A quick vocabulary test of about 2 minutes sets your starting level. As you read, you can save words or mark them as known, and the hints adjust to match. As your vocabulary grows, fewer hints show up.
- Your own files. Bring your own EPUB, TXT and PDF files. PDF papers are converted into readable text, including scanned pages.
- More than English. You can read books in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese or Chinese, with Korean on the way.
- Hints in your language. English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Vietnamese, Spanish and Portuguese are ready with one click, and you can search for other languages in Settings.
- Missed a word? Double-click any word to see its translation and save it. Saved words keep their glosses underneath the line when you reread that passage later.
- Runs in your browser. There is nothing to install.
Word Wise and Solaread side by side
| Kindle Word Wise | Solaread | |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | Short definitions and synonyms above harder words | A brief translation right after the word, in your chosen language |
| Which words get a hint | Harder words | Words Solaread predicts you do not know yet, based on your vocabulary test and reading history |
| Which books | Kindle books that support Word Wise | Your own EPUB, TXT and PDF files |
| Book languages | English | English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Chinese |
| Where it runs | Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers, Kindle for Android | A web browser: Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox |
Word Wise details come from Amazon's "What is Word Wise?" help page, checked on October 8, 2026.
When Word Wise is all you need
If the English Kindle book you are reading already supports Word Wise, you have hints right on your device. Solaread is not meant to replace that. It is built for everything Word Wise leaves out: your own files, PDFs, books in languages like French or Spanish, and hints in your native language.
Questions
Can I read a Kindle book in Solaread?
Only if you have it as an EPUB, TXT or PDF file that you are allowed to use. Solaread does not strip copy protection.
Do I have to install anything?
No. Solaread works in Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox.
Does it work for PDF research papers?
Yes. Scanned pages are recognized too.
From reading to listening
This page focuses on Solaread’s reading feature. In the web app, you can also import your own audio and video, find podcasts, read along with transcripts and look up unfamiliar words. You can save new vocabulary and review it later in the original sentences. Book, article and video recommendations come with difficulty labels to help you pick what to try next.
An AI language teacher for talking through what you have read, heard or watched is in the works, though it is not available yet. Use the web app for the newest listening features, as the Mac download may differ.