Written form
What does a reading add?
Select a phrase or paste your own text. beforeword proposes a reading and shows the written forms and reading conventions used in its explanation. The original stays alongside it.
Prepared example · no AI request
Original writing
Reply by Friday.
Learned reading conventions
Letters and reading conventions are learned. This example shows a convention being applied to this writing.
Source fragment
Reply
Proposed reading
Wording added here
a direction to reply
The bare verb “Reply” is read here as directing an action.
Source fragment
by Friday
Proposed reading
Wording added here
a deadline for the reply
“by Friday” is linked to “Reply” and read as a time limit for the reply.
Scope
This is a selected reading. Neither the source writing nor this explanation establishes that a reply was sent.
This example was prepared in advance. Opening it sends no text to a model.
The explanation is writing too
“Letters”, “conventions” and “reading” are words introduced by this explanation. The same examination applies to them.
Writing does not become what it names.
Definitions, explanations and beforeword’s own words remain within this boundary.
Select text. Click beforeword.
Enable it on this site
Open beforeword from the toolbar and choose “Enable the button on this site”. Allow access to this site when the browser asks.
Select the writing
Select ordinary text. The beforeword icon appears on its right. Without a selection, a supported block under the pointer is outlined first.
Examine the reading
With a connection ready, pressing the icon on the right starts the analysis. Once it returns, a numbered marker opens a short explanation beside the passage. Further details appear in the panel; Safari uses an extension tab.
API requests use tokens from beforeword’s budget. Each installation gets 8 analyses where service access is enabled. This allowance does not renew daily. Prepared examples and optional dictionary lookup do not use it.
The public beta covers Chrome and Safari. Store and TestFlight links will appear on the website when available. Firefox follows after the beta.
Beta 0.5.4. Written form and a proposed reading. Prepared examples without AI requests; dictionary lookup is available separately.
Optional: dictionary lookup
Choose a word in the original, or enter a word or phrase. The original stays unchanged.
Read the definitions in the selected Russian or English Wiktionary edition. Their source and revision are linked. Alternative senses remain separate.
Choose a word inside a definition to continue. The path records your choices and marks returns to earlier entries; it does not automatically expand an entire language.
These are the words used to explain the entry in this dictionary. The definition is writing too.
No automatic stemming or choice of the “right” sense. A changed lookup form is shown separately from the source. Missing entries and unsupported layouts remain visible limits.
The scope of the analysis
The analysis shows a proposed way of reading the chosen writing. It does not reconstruct a person’s actual reading or learning history. beforeword’s explanation remains writing too.
Long pasted text is kept intact. One section of up to 12,000 UTF-16 units is chosen for each request, with its bounds shown before sending. Other sections are not sent automatically.
An absent entry, an unsupported entry layout and a failed connection are different results. Missing data does not mean that a word has no use or meaning. A failed lookup or analysis is never replaced by an invented definition or an authored example.
AI connections and introductory analyses
The 8 analyses belong to this installation. Reset does not renew them. Failed or invalid results do not use a report; cancellation must reach the server before completion. A connection loss after completion does not reverse the count.
In Settings → Model connection → Your own model, choose OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Grok, OpenRouter, DeepSeek, Mistral or Groq. Add a key, then load the models available to your account or enter a model ID. Compatible endpoints can also be entered manually. Listing a model does not guarantee a valid analysis.
Own-model requests go directly to the selected service. The key uses session storage, or memory only where that storage is unavailable. It may be lost when the browser session or extension context closes. It is not saved in permanent preferences or sent to beforeword’s server.
Connect an account
Chrome supports connection through OpenRouter’s authorization page. After you approve, the extension receives an API key for your account. It does not read chat cookies. Safari and the other listed providers use API keys in this beta.
Signing in to a chat website does not connect that session to beforeword. A chat subscription does not replace the API connection offered here.
Installation and browser support
Chrome: extract the full ZIP, open chrome://extensions, enable Developer mode and choose Load unpacked. Safari beta builds will be distributed through TestFlight; the Safari ZIP first needs packaging by Apple and cannot be installed directly on an iPhone. See beforeword.xyz/extensions/en/ for the current packages and installation status. Firefox distribution is deferred until after the public beta.
Paste up to 240,000 UTF-16 units and choose a section to examine. Page capture is limited to a selected passage of up to 12,000 units; inputs, passwords and editable areas are excluded.
Prepared examples work without a model. Dictionary lookup needs internet access. A page on an iPhone is not an installed Safari extension and cannot access other tabs.