New
New pages
Whenever a new page appears in the reference, we record the date here, a couple of lines about its content and the reader it is meant for. If a page has been substantially revised, we note that here too, so you know what is worth rereading.
We publish slowly and check every statement. One accurate page about dictionaries is more useful than ten hasty notes about reading.
A reader's glossary
Definitions of polysemy, idiom, officialese, context, thesis, notes and types of sources.
Why it helps: Precise words help you talk more precisely about what you have read and find the right section faster.
Home page and a worked difficult paragraph
Four ways into the reference and five steps that help you understand a dense paragraph without outside help.
Why it helps: The short walkthrough takes ten minutes and can be applied to any text straight away.
Collections
Three reading paths: talking with a teenager about a book, a document before signing, a popular-science article.
Why it helps: A collection saves time: you do not have to work out for yourself in which order to read the pages.
Reference topics
A map of the four sections: reading, words and expressions, quotations and sources, summarising and writing.
Why it helps: A convenient entry point for anyone looking for material for a specific task.
Answers to readers' questions
Twelve short answers about focus while reading, word meanings and checking quotations.
Why it helps: Many difficulties with a text are solved by one well-put question.
How to read a contract or manual without missing anything
Eight steps from the contents and definitions to a final reread before signing, with hypothetical examples and a checklist.
Why it helps: What matters in a document is most often hidden in appendices and cross-references that a quick read skips over.
Archived address: the former home page (in Russian)
An explanation of the old address and tips on searching for old publications yourself and reading them with their time in mind.
Why it helps: Anyone arriving via an old link should see at once what is here now and where to look for earlier texts.
Read next
- Archive
Every page of the reference by date and topic, plus the old addresses of this domain.
- Practical
How to read a contract or a manual without missing anything, plus a catalogue of practical articles.
- Collections
Reading paths: talking about a book with a teenager, a document before signing, popular science.
What this page draws on
- Smysl Project editorial team: publication feed
Dictionaries are revised, definitions are refined and corpora keep adding new examples of usage, so for a precise answer check the current edition of the dictionary. This reference describes general reading techniques and does not replace advice from a lawyer, doctor or other specialist on the content of a particular document.