Concordancing Software
in order of price (most expensive at the top)
This page lists a various types of 'software' that can be used to make concordances. Generally, the more expensive the item, the more functions it will have. You will find information for the following concordancers:
Cobuild Direct
Collins Cobuild English Collocations on CD-ROM
Word Smith
Ultra Find Mono Conc
Conc
Conc 1.80
Concordance
Cobuild Direct (The Bank of English)
Cost - for a single user: 500 UK pounds a year, 300 UK pounds for 6 months
Download site / Information web site: http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/direct_info.html
Minimum System requirements: any computer with an internet connection. Telnet, and FTP software (e.g. fetch)
Corpus: about 50 million words
Hard disk requirements: Telnet and Fetch require about 1MB of hard disk space
Memory requirements: just enough to access the internet
Speed: quite Fast
Strong points: very large and broad corpus, powerful search possibilities
Weak points: expensive
Example output: some screen shots, more screen shots can be seen at: http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/collscd.html
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? Yes, sent via post on registration, about 50 pages
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: There is a help function but it is a little cumbersome.
More information and comments>>>
WordSmith v3.0
Cost - for a single user: 51.95 UK pounds (excl VAT), for people not living in the UK 61.04 UK pounds (incl UK VAT) (the free demo is fully fuctional, but only gives a maximum 20 item output)
Download site / Information web site: http://www.liv.ac.uk/~ms2928/ http://www1.oup.co.uk/elt/catalogu/multimed/4589846/4589846.html
Minimum System requirements: IBM or compatible PC with 80386 (or faster) microprocessor. Windows 3.1 or newer. Also runs on 'Soft Windows 95'
Corpus: user provided
Hard disk requirements: at least 5MB of hard disk
Memory requirements: at least 4MB RAM (8 in Windows 95)
Speed: quick
Strong points: this is not just a concordancer; it has a number of other useful tools
Weak points: a little tricky to use. Certainly not recommended for L2 learners unless very computer literate, and/or advanced learners
Example output: some screen shots, more screen shots can be sen at: http://www.liv.ac.uk/~ms2928/wordsmith/screenshots/index.htm
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? Yes. A very comprehensive 149 page manual which comes as a MS Word doc, so can be read by Mac machines as well. Worth reading even if you dn't plan to use the software
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: Yes, very comprehensive and relevant. The content is much the same as the above manual.
More information and comments>>>
Mono-Conc Pro and MonoConc 1.5
Cost - for a single user: windows version MonoConc 1.5 is $69, MonoConc Pro is $95
Download site / Information web site: http://www.athel.com/mono.html
Minimum System requirements: Windows 3.1 + for MonoConc 1.5, Windows 95 for MonoConc Pro (works on Soft Windows 95)
Corpus: User provided
Hard disk requirements: about 1 MB of hard disk space
Memory requirements: 16 MB of RAM recommended
Speed: quite fast
Strong points: MonoConc Pro is simpler to use that WordSmith and has some powerful search options
Weak points: given its relatively limited functions it is rather expensive. Although it's possible to download a demo, you have to get the fully working version sent via snail mail
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? yes, a very useful 32 page booklet
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: yes
More information and comments>>>
Concordance
Cost - for a single user: $89, or 55 UK pounds
Download site / Information web site: http://www.rjcw.freeserve.co.uk/
Minimum System requirements: Windows 95 + (works on Soft Windows 95)
Corpus: user supplied
Hard disk requirements: about 3 MB or hard disk space
Speed: a little slow
Strong points: this software will convert concordances into html files - a 'web concordance'
Weak points: rather slow, and only able to work on one file at any one time
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? no
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: yes
More information and comments>>>
Collins Cobuild English Collocations on CD-ROM (The Bank of English)
Cost - for a single user: 40 UK pounds
Download site / Information web site: http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/collscd.html
Minimum System requirements: IBM or compatible PC with 80386 (or faster) microprocessor. Windows 3.1 or newer. Also runs on 'Soft Windows 3.1 and 95'
Corpus: 10,000 headwords. 2,600,000 authentic examples (i.e. concordances) taken from The Bank of English. Up to 20 collocates per headword
Hard disk requirements: installation to hard disk of 'CD-ROM driver' requires 521Kb
Memory requirements: minimum 2Mb RAM. (4Mb recommended)
Speed: fast
Strong points: simple to install and use. Quick and simple to copy concordances into a word processor.
Weak points: can't search for 'clusters' of words.
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? Yes, a small but informative booklet that comes with the CD-ROM.
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: Yes, but minimal. The limited functions of this item do not require much assistance.
More information and comments>>>
Ultra Find
Cost - for a single user: 39.95 US Dollars (demo works, but user must register and pay after a month)
Download site / Information web site: http://www.ultradesign.com/
Minimum System requirements: any Macintosh or PowerPC running system 7.x.x or system 8.x.x (also seems to work on system 9)
Corpus: User provided
Hard disk requirements: 1 MB of HD
Memory requirements: at least 1 MB
Speed: extremely fast
Strong points: UltraFind was not designed to be a 'concordancer'. It is first and foremost a search tool - it is very fast
Weak points: becuase it was not designed to be a concordancer it has none of the functions that you would expect even a simple concordancer to have
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? Yes. A short 2 page 'Quick Tour'.
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: Yes. An extensive help option.
More information and comments>>>
MonoConc (for Mac)
Cost - for a single user: freeware
Download site / Information web site: Used to be downloadable form the Rice University web site: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/, see my comments
Minimum System requirements: MAC OS
Corpus: user provided
Hard disk requirements: about 850 Kb on HD
Memory requirements: at least 1 MB
Speed: slow
Strong points: free. Very simple to use. L2 learners could use this.
Weak points: not good with even moderately large corpora
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? yes. A 6 page MS word document.
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: no
More information and comments>>>
Conc 1.80
Cost - for a single user: free
Download site / Information web site: http://www.sil.org/computing/conc/
Minimum System requirements: MAC OS, 68K and Power PC versions
Corpus: user provided
Hard disk requirements: about 750 Kb of HD
Memory requirements: at least 2 MB
Speed: quite Fast
Strong points: free. Quite simple to use, and quite fast. L2 learners could probably use this.
Weak points: not so good with large corpora since it can only work with texts that fit entirely in memory. This includes the resulting concordance.
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? yes. A 74 page PDF document.
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: No
in order of price (most expensive at the top)
This page lists a various types of 'software' that can be used to make concordances. Generally, the more expensive the item, the more functions it will have. You will find information for the following concordancers:
Cobuild Direct
Collins Cobuild English Collocations on CD-ROM
Word Smith
Ultra Find Mono Conc
Conc
Conc 1.80
Concordance
Cobuild Direct (The Bank of English)
Cost - for a single user: 500 UK pounds a year, 300 UK pounds for 6 months
Download site / Information web site: http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/direct_info.html
Minimum System requirements: any computer with an internet connection. Telnet, and FTP software (e.g. fetch)
Corpus: about 50 million words
Hard disk requirements: Telnet and Fetch require about 1MB of hard disk space
Memory requirements: just enough to access the internet
Speed: quite Fast
Strong points: very large and broad corpus, powerful search possibilities
Weak points: expensive
Example output: some screen shots, more screen shots can be seen at: http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/collscd.html
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? Yes, sent via post on registration, about 50 pages
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: There is a help function but it is a little cumbersome.
More information and comments>>>
WordSmith v3.0
Cost - for a single user: 51.95 UK pounds (excl VAT), for people not living in the UK 61.04 UK pounds (incl UK VAT) (the free demo is fully fuctional, but only gives a maximum 20 item output)
Download site / Information web site: http://www.liv.ac.uk/~ms2928/ http://www1.oup.co.uk/elt/catalogu/multimed/4589846/4589846.html
Minimum System requirements: IBM or compatible PC with 80386 (or faster) microprocessor. Windows 3.1 or newer. Also runs on 'Soft Windows 95'
Corpus: user provided
Hard disk requirements: at least 5MB of hard disk
Memory requirements: at least 4MB RAM (8 in Windows 95)
Speed: quick
Strong points: this is not just a concordancer; it has a number of other useful tools
Weak points: a little tricky to use. Certainly not recommended for L2 learners unless very computer literate, and/or advanced learners
Example output: some screen shots, more screen shots can be sen at: http://www.liv.ac.uk/~ms2928/wordsmith/screenshots/index.htm
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? Yes. A very comprehensive 149 page manual which comes as a MS Word doc, so can be read by Mac machines as well. Worth reading even if you dn't plan to use the software
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: Yes, very comprehensive and relevant. The content is much the same as the above manual.
More information and comments>>>
Mono-Conc Pro and MonoConc 1.5
Cost - for a single user: windows version MonoConc 1.5 is $69, MonoConc Pro is $95
Download site / Information web site: http://www.athel.com/mono.html
Minimum System requirements: Windows 3.1 + for MonoConc 1.5, Windows 95 for MonoConc Pro (works on Soft Windows 95)
Corpus: User provided
Hard disk requirements: about 1 MB of hard disk space
Memory requirements: 16 MB of RAM recommended
Speed: quite fast
Strong points: MonoConc Pro is simpler to use that WordSmith and has some powerful search options
Weak points: given its relatively limited functions it is rather expensive. Although it's possible to download a demo, you have to get the fully working version sent via snail mail
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? yes, a very useful 32 page booklet
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: yes
More information and comments>>>
Concordance
Cost - for a single user: $89, or 55 UK pounds
Download site / Information web site: http://www.rjcw.freeserve.co.uk/
Minimum System requirements: Windows 95 + (works on Soft Windows 95)
Corpus: user supplied
Hard disk requirements: about 3 MB or hard disk space
Speed: a little slow
Strong points: this software will convert concordances into html files - a 'web concordance'
Weak points: rather slow, and only able to work on one file at any one time
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? no
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: yes
More information and comments>>>
Collins Cobuild English Collocations on CD-ROM (The Bank of English)
Cost - for a single user: 40 UK pounds
Download site / Information web site: http://titania.cobuild.collins.co.uk/collscd.html
Minimum System requirements: IBM or compatible PC with 80386 (or faster) microprocessor. Windows 3.1 or newer. Also runs on 'Soft Windows 3.1 and 95'
Corpus: 10,000 headwords. 2,600,000 authentic examples (i.e. concordances) taken from The Bank of English. Up to 20 collocates per headword
Hard disk requirements: installation to hard disk of 'CD-ROM driver' requires 521Kb
Memory requirements: minimum 2Mb RAM. (4Mb recommended)
Speed: fast
Strong points: simple to install and use. Quick and simple to copy concordances into a word processor.
Weak points: can't search for 'clusters' of words.
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? Yes, a small but informative booklet that comes with the CD-ROM.
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: Yes, but minimal. The limited functions of this item do not require much assistance.
More information and comments>>>
Ultra Find
Cost - for a single user: 39.95 US Dollars (demo works, but user must register and pay after a month)
Download site / Information web site: http://www.ultradesign.com/
Minimum System requirements: any Macintosh or PowerPC running system 7.x.x or system 8.x.x (also seems to work on system 9)
Corpus: User provided
Hard disk requirements: 1 MB of HD
Memory requirements: at least 1 MB
Speed: extremely fast
Strong points: UltraFind was not designed to be a 'concordancer'. It is first and foremost a search tool - it is very fast
Weak points: becuase it was not designed to be a concordancer it has none of the functions that you would expect even a simple concordancer to have
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? Yes. A short 2 page 'Quick Tour'.
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: Yes. An extensive help option.
More information and comments>>>
MonoConc (for Mac)
Cost - for a single user: freeware
Download site / Information web site: Used to be downloadable form the Rice University web site: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/, see my comments
Minimum System requirements: MAC OS
Corpus: user provided
Hard disk requirements: about 850 Kb on HD
Memory requirements: at least 1 MB
Speed: slow
Strong points: free. Very simple to use. L2 learners could use this.
Weak points: not good with even moderately large corpora
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? yes. A 6 page MS word document.
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: no
More information and comments>>>
Conc 1.80
Cost - for a single user: free
Download site / Information web site: http://www.sil.org/computing/conc/
Minimum System requirements: MAC OS, 68K and Power PC versions
Corpus: user provided
Hard disk requirements: about 750 Kb of HD
Memory requirements: at least 2 MB
Speed: quite Fast
Strong points: free. Quite simple to use, and quite fast. L2 learners could probably use this.
Weak points: not so good with large corpora since it can only work with texts that fit entirely in memory. This includes the resulting concordance.
Example output: some screen shots
Is there a printable / hardcopy manual? yes. A 74 page PDF document.
Is there online help? - i.e. a help option within the program: No
