Feed the Hungry, Twenty Grains of Rice at a Time

I have a quiz for you. Do you know what the word 'purblind' means? How about the word 'natant,' do you know what that one means?

If you knew the definitions, or at least synonyms for these two words, then I congratulate you! If not, don't get yourself down. The above words are not words that we would necessarily encounter in everyday life. They are, however, two words that you might encounter if you were playing FreeRice.

Since October 7, 2007, FreeRice.com has been testing the vocabulary skills of people worldwide. In the process, they have been able to donate over 20 billion grains of rice! (Source: Freerice.com: Totals as of March 3, 2008)

How does this work?

Simply, FreeRice is a multiple choice vocabulary test. Each page provides a word and four choices from which you must choose a synonym. When you choose correctly, 20 grains of rice are donated. After three consecutive correct answers, the difficulty level of the words is increased. If you answer incorrectly, the difficulty level is decreased. The test is designed to push the envelope of your vocabulary skill.

Who pays for the rice?

Each page that you view while playing FreeRice has a small advertisement at the bottom of the page. It is the revenue from these ads that pays from the rice that you. This concept has been used for many years in many different media. Advertisers make it possible for us to watch broadcast television for free, read newspapers and magazines for a small fraction of the cost of publication, and even get paid for writing articles similar to this one. FreeRice is teamed up with the United Nations World Food Program to distribute the rice that is donated.

One warning!

Once you head over to FreeRice and start playing, you will be hooked!