Annotext is a web-based application that was developed at Dartmouth College to assist students in tackling difficult texts. It offers an alternative to such traditional reading aids as word lists, footnotes, or even standard German-English dictionaries. In essence, students access a specially-prepared work online and then click on any word or phrase to receive its meaning instantly. The result is a kind of pony, but one that supplies only the information that has been requested.

It is important to keep in mind that the glosses provided here intend to help the reader to understand the original text, not to furnish a finished translation. A particular gloss may offer several meanings, which may not always be in the same part of speech as the original. In other words, readers will need to bring some knowledge to bear.

While Annotext is capable of offering texts in many different langauges, all of the currently usable texts are in German. The works chosen are necessarily in the public domain. They also reflect the editor's personal preferences.