How to Make a Word Cluster

By Alex Tannin

A word cluster, sometimes known as a word cloud, is a kind of typographic display that shows the various words from a specific piece of text, arranged and highlighted according to how often they're used. They can be used for many things, for instance, they are commonly used to show the key words in speeches or important documents. The website Wordle is the most common source for creating word clusters, and it is relatively simple to use.

Step 1

Load the Wordle home page and click the "Create" tab at the top.

Step 2

Paste the text you wish to convert to a word cluster in the "Paste in a bunch of text" box at the top of the screen. Alternatively, you can type in the URL of any Web page you wish to convert to a word cluster in the "Enter any URL" box halfway down the screen. Press either "Go" or "Submit" when done.

Step 3

Click the "Language" tab at the top of the window to change any settings relating to omitted words or the use of uppercase and lowercase in your word cluster. Click "Font" to change the font of the word cluster. Click "Layout" to change its layout and orientation. Click "Color" to change the color scheme.

Step 4

Press "Print" at the bottom of the window to print your word cluster. Alternatively, click "Save to public gallery" to save your word cluster so everyone can see it.

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