PlainRead

Chrome extension for reading English on the web. Select a word, phrase, or sentence and get a plain-English AI explanation, plus text-to-speech pronunciation.

Features

• Select any text → floating Explain / Speak toolbar
• Context-aware plain English explanations (word vs phrase vs sentence)
• Right-click menu: PlainRead: Explain selection / Pronounce selection
• Keyboard shortcuts: Alt+Shift+E (explain), Alt+Shift+S (speak)
• Works on normal web pages
• Bring your own OpenAI-compatible API key

Install (developer mode)

1. Clone or download this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/BinLi2016/plain-read.git

2. Open Chrome → chrome://extensions
3. Enable Developer mode
4. Click Load unpacked
5. Select the plain-read folder (the one that contains manifest.json)
6. Click the puzzle piece (Extensions) in Chrome’s toolbar → find PlainRead → click the pin icon so it stays visible
7. Click the PlainRead icon → Open settings
8. Add your API key and save

Settings

Setting	Default	Notes
API base URL	https://api.openai.com/v1	Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint
Model	gpt-4o-mini	Cheap and good for explanations
Explanation style	Plain English	Or very simple / more detailed

Usage

1. Highlight text on any webpage
2. Click Explain in the toolbar (or use the context menu / shortcut)
3. Read the explanation in the panel; click Speak to hear it

Project layout

plain-read/
  manifest.json
  icons/          # Extension icons
  src/
    background.js   # API calls, context menu, shortcuts
    content.js      # Selection UI + panel
    content.css
    options.html    # Settings page
    popup.html      # Toolbar popup

Notes

• PDF support is not included in v0.1 (Chrome’s built-in PDF viewer is tricky). Web reading is the primary target.
• Your API key stays in Chrome storage on your device.
• Speech uses the browser’s built-in Web Speech API (no extra cost).

License

MIT