diff --git a/src/vs/editor/contrib/wordHighlighter/wordHighlighter.ts b/src/vs/editor/contrib/wordHighlighter/wordHighlighter.ts
index 0cd3d0c40a5df66c0128732e74bb0fb144b8f177..fa6b3cbd8974c72d3cdd719674e10307a4104389 100644
--- a/src/vs/editor/contrib/wordHighlighter/wordHighlighter.ts
+++ b/src/vs/editor/contrib/wordHighlighter/wordHighlighter.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { Range } from 'vs/editor/common/core/range';
 import { Selection } from 'vs/editor/common/core/selection';
 import { IEditorContribution } from 'vs/editor/common/editorCommon';
 import { EditorContextKeys } from 'vs/editor/common/editorContextKeys';
-import { IModelDeltaDecoration, ITextModel, OverviewRulerLane, TrackedRangeStickiness } from 'vs/editor/common/model';
+import { IModelDeltaDecoration, ITextModel, OverviewRulerLane, TrackedRangeStickiness, IWordAtPosition } from 'vs/editor/common/model';
 import { ModelDecorationOptions } from 'vs/editor/common/model/textModel';
 import { DocumentHighlight, DocumentHighlightKind, DocumentHighlightProviderRegistry } from 'vs/editor/common/modes';
 import { IContextKey, IContextKeyService, RawContextKey } from 'vs/platform/contextkey/common/contextkey';
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import { KeybindingWeight } from 'vs/platform/keybinding/common/keybindingsRegis
 import { activeContrastBorder, editorSelectionHighlight, editorSelectionHighlightBorder, overviewRulerSelectionHighlightForeground, registerColor } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/colorRegistry';
 import { registerThemingParticipant, themeColorFromId } from 'vs/platform/theme/common/themeService';
 import { EditorOption } from 'vs/editor/common/config/editorOptions';
+import { alert } from 'vs/base/browser/ui/aria/aria';
 
 const editorWordHighlight = registerColor('editor.wordHighlightBackground', { dark: '#575757B8', light: '#57575740', hc: null }, nls.localize('wordHighlight', 'Background color of a symbol during read-access, like reading a variable. The color must not be opaque so as not to hide underlying decorations.'), true);
 const editorWordHighlightStrong = registerColor('editor.wordHighlightStrongBackground', { dark: '#004972B8', light: '#0e639c40', hc: null }, nls.localize('wordHighlightStrong', 'Background color of a symbol during write-access, like writing to a variable. The color must not be opaque so as not to hide underlying decorations.'), true);
@@ -245,6 +246,11 @@ class WordHighlighter {
 			this._ignorePositionChangeEvent = true;
 			this.editor.setPosition(dest.getStartPosition());
 			this.editor.revealRangeInCenterIfOutsideViewport(dest);
+			const word = this._getWord();
+			if (word) {
+				const lineContent = this.editor.getModel().getLineContent(dest.startLineNumber);
+				alert(`${lineContent}, ${newIndex + 1} of ${highlights.length} for '${word.word}'`);
+			}
 		} finally {
 			this._ignorePositionChangeEvent = false;
 		}
@@ -259,6 +265,11 @@ class WordHighlighter {
 			this._ignorePositionChangeEvent = true;
 			this.editor.setPosition(dest.getStartPosition());
 			this.editor.revealRangeInCenterIfOutsideViewport(dest);
+			const word = this._getWord();
+			if (word) {
+				const lineContent = this.editor.getModel().getLineContent(dest.startLineNumber);
+				alert(`${lineContent}, ${newIndex + 1} of ${highlights.length} for '${word.word}'`);
+			}
 		} finally {
 			this._ignorePositionChangeEvent = false;
 		}
@@ -312,6 +323,17 @@ class WordHighlighter {
 		this._run();
 	}
 
+	private _getWord(): IWordAtPosition | null {
+		let editorSelection = this.editor.getSelection();
+		let lineNumber = editorSelection.startLineNumber;
+		let startColumn = editorSelection.startColumn;
+
+		return this.model.getWordAtPosition({
+			lineNumber: lineNumber,
+			column: startColumn
+		});
+	}
+
 	private _run(): void {
 		let editorSelection = this.editor.getSelection();
 
@@ -321,14 +343,10 @@ class WordHighlighter {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		let lineNumber = editorSelection.startLineNumber;
 		let startColumn = editorSelection.startColumn;
 		let endColumn = editorSelection.endColumn;
 
-		let word = this.model.getWordAtPosition({
-			lineNumber: lineNumber,
-			column: startColumn
-		});
+		const word = this._getWord();
 
 		// The selection must be inside a word or surround one word at most
 		if (!word || word.startColumn > startColumn || word.endColumn < endColumn) {