How to use a dictionary

A dictionary can be used to look up the meaning of a word.
You can also use a dictionary to check the spelling of a word.
Dictionaries may also give other information about words, such as word type and word origin.

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Find out how to use a dictionary

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Click to see a step-by-step slideshow of how to use a dictionary.
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STEP 1 - Find the word you want to look up.
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STEP 2 - Find the letter that the word begins with.
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STEP 3 - Open the dictionary to the page with the relevant letter, in this case the letter C.
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STEP 4 - Now look at the second letter in the word you are looking for.
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STEP 5 - Look at the letter after C, scan down till it is O. TIP: Check the guide word, on the top right, this can help.
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STEP 6 - Do the same process for the third, fourth and fifth letters and so on.
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STEP 7 - Now that you have found your word, look at the different meanings it has.
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STEP 8 - Look at the word in its different forms. Remember that vb stands for verb, n for noun and adj for adjective.

Guide word in top right hand corner — Image caption,
Image showing the guide word is in the top right hand corner

Dictionaries are organised alphabetically, so start with the first letter of the word that you are trying to find.

'Alliteration' is going to be in the first section of the dictionary under 'a'.

There will be lots of entries for each letter of the alphabet, so use the guide word at the top of the page to help you. The guide word tells you what the first or last word on that page of the dictionary is.

You will need to look at the second letter of the word, and then the third, and so on, in order to find it. It takes a little practice to find words quickly.

You may need to scan several pages of the dictionary in order to find the word that you need. Scanning is a way of reading quickly to find the information that you need. The more you practise, the better you will get at finding words fast.

Word types

When you find your word, there may be an abbreviation next to it. Perhaps vb., n., or adj. The introduction to your dictionary will tell you what they each mean because every dictionary is different, but these are the most common and may indicate that your word is a verb, a noun, or an adjective.

Different meanings

Some words have multiple meanings. These will usually be numbered, and may have an example of the way that the word can be used in a sentence.

Some dictionaries may give even more information; perhaps about the origin and history of a word, or some of its synonyms (words or phrases which mean the same, or nearly the same).

Dictionary quiz

Test your knowledge on how to use a dictionary with this quick quiz.

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