What dictionary should i buy

Example sentences are English sentences which contain a word:. Example sentences are not just helpful — they are actually more important than definitions.

While a definition tells you the meaning of a word and sometimes gives you some grammatical information, example sentences have at least three advantages:.

A good dictionary must give phonetic transcription for every word. Phonetic transcription tells you how to pronounce a word. Ideally, the transcription should be based on the International Phonetic Alphabet IPA , which is the standard phonetic alphabet used by linguists all over the world. Here is what IPA-based phonetic transcription looks like:. Here, the phonetic transcription is marked in yellow.

It tells you that image is pronounced like this. These are almost useless to learners, because all English words are difficult if you are not a native speaker.

Avoid them. If you want to check if a dictionary uses IPA-based transcription, look at the pronunciation symbols used in the dictionary and compare them with the IPA symbols in our phonetic symbols chart.

Virtually all software dictionaries nowadays have audio recordings. If you can listen to a native speaker pronouncing a word, is there any point in looking at phonetic transcriptions? Yes, for reasons explained fully in this article. To put it shortly:. In my experience, it is definitely a good idea to use at least two large software dictionaries.

Two example sentences are better than one; four are better than two. With more examples, you have a more complete picture of how a word is used and you can express more in English yourself. Another reason is that dictionaries sometimes give incomplete information on phonetics, especially on American pronunciation. Another good idea is to have a dictionary that you can carry with you. If you go to English classes, you can use this mobile dictionary to look up the words that are taught in class.

Such a dictionary will also be very useful if you read English books or listen to podcasts away from home. See our comparative review of dictionaries for English learners to find out which software dictionaries are currently the best. How to buy a good English dictionary by Tomasz P. Subscribe by e-mail or RSS to get notified when we publish a new update.

Szynalski, Antimoon. English-English dictionaries When you think of a dictionary, you usually think of a bilingual dictionary. The best dictionaries from the top publishers like Longman, Oxford or Collins are monolingual. And the best monolingual dictionaries are far ahead of the best bilingual dictionaries — they have more example sentences, more accurate pronunciations, phrasal verbs and idioms, word frequency information, etc.

English definitions are real English phrases with grammar and words. If you read them regularly, you will automatically memorize the grammar and words. English definitions let you learn more. You will often look up a word because it was part of the definition for another word.

For example, if you look up the word naughty , you might read: If you say that a child is naughty , you think that he or she is behaving badly or is disobedient. Dictionaries for learners vs.

Software dictionaries If possible, get a software dictionary instead of a paper one. Here are some reasons why: Quick searching. You'll find everything from children's volumes and comprehensive tomes to niche ones, from decades as diverse as the s and s. The dictionary is written in an accessible way, with friendly explanations that are easy to remember, clever usage tips, and real-world example sentences.

It's perfect for people who want to sharpen their vocabulary skills on the go. Luckily, it is well organized, making it easy to find the information you are looking for without wasting time. Webster's New World College Dictionary appx. As well as being the official choice for the New York Times and Associated Press Stylebook, it clearly conveys word nuances.

It contains more than 50, definitions and is the most widely cited legal reference. DK's My First Dictionary appx. Using a combination of simple, but accurate and easily-relatable, writing and colorful pictures, it helps convey the meaning of words in a way that children can understand.

In addition to over 50, words, it contains helpful information on lab values, symbols, and abbreviations. Developed in a joint effort with the National Association for Visually Handicapped, it has a very user-friendly format that both the old and young can enjoy.

There is no doubt about it, dictionaries are an ancient invention. It is a collection of 24 clay tablets written in cuneiform , one of the world's earliest known writing systems. These lexical lists contain both Sumerian and Akkadian words and were arranged by topic rather than alphabetically, as are most current dictionaries. In the 4th century B. It contained a number of rare literary words, including many used by Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey, as well as technical terms from a variety of Ancient Greek dialects.

It is believed to have taken the form of a lexicon , but unfortunately the work has been lost to the ages, so this cannot be confirmed. We only know of its existence because fragments of it have been quoted by later authors. Depending on how exactly you define what a dictionary is, the oldest surviving monolingual dictionary discovered to date may be the Erya , which was compiled in China sometime between the 4th and 2nd centuries B.

The author of the Erya is unknown and many believe that it is the work of multiple authors rather than a single person. Some scholars consider the Shizhoupian , another Ancient Chinese reference, as being the earliest surviving monolingual dictionary, as it dates back to B.

Unlike most dictionaries however, it doesn't include definitions, and is rather a calligraphic collection of Chinese characters. For this reason, the majority of historians don't consider it a true dictionary. With the proliferation of high speed internet these days, it is easy to discount the need for a hard copy dictionary, especially when one considers the amount of information that can be accessed online in a matter of seconds.

Because of this, some may be surprised to learn that hard copy dictionaries do actually offer a number of benefits over their online counterparts. Some of these benefits are obvious, such as the lack of need for electricity or the ability to use them during tests where internet-connected electronics are banned. Other benefits may be less obvious, but no less important. Hard copy dictionaries are complied by teams of linguists, professional lexicographers, and competent researchers.

They follow strict formats to ensure the accuracy and usefulness of the information. Depending on which online dictionary you use, this may not be the case, especially when it comes to dictionary apps and those not associated with venerable companies.

With a hard copy dictionary, you can rest easy knowing the information contained within is credible. Some people find that the meaning of a word lasts longer in their memory when they use a hard copy dictionary as opposed to looking it up online.

There are number of reasons that could contribute to this. When you spend time looking up a word in a hard copy dictionary, your subconscious may place more importance on the information garnered. You may also be unconsciously preparing your mind to learn and remember the meaning, letting you gain a deeper comprehension of it.

In addition, there are often related words above or below the word you are researching that can help you to understand more about it. For example, when looking up the word "globalization", you may see "global" above it and "globalize" after it, giving you some insight into its root or related concepts and adding to your overall understanding.

Hard copy dictionaries allow you to stay focused on your work better , too. It is not uncommon to get sucked down a rabbit hole of unrelated information when researching something online. I love paper dictionaries so much I take pictures of them out in the wild. Below is the little dictionary corner upstairs at City Lights in San Francisco:. When I posted about my love for dictionaries on Twitter, folks sent me their beloveds:.

When Alan Moore was asked what was the best book he ever received as a gift, he replied :. That would be the second unabridged edition of the Random House Dictionary of the English Language, one of the first of many marvelous gifts from my wife, Melinda.