HOW TO USE A DICTIONARY

Of the approximately 1 million words in the English language, the average English speaker knows 60,000 of those words. A dictionary can be a very handy tool. Besides helping with spelling and word meanings, being able to use a dictionary effectively and regularly is a perfect way to improve your English language skills through the dictionary's range of other helpful information on everyday language usage and grammar. 

1. Purchase a quality dictionary: If you don't already own a good dictionary, consider purchasing one. It's also a good idea to upgrade your dictionary every now and then so that you have access to the latest new words that are added to the dictionary every year. 

2. Consider purchasing specialist dictionaries if they'd be useful in your study or career: Some examples of specialist dictionaries include language dictionaries, technical dictionaries, rhymes, crossword, subject dictionaries (for example, for math, chemistry, biology, horticulture, etc.), illustrated dictionaries (excellent for learning another language or for technical knowledge), slang and idioms, etc. 

3. Note that many countries have their own native dictionaries that might be more helpful than getting a dictionary from just anywhere, such as the Macquarie dictionary in Australia, Oxford dictionary in England, Webster's dictionary in the United States, etc. 

4. Some schools, universities and workplaces prefer the use of one particular dictionary. This is for reasons of maintaining a consistent style and understanding among everyone using them; make sure you use the right one for your assignments, editing, and reports. 

5. Familiarize yourself with your dictionary: Dictionaries vary in approach. The best way to learn how to use your particular dictionary effectively is to read its introductory section where you'll find out how the entries are arranged. The introductory section of your dictionary will explain important information such as the abbreviations and pronunciation symbols used throughout the entries. There may also be information on pronunciation of words with similar spellings; this can be helpful if you have only heard a word and you're not sure of its spelling. For example, if you hear "not", it might also be "knot" but the "k" is silent, and this list can help you with suggestions. 

6. Know how to look up a Word: When you come across a word you don't recognize or know the meaning of, keep a note of it. When you get around to looking it up, here is the sequence to follow: 

o Proceed to the letter of the alphabet that your word begins with. For example, "dog" begins with "d". Don't forget the possible spellings for trickier words, such as "gnome" begins with a "g", or "psychology" begins with a "p", or "knock" begins with a "k", etc. 

o Check for the guide words. These are located in the upper corner of each page and give you an indication of how close you are to locating your word, speeding up the process of going through the pages. 

o Once close, use the second letter of your word to run down the page and locate your word. For example, if you were looking for the word "futile", "u" is the second letter. 

o Scan down the list of entry words moving past "Furry" and "Fuse" and "Fuss". Since the example word begins with "Fut", go past all the "Fur" and all the "Fus" words alphabetically until you reach the "FUT" area of the page. In this example, move right down through "Fut" where you will find "futile". 

7. Know how to make the most of your find: Once you've located the word, there are several useful elements that you can discover about the word from the dictionary entry. Read the information given about this entry, and depending on your dictionary, you might find many things: 

o A definition of the word. 

o One or more pronunciations. Look for a pronunciation key near the beginning of the dictionary to help you interpret the written pronunciation. Learn how to use the stress marks, as these will aid your pronunciation. The stress mark ' is place just prior to the syllable where the stress is placed. 

o Capitalization, where relevant. 

o Prepositions, such as "in", "on", etc. and their use with the word in question. 

o Irregular endings for verbs. 

o Synonyms and antonyms. You can use these in your writing, or as further clues towards the word's meaning. 

o An etymology, derivation, or history of the word. Even if you don't know Latin or Ancient Greek, you may find that this information helps you to remember or understand the word. 

o Examples or citations of how the word is used. Use these to add context to the meaning of the word. 

o Derived terms and inflections (I am, you are, etc). 

o Phrases or idioms associated with the word, and slang usage. In addition, the dictionary may explain whether a word is formal or informal. 

o Plurals of nouns. 

o Near neighbor words that might be related, such as "futility". 

o Spellings in other English (US English, British English, Australian English, etc.) 

8. Think about how the information you've found relates to the word as you encountered it: If there are multiple definitions, decide which one matches your source or context for the word and notice how the different definitions are related to one another. In an English dictionary, the most common meaning is usually placed first where there are multiple meanings. Try using your new word in a sentence. If it's difficult to spell, write it a few times to help yourself remember it. 

9. Use your dictionary for other purposes than looking up a Word: Many dictionaries come with an array of other useful information. Some of the information that you might find in your dictionary includes: 

o Standard letters for jobs, abbreviations, filing complaints, official writing, etc. 

o Maps and geographical information. 

o Statistics on population. 

o Weights, volume and measurements. 

o Lists of countries, cities, capitals, etc. 

o Flags of countries, states, provinces, regions, etc. 

o Lists of famous or historical people. 

o Lists of facts. 

Learn how to use an online dictionary: Online dictionaries are easy. Choose a suitable free online dictionary and simply type in the word you're looking for. The search engine will return the word to you and the definition section should contain most of the elements discussed above. 

o Make use of the audio content provided with online dictionaries. This can help considerably when you're unsure how to pronounce the word. 

o To use Google to find online definitions, type: "define: futile". The search engine will only look for definitions. 

Tips: 

· If you can't seem to locate your word, make sure you're spelling the word correctly. For example, you won't find "isotope" if you're looking in the A section, which you might be tempted to do if, for example, your chemistry teacher speaks with a bit of a southern accent! 

· If you're having trouble spelling a word, try the spell-checker in a word processor and see what it suggests. 

· Even though it's easy to check words using an online dictionary, the free ones don't always provide enough information, so it pays to always have a hard copy dictionary on your bookshelf to call upon whenever needed. 

· Don't be afraid to study the etymology of a word. Since much of our language is derived from Greek or Latin, you'll often find yourself learning root words from them, but after you have, you'll find that it can be easier to understand words that are new to you simply by looking at the structure of the word. 

· Language is defined to a large degree by usage. You can help keep our language alive by using more of it. Try to occasionally use words that are "getting dusty" either in written or verbal communication. English is the closest thing to a universal language on Earth, and it deserves a chance to thrive. Using words like "dude" a little bit less can help to keep our language healthy. 

Warnings: 

· Printed dictionaries may go out of date as the language changes, so check the copyright date of yours. Another way to gauge the currency of a dictionary is to look for relatively new words. 

· Dictionaries vary in content, and some are very specific. Look at the title to find out what you have. If you have a dictionary of rhymes, slang, idioms, synonyms, a foreign language, or a specific interest, such as woodworking terms, seek a more general dictionary.