A Guide on How to Use a Dictionary
Effectively
As a pupil who is learning English language,
it is important that you understand how to use a dictionary. The English
language has approximately 1 million words, of which an average speaker would
be aware of about 60,000 words. You may be familiar with many words but would
not know the exact meaning of them all. A dictionary is a handy tool that helps
you improve your vocabulary day in and day out. Not only does it help you
deduce a word's meaning and spelling, but also helps you to effectively improve
your English language.
Let us first look at the various information
that you can find about a word in a dictionary:
•
Spelling of the words and its plural form
•
Syllables of a word
•
Whether the word is capitalized or has an abbreviation
•
The pronunciation of a word
•
Different meanings a word has, its synonyms (same meaning) and antonyms
(opposite meaning)
•
History of the word
•
An example of a sentence/expression showing the right usage of the word
•
Prefixes and suffixes and their meanings
•
Different words that can be derived from the main word
You can improve your English fast, if you
practice the habit of referring to a dictionary. Most of us refrain to carry a
pocket dictionary as we consider it a time-consuming thing. However, if you
know how to use a dictionary properly, it will take you less than a minute to
find a word's meaning and refer the example. Let's look at the pointers that
can help save your time.
1.
Get yourself a quality dictionary- If
you don't have a dictionary, make sure you buy a quality one available in the
market.
2.
Get familiar with its use- The user
guidelines for each dictionary vary in approach. Therefore, the best way to go
about it is to read the intro section and jot down how the details are
arranged. Once you know the proper alphabetical order, you are well on your way
to use the dictionary real fast.
For instance, if you're searching for a word
"gnome", go to the 'G' section and check the guide words, which are
located in the upper corner of every page. These guide words are an indication
on how close you are to finding your word. These guide words are real speed
busters and must be checked to locate your word faster. Then, look for the
second word 'n' to narrow down your search.
Got
the word: Now, that you have found your word, what should you pay attention to?
•
Definition of the word
•
Different pronunciations – pay attention to the stress mark - ' - usually
placed before a syllable to help you pronounce the word correctly.
•
Capitalization
•
Synonyms and antonyms
Improve your English speaking fluency by
reading the word aloud from the dictionary, following the pronunciation
guideline.
Sources: Retrieved at https://www.superteacherworksheets.com/featured-items/pz-parts-of-a-dictionary.html
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