What information can we find in a dictionary?

· The meaning. The dictionary explains what words mean in language that is easy to understand, and the example sentences show you how to use the word correctly.

· The pronunciation. It shows how to read the phonetic spelling, where the main stress of the word is.

· The part of speech. E.g. nice adj (adjective), say v (verb), table n (noun)

· Grammar of the word. The dictionary tells you whether a word is a noun, verb, adjective, etc. and whether nouns are countable or uncountable. It also gives irregular forms (e.g. irregular past tenses of verbs). E.g. seat n (C) countable, water n (U) uncountable; come v (I) intransitive, burn v (T) transitive.

· Collocations. E.g. do homework. These are given after the main meanings of the word.In the dictionary you also can find idioms and phrasal verbs.Theyare given after the main meanings of the word.

· Style. The dictionary tells you if a word is formal or informal, that often suggests the other word that you can use in most situations. E.g. to figure (informal) to think or guess sth; to deliberate (formal) to think about or discuss sth thoroughly.

· Spelling. You can use the dictionary to check how a word is spelled. It also tells you about small spelling changes in other forms of the word.

· Words formed from other words. Derivatives (loudly and loudness are derivatives of loud) are given after the main meanings of the word.

· Extra information. At the back of the dictionary you can find a list of irregular verbs, a list of expressions using numbers, maps and a list of geographical names.

Here are some ideas that can help you:

a) When you come across a new word, underline it or mark it in some other way.

b) First try to guess the meaning in a context. Use the dictionary to check the meaning.

c) If you look up a word in a bilingual dictionary and get several different words in your own language, look up the word in your monolingual dictionary. This will help you decide which word in your own language is the nearest translation in this context.

d) One word usually has more than one meaning. Read through all meanings to choose the necessary one.

Exercise 1. Use a dictionary to check the answers to these questions.

1. What does the word limousine mean?

2. What part of speech is it?

3. What is the style of the word?

4. How many stresses does it have?

5. How many meanings does the word make have?

6. What other important information about the word make have you found in the dictionary?

Exercise 2. Use the English Pronouncing Dictionary by Daniel Jones to find the correct pronunciation of the words.

Island, nephew, psychology, doubt, climb, association, direction.

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