Transcript How to Use a Dictionary

Dictionary Skills
Members:
1. Goh Teck Song
2. Lee Yu Wei
3. Suhaily Binti Ramlan
4. Raja Nor Wafiah Binti Raja Abdullah
A dictionary is…
a reference book containing words, usually
alphabetically arranged along with
information about their forms, pronunciations,
functions, and meanings.
a reference book listing terms or names
important to a particular subject along with a
discussion of their meanings. A sample
sentence is often included.
Dictionaries: guidebooks; They tell
how words are used by people. It is a
reference book. It gives information
about words.
Dictionaries have new words like
Internet, login, and website and oldfashioned words like “steed” which
means horse. Some dictionaries have
special purposes like a medical or a
sports dictionary.
Dictionaries are arranged
alphabetically.
Types of Dictionaries
Unabridged: Not shorten; complete; a large, extensive
dictionary that is not based on a larger edition. The
unabridged English dictionaries attempt to contain all
words in the English language.
Abridged: to abbreviate; to lessen in length; to
shorten by using fewer words but keeping the main
contents. An abridged dictionary contains words in
common use.
Kinds of Dictionaries
science, geographical, law, sports,
biographical, rhyming, medical,
picture
Let’s take a closer look!
How to use a dictionary
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Step 1

Know the alphabet very well and know
where the letters

Example: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N
OPQRS UVWXYZ
Step 2
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Think of the word to look up.
Then open the dictionary to as close to
the first letter or two of the word as
possible.
Then either turn back or forward to
find the word.
Step 3
To help the search, dictionaries have guide
words to help. Guide words are at the top of
each page.
 The first guide word is the first word on a
page, and the second guide word at the top of
the page is the last word on the page.
 Using the guidewords, you should find the
word you a looking for easily. It will be
between the words.

An up close look at a dictionary
ENTRY…
entry
guide words
liberate
Phonetic symbols
lifelong
Part of speech
li-brar-y
(lye-brer-ee) noun
1.
A place where books, magazines, newspaper, tapes and
videos are kept for reading or borrowing.
We have a great reference section in our library.
noun, plural libraries, noun, librarian
illustration
sample sentence/phrase
The numbers show the many definitions a word may have.
Definitions
Additional
Information
Cross
References
Dictionary
Skills
Synonyms
The Meaning
of the Entry
Word
Dictionary Skills
Definitions
Many words have several meaning and most
dictionaries list the oldest meaning first.
The first symbol in this part of the entry is
“•n
‘’.
 The first definition shows how the word is used
to name a person, place or thing (noun)
For example:
Dictionary Skills
Additional Information In the Dictionary
 A lots of information in each entry, but also contain
extra information in sections at the beginning or the
end.
 At the front, there is an essay and a guide designed
to help users understand the various kinds of
information listed after each headword.
 At the end of the dictionary, there some extra
sections or appendices.
 List of abbreviation and phonetic symbol written in
the cover page.
Dictionary Skills
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The Meaning of the Entry Word
Look at the meaning of the word.
CARPENTER
A worker who builds or repairs wooden structures or
their structural parts
Word appears a second time – discover the
abbreviation “vb” indicating that this word is to be
used as a verb.
Simply insert the entry word where you see the
swung dash (~)
“~tered”
He has carpentered for six years
Dictionary Skills
Synonyms
 some
dictionary entries also provide a
list of synonyms (syn), words with
similar meanings.
 The choice of synonyms is not as good
as in a Thesaurus.
 Using synonyms found in the dictionary
can be helpful, not only for finding an
alternate word, but also for increasing
your understanding of a new word.
Dictionary Skills
Cross
 Some
- references
dictionary entries contain
cross-references.
 Within the entry, you will find the
word “see”, “compare”, or “ var
of ” that directs you to another
dictionary entry which will give you
more information about the word
you first looked up.
References

Anonymous. (2008). Retrieved 27 June, 2012 from
http://www.tlsbooks.com/dictionaryskillsreview.html

Anonymous. (1998). Dictionary Skills. Retrieved 22 Jun, 2012
from http://www.nald.ca/library/learning/academic/english/
diction/module1.pdf.

Barry & Scholes,A.( 2001) Collins Junior Dictionary Skills.
London, England: Harper Collins Publisher Ltd

Wright, J.(1998). Dictionaries: Resources Books for Teachers, Oxford
English. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press