Dictionary Presentation

Dictionaries are books that list all the words in

a language.

A dictionary is a type of index.

An index is an alphabetized list of names, places, or

subjects in a printed work, giving the

location or pages on which each item is

mentioned.

To make dictionaries

easier to use, the words are organized in alphabetical

order.

Let’s practice arranging these

words in alphabetical order.

mile milk milking

military mildew mild

middle might microwave

Answer:

Since there are so many words in a dictionary, guide words are used to help you locate a

word quickly.What are guide words?

Guide words are found at the top of each page.

They tell you the first and last word that is found on

that page.

How do guide words help you

find a word quickly?

Instead of looking at each word on a page, which could take forever, you just look at

the guide words and then use what you know about

alphabetizing words to decide if your word would be

found on that page.

Let’s pretend you are looking up the

word, science. First we would turn to the S

section

Then you would use the guide

words and what you know about alphabetizing

words to decide the correct page in

the S section.

You would look at the guide words at

the top of each page and decide between which ones our word would come in

alphabetical order.

Let’s do that for the word science-

Which one of these pages

would contain the word science?

scienceThe page with the guide words-

stamp - summer

Or the page with the words-

sandwich - seventy

scienceThe page with the guide words-

stamp - summer

Or the page with the words-

sandwich - seventy

Dictionary entries have multiple parts: entry term, pronunciation, part of speech, plural

spelling, and definition.

Entry Format

Dictionaries use abbreviations, or shortened forms of words to make definition lengths more

manageable.adj. Adjective inter. interjection

adv. Adverb n. noun

approx. Approminately pl. Plural

Brit. British prep. Preposition

def. Definite sl. Slang

e.g. For example s.o. Someone

esp. Especially sth. Something

indef. Indefinite usu. Usually

inf. Informal v. verb