Dictionary Entries: Alphabetical order

What is the fundamental rule for organizing words in a standard English dictionary?

• By the number of syllables

• By the word's origin or history

• In alphabetical order from A to Z

• By the word's part of speech

Answer explanation

Dictionaries organize words alphabetically to allow users to find any word efficiently and predictably. The other options are types of information found within an entry, not the organizing principle.

Imagine a dictionary split in the middle. Sort these words into the correct half: 'Before the M's' or 'After the M's'.

Groups:

(a) Before the M's

,

(b) After the M's

• gargantuan

• nominate

• eloquent

• query

• baffle

• zenith

Answer explanation

Words are sorted based on their first letter. Words starting with letters A-L appear before the M section, and words starting with N-Z appear after it.

When two words start with the same letters, how does a dictionary determine their order? For example, with 'crystal' and 'crisp'.

• It compares the first different letter.

• It places the shorter word first.

• It places the longer word first.

• The order is random.

Answer explanation

Alphabetical order continues letter by letter. For 'crisp' and 'crystal', the 'i' in 'crisp' comes before the 'y' in 'crystal', so 'crisp' is listed first.

Match each word to its correct position in the alphabetical sequence.

• Comes after 'glide' but before 'global'

• gleam

• Comes after 'glare' but before 'glide'

• glimpse

• Comes after 'gleam' but before 'glimpse'

• glide

Answer explanation

The words are ordered by comparing subsequent letters: 'gleam' (ea), 'glide' (id), and 'glimpse' (im) follow each other alphabetically.

If the guide words on a dictionary page are fabricate and faint, which word would be found on that page?

• fabulous

• facility

• fajita

• factory

Answer explanation

The word 'facility' (faci) comes alphabetically after 'fabricate' (fabr) and before 'faint' (fain). 'Fabulous' comes before, while 'fajita' and 'factory' come after.

Sort these words that all start with 'pro-' into two groups based on their alphabetical order: 'Before "promote"' and 'After "promote"'.

Groups:

(a) Before "promote"

,

(b) After "promote"

• protect

• propel

• profound

• proclaim

Answer explanation

To sort these words, you compare the letters following 'pro-'. 'Proclaim' (c) and 'profound' (f) come before 'promote' (m). 'Propel' (p) and 'protect' (t) come after.

Your friend alphabetized their vocabulary list. Which word is in the wrong spot? List: radiant, range, random, rapid

• radiant

• range

• random

• rapid

Answer explanation

The correct order is 'radiant, random, range, rapid'. The word 'range' (rang) should come after 'random' (rand) because 'g' comes after 'd' in the alphabet.

Which of these words would you find earliest in a standard dictionary?

• resolve

• quest

• benevolent

• zenith

Answer explanation

Alphabetical order starts with the first letter. 'Benevolent' starts with 'b', which comes before 'q' (quest), 'r' (resolve), and 'z' (zenith).

For each group of words, match it to the word that would appear last if the group were alphabetized.

• gentle

• parallel, paradox, paramount

• paramount

• genuine, generous, gentle

• hesitate

• hesitate, hectic, heritage

Answer explanation

In each set, you must compare letters to find the last word alphabetically: 'hesitate' after 'heritage', 'paramount' after 'parallel', and 'gentle' after 'genuine'.

The guide words on a page are ponder and popular. Where would you find the word placid?

• On the same page

• On a previous page

• On a following page

• It would not be in the dictionary

Answer explanation

The word 'placid' starts with 'pl', which comes alphabetically before 'po' (the start of 'ponder'). Therefore, it would be on an earlier page.