Understanding Dictionary Usage and Terms

What is a dictionary primarily a book of?

• Words

• Pictures

• Numbers

• Stories

Which of the following information can be learned from a dictionary entry?

• The definition of words

• The pronunciation of words

• The part of speech of words

• All of the above

What is the purpose of guide words in a dictionary?

• To show the first and last words on a page

• To define difficult words

• To indicate the part of speech

• To show the number of syllables

What defines homographs?

• Words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently and have different meanings

• Words that sound the same but have different spellings

• Words with opposite meanings

• Words that rhyme

A student looks up the word migration in a dictionary and sees this entry:

mi·gra·tion (noun): the movement from one place to another

How many syllables are in the word migration?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Which dictionary feature helps a reader know how to pronounce a word?

• Guide words

• Part of speech

• Pronunciation symbols

• Definition

A student looks up the word construct and sees this dictionary entry:

con·struct /kənˈstrʌkt/ (verb): to build or put together

Which part of the dictionary entry tells how to pronounce the word?

• con·struct

• /kənˈstrʌkt/

• (verb)

• to build or put together

A student looks up the word charge and sees part of this dictionary entry:

charge (noun): a price that must be paid
charge (verb): to rush forward

Why does the dictionary list more than one definition for the word charge?

• The word is spelled incorrectly

• The word is used only in science

• The word has more than one meaning

• The word is a synonym for another word