Tips to make the best use of your English dictionary.

Following are some tips and considerations on how to make the best of your English dictionary.

• First of all, buy a good English dictionary, it is one of the most useful tools to help you improve your English.
• Study the phonetic tables available on the dictionary and learn the symbols. This will help you understand the pronunciation of new words.
• Learn how to use the stress marks. This is not available on all dictionaries but if your dictionary has them, these will help you understand the syllables that are stressed as in the example below. Understanding the correct words stress is the best way to improve your pronunciation.
• 'pho-to-graph
• pho- 'to-gra-pher
• pho-to-'gra-phic
• Understand he grammar of the words that you learn. For example, if it is a verb, it does not need a preposition such as "in" or "of", is it a regular or irregular verb?
• Understand the definition of the word and try to write down a few sentences based on the example given on the dictionary. Remember that many words have several different meanings.
• Is it a formal or an informal word?
• Is it mostly used in American or British English?
• Group sets of related words with each new word or attach adjectives that describe it to help you make a better association.

All the points above will help you to truly understand each new word and feel confident that you are using it correctly.

Very important that you don't try to learn every new word, concentrate on the word and phrases that you will most likely use on everyday speech.

Other tips:

Make sure you use an English to English dictionary rather than a bilingual one as this will:

• help you practice your understanding of English.
• help you understand the definition of the word as all the examples will be given in English

• help you understand the meaning of the word as many words will not have direct translation to your language.

If you can't understand the definitions, try a more basic dictionary with simple explanations of the words.

Try to make your dictionary your daily companion. Use it all the time and before your know it you will increase your vocabulary significantly and will thus improve the way communicate.