English dictionaries overview

English Dictionaries and Their Variations

English dictionaries play essential roles because they explain the meanings of words that readers may not be familiar with, and by following the instructions provided in these books, learning the English language is made simple. However, the various books frequently take a variety of methods when describing words. For instance, a reader would notice that the Oxford English Dictionary and the Longman and Cambridge dictionaries have distinct presentations. According to Hubbard (13), users should choose a dictionary that suits their requirements in order to prevent disruptions that could impair reading. Additionally, Hubbard (b) (58) suggests that users choose dictionaries that are user-friendly and provide additional definitions for words. Even though the differences exist, the explanations seem to develop a similar meaning.

Comparison of Word Descriptions

The Oxford, the Longman, and the Cambridge dictionaries have some similarities and differences in the way they describe the word “computer” which is a noun. The first similarity is that they all offer a transcription of the word to teach readers the right pronunciation. All the dictionaries proceed to provide the direct meaning of the device before providing an example of how the word becomes applicable in the everyday use of the term. The three publications, nevertheless, embrace some diversity in the way they describe the word “computer.” The first variation is that while the Oxford dictionary starts with stating the part of speech where the word belongs, the other two starts with the transcription before providing the part of speech in a small bracket. The second evident difference in the way the three publications describe the noun is that they all use different words which follow unique lexical structures to explain the direct meanings as well as when connoting.

The three dictionaries also have some variations in the way they describe the verb “develop” which means to cause to exist or to grow. One of the distinct differences in the way the three publications describe the word is that they all use different words to make readers aware of the meaning just as it occurs when describing the noun. The Longman Dictionary appears to provide more examples when describing the verb compared to the other two which only give a few examples of how the word becomes applicable in its everyday use.

Lastly, users of the three dictionaries would realize some differences in the way the publications describe the adverb “loudly.” The first evident difference is the way the dictionaries provide the direct meaning of the word. Every publisher uses different words to create the sense of the adverb which develops the sense of producing much noise. The dictionaries also differ in the way they break down the word into other forms. The Oxford Dictionary, for example, shows how one can form the noun “loud” from the adverb but such formations are not present in the Longman and Cambridge dictionaries.

Conclusion

Readers should acquire skills to use the different types of dictionaries and be able to learn from them despite the diverse approaches the publishing houses use to present their works. Readers should note the difference in the publications they use and settle on the one which they find easy to use. Lastly, users who encounter hardships in using particular types of dictionaries should not hesitate to seek guidance from other parties or sources which would provide the proper guidance.

Works Cited

Hubbard, Ron. How to use a Dictionary: Picture Book for Children. London: Effective

Education Publishing, 2000.

Hubbard, Ron (b). Study Skills for Life. London: Effective Education Publishing, 2008.