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Dictionary Introduction

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What is a dictionary?

a book that lists the words of a language in alphabetical order and gives their meaning

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The words listed in a dictionary are called entries and are usually listed in dark black print.

For each entry (or word), the dictionary gives you the spelling, meanings, pronunciation, part of speech, and how the word is used in a sentence.

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Guide Words

The dictionary is organized alphabetically. Guide words at the top of each page help us locate words quickly.

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Guide Words

Guide words are helpful because they tell you the first and last entry words on a page.

The guide word on the left is the first entry word on the page.

The guide word on the right is the last entry word on the page.

They help you find the words you are looking for.

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Let’s practice

Look at the entry words under each set of guide words. Decide which word in each group would be contained on a dictionary page with these guide words.

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dangle drop

damp

deep

drawn

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thirsty today

toad

toddle

thirst

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mess model

medal

mule

mock

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sheep slept

short

slurp

sang

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Now you try!