Using Dictionaries To Spell Correctly

Long words can be tricky to spell. Words like "necessary," "beautiful," or "temperature" have many letters and syllables, so it is easy to make a mistake. A dictionary is one of the best tools for checking and fixing the spelling of these harder words. In this lesson, you will learn how to use a dictionary, and a glossary, to find the correct spelling of a word you are not sure about.

Short words like "cat" or "run" are easy to spell because you hear every sound clearly. Longer words are harder because some letters do not match the sounds you hear. The word "necessary" has a soft "c" sound and a tricky double letter. The word "beautiful" starts with letters that do not sound the way they look. When a word has many syllables, there are more spots where a mistake can hide.

A dictionary solves this problem. It shows you the exact letters of a word, in the exact order, every single time.

Before you search for a long word, say it slowly and clap out its parts. The word "temperature" has four parts: tem, per, a, ture. Breaking a word into syllables helps you guess its first letters so you know where to look in the dictionary.

Dictionary entries also show you these syllable breaks with a small dot or dash, like this: tem·per·a·ture. This helps you see the word in smaller, easier pieces.

At the top of every dictionary page, you will see two guide words. The guide words show the first word and the last word on that page. All the words in between are listed in alphabetical order. If you are looking for "gorgeous," you would look for a page with guide words like "gondola" and "grace," since "gorgeous" falls between them in the alphabet.

Once you find the word, place your own spelling right next to the dictionary entry. Go letter by letter to spot the difference. Suppose you wrote "nessecary." The dictionary shows "necessary." Lining the two up helps you see that the "ss" and "c" are swapped.

This same letter-by-letter check works for any long word: "definately" becomes "definitely," and "accomodate" becomes "accommodate," once you compare it to the dictionary spelling.

A glossary is a short list of special words, usually found at the back of a textbook. It works like a mini dictionary, but it only lists words used in that one book, such as science or social studies words. If you are writing about a science topic and are not sure how to spell "ecosystem" or "habitat," the glossary at the back of your science book can show you the correct spelling quickly, without searching a whole dictionary.

Try this with a partner. Pick a long word such as "mysterious," "excellent," or "disappear." Say the word slowly and break it into syllables. Guess the spelling and write it down. Then look the word up using guide words, and compare your guess to the real entry. Circle any letters you got wrong, and add the word to a personal list of tricky words to review later.

Dictionary: A book or digital tool that lists words in alphabetical order along with their correct spelling and meaning.

Glossary: A short list of special words and their meanings, usually found at the back of a textbook.

Guide words: The two words at the top of a dictionary page that show the first and last word listed on that page.

Syllable: A small chunk of a word that has one vowel sound, such as the three parts in "beau·ti·ful."

Entry: The full listing for one word in a dictionary, including its spelling, pronunciation, and meaning.

Related lessons

• Spelling Words With Reference Tools