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Find a British English dictionary

Sections:	Introduction
	Book (printed dictionary)
	CD (dictionary for a computer)
	Electronic (hand-held electronic dictionary or translator)
	Online (dictionary or translation tool on the internet)
	Links
Related pages:	Bookshops
	Grammar
	Spelling
	Vocabulary
	Pronunciation
	Mistakes

Printed English/English dictionaries

Printed dictionaries are easy to carry with you, are easy to read and are cheap.
However, they are relatively slow to use, may be heavy or bulky, may not contain new words, and require you to know the International Phonetic Alphabet to understand how words are pronounced (if the dictionaries include phonetic information).

(1) Elementary level

Oxford Essential Dictionary Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: July 2006

Basic English Dictionary Publisher: Peter Collin Publishing Date: October 2001

The Oxford Wordpower Dictionary Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: Mar 2006

Collins Cobuild Learner's Dictionary Publisher: Collins Cobuild Date: January 2003

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: February 2005

Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary Publisher: Collins Cobuild Date: January 2006

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (books+CD) Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: September 2007

Oxford Dictionary of English Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: August 2005

Illustrated Oxford Dictionary Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Date: June 2003

Oxford Junior Illustrated Dictionary Author: Sheila Dignen Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: May 2007

	Brit Slang Author: Ray Puxley Publisher: Robson Books Date: April 2003		The Cassell Dictionary of Slang Author: Jonathon Green Publisher: Cassell Reference Date: November 2005
	NTC's Super-mini British Slang Dictionary Author: Ewart James Publisher: Contemporary Books Date: October 2000

Electronic versions of dictionaries provide useful added features not available from printed dictionaries; for example, they allow you to look up words much more quickly, and they allow you to hear the pronunciations of words.
However, they are more expensive than printed dictionaries and you can only use them when you have a computer with you.

Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (includes CD-ROM) Publisher: Oxford University Press Date: March 2005

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (includes CD-ROM) Publisher: Cambridge University Press Date: April 2008

Hand-held dictionaries are convenient, as they can be carried with you wherever you go. Some of these will allow you to hear how a word is pronounced (although in most cases American English pronunciations will be used). On the negative side, hand-held translators can be quite expensive, and they can be lost or stolen.

Choose your language for information:

	DMQ1870 Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus Manufacturer: Franklin Covey		PWE300 Electronic Dictionary & Thesaurus Manufacturer: Sharp
	ER6100 Concise Oxford English Dictionary / Thesaurus Manufacturer: Seiko

Web dictionaries allow you to look up words while you are surfing the internet; you may have to pay a regular subscription fee, but (unlike books or CDs) the dictionary is automatically kept up-to-date. However, you have to pay for your normal internet connection and there may be a charge each year that you use the service.

For free basic online English-English dictionaries, see: Dictionary

Online English/non-English and specialist dictionaries

To find an online dictionary between English and your language, see: Translate.
Alternatively, see: http://www.dictionary.com or http://www.yourdictionary.com

Online dictionaries of slang

There is an online dictionary of British slang at: http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang.
For an explanation of slang expressions used in the London area, see: http://www.londonslang.com.

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