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Hi there! I am Studyfin, your learning buddy. Let's learn how to use a dictionary to find new words!
A dictionary is a great tool to build your vocabulary. It tells you what a word means, how to say it, and how to break it into parts.
Words are broken into beats called syllables. The dictionary uses dots or spaces to show these beats. This helps you read and spell the word easily.
A dictionary also shows you how to pronounce, or say, the word. It uses special marks to show which letters make which sounds.
✏️ Worked example
Let's use a dictionary entry to learn about the word 'gigantic'. Here is the entry: gi-gan-tic (jī-găn′tĭk) adjective. Very, very large.
- Look at the word parts first. The dots tell us it has three syllables: gi-gan-tic.
- Look at the symbols in parentheses. The 'j' sound at the start tells us how to pronounce the 'g'.
- Read the definition at the end. It means 'very, very large'.
- Now we can use 'gigantic' in our own writing to make our sentences more exciting!
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