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Hello! I am Studyfin, your learning buddy. Today we will explore how to use a dictionary to learn new words!
A dictionary is a great tool to build your vocabulary. It helps you find a word's meaning, how to say it, and how to break it into parts.
Syllables are the beats in a word. A dictionary uses small dots or spaces to show these beats, which is called syllabication.
Dictionaries also show pronunciation. They use special symbols and spelling to guide you on how to speak the word out loud.
✏️ Worked example
Let us look up the word 'gigantic' in a dictionary step by step.
- Find the word 'gigantic' in your dictionary using the guide words at the top.
- Look at the word breakdown: gi • gan • tic. This shows it has three syllables.
- Check the pronunciation guide: / dʒaɪˈgæn tɪk /. The symbol shows we say it with a soft 'g' sound.
- Read the definition: 'very large; huge'. Now you know the exact meaning!
- Use it in a sentence: 'The elephant was gigantic compared to the mouse.'
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