The best English dictionary. How to choose “your” English dictionary

If you have English in your life in one form or another, you will definitely need a good dictionary. Nowadays there are dictionaries for every taste and color, so how can you not get lost in this variety and choose the right one?

Today we will explain which dictionary is suitable for beginners and tell you what should be in your dictionary in order for it to bring you maximum benefit.

Surely you know that dictionaries are divided into monolingual (“English-English”) and bilingual (“English-Russian” / “Russian-English”).

Monolingual- These are explanatory dictionaries in which the meaning of a word is explained in English.

Advantages:

the meaning of the word is not distorted by the Russian translation, you can understand the meaning of the original English word.
You get the opportunity to completely immerse yourself in the English language, without letting the Russian language interfere with your learning process

Flaws:

Still, there is a risk that you will not fully understand the meaning of the word and will not find its analogue in Russian, which means you will not remember
This type of dictionary is not suitable for beginners

Bilingual– “English-Russian/Russian-English” dictionaries, that is, providing translation into/from Russian.

Advantages:

Ideal for beginners
An accurate translation into Russian will help you remember a new English word easier

Flaws:

You will simply remember the translation, but you may not fully understand the meaning of the word
You are forced to switch to Russian, which may slightly slow down the process of learning and immersion in English

For Russian-speaking students from the very beginning level, only a bilingual dictionary is needed. Still, our native language is too different from English, so you and I cannot do without a bilingual dictionary.

As you may have noticed, the disadvantages of a monolingual dictionary are essentially the advantages of a bilingual dictionary (and vice versa). That is, ideally use both. Starting from the Pre-Intermediate level, you can start using a monolingual dictionary in parallel and try to use a bilingual one only when necessary.

So, since Russian-speaking students definitely need a bilingual dictionary, let's separately consider the main criteria for choosing just such a dictionary.

What should be in your English-Russian dictionary:

Word meanings. A good dictionary should give you more than one meaning for each word, otherwise you may miss important meanings. However, for beginners, it is not recommended to use dictionaries that give so many meanings for each word that it becomes difficult to remember even one of them.
Transcription/Voice of the word. Having a transcription of a word in a paper dictionary and being able to listen to the word in an online dictionary or app will allow you to remember the word right away with the correct pronunciation. If you use a paper version of the dictionary, then phonetic transcription will help you read the word correctly. If the dictionary has British and American pronunciations, this is definitely an advantage, because they can differ significantly from each other.
Examples of using the word. To understand in what context it is appropriate to use a new word, examples of its use will greatly help you. In addition, together with the context of use, it will be much easier for you to remember it.
Indication of part of speech, words with the same root. At the initial stage of your training, it will be very useful to learn how to identify parts of speech, because this is what will help you compose phrases correctly. In addition, in English, often the same word can be both a noun and a verb. Therefore, when you see words with the same root, you can immediately recognize this. For example, the verb “to study” is to study, the noun “study” is a study.

For non-print dictionaries there are also quite obvious technical criteria, but you can check them already in the process of working with them:

Ease of use. How easily and quickly you can find the right word, is all the information about the word conveniently located, is it easy to read, and so on.
Speed of the computer dictionary. If you have no problems with Internet speed, but the dictionary takes more than 5-10 seconds to load, this indicates technical problems. In this case, you should think about changing your dictionary.

Dictionary formats: printed, online, mobile applications.

Printed dictionaries (dictionaries - books)

Nowadays, the use of printed dictionaries is rather rare. They simply cannot keep up with the changes in modern language and quickly become outdated. In addition, good dictionaries with a really large stock of words and expressions are very voluminous, and searching for a word in a printed dictionary is long and inconvenient compared to electronic analogues.

However, if you are a fan of dictionary books, we will also give you recommendations on which publications you should choose.

Electronic and online dictionaries

These are the dictionaries that are always at hand when you sit at the computer.

The most popular dictionary computer program is ABBYY Lingvo. This translator will work on your computer even without the Internet, but you will have to pay for its use.

If you do not need to work with a dictionary offline, numerous online dictionaries are suitable for you, which can be opened directly in your browser if you have an Internet connection.

A definite must-have for all those learning and using English. A very convenient option for quickly viewing new words, wherever you are. And what’s important is that the dictionary is downloaded completely to your phone, that is, it works without the Internet.

Have you decided what you like? Then now we will give you recommendations for each type of dictionary.

Monolingual (“English-English”) dictionaries

Longman
Oxford
Collins
Cambridge

Dictionaries – online:

Free mobile applications:

Bilingual (“English-Russian”, “Russian-English”) dictionaries.

Every student who learns English with transcription and pronunciation must use a good dictionary. Previously, dictionaries were simple books with transcriptions and a bunch of pages in which you had to look for the required word.

But today, in the age of the Internet, you can simply type a word on a line or even just speak it into your phone, and an online dictionary will give you the translation, transcription, and even its colloquial usage.

What dictionaries should you use, how to look up pronunciation from English to Russian, and much more you will learn from this article.

When learning English, a situation often arises in which you need to know the meaning of a particular word, but friends and your own experience cannot help you with this. In this case, an explanatory dictionary of the English language will come in handy; they come not only in the form of books, but also electronic ones, online products. They have several significant advantages.

For example:

The meaning of the word is described in great detail, including relatively rare uses;
As a rule, explanatory online dictionaries of the English language provide the opportunity to listen to a word, and therefore practice pronunciation;
Quick response to any request;
More rapid updating of electronic explanatory dictionaries of the English language compared to paper ones due to the rapid addition of new words and meanings;
These dictionaries are usually absolutely free

Using an explanatory English dictionary is very simple. As a rule, there is a field for entering the original word, the meaning of which needs to be found out. This word must be entered and the enter key pressed, after which the necessary information will appear.
A similar English-English explanatory dictionary is an integral part of almost any browser or other multi-purpose portal. The Oxford English Dictionary and several other resources created in the UK and USA are very well known.
There is a thematic and age division of such dictionaries. The online edition for children and primary schoolchildren contains fewer words, but, as a rule, is equipped with pictures, graphic images, and decorated in bright colors. Dictionaries for older schoolchildren and students are designed in a more strict style, with an emphasis on concepts related to the curriculum. There are also highly professional dictionaries. Their content is even more different from general English explanatory dictionaries. There are much fewer basic words and concepts in them, but there are many terms from the section of science, art or professional knowledge to which this dictionary is dedicated. Many English words, in addition to well-known meanings, often have highly specialized ones. You can almost always find such meanings in such dictionaries. In addition, explanatory English dictionaries for specialists are updated even more often than commonly used ones, since they must take into account changes in the industry in question.

For example, a frequency dictionary of the English language. In it, words are arranged not alphabetically, but by frequency of use. This dictionary is ideal for those who want to quickly master the language - it is enough to learn the first 1000 (2000, 5000) words. We have already discussed how many words you need to learn to begin with in another article “how many words are there in the English language,” so we won’t dwell on that here. The main thing is that with a frequency dictionary, the set of necessary vocabulary is a matter of discipline and methodology. You don’t need to think about which words are “needed” and which are not, you simply methodically learn the planned number, gradually mastering the vocabulary for all topics.

Cambridge Dictionaries and Oxford Learner's Dictionary.

One of the most popular dictionaries, used by many students from all over the world. Cambridge Dictionary provides any English words with pronunciation. You just need to type them into the search bar and press “Enter”. In addition, the site offers many examples of using words in sentences. Also on the Cambridge Dictionary website there is a separate grammar section and an interesting blog about learning English.

Oxford Dictionary offers the same features, but you must register with the site before you can take advantage of all the benefits. A nice difference is that in addition to the grammar section, the resource offers educational videos on English grammar.

Macmillan Dictionary

A very convenient explanatory dictionary from English to Russian with pronunciation. The words are spoken in pure British dialect. At the same time, there is a transcription, indication of forms and synonyms of the word, as well as its definition in English. The MacMillan Dictionary is very convenient because it does not contain unnecessary advertising or distracting blocks. But there are educational games, a grammar section, pronunciation training and much more.

Urban Dictionary.

The largest dictionary of idioms and slangs in the English language. Moreover, the users themselves are responsible for filling the dictionary. Therefore, if you learn English with pronunciation, then keep in mind that on this site users are also involved in voicing words. This guide is extremely useful for those who are planning to migrate to another country, since idioms and slangs often confuse Russian-speaking tourists.

ABBYY Lingvo.

A wonderful dictionary from Russian-speaking developers. Here you can learn English for children, pronunciation of words, and also ask questions to the community regarding grammar or exercises. It is noteworthy that the dictionary also has a version for Android and iOS, so you can always download the dictionary to your phone.

Merriam-Webster and English-Russian Dictionary

If you need a good English dictionary with pronunciation, we recommend using the two resources above. Dictionaries offer several pronunciation options, transcriptions of each word, and even educational games. The Merriam-Webster dictionary is somewhat more popular and is constantly evolving, but it has paid content.

The most popular English words

Well, where would we be without the most frequently used words? To communicate normally and understand your interlocutor, you will need a vocabulary of at least 1000 words. This can be achieved in a month. Now we will present the 100 most commonly used words that you can learn in less than a week.

For convenience, you can insert each word into any Russian-English dictionary with pronunciation and study it directly online.

English English dictionary

Another great option for learning a language in a fun way is an English-English dictionary, or rather, an explanatory dictionary of the English language. This is the dictionary you can read at night. The method of working with it is quite simple: when you encounter an unfamiliar word in the text, you find its meaning in the explanatory dictionary, and then look for the interpretation of all the unclear words in the description. Thus, the number of new words in a foreign language is growing exponentially.
There is no doubt that anyone learning a language must have a dictionary at hand. Russian-English, English-Russian and some other dictionaries and phrasebooks that will make language learning effective and interesting. On this page you can download them for free.

Russian-English dictionaries. Download.

Kuznetsov S. -English in the Economist style. Dictionary for the sophisticated, 2011

Devnina E.N. - Large English-Russian and Russian-English aviation dictionary - 2011

Minimum active English-Russian dictionary

Cost of education: From 700 rub./lesson

Discounts: Various bonuses and discounts

Training mode: Skype/Vimbox

Free lesson: Provided

Teaching method: Oxford

Online testing: Provided

Literature: Online library

Address: [email protected], skyeng.skype, 8 800 555-45-22

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Training mode: Online

Free lesson: Provided

In any case, you will have to hone your foreign language skills on your own, and dictionaries, with their huge lists of common expressions, detailed definitions and authentic examples of use, will come in handy.

Now let’s talk about how exactly you can improve your knowledge by working with constantly updated databases of online dictionaries. First, you need to be aware of where to look for material and what to read. Write it down or remember it!

The ABBYY Lingvo-Online online dictionary will help you understand English vocabulary. Each lexical unit is equipped with a dictionary entry, in which you can find comprehensive information about how and with what to use this word, what forms it has, and what verbs it can be combined with. This is exactly the dictionary that will help you find all the answers to your questions.
Next, we will discuss dictionaries that will be a real boon for those learning English. If you haven't subscribed to their newsletters yet, be sure to do so. This way you can receive a lot of fresh information daily by email:

The Cambridge Dictionary and Thesaurus Cambridge Dictionaries Online offers not only English-Russian, English-Polish, English-German (and 15 other language pairs) dictionaries. In addition, on the main page you will see sections called “Word of the day”, “Blog” and “New Words”. And this is the coolest feature of this resource, especially if you didn’t come here just to simply find a translation of a word. These small volumes and daily updated collections will help you easily learn something new every day. So, for example, today's word of the day is heartthrob (a famous man, often a singer or actor, who is liked by many women). Did you know him?
New words in the language give a reason not only to expand your vocabulary, but also to understand that the English language did not stop in the time of Shakespeare and vocabulary changes so quickly that it is necessary to keep track of it. For example, do you know what “wonky veg” is? Now you can find out about it. These are shapeless vegetables that are sold at the lowest price. The “blog” section contains equally useful information.

TheFreeDictionary.com is another find for connoisseurs of real English. The simple style of the main page does not distract from the numerous important subsections. So, only by opening the resource, you can get acquainted with the forum, where users ask questions that concern them about how to say correctly, how to say more accurately, and whether you can always trust how native speakers speak. You can also find out the word of the day (for example, cataplasm - a medical poultice), play a little vocabulary game, read the article of the day (equipped with interesting facts), learn about this day in history (what happened on this particular day throughout the history of human civilization) , play wordhub, get to know the idiom of the day and quote of the day, brush up on your vocabulary with the mismatch task. And this is only a small part of what you can do on this resource. Using such a dictionary every day, in a month you will be able to know much more than those who do not use this resource. By devoting 7 to 15 minutes to reading all the information on the main page, you will help yourself advance in English.

Don't stop there, visit Dictionary.com, where you will again learn the rare word of the day (for example, villatic, a word that characterizes country life). Here you can get acquainted with the pronunciation of some words and find out why many people make mistakes when speaking, get acquainted with the list of words that every traveler should know (you’re already wondering what’s so special about it), compare words and find the difference between empathy and sympathy, get acquainted with love vocabulary. You'll also be able to read short articles that teach you things like what words to use instead of "very" or highlight eight ways to say "congratulate" in English.

We hope that you are already curious, so quickly open these resources and start enriching your English with new terms and interesting stories. A foreign language is not only simple, but also interesting!

“Dictionaries are like watches, the worst is better than none and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.”

Samuel Johnson.

It's no secret that when learning a foreign language you can't do without a dictionary. The only thing is that not all dictionaries are equally useful... Today we will analyze the types of dictionaries, tell you how to choose a dictionary in English and which one is better.

1. Dictionaries are divided into monolingual and bilingual. In other words, English-English (explanatory) and English-Russian/Russian-English.

Monolingual dictionary. With the coming into fashion of communicative methods of teaching foreign languages, the idea of abandoning bilingual dictionaries is being promoted. It is prohibited to use bilingual dictionaries during exams at language universities. However, if the definition of a word is given very briefly and without examples of the use of the word in context, then such a dictionary is of little use.

Advantages of the English-English dictionary:

there is no connection with your native language, which means you are immersed in the environment of the English language
expand your vocabulary through words that are used for interpretation, learn synonyms, as well as the differences between them
acquire skills in explaining concepts

Disadvantages of English-English dictionary:

they are difficult to use at initial levels of English proficiency
It’s not always possible to understand what this word means (especially in the Longman series of dictionaries for English learners)
some argue that words are less memorable if you don’t draw parallels with Russian.

My favorite monolingual dictionary is

Bilingual dictionary. When using a bilingual dictionary, you must always remember that it was compiled by translators, and they, like all ordinary people, can make mistakes. Therefore, there are also banal translations of the translator’s false friends (words that are similar to Russian are translated with Russian equivalents, although they mean something completely different - for example, to sympathize - the correct translation is to sympathize, not to sympathize).

It has been noticed that those who use bilingual dictionaries more often make serious mistakes when they try to translate their thoughts from Russian into English. Translation should be avoided when learning a foreign language. After all, your goal is not to be a translator, but to speak English. The sooner you start monolingual learning, the faster you will progress. Therefore, as soon as you have reached the Pre-Intermediate level, use good monolingual dictionaries.

The use of translation when learning a language confuses the student, a certain substitution of concepts occurs, and instead of asking “What does this mean?” people are interested in how it is translated. Knowledge of a language is understanding without translation. If you use translation, then you are constantly forcing your brain to work in an unnatural mode of switching from language to language. Of course, you get tired and waste a lot of energy and time.

However, it can be difficult to completely abandon bilingual dictionaries.

Of the bilingual dictionaries, I like - and.

2. By format Dictionaries can be divided into:

paper
electronic
online dictionaries
dictionaries for PDAs and mobile phones.

Paper dictionaries in English. I’ll say right away that I, a computer soul, don’t use them. They frankly make me sad. After all, a good dictionary is one that provides detailed definitions, several examples of use in context, synonyms and antonyms of words, as well as idioms with this word. And from this it follows that it should be very voluminous and heavy, perhaps even in several volumes. Working with a paper dictionary is inconvenient. A lot of time is spent turning pages and finding the right word. You are constantly distracted by other words. But if this does not bother you, then please, purchase and use, but I will not recommend them.

Electronic dictionaries in English. These dictionaries can be real magicians. You enter a word and instantly get a translation or definition. It’s good if you have the opportunity to listen to the pronunciation of a word, look at examples of use, etc. In my opinion, it is one of the best electronic bilingual dictionaries.

Online dictionaries in English. Using online dictionaries is convenient for all those who are constantly online. Among bilingual online dictionaries, ranks first among professional translators.

Online monolingual dictionaries in English:

Dictionaries for PDAs and mobile phones. These dictionaries are convenient because they fit in your pocket with your favorite phone or PDA. They are indispensable when traveling, during exams (not all teachers have learned about them yet =)), and in general anywhere where it would not be inconvenient for you to carry a huge, heavy two-volume (or even more) paper dictionary.

3. For whom was the dictionary published? For English learners or native speakers. Because the authors of monolingual dictionaries for English learners have tried to convey the meaning in very simple words, the definitions are sometimes so superficial and short that one is forced to resort to bilingual dictionaries. I prefer dictionaries that are written for native speakers, as more detailed definitions are given. And most often, when I encounter an unfamiliar word, I simply enter into Google search: “... (word) definition” and look for several definitions at once in the free online dictionaries that Google offers.

4. Special dictionaries. There are also dictionaries of English slang, idioms, phrasal verbs, collocations, dictionaries of technical and professional terms, dictionaries of proverbs and sayings.

English slang dictionaries:

(London rhyming slang)
- the most famous slang dictionary

Online English idiom dictionaries:

Do you often turn to a dictionary? Every person learning English sooner or later is faced with the need to find the optimal reference book. Therefore, today we will tell you which online English dictionaries are the best so that you can choose the best option for yourself.

Let us recall that in the article “” we told you what a high-quality reference book should contain and how to choose a dictionary depending on your level of English proficiency and the format of the dictionary. We also recommended using some of the best reference books: multitran.ru, macmillandictionary.com and urbandictionary.com. And today we want to offer you some more high-quality resources. You might like some of them.

1.

On this site you will find a set of online English dictionaries.

Here you can use both an explanatory (English-English) and a translated (English-Russian) dictionary.
There is a help page that lists the main abbreviations used on the site.
The Cambridge Dictionary gives some of the most commonly used definitions of the word, whether it is a countable noun or not.
Several example sentences are given for each word - you will understand in what context it is better to use specific vocabulary.
There is a recording of the pronunciation of the word in the British and American versions, as well as a transcription for each of these variants.
Collocations (expressions with this word) are given for each word, so you will understand what words the new vocabulary is combined with.
There is a list of idioms containing your word, you can also familiarize yourself with them.
A list of synonyms is also provided, as well as words related in meaning, so you can create your own set of homogeneous vocabulary and study it.

The only negative is that the English-Russian version of the dictionary provides only a simple translation of the word without explanation, which may be inconvenient for beginners.

2.

This dictionary is interesting because it is not only an explanatory online dictionary of the English language, it also contains simple explanations.

You will be provided with many definitions of the word, each of them will be accompanied by several examples of use in context.
An interesting feature of this resource is that it contains interesting articles about the origin of words.
The website has a recording of the pronunciation of the word.
Here is a list of vocabulary that rhymes with the word you are interested in.
A synonymous series is proposed that will be useful in learning.
You can find translations of phrasal verbs and slang.

Among the disadvantages, we noticed that the recording of the pronunciation of the word and its transcription are provided only in the American version. And it is also quite difficult to find translations of English idioms.

3.

For each word, the most common definitions and dozens of examples of using vocabulary in context are given.
There is a recording of the American and British pronunciation of each word, as well as a transcription for each of these options.
There is an indication whether the word can be counted or not (whether it is countable or not).
A list of idioms containing the requested word is offered, each of them is given an explanation and an example of use.
Frequently used collocations and vocabulary related to the concept you are interested in are indicated.
The resource provides a fairly wide range of synonyms for the word.
You can find translations of slang expressions, idioms and phrasal verbs.

4.

Here are some common definitions of the word.
There is a recording of the pronunciation of the word, as well as a transcription for it.
There is a history of the origin of every word.
A number of synonyms for the word of interest are given.
A list of idioms is provided that include the word being studied.
The slang meanings of the word are highlighted in a separate block.
Here are wise quotes that use the word you are interested in.

Among the negative features of this service, we note the lack of British pronunciation of the word; only a transcription is provided. A rather narrow dictionary of idioms is also presented.

5.

This online English dictionary offers several versions of the interpretation of the word: more complex for native speakers and easier for those learning English.

Several definitions of the word are given.
Indicates whether the word is countable or not.
There are examples of using vocabulary in context.
Translations of the word into several languages (including Russian) are provided.
There is a recording of the pronunciation in British and American voice acting, and a transcription is also included.
Interesting statistics on the use of the word over the past 10 years are provided - you will find out how popular it is among native speakers.
There is a translation of idioms, slang, phrasal verbs.

We would include the lack of a number of synonyms for each word as a disadvantage. There are also no idioms related to the search word and few examples of vocabulary usage.

We have presented you with the best English online dictionaries. Look through them all, re-read our article on choosing a dictionary, to which we provided a link at the beginning of the publication, and choose the best option for yourself. It is best to use 2 dictionaries: one from this list and a translation one, for example Multitran. This way you can get as much information as possible about the vocabulary you are studying.