What's the best dictionary to use?
There are many free dictionary resources available online, but here are some of the most reliable and useful:
- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
- https://www.collinsdictionary.com/
- https://www.ldoceonline.com/
- https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
When you're learning new vocabulary, it's important to do more than simply write down a list of words. You also need to also explore how to use the words by looking at example sentences containing them so that you get an idea of their precise meanings and how to use them accurately in your own writing.
When looking at the entries for the words you type in, take note of the example sentences, collocations, dependent prepositions, common expressions, synonyms, related words and pronunciation.
There are also other kinds of tools that can help you research new words, such as collocation dictionaries, sentence dictionaries or thesauruses. Here are some useful ones:
- https://ozdic.com/
- http://www.just-the-word.com/
- https://www.freecollocation.com/
- https://sentencedict.com/
- https://www.wordhippo.com/
- https://fraze.it/
This article will help you learn how to use resources like the ones above to research vocabulary effectively: How can I research vocabulary?
Note also that using a dictionary to help you learn vocabulary is only one part of an effective strategy for improving your vocabulary. You can find our guide to the overall strategy you should follow in the Vocabulary Improvement Plan, which is part of our Vocabulary Course. The following video shows you how to find it. How to find the vocabulary improvement plan
