Can You Use A Dictionary? - edWorksheets.com · 2016-08-26 · Can You Use A Dictionary? Use your dictionary to answer the following questions. ... treadmill _____ treatment ... ik‑sen’

©Remedia Publications 27 Dictionary Skills

Can You Use A Dictionary?

Use your dictionary to answer the following questions.

1. On what page is the word kitchen found in your dictionary? _____________________

2. How many syllables does the word horizontal have? ____________________________

3. What is the pronunciation (respelling) for the word caribou?

_________________________________________________________________________

4. What are the guide words on page 150 of your dictionary?

____________________________ ____________________________

5. What is the plural of the word louse? _________________________________________

6. On what page do words beginning with D start? ________________________________

7. On what page is the word pinafore? _______ Write a definition for pinafore.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

8. How many definitions does the word plain have? _______________________________

9. What word comes before planet in your dictionary? _____________________________

10. What word comes after mail in your dictionary? ________________________________

11. What part of speech is the word futile? ________________________________________

12. Write the first dictionary definition that you find for each of these words:

bewitch: __________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

harvest: __________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Name ________________________________________ Pre/Post-test


Name ________________________________________

Adictionary is a book you use to find out about words. It tells you how to spell words, how to pronounce words, how to use words, where

words come from, and what words mean.

To be able to use a dictionary, you must know the alphabet. All the words listed in the dictionary are called eNtrY WorDs. The entry words are listed in alphabetical order and printed in bold, dark letters.

eNtrY WorDs: ALPHABetICAL orDer

1. fox ____________________

2. alligator ____________________

3. tiger ____________________

4. jaguar ____________________

5. zoo ____________________

6. penguin ____________________

7. lion ____________________

8. bear ____________________

9. rat ____________________

10. snake ____________________

11. deer ____________________

12. elk ____________________

13. ox ____________________

Look at the words below. If you were going to look up each word, which part of the dictionary would you turn to—front, middle,or back? Write the part on the line next to each word.

14. hawk ____________________

15. monkey ____________________

16. unicorn ____________________

17. quail ____________________

18. yak ____________________

19. iguana ____________________

20. koala ____________________

21. vulture ____________________

22. nightingale ____________________

23. crane ____________________

24. walrus ____________________

25. gorilla ____________________

26. xylophone ____________________

aard•vark (ärd’ värk’), n. A burrowing mammal of Africa having long claws and a long, sticky tongue with which it feeds on insects.

The entry words are listed in alphabetical order so they are easier to find. Imagine that your dictionary is divided into three parts: The FRONT part has all the words from A thru G; the MIDDLE part has all the words from H thru Q; the BACK part has all the words from R thru Z.

A-G = Front H-Q = Middle r-Z = Back

Dictionary Skills 2 ©Remedia Publications

Name ________________________________________

BADGER, BAT, BALD EAGLE – Which one comes first in alphabetical order? As you can see, alphabetizing can be tricky. Many words not

only begin with the same first two letters, but also with the same first three, four, and even sometimes five letters.

Practice your alphabetizing skills with the words below by putting each group in ABC order.

1. alligator ____________________

aardvark ____________________

asp ____________________

2. bear ____________________

bull ____________________

bird ____________________


3. cat ____________________

crane ____________________

cockatoo ____________________

4. dog ____________________

deer ____________________

duck ____________________

1. elephant ____________________

elk ____________________

elder duck ____________________

2. fawn ____________________

falcon ____________________

fang ____________________

1. jackal ____________________

jackrabbit ____________________

jackdaw ____________________

Now, it gets a little trickier. Put these groups in ABC order.

3. goat ____________________

gorilla ____________________

gopher ____________________

4. hartebeest ____________________

hawk ____________________

hamster ____________________

this is even trickier. Put these groups in ABC order.

2. police dog ____________________

polar bear ____________________

pointer ____________________


Name ________________________________________

COCKATOO, COCKATIEL, COCKEREL – Which one comes first in alphabetical order? With so many words in the dictionary, you really must be

good at alphabetizing. So, do just a little more practice with putting words in alphabetical order.

1. loft ______________________

log ______________________

loss ______________________

lodge ______________________


Put each group of “L” words in ABC order.

1. marmoset ______________________

marquee ______________________

market ______________________

marble ______________________

Now, try these groups of “M” words.

2. locust ______________________

love ______________________

lobster ______________________

lock ______________________

2. marabou ______________________

martingale ______________________

martin ______________________

marsh ______________________

1. starfish ______________________

startle ______________________

star ______________________

starch ______________________

Alphabetize each group of “s” words.

1. tread ______________________

treason ______________________

treasure ______________________

treat ______________________

Now, try these groups of “t” words.

2. starling ______________________

stargazer ______________________

starry ______________________

starve ______________________

2. treaty ______________________

treachery ______________________

treadmill ______________________

treatment ______________________


Name ________________________________________

Did you notice the dot (•) in many of the entry words in your dictionary? This dot is there to show how the word is divided into syllables.

Look up the words below in your dictionary. Divide them into syllables using a dot between the syllables.

pen•guin (pen’gwin), n. 1. Any of various flightless sea birds that live mostly in or near Antarctica and have webbed feet and narrow wings resembling flippers.

1. mulberry _____________________

2. collie _____________________

3. crumple _____________________

4. vampire _____________________

5. adventure _____________________

6. alligator _____________________

7. giant _____________________

8. koala _____________________

9. dandelion _____________________

10. pencil _____________________

11. lollipop _____________________

12. office _____________________

13. shovel _____________________

14. octopus _____________________

Write a short definition for each word below.

1. manatee _____________________________________________________________

2. jackal _____________________________________________________________

3. locust _____________________________________________________________

4. tapir _____________________________________________________________

5. badger _____________________________________________________________

eNtrY WorDs: sYLLABLes

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Name ________________________________________

even if a compound word is familiar to us, we may not be able to spell it correctly. A dictionary will tell us the correct way to spell a

compound word.

there are three kinds of compound words:

CLoseD CoMPoUND (goldfish)

HYPHeNAteD CoMPoUND (life‑size)

oPeN CoMPoUND (ice cream)

Look at the words below. If the word is a closed compound, put a C after it; if it is a hyphenated compound, put an H after it; if it is an open compound, put an o after it. Use your dictionary to help you.

1. rowboat _____

2. roadblock _____

3. rightofway _____

4. leanto _____

5. lifejacket _____

6. lifesize _____

7. fullback _____

8. fullblown _____

9. fullmoon _____

10. teenager _____

11. teddybear _____

12. teaspoon _____

13. homerun _____

14. homework _____

15. hotblooded _____

16. campfire _____

17. hothead _____

18. hotrod _____

19. fingerprint _____

20. fingerbowl _____

21. fireplace _____

22. firewood _____

23. rockbottom _____

24. rockinghorse _____

25. seahorse _____

26. seashore _____

27. goldleaf _____

28. firefly _____

29. bullheaded _____

30. bluebird _____

eNtrY WorDs: CoMPoUND WorDs


Name ________________________________________

Finding a word in the dictionary can be difficult. Because there are so many words on a page, the dictionary uses GUIDe WorDs at the top of each

page to help you find a word.

The guide word on the left side is the FIRST word on the page. The guide word on the right side is the LAST word on the page.

All other words on the page come between these two words in alphabetical order.

Here are two guide words — BULL and BUMP. Look at the list of words below. Put them in alphabetical order between “bull” and “bump.”

GUIDe WorDs

1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

4. ______________________________

Put the words below in alphabetical order.

course, cow, court, cover, coward, coupon, cove, cousin

5. ______________________________

6. ______________________________

7. ______________________________

8. ______________________________

bull

1. ___________________

2. ___________________

3. ___________________

4. ___________________

5. ___________________

6. ___________________

7. ___________________

8. ___________________

bump

bulldog bulldoze

bulletin bullheaded

bumblebee bum

bully bullet

____________________________________

If these were the only words on the page, which two words would be the guide words?

____________________________________


Name ________________________________________

Guide words can be found on every page of your dictionary. Without them, it would be much more difficult to find a particular word.

Here are two guide words — PeACoCK and PeG. Circle the words below that would come between “peacock” and “peg” on a page in the dictionary.

GUIDe WorDs

peeper peel pecan peach peace pellet pay peek

Put the words you circled in alphabetical order.

1. ___________________________________

2. ___________________________________

3. ___________________________________

4. ___________________________________

Look up each word below in your dictionary. Look at the top of the page on which you found each word. What are the guide words? Write the guide words for each entry word below.

1. farm _______________________________ ______________________________

2. puppet _______________________________ ______________________________

3. weasel _______________________________ ______________________________

4. market _______________________________ ______________________________

5. lobster _______________________________ ______________________________

6. raspberry _______________________________ ______________________________

7. snake _______________________________ ______________________________

8. buffalo _______________________________ ______________________________

9. holiday _______________________________ ______________________________

10. gorilla _______________________________ ______________________________

GUIDe WorDs


Name ________________________________________

1. I have a favorite duk at the park that I like to feed.

________________________________________________________________________

2. After lunch, her boss will dik’ tat’ a letter.

________________________________________________________________________

3. That piece of furniture is an an-tek’.

________________________________________________________________________

4. Meg painted a beautiful di zin’ on her shirt.

________________________________________________________________________

5. The teacher sed we will have a test tomorrow.

________________________________________________________________________

HOLESTEIN. Can you pronounce this word? If not, the dictionary will help you. After each entry word, there is a respelling of each word.

This respelling is used to show you how to pronounce a word.

The dictionary also contains Pronunciation Key to help you understand the respellings.

Find each word below in the dictionary. Write the respelling for each.

1. holly _____________________

2. cucumber _____________________

3. design _____________________

4. baseball _____________________

resPeLLING

Hol•stein (hol’ stin’), n. Any of a breed of black and white dairy cattle.

– –

5. glove _____________________

6. birthday _____________________

7. beaver _____________________

8. beast _____________________

rewrite each sentence below. replace the underlined respelling with the word it stands for.

–

–

–˘

˘

˘

˘

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Name ________________________________________

INCH’ WÛRM’. Do you know what this is? It is the dictionary respelling of the word inchworm. We can learn how to pronounce many new words by

studying the respellings in a dictionary.

Use the Pronunciation Key in your dictionary to match the entry words with their dictionary respellings. Write the entry word next to its respelling.

resPeLLING

inch•worm (inch’ wûrm’), n. A caterpillar that moves by drawing the rear of its body forward, forming a loop, and then stretching the front forward.

1. kowtow ________________________

2. frolic ________________________

3. incline ________________________

4. tirade ________________________

5. statute ________________________

6. fox ________________________

7. push ________________________

8. moldy ________________________

9. palm ________________________

10. tattoo ________________________

Find each word below in the dictionary. Write the respelling.

resPeLLING eNtrY WorDs

1. i‑rod’ ____________________________ petticoat

2. pet’ e‑kot’ ____________________________ chalet

3. ik‑sen’ trik ____________________________ beseech

4. sha‑la’ ____________________________ mongoose

4. bi‑sech’ ____________________________ erode

5. rin’ ston’ ____________________________ eccentric

6. mong’ goos’ ____________________________ rhinestone

–

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˘ ˘ ˘

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–˘

––

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Name ________________________________________

ust when you think the dictionary can’t help you pronounce a word any more than it already has, you see another way it helps you—ACCeNt MArKs (’).

The accent mark helps you by showing you on which syllable more emphasis (or force) should be put when saying a word.

Use your dictionary to look at the respellings of the words below. Divide each word into syllables and put the accent mark on the correct syllable in each word.

1. instrument _____________________

2. decode _____________________

3. miracle _____________________

4. question _____________________

5. chopsticks _____________________

6. football _____________________

jag•uar (jag’ wär’), n. A large wild cat of tropical America similar to a leopard, having a coat of tawny fur spotted with black marks.

7. stagecoach _____________________

8. tissue _____________________

9. whopper _____________________

10. yellow _____________________

11. zebra _____________________

12. castle _____________________

resPeLLING: ACCeNt MArKs

Look at the respelling in the example above. The accent mark is on jag, which means you say that syllable with more force when saying the word jaguar.

1. prankster _____________________________________________________________

2. unicorn _____________________________________________________________

3. ermine _____________________________________________________________

4. rumba _____________________________________________________________

5. albatross _____________________________________________________________

Write a short definition for each word below.

J

˘


Name ________________________________________

KUDU. Do you know what a kudo is? Is it a magical spell or a baby crying? How would you know how to use it in a sentence? Is it a verb, a noun,

an adjective, an adverb? The dictionary will tell you!

Look up the words below in your dictionary. tell what part of speech each word is.

1. accept _____________________

2. aspirin _____________________

3. broken _____________________

4. childish _____________________

5. distant _____________________

6. driveway _____________________

7. elevator _____________________

ku•du (koo’ doo), n. An African antelope having a brownish coat marked by white stripes.

8. flipper _____________________

9. jargon _____________________

10. krypton _____________________

11. lax _____________________

12. huge _____________________

13. illness _____________________

14. bouquet _____________________

eNtrY WorDs: PArts oF sPeeCH

Were you surprised to learn that a kudu is an antelope? Notice the letter n. after the respelling in the example above. This is an abbreviation for “noun.” So, the word kudu is a noun.

The dictionary abbreviations for the parts of speech are: noun (n.), verb (v.), adjective (adj.), adverb (adv.).

1. aardvark ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2. baffle ___________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3. feeble __________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

4. koala ___________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Write a sentence for each word.

— —


Name ________________________________________

LEMMING. Do you what a lemming is? No? Well, look it up in the dictionary! It will tell you how to spell the word, how to pronounce it, how

to divide it into syllables, which syllable should be accented, and what part of speech it is. But, you need to know more. The dictionary will also tell you just what a lemming is.

Use your dictionary to write a short definition for each word below.

1. agape _____________________________________________________________

2. anchovy _____________________________________________________________

3. confection _____________________________________________________________

4. cryptic _____________________________________________________________

5. falter _____________________________________________________________

6. grebe _____________________________________________________________

7. mallet _____________________________________________________________

8. mauve _____________________________________________________________

9. outfox _____________________________________________________________

10. pug _____________________________________________________________

11. rumpus _____________________________________________________________

12. siesta _____________________________________________________________

13. slink _____________________________________________________________

14. taw _____________________________________________________________

15. tote _____________________________________________________________

lem•ming (lem’ ing), n. Any of various stout rodents somewhat like mice, living in northern regions.

DeFINItIoNs

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Name ________________________________________

Many times, if you see a word you don’t know used in a sentence, it is easier to figure out what the word means.

each word in the box below will complete one of the sentences. Use your dictionary to complete each sentence. Then, write a short definition of the word you used on the line below the sentence.

DeFINItIoNs

marlin

proficient

soggy

docile

inkling

condone

obvious

cranium

1. The ____________________________ is the part of your skull that protects your brain.

________________________________________________________________________

2. I had an ____________________________ that they were planning something special.

________________________________________________________________________

3. He caught a huge ____________________________ when he was fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

________________________________________________________________________

4. I cannot ____________________________ you being late to work again.

________________________________________________________________________

5. Joe’s new puppy is really ____________________________; he’s easy to care for.

________________________________________________________________________

6. When John thre down his glove, it was ____________________________ he was angry.

________________________________________________________________________

7. Jessie practiced every day. Now, she is a ____________________________ piano player.

________________________________________________________________________

8. It rained all night and the field is really ____________________________.

________________________________________________________________________

Answer Key


to tHe teACHer: Pronunciation symbols for the respelling activities in this book were taken from The American Heritage® Student Dictionary. Because there is no universally accepted set of markings, you may find some answers on this key will vary depending upon the dictionaries used in your classroom.

PAGE 1 1) front 2) front 3) back 4) middle 5) back 6) middle 7) middle 8) front 9) back 10) back 11) front 12) front 13) middle 14) middle 15) middle 16) back 17) middle 18) back 19) middle 20) middle 21) back 22) middle 23) front 24) back 25) front 26) back

PAGE 2 1) aardvark, alligator, asp 2) bear, bird, bull 3) cat, cockatoo, crane 4) deer, dog, duck 1) elder duck, elephant, elk 2) falcon, fang, fawn 3) goat, gopher, gorilla 4) hamster, hartebeest, hawk 1) jackal, jackdaw, jackrabbit 2) pointer, polar bear, police dog

PAGE 3 L words: 1) lodge, loft, log, loss 2) lobster, lock, locust, love M words: 1) marble, market, marmoset, marquee 2) marabou, marsh, martin, martingale S words: 1) star, starch, starfish, startle 2) stargazer, starling, starry, starve T words: 1) tread, treason, treasure, treat 2) treachery, treadmill, treatment, treaty

PAGE 4 1) mul•ber•ry 2) col•lie 3) crum•ple 4) vam•pire 5) ad•ven•ture 6) al•li•ga•tor 7) gi•ant 8) ko•a•la 9) dan•de•li•on 10) pen•cil 11) lol•li•pop 12) of•fice 13) shov•el 14) oc•to•pus 1) plant-eating water mammal 2) a wild dog of Africa and Asia that hunts for food 3) a large grasshopper that travels in a large swarm 4) tropical American or Asian mammal with a heavy body, short legs, and a long snout 5) a burrowing mammal with short legs, long claws, and thick fur

PAGE 5 1) C 2) C 3) H 4) H 5) O 6) H 7) C 8) H 9) O 10) C 11) O 12) C 13) O 14) C 15) H 16) C 17) C 18) O 19) C 20) O 21) C 22) C 23) O 24) O 25) O 26) C 27) O 28) C 29) C 30) C

PAGE 6 1) bulldog 2) bulldoze 3) bullet 4) bulletin 5) bullheaded 6) bully 7) bum 8) bumblebee 1) coupon 2) course 3) court 4) cousin 5) cove 6) cover 7) cow 8) coward (Guide words: coupon and coward)

PAGE 7 Circled words put in ABC order: 1) pecan 2) peek 3) peel 4) peeper Guide words at bottom of page will vary depending upon dictionary used.

PAGE 8 1) hŏl´ e 2) kyoo kŭm´ b r 3) dĭ-zi n 4) bas bôl´ 5) glŭv 6) bûrth´ da´ 7) be´ v r 8) best 1) duck 2) dictate 3) antique 4) design 5) said

PAGE 9 1) erode 2) petticoat 3) eccentric 4) chalet 5) beseech 6) rhinestone 7) mongoose 1) kou tou´ 2) frŏl´ ĭk 3) ĭn klin´ 4) ti ´ rad´ 5) stăch´ oot 6) fŏks 7) poosh 8) mo l´ de 9) päm 10) tă too

PAGE 10 1) in´•stru•ment 2) de•code´ 3) mir´•a•cle 4) ques´•tion 5) chop´•sticks´ 6) foot´•ball´ 7) stage´•coach´ 8) tis´•sue 9) whop´•per 10) yel´•low 11) ze´•bra 12) cas´•tle 1) a person who plays tricks 2) a legendary animal with a single long horn 3) a weasel of northern regions 4) a dance of Cuban origin 5) large, web- footed sea bird

PAGE 11 1) verb 2) noun 3) adjective 4) adjective 5) adjective 6) noun 7) noun 8) noun 9) noun 10) noun 11) adjective 12) adjective 13) noun 14) noun Sentences will vary.

PAGE 12 1) in a state of wonder or surprise 2) small sea fish related to the herring 3) a sweet food such as candy 4) having a hidden meaning or secret nature 5) to lose confidence or purpose 6) diving bird having a pointed bill 7) a hammer with a wooden head and a short handle 8) a light rosy or grayish purple 9) to outwit 10) a small short-haired dog 11) a noisy disturbance or dispute 12) a rest or nap after the midday meal 13) to move in a quiet sneaky way 14) a large fancy marble used for shooting 15) to haul; carry

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Answer Key


PAGE 13 1) cranium; the skull 2) inkling; a slight indication or hint 3) marlin; a large ocean fish 4) condone; forgive or overlook 5) docile; easy to handle 6) obvious; easily understood 7) proficient; performing skillfully 8) soggy; saturated with moisture

PAGE 14 1) 2 2) 1 3) 3 4) 1 5) 2 6) 1 7) 3 8) 2

PAGE 15 1) ground or soil 2) to set down on the ground 3) department that maintains order and enforces the law 4) to control or keep in order 5) sent by rapid transportation 6) to put into words 7) caution; avoid harm or danger 8) to have a liking 9) the top part of the body 10) a person who leads

PAGE 16 1) hoarse 2) buy 3) pier 4) soar 5) creak 6) team 7) pale 8) reign 9) hail 10) pore 11) sale 12) grate 13) fare 14) bale 15) mail 16) peak

PAGE 17 1) rabbit 2) easy 3) alone 4) join 5) sad 6) shout 7) polite 8) noted 9) hide 10) oppose (Some of these synonyms may vary.)

PAGE 18 1) crazy 2) very wealthy 3) dollar bills 4) make more lively 5) hit hard 6) easy 7) achieve a grade of A 8) unexpected chance

PAGE 19 1) hour 2) date of birth 3) mount, mountain 4) temperature, Thursday, Tuesday 5) California 6) cash on delivery 7) September 8) left field, low frequency 9) miles per hour 10) company, county 11) antonym 12) bushel 13) disc jockey 14) alternate, altitude

PAGE 20 1) second 2) American Red Cross 3) Dutch painter 4) telegraph 5) rich, poor 6)1735 to 1818 7) Indian 8) North Pole 9) shooting 10) France 11) 35th 12) witch

PAGE 21 1) thespian 2) numismatist 3) ensign 4) skeptic 5) epicurean 6) envoy 7) comrade 8) philanthropist 9) gossip 1) no 2) no 3) no

PAGE 22 Pictures will vary, but should bear some resemblance to the description given.

PAGE 23 1) cut meat 2) wear it on the head 3) wear it 4) use as a footstool 5) eat it 6) eat it 7) wear it 8) wear it around the ankle 9) wear it around the neck 10) live in it 11) ride in it on water 12) wear it on the head 1-3) Sentences will vary.

PAGE 24 (Answers to the "guess" questions will vary.) 1) sail in it – small ship with three masts 2) a child – a youngster 3) a fly – tiny insect like a gnat 4) bird – a bird with a body like a duck 5) a turtle – a large sea turtle 6) kneecap – a small bone at the front of the knee 7) stew – a meat or fish and vegetable stew

PAGE 25 (Answers to the "guess" questions will vary.) 1) good at fooling people; skillful in deceit 2) on your hands and knees; crawl on the ground 3) careful with money; thrifty 4) getting better after an illness; to get back health and strength 5) someone of value; something of value 6) treating them really well; to entertain or amuse 7) confused; confused or bewildered

PAGE 26 1) F 2) B 3) B 4) F 5) A 6) A 7) F 8) B 9) B 10) A 1) Australia 2) northern seas 1) a wading bird with a long neck, pointed bill, and white feathers 2) a large bird with a hooked bill and short wings 3) a wolf-like, wild dog with a yellowish-brown coat 4) a one-humped camel

PRE/POST- TEST Answers will vary for questions 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 10. 2) 4 5) lice 7) (page # will vary) a garment

without sleeves; like a kind of apron 8) 9 11) adjective 12) bewitch: to cast a spell over harvest: the act of gathering a crop

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Can You Use A Dictionary? - edWorksheets.com · 2016-08-26 · Can You Use A Dictionary? Use your dictionary to answer the following questions. ... treadmill _____ treatment ... ik‑sen’