Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 4th Edition

I dont know why this book is not very popular inspite of being the best book to teach english in a simple manner. I used this dictionary during my GRE preparation and I found it very useful. I scored 700 on the verbal section (99%ile). I still have this book and use it first especially to see how the word is used in a sentence.It wouldnot give you the origin of the word and other details of pronunciation, etc. But it would tell you the several meanings the word can have in a simple manner. More importantly it uses the word in a complete sentence. Doing so not only gives you the context but reinforces your memory. One problem with other dictionaries is that they give too long sentences (typically these sentences are popular or published in a newspaper). I hate those type of sentences. By the time you read the sentence you lose sight of what you are looking for. The sentences in this one are small sometimes just a short precise meaningful phrase.I followed older edition. I saw the new edition and its even better. It has more pictures than the previous editions. Ofcourse if you want illustrated dictionary you shoudl go for the American Oxford Illustrated dictionary.Grab this one right now if you are preparing for GRE or SAT. Also if you are looking for a dictionary which would give you meanings in a context then buy this dictionary.

No other book on my bookshelf is more worn out. I use it all the time. When I started to study English I used to use an English / Portuguese (my first language) dictionary but I could only actually improve my English when I started using the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.The dictionary has lots of pictures (over 1700) for words that can be explained but for which a picture is much more effective like "hinge". The words have a pronunciation guide with a mark (') showing the main stress. There are many useful appendixes like irregular verbs conjugation, usage of numbers, punctuation, family relationships and a few colorful maps. Over 220 usage notes clarify the subtle differences among words such as dealer trader and merchant. Although it's mainly a British English dictionary the differences in spelling, use or pronunciation between American English and British English are stressed.By far the most interesting feature is the extremely reduced defining vocabulary constituted of 3500 words. The great majority of definitions are written using that reduced defining vocabulary. This simplifies the definitions and it's a great starting vocabulary for the beginners. The use of such a small defining vocabulary rules out the use of this dictionary as a thesaurus but the advantages compensate this drawback.My copy is a paper back that has been reinforced with adhesive tape. This makes the dictionary lighter and handy. I used to put it on my back pack and take it to all my classes when I started college in USA.The drawbacks are the need of an additional thesaurus and the fact that the entries are not syllabified. Nevertheless I would give it 10 stars if I could.Leonardo Alves - December 2000

My English teacher, the rewiewers of the 1,995 edition and the rewiewer of this edition have said that this dictionary is one of the best that are available now. I think that only the Collins English Dictionary is better, but the Collins is too technical and very difficult for normal people. Certainly, this dictionary is very, very good. The A-Z part is very useful. It has got more than 3,000 words with very clear meanings and with little articles about grammar, diffences with words with similar meanings (e.g. to say and to tell) and differences with Brittish English and American one. This part also included the word's phonetic part.The appendixes in the beginning and in the ending of the dictionary helps you to understand this dictionary and complete the teacher's explanations in grammar, ortography and vocabulary (like a 2nd teacher).The language study pages in the middle are ideal for a better English writting in letters, CVs, resumés, e-mails, etc.The colour illustrations make this dictionary superb. They are about basic vocabulary and they have got maps of the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean Islands, a map of the world and an interesting part the globe and the seasons.This dictionary is complete with topic pages about computers, musical instruments, the kitchen, health and sports. They are in black and white, but they are interesting for learning more vocabulary, grammar and ortography about these themes.Finally, this dictionary is for students. However, native English speakers, ELT teachers and English experts will enjoy it.

Probally, This is the most easy-to-use dictionary:- A lot of examples (90,000 aprox.);- Pictures, diagrams;- Some useful informations about the language.

We are professional Education Consultants and have researched ELT dictionaries for a number of years. There can be no doubt that the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary is the best dictionary for English language students, teachers, and schools - scoring consistently highly under objective and subjective research.It offers clear, concise, contextual explanations of head words - helping students to master the skills of working with an English-English (rather than a foreign language-English) dictionary. As an authoritative reference, its framework of language is closely related to the English language examinations run by the UK examination boards - making it an essential learning aid for students working towards an English language qualification.We have taken feedback from students worldwide, and the OALD has scored consistently high "suitability" ratings - making it ideal for students from Asia, Europe, Scandinavia, South America, Africa, and the Indian Subcontinent studying British English at an Intermediate level (pre First Certificate) or above. END