Dictionaries

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Here are the current top-selling dictionaries in book form, plus electronic dictionaries and dictionary software (especially good for unabridged dictionaries!), that can help you as a writer. These include general dictionaries and specialized dictionaries on medicine, law, business, telecom, the military, and other disciplines...not to mention specialized dictionaries for writers, such as rhyming dictionaries, reverse dictionaries, slang dictionaries, and dictionaries of obscure words. As you'd expect, there are dictionaries of American and British English (separate and combined), as well as Canadian English.

You may want to have a look at our thesaurus page as well.

Electronic Dictionaries, Handhelds, and Dictionary Software


1.		Sharp Electronics PW-E550 Electronic Dictionary from Sharp Price: $59.99 Customer Review: For GMAT Prep, it is best to have a dictionary by your side. Yet, you find yourself too lazy to use hard version of Oxford, buy this product! Likewise, if you are too easy to be distracted by online dictionaries, buy this product!	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


2.		Franklin KID-1240 Children's Talking Dictionary and Spell Corrector from Franklin Electronics Price: $31.95 Customer Review: I bought this for one of my sixth grade students who has an extensive vocabulary, but a difficult time with spelling. The spell checker is able to figure out the words he types in even though they are often missing sounds/letters that you hear in the word. I thought he might think the look of it was... more info	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


3.		Franklin SPELLING CORRECTOR from Franklin Electronics Price: $13.49 Customer Review: its a lot smaller than i thought, and the other reviews are right about the buttons: they are pretty small. but i love this product! i use it when i play scrabble to check the spelling and to see if something is a word or not. the size worked great cause i can easily slide it into the drawer on the... more info	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


4.		Franklin Speaking Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary 11th Edition (SCD-2100) from Franklin Electronics Price: $76.99 Customer Review: I use it mostly for Scrabble Slam. People quit using the hardcopy and rely on the quick decision of my electronic dictionary.	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


5.		Franklin MWD-460 Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus from Franklin Electronics Price: $20.17 Customer Review: I bought this unit to replace an older Franklin Wordmaster that does a very good job of correcting my misspelled words. THE MWD460 DOES NOT! If you are looking for something to correct your bad spelling, then STAY AWAY FROM THIS PIECE OF JUNK! I don't know what you... more info	Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


6.		Franklin Merriam Webster Advanced Dictionary and Thesaurus With Spell Correction (MWD-1500) from Franklin Electronics Price: $39.09 Customer Review: I was shocked to find when i received my order that when i opened the box the product was missing from its original plastic case.Someone had opened my package while in route and sliced open the case and stole the product.However i still received the package to me,i wonder how stupid people are when... more info	Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


7.		The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Price: $34.00 Customer Review: I said it all in my title. I researched dictionaries for days before settling on the American Heritage. There are other very good ones out there, and it almost comes down to a matter of taste. In any case, I found what I wanted at a fair price on Amazon, the first place I go when I begin to look for... more info	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


8.		Franklin Merriam Webster Spanish English Dictionary (DBE-1500) from Franklin Electronics Price: $37.44 Customer Review: Excellent! Perfect for increasing language proficiency and fluency. I carry this with me daily. Even though I quite fluent in Spanish, it is helpful to look up infrequently used words and to improve grammar. I love the games. Hangman is my fave.	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


9.		Franklin 12 Language European Translator FR-TJS12 from Franklin Electronics Price: $28.69 Customer Review: I've been using this translator in my Italian class in place of my italina dictionary, and so far it has worked pretty well. I've only had one instance where I wasn't able to find a word, the word paradise, hence the four star rating, but then, how often would you use the word paradise in Italian.... more info	Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


10.		Franklin Speaking Merriam Webster Spanish English Dictionary (BES-2100) from Franklin Electronics Price: $63.00 Customer Review: I am a native spanish speaker, living in Pittsburgh and I bought this translator because I am tired to carry my dictionary in my purse and is all kilter. Anyway I've been trying it and I read some comments which said that it was a really complicated gadget and IT'S NOT TRUE, unless you don't... more info	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


11.		Franklin HW-1216 Children's Speller and Dictionary from Franklin Electronics Price: $15.19 Customer Review: Did not open until my granddaughter's birthday. New batteries. Am experienced computer, device user. Not a chance that we misread instructions or lacked skill. Worked for 5 minutes and then started getting garbage. Reset as well as the logical turn it off and on and the usual problem solving. Device... more info	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


12.		Franklin DBE-1490 Merriam-Webster Spanish-English Dictionary from Franklin Electronics Price: $32.77 Customer Review: It is not what I expected - it does not translate the english word as I thought it would - thought it would help with more conversational translation - it does not - but it is much better than nothing at all................	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


13.		Franklin BES-2150 Speaking Merriam-Webster Spanish-English and Advanced Learner's English Dictionary (BES-2150) from Franklin Electronics Price: $98.78 Customer Review: I finally found an electronic comprehensive Spanish-English, English-Spanish dictionary that I can carry in my purse. This small unit has served me more than I had ever imagined. I write articles in Spanish, and sometimes need to remember the translation of words that I haven't used in many years. I... more info	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


14.		Franklin Spelling Ace SA209 with 110,000 Word Phonetic Spell Corrector , 500,000 Synonyms & Antonyms , Word Building Exercises , Crossword Solver & Homophone Guide from Franklin Electronics Price: $16.99 Customer Review: This newer version of Frankllin's is excellent for immediate search for spelling and especially the thesaurus and antonym parts. It beats thumbing through a book and is convenient for travelers given it's small size. Surprisingly, it comes with a few simple games to play when you have a moment! I... more info	Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


15.		Franklin Electronic Publishers SA-309 Spelling Ace Thesaurus with Merriam-Webster Puzzle solver from Franklin Electronics Price: $9.99 Customer Review: I purchased this for my Mother, who is 90 and still mentally alert!! She keeps herself that way by contantly keeping her mind engaged!! She does the Jumble and Scrabblegram in the paper everyday. Her Spelling Ace is right there at her side like a word bible. It is the way she checks her... more info	Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


16.		Nyrius Global ENTOURAGE7 Talking Travel Translator for 7 International Languages from SVAT Electronics Price: Too low to display Customer Review: I am fluent in Mandarin Chinese, some of the sentences are not the way we spoke, almost comical, because it was translated word by word. It is also hard to read. I think you might be able to use it as a electronic dictionary when you travel, but not a translator.	Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


17.		Nyrius LT12 12 Language Global Digital Talking Translator Foreign Pocket-Sized Electronic Speaking Dictionary from SVAT Electronics Price: $49.99 Customer Review: The screen needs to be bigger so you can see everything it says. It needs to come with a book and a number button to find something quick. If you just want to goof around and have all the time in the world to play with this item then its for you.	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


18.		Franklin Pocket-Sized Electronic Spelling Ace SA209 with Over 110,000 Word Phonetic Spell Corrector , 500,000 Synonyms & Antonyms , Word Building Exercises, Spanish & French Phrases, 5 Level Spelling Bee list, Crossword Solver & Homophone Guide from Franklin Electronics Price: $14.99	Click here for more information


19.		Franklin OEC-570 Compact Oxford English Dictionary with Thesaurus and Spell Correction from Franklin Electronics Price: $48.99 Customer Review: My wife is going to a community college. She is not a native english speaker and this electronic dictionary is a huge help for her to quickly check on the meaning of words so she can understand a lecture or find synonyms and antonyms. We are not exactly poor and sure as heck not rich but for [...]... more info	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


20.		Franklin Electronics SA-206 Spelling Ace with Thesaurus from Franklin Electronics Price: $7.66 Customer Review: I purchased this product for one of my 6th grade students who is a reluctant writer due to his poor spelling ability. He hasn't let it out of his sight since he received it! He now has greater confidence and is producing quality work. He finds it easy to use and he says that it is teaching him how... more info	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information

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Dictionaries in Book Form


1.		Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, 21st Edition (Thumb Index Version) from F A Davis Co Price: $27.27 Customer Review: Fantastic. Love it. Good pictures and everything. I don't have anything to compare it to though so my review may not be as helpful as some others.	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


2.		Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary from Merriam-Webster Price: $3.40 Customer Review: Very reasonably priced and exactly what I wanted. Condition was very good, as it was a used paperback.	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


3.		Black's Law Dictionary (Pocket), 3rd Edition from Thomson West Price: $30.00 Customer Review: I have the latest Black's Law Dictionary and for on-the-go purposes this dictionary does not miss a beat. There are a few words I could not find, but that is what the upgraded edition is for, right? For the most part, this dictionary is extremely handy.	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


4.		Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing & Health Professions (Mosby's Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Health Professions) from Mosby Price: $27.00 Customer Review: Fair amount of information. Pictures are not optimal, colors are not realistic in most photographs.	Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


5.		Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition thumb-notched with Win/Mac CD-ROM and Online Subscription from Merriam Webster Price: $12.47 Customer Review: Still a valuable reference. It was imcluded on my required book list when I was a college freshman over 50 years ago and I continue to use it (in updated editions) to this day.	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


6.		Black's Law Dictionary: Deluxe Ninth Edition from West Price: $121.77 Customer Review: The English language changes over time. Were that to be allowed in the English of Law and especially with legal terms would be equivalent to changing the Law. That must never be. These modern Editors have taken unjustifiable liberties with the definitions of some words in these newer version of... more info	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


7.		New American Webster Handy College Dictionary, 4th Edition (Newly Revised) from Signet Price: $3.74 Customer Review: I discovered my small dictionary next to my computer was so old it didn't have the word I wanted to look up. I love my new Webster and it did have my word in it. Thanks.	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


8.		Merriam-Webster's French-English Dictionary from Merriam-Webster Price: $3.24 Customer Review: This dictionary goes both ways, French to English and English to French. The dimensions are 7" x 4" x 1.5", fairly compact and light, and easy to carry in a backpack. My daughter is taking French, and she's found this a perfect companion for her.	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


9.		The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary from Merriam-Webster Price: $11.99 Customer Review: Great price for a book that looks like new! I'm very happy with it.	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


10.		Stedman's Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing, Illustrated, Sixth Edition (Stedman's Concise Medical Dictionary) from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Price: $30.00 Customer Review: I am taking a course in medical terminology and find this book to be an excellent resource. It is affordable. I know I will refer to this book very often.	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


11.		Barron's Spanish-English Dictionary: Diccionario Espanol-Ingles (Barron's Foreign Language Guides) from Barron's Educational Series Price: $9.34 Customer Review: I've been re-learning Spanish as an adult, but using my Spanish-English dictionary from high school (circa 1987). My old dictionary was getting hard to read, as the pages were fading, but it had always been confusing to use. I finally got around to ordering Barron's Spanish-English dictionary, and... more info	Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


12.		LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary from DK Publishing Price: $10.99 Customer Review: This was a very nice item, it has very complete information in it and the mini-figure that comes with it is super rare. I think that this is an exceptionaly good item	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


13.		Webster's New World Italian Dictionary: Italian/English, English/Italian from Webster's New World Price: $7.10 Customer Review: Having a way to help in communications with Italian relatives is a big asset. Thank You	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


14.		The American Heritage College Dictionary, Fourth Edition from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Price: $15.75 Customer Review: The American Heritage College Dictionary, Fourth Edition is a great dictionary. The size of the edition is managable, the print is reasonable, the pictures are compelling. I can sit and read this book for hours! Love it!	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


15.		The New World Spanish/English, English/Spanish Dictionary (El New World Diccionario español/inglés, inglés/español) (Spanish and English Edition) from Signet Price: $4.64 Customer Review: I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this dictionary. I was nervous about getting a dictionary on line, unable to look at it. But its description is true. It is excellent. Maravilloso.	Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


16.		Scholastic Children's Dictionary (2010 Edition) from Scholastic Reference Price: $11.99 Customer Review: This is exactly what we expected. Look forward to using it with my daughter. Easy & comprehensive.	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


17.		Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary from DK CHILDREN Price: $11.92 Customer Review: This was the best buy ever. DK Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary. New cost about $25.00. These 2 books i brought look new, and the seller said it all used but looks new. I would 2 more from the seller if he had more to sell. thank you Amazon.com i will keep shopping online. more info	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


18.		Arabic-English Dictionary: The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic from Spoken Language Services Price: $39.90 Customer Review: I'm happy with Amazon for its swift delivery of my order. Accordingly I'm supposed to receive the book latest 29th July but instead I got in a matter of ten days.Thank you Amazon. Now for the book - I've got several arab-english dictionaries that I switched from on another whenever I need to... more info	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information


19.		Merriam-Webster's Pocket Spanish-English Dictionary (Pocket Reference Library) from Merriam-Webster Price: $2.38 Customer Review: This book is very small and not too heavy. For the size, it includes a good amount of words. It also includes basic conjugation and grammar rules with examples. The more experienced speaker will probably want a larger book; I used the book to look up words from "100 years of solitude" and didn't... more info	Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 Click here for more information


20.		Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms from Mayfield Publishing Company Price: $16.23 Customer Review: I bought this book because of my work and my graduate studies. I needed a quick reference for Latin and Greek combining forms and word roots for my medical-related job, so I could be assured of the spelling rules when combining Greek words to form medical words, especially since my job requires me... more info	Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 Click here for more information