Growing up, I remember a very large dictionary my parents kept on a short bookshelf or stand in our spare bedroom. It was always open like someone had just flipped through the pages and had cutouts with black tabs for each letter along the edge. I have no idea why, but that book fascinated me. I would sneak into the room and read through pages when I thought no one was looking and loved the order of the things – the alphabetical set up, the format of each entry, and the predictability. This dictionary would have been my parents from their college days in the early 70’s, but I’ve had several other versions throughout my life.
Physical dictionaries aren’t as commonplace in today’s households, but they should be! I heard once that physical copies of books prevent someone from stealing the words and banning them forever. While I can’t see a dictionary from ever being banned, there are other reasons why you should keep a physical dictionary in your life. Recently, the power and internet were out in our household during the hurricane – I couldn’t look up anything online! Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite physical dictionaries with you, but I’ll also include a few digital versions you may enjoy.
Physical Versions
Best All Around: The Mirriam-Webster Dictionary
At nearly 1,000 pages, this dictionary has it all. Pronunciations, synonyms, and, of course, definitions. The link provided here takes you to the 2022 version of this book and the publisher does update with new words every few years. I especially love this one for its special sections on things like foreign words and geographical names.
Best Portable Version: Merriam-Webster’s Pocket Dictionary
While not nearly as in depth as his larger cousin above, this pocket dictionary is perfect for dropping in a bookbag and briefcase for on-the-go reference. At just over 400 pages, this one gives you the same definitions and synonyms but pares down the list of words considerably.
Best Children’s Version: Merriam-Webster Children’s Dictionary
What makes a good children’s dictionary? Pictures! And easy to understand definitions. To fully cement my childhood nerd status, I should tell you that I read a lot of encyclopedias as a kid, too. This is the best combination of your standard family dictionary and those encyclopedias. With maps and photos, along with color coded sections for each letter of the alphabet, this one will be much more engaging for the youngest members of the house.
Best for Other-Abled Readers: Color Oxford English Dictionary
This final entry in our list of physical dictionaries is aimed at inclusivity. Do you struggle with ADHD or dyslexia? This might be a good option for you. I’ve heard from several friends that straight black and white dictionaries can be too overwhelming for them to use – the words are small, and the large numbers of lines can be too much for their brains. This version provides clear and concise definitions with color headwords to help bring your eyes to the navigation points. It does have some special sections on grammar and spelling but doesn’t contain too much that would distract.
Digital Versions
Merriam-Webster.com – I’d be remiss if this wasn’t one of my inclusions here. The Merriam-Webster dictionary is obviously one of my favorite print versions, so why wouldn’t the digital version be as well? Their website includes both dictionary and thesaurus lookups and a lot of special features, too. Sign up for Word of the Day, play word games, and check out articles on grammar and usage. They even have an app and a podcast!
Dictionary.com – This was one of the first online versions of the dictionary many years ago. Like Merriam-Webester, this site also has a sister site Thesaurus.com easily accessed from the landing page. It also features a Word of the Day and games but isn’t quite as in-depth as the MW version. There are writing tips, which is what I use most frequently on this site, and a pop culture section as well.
Tell me what dictionary is sitting on your shelves today – I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
This post contains affiliate links.
What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The After Party, Anton Disclafani
- Current audio book: A Discovery of Witches, Deborah Harkness
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Virgin River, Robyn Carr
Discover more from Read With Lindsey
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
