206 Best Online English Dicionaries
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Hi, everybody. I am Georgiana, your English teacher and founder of SpeakEnglishPodcast.com. My mission is to help you to speak English fluently. Today we will talk about a topic that I'm sure you will find very useful. I will talk about the best English dictionaries.

And with a mini-story, you will practice your English fluency. But before we start, please visit my website, speakenglishpodcast.com slash podcast to get the transcript of this episode. It's completely free. Okay, let's get started.

We have all used an English dictionary at one time or another, and I think it was easier before the Internet. Everyone had a single dictionary at home and consulted it in paper format. And then for a short time, people used dictionaries on their computers. But then came the Internet.

And everything became faster, more convenient, but also more confusing. Because right now, we have more dictionaries at our disposal than ever. So let's see what are the most used English dictionaries on the internet. Of course, many people use Google Dictionary, which is actually a translator.

And although it is not a bad one, I do not recommend it, especially if you want to look up the pronunciation of an English word. Then we have the Free Dictionary, which is one of the most famous dictionaries for pronunciation. It offers all the basics you need as a pronunciation resource.

You can search by words, characters, or text with this dictionary to find definitions and voice pronunciations. In addition, you can compare the pronunciation differences between American and British English. And in case you want to use your mobile or tablet, they also have an app for iPhone and Android.

There's also the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, one of the most respected dictionaries of the English language. It offers phonetic translations, Spanish to English translations, and a medical dictionary. It also provides information on the history and etymology of words.

and many people use the Cambridge Dictionary online. It has three outstanding features, dictionary, grammar, and translator. If you're looking for a very detailed historical resource, this is for you. Collins Dictionary is one of the best platforms for students, translators, and teachers.

It comes with unique options that can help you improve your grammar and fluency. Its search engine has an auto-suggest feature that allows you to select the word you're looking for just by typing a few letters. The Oxford Dictionary is one of the oldest and most trusted online dictionaries.

It is the ideal dictionary to use when writing a thesis or research paper. Even though it is the last one on the list, dictionary.com is the one I use regularly.

This dictionary has earned the trust of millions of users worldwide for the last two decades, and one of my favorite features is the audio pronunciation. It is the dictionary I recommend if you want to consult and practice the pronunciation of American English words.

Okay, now it's time for you to practice your speech with a mini-story. By the way, if you want to know how to speak English using the right techniques, visit my website, speakenglishpodcast.com, and subscribe to my mailing list. I will send you my five-day video course,

So you can learn how to speak English fluently. And it's completely free. What's a mini-story? A mini-story is very simple. I give you information using phrases. And then I ask you questions.

After each question, there will be some seconds of silence. It's your turn to answer the question. Just try to give an easy and a short answer, not a complex one. After your answer, I'll give you the correct answer. And just like that, I'll tell you a story with questions and answers. Are you ready? In a faraway country...

There were many thousands of different kinds of dictionaries. Where were there thousands of different kinds of dictionaries? In a faraway country. In a faraway country, there were thousands of different kinds of dictionaries. How many kinds of dictionaries were there? Thousands.

There were thousands of dictionaries. What kind of book was there? Dictionaries. There were thousands of different kinds of dictionaries. So, it wasn't obvious to find the right dictionary for each situation. Was it a little or very confusing to find the right dictionary? Very confusing.

It wasn't obvious to try to find the right dictionary. What was confusing? Finding the right dictionary for each situation. Was it confusing to find any dictionary or the right dictionary? The right dictionary. It was confusing to find the right dictionary.

Consequently, Lisa had the fantastic idea of writing a dictionary catalog. Did Lisa have a horrible idea? No, no. She had a fantastic idea. Did she have the idea of writing a romance novel with her boyfriend in mind?

No, no. She had the idea of writing a dictionary catalog. What kind of catalog? A dictionary catalog. The catalog consisted of thousands of listings with the names of the available dictionaries. Did the catalog consist of a list of dishes?

No, no, it didn't consist of a list of dishes. What did the catalog consist of? It consisted of thousands of listings with the names of the available dictionaries. Lisa's catalog was such a success that others started writing thousands of dictionary catalogs just like her.

Did the others start writing self-help books? No, no. Not self-help books. They started writing catalogs, just like Lisa. Who was the first person to write dictionary catalogs? Lisa. She was the first. How many catalogs did they start writing? Hundreds? Thousands?

Thousands. They started writing thousands and thousands of dictionary catalogs. Perfect! It's the end of this mini-story. As you can see, through questions and answers, you can practice and improve your speech, just like in a real conversation. It is one of the techniques that I use in my premium courses.

I recommend you to take a look at speakenglishpodcast.com slash courses. Okay, we have reached the end of this episode. Remember to listen to it several times. It will help you with your English. See you soon. Bye-bye.