English-Spanish Dictionary

One of the most important tools for a language learner is a high-quality bilingual dictionary. As a student of Spanish, you may be wondering what dictionary to use, or just how to use an English-Spanish dictionary. In this article, we’ll discuss the options available to you and how to use them.

Digital Dictionaries

Digital dictionaries like SpanishDictionary.com are ideal for language students. You can take them with you wherever you go, as long as you have Internet and a cellphone or computer. Because they are digital, and not paper-based, a digital dictionary can be as big as necessary. They can include not only more information, but also photos, audio pronunciations, and multiple examples of the term in context.

Paper-Based Dictionaries

The most traditional option is to use a paper-based dictionary. This is a traditional, book dictionary that, depending on its size, you may be able to take with you wherever you go – or not! Some paper-based dictionaries are referred to as “pocket sized.” These dictionaries are smaller and, while they may not actually fit in your pocket, they are designed to be taken wherever you go. However, these dictionaries may not be as thorough as other larger dictionaries, or the font used may be so small that you can’t read it that easily!

There are other paper-based dictionaries that are much larger and more thorough. They might even include regional variations and many different options for each word that you want to translate! If you are going to invest in a paper-based dictionary, the best choice is undoubtably to buy a larger, more thorough dictionary.

How Are Dictionaries Structured?

Now that you know what options are available for English-Spanish dictionaries, you might be wondering how to use one.

Using a Digital Dictionary

Using a digital English-Spanish dictionary is straightforward. All you need to do is type the term in English or in Spanish into the search box. Keep in mind that if you misspell the term, the digital dictionary may not recognize the term you are looking for.

Some dictionaries, like SpanishDictionary.com, have a spell check feature. To access the SpanishDictionary.com spell checker on a computer, click on the small down arrow next to the search arrow. This will expand the search box. To check your spelling, click on the check mark inside a circle. If your word is misspelled, it will be underlined in red.

Barring any possible spelling mistakes, a digital dictionary is the easiest and most convenient option available.

Using a Print Dictionary

Using a bilingual print dictionary is a bit more complicated. First, you need to figure out which section comes first in the dictionary: English to Spanish or Spanish to English. Bilingual dictionaries are divided in half: first one language, then the other. So, if you need to know what the word cachorrito means, you must search in the section with the Spanish headwords.

The second important thing that you have to keep in mind is that paper-based dictionaries are organized in alphabetical order, so you’ll find the word carro(car) in the Spanish-English side of the dictionary before the word coche(car).

Don’t worry if you need to sing the ABCs to yourself as you look up a word. Many of us use the same trick!

Happy searching!