Pocket Oxford English Dictionary

I purchased this dictionary from Oxford's voluminous line because it was a good price for a hardback cover, which I felt would be more durable. While the cover may be more durable, the binding is cheap glue rather than a more reinforced binding that usually comes with a hardback. This weak binding becomes a particular problem because the book is very thick and requires the reader to force it open widely to be able to read at the inside margins of the pages. I have only had the book for a few months, but it does not seem as though the binding will last very long.

This is the dictionary I grew up with. For more years than I can remember, POD stands for an authoritative yet handy source of guidance for the English language. I still keep an old edition, which was published long before the Soviet Union collapsed.

I bought this latest edition out of curiosity. This new edition obviously bears a modern look. Its definitions are concise, clear, and unequivocal. Unlike the Merrian-Webster series, which sometimes substitute a synonym for a definition, this dictionary defines every single word in such an accessible way that the probability for confusion is largely minimised.

However, the apparent dismissal of IPA and the adoption of a brand-new system of pronunciation symbols have caused some confusion. Having been used to the IPA and the system of M-Webster, I don't think I need to bother to learn a third respelling system.

The reason I choose this dictionary instead of the others, b/c i needed a British dictionary. B/c I knew it would have the definitions and how the words are used in British terms. Its very handy when your especially reading a book from a British author. When reading J.K. Rowling's books she used certain words that made no sense to me being an American and all. B/c our definition of the word and how we use it, was totally different in the way she was using it.

But I gotta say, if you buy this dictionary check and make sure its correct. B/c I had a problem with the first copy I had of it. When I was just skimming the pages of it, I realized that there were no words beginning with G @ all in the book. Instead I saw words that began with P in the place where G words are suppose to be. So basically it went A,B,C,D,E,F,P...
But amazon did send me a new copy and everything was all correct. Maybe mines was a one time mistake, but it never hurts to make sure your copy is correct.

The "Pocket Oxford English Dictionary" is just about the best dictionary you can get for this type and in this price range.

The physical size of the dictionary is accessible and handy - sort of like your own word leatherman tool. The text is easy to read with each entry in bold. The quality of the paper is quite good and should withstand heavy use. This is also a hardcover which makes it more even more sturdy. And the defintions are pretty much current and up-to-date. In sum, it's about the best portable dictionary you can get.

About the only quibble is that this edition has only 120,000 defintions. However, this is just the constraint of the size and purpose of the dictionary. If they had made it longer you wouldn't have the portable size.