Langenscheidt Pocket German Dictionary: German-english/ English-german (Langenscheidt Pocket Dictionary)

I am a language lover and take courses in German and Italian for my own enlightment and enrichment. This dictionary: Langenscheidt's Pocket German Dictionary is an excellent resource for any language learner.

This dictionary is fair, but that's about it. The blue coloring of the words can either appeal to you, or become your worst nuisance; for me, the latter. I have noticed that only about one-third of the dictionary's words has an IPA pronunciation, which is probably the #1 thing I look for in a foreign language dictionary. Unlike in other dictionaries I have purchased, there are no grammatical introductions, another thing I fancy in a dictionary. The only thing that gives this dictionary a medium rating rather than a low one is the fact that for its compact size, the dictionary contains a lot of words.

The first pocket dictionary I've encountered that could legitimately fit into a coat pocket or a purse. That being said, it's portability makes it less than complete. Perfect for carrying in your bag if traveling or going to class, but not hefty enough for desk use. Entries are abbreviated and don't provide the level of information that a larger dictionary will, which is a distinct disadvantage.

This is comprehensive and easy to use. It's a little larger than most pocket dictionaries and wouldn't fit in my pocket, but the size is worthwhile. I've found most other German dictionaries, even larger ones, missing much of what I need and/or difficult to follow. The Langenscheidt is a pleasure to use.

I have several German dictionaries from the large Oxford-Duden to the small compact Langenscheidt and others. This new pocket dictionary is the single best daily use German dictionary you can find. It is laid out well and very easy to use. The type is printed on bright white paper (easy on the eyes) and the new blue headwords make looking things up quickly a snap. It has the right amount of words to help you while also facilitating a quick, easy scan of similar words. Like English, German words are organized in word families. A quick look at four similar words (noun, verb, adjective, etc) organized together will increase your erudition rapidly. I love this book and use it constantly! You will too.