A dictionary is the first indispensable resource to improve your vocabulary. It’s only by looking up a word in a dictionary that you will learn its precise meaning, spelling, alternate definitions, and find additional useful information about it. A thesaurus is also a valuable resource for learning by finding connections between words, such as their synonyms and antonyms.
Consider adding a good dictionary and thesaurus to your bookshelf. Here are some recommendations:
- Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
- The New Oxford American Dictionary
- The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus
For online dictionaries, there are many free options with great extra features. Even if you have a good dictionary in print already, you can’t miss having a good online dictionary at your disposal:
- OneLook: has a reverse lookup function (get the word from its definition) and works as a “meta-dictionary,” showing you definitions from other major online dictionaries
- Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary: a well-established and well-regarded name in the realm of dictionaries
- Ninjawords: searches the free dictionary Wiktionary. What makes this site interesting is that you can look up multiple words simultaneously. Moreover, the results pages can be bookmarked – making them good personal reference pages
- Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus: if you’re a fan of mind mapping, you will certainly enjoy viewing related words represented in a visual map format
- Answers.com, Dictionary.com, The Free Dictionary and many others: all of them are good resources – try each one at least once to help you make up your mind.