Use guide words

Key Notes :

What are Guide Words?

Guide words are two words printed at the top of each page in a dictionary.

• The first guide word is the first word listed on that page.
• The second guide word is the last word listed on that page.

All the words on that page will fall alphabetically between those two guide words.

Example

Imagine a dictionary page with these guide words:

Guide Words: happy – hatch

This means that all the words on that page start with letters that come alphabetically between ‘happy’ and ‘hatch,’ including happy and hatch themselves. You would find words like hard, harm, and harp on this page.

Word: jump Guide Words: kite – know Will you find it on this page? Answer: No

Word: horse Guide Words: hike – hold Will you find it on this page? Answer: Yes

Practice Time!

For each word, decide if it would be found on a dictionary page with the given guide words:

1. Guide Words: boat – bone
   Word: bomb
2. Guide Words: dance – dare
   Word: danger
3. Guide Words: fan – farm
   Word: fake
4. Guide Words: grape – grass
   Word: grave
5. Guide Words: hide – hill
   Word: hip

Answers:

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No
4. Yes
5. Yes

Why are Guide Words Useful?

Guide words help you find words faster in a dictionary. Instead of searching every single page, you can quickly check the guide words to see if the word you’re looking for is on that page.

Summary

Today, we learned that guide words are essential tools in a dictionary. They are located at the top of each page. The first guide word is the first word on the page, and the second guide word is the last word on the page. Using guide words saves time by helping you quickly identify if the word you seek is located on that page.

let’s practice!