As much as I rely on Google day to day for spelling assistance. I collect old slang and English dictionaries and look up words for fun to see how meaning have changed over time. I love opening up an old reference book and reading from it just for fun, not necessarily to find the right way to spell words.
karlmd
· 3 months ago
I use the dictionary and thesaurus built into my Mac. I feel they're one of Apple's best features and very handy.
Striggity
· 3 months ago
Google FTW
Stephen
· 3 months ago
Google = define: word Bing = define word
;)
Snook
· 3 months ago
Ohhhh ahhhhh. /rolleyes
Google FTW
Name
· 3 months ago
I hate googling words...I am a big fan of m-w.com. I also have a printed dictionary sitting next to my computer as I type this. I blame my upbringing.
Ben Parr
· 3 months ago
I still use the dictionary often, Pete, though it's always an online dictionary. ;)
Mike Bogle
· 3 months ago
Me too. Occasionally it's for spelling, but mainly I use them to ensure I'm using a word in the proper context.
iTbay
· 3 months ago
i suck at spelling an relied on SPELL CHECK ~ from Microsoft Word my whole life!!! and also Google, but the former more so growing up. .........I also got ranted on by someone on comments from a mashable post.. their name was come on!!!!!......however, the person themselves made a spelling mistake (states when it should have been stages ... LOL)
Guest
· 3 months ago
Druide Antidote RX is a wonderful application for that.
I use both... but having a digital dictionary on my device is much more convenient.
Ed
· 3 months ago
Google mostly
MikeonTV
· 3 months ago
I use the "define:" syntax over at google and Rhymezone.com. Also my iPhone will autocorrect words that I misspell!
Bradj47
· 3 months ago
The only time I ever use a printed dictionary is when I'm in English class and/or a computer isn't handy.
saamimatloob
· 3 months ago
define google :D
Donovan
· 3 months ago
I use another method: the Dictionary program on my Mac. Convenient because I'm not always online, nor am I usually anywhere near a printed dictionary. Even if I am online, I usually go to my Mac first.
online thesaurus FTW! sorry ol' book, i don't really wanna flip through pages to find a word. =/
Steve Cvar
· 3 months ago
WeDict for iPhone.
Eva Yaa Asantewaa
· 3 months ago
Gotta say I've gotten spoiled, and I always go with Google for definitions, although my (rather heavy) Webster's Universal Encyclopedic Dictioinary is just a few feet away from my desk. I should really become more contrary and go back to getting up and lugging the thing down from my bookshelf!
Dictionary App in Mac OS X is great, not only is it fast, but also has built in thesaurus and wikipedia.
Mim Eisenberg
· 3 months ago
I use www.onelook.com. It links to many dictionaries and has several other cool features.
bO2
· 3 months ago
mostly of the time is yes...
erichmiller
· 3 months ago
I mainly use Google, but when I think about it more, I also boot up MS Word quick and type it in for a quick spell check. No red line...Score! lol
AmyVernon
· 3 months ago
I use online dictionaries. More reliable than just using a search engine, which often returns results on several different spellings. But I used to have an old-fashioned dictionary on my desk, but still just went to m-w.com b/c it was much faster.
Amit Gawande
· 3 months ago
As long as am on my PC, the spell checker comes for rescue. if confused, i would just google the word for correct spelling. printed dictionaries?? nah not my liking ... i would rather use a wordnet on iphone or pc.
Jack Niu
· 3 months ago
I vote "I mainly use a printed dictionary"
Vats Thakur
· 3 months ago
nice poll, i use define command of google.
Ryan Lalonde
· 3 months ago
I usually just open up Google and type a word in to see if it's right.
Pat Steer (Gaelen)
· 3 months ago
I use all three--printed, online and Google--to look up words, get contexts, find like words, etc. What I use is more a function of where I am and to what I have access. I will go to Google for a quick spell-check of a medical term if I'm not right next to my printed medical dictionary, and if I'm on the road I'm not carrying the hard-copy dictionaries around with me. Too bad there was no 'all of the above' choice.
Billy Holcombe
· 3 months ago
It's http://dictionary.reference.com/ for me every time. I have fun typing in profanity and body parts an clicking the little sound icon to hear the proper pronunciation. I have a very nice dictionary somewhere; but, I have no idea where it is.
Joseph Garza
· 3 months ago
I mainly use Google or another Search Engine...but when I'm really interested in writing I like using a paper Dictionary. It's nice to see other words I might have forgotten about on the page.
ileane
· 3 months ago
That last time I used the printed dictionary was when my internet was down. I would never use google but I use wikipedia and merriam-webster online.
adamsonx
· 3 months ago
I feel ashamed to say I use Google the most, honestly. The actual dictionary does get use at my house, though..
Miriam Melnick
· 3 months ago
I use Apple's native Dictionary.app
Jeff
· 3 months ago
the define: function works wonders, thanks Google, where would we be without you?
Seth Anderson
· 3 months ago
Online dictionaries are more widely used because they are more useful, except for those times you dont have internet access which is practically never.
Dan Liew
· 3 months ago
90% Google's define. 10% printed dictionary.
Edward Sanchez
· 3 months ago
no option for dictionary app on the mac? I use it daily!
Brad F.
· 3 months ago
I just Google "definition [word]". Easiest route to an easy answer. I haven't used or owned a paper dictionary in years, and as far as I'm concerned this is a good thing. If paper dictionaries go out of style that's less deforestation we have to worry about.
Twilightred
· 3 months ago
Google all the way. It's much more quicker than flipping out a big chunky piece of dead tree.
dmgerbino
· 3 months ago
I mostly use http://www.ninjawords.com as my online dictionary, however, I still use a real dictionary a few times a year.
AaronWagner7000
· 3 months ago
I haven't cracked open a printed dictionary or looked at a printed map for well over 6 years. (Or even a printed phone book, now that I think about it.) Pretty soon I'm going to stop buying printed greeting cards and just send eCards instead. Does that make me a bad person?
AaronWagner7000
· 3 months ago
Mateus Potumati
· 3 months ago
Some of you are apparently forgetting non-native English speakers. Specially for translators (me being one of them), dictionaries will always be essential. Knowing the correct spelling for a word is just the most simple use of a dictionary. There will always be people who need to find out stuff like definition, usage rules, synonyms, origins of a word. Tools like answers.com are basic need for people who work with English as a second language. Who, I'm sorry to remember you, are still the majority of the world :)
Al
· 2 months ago
Agree completely Mateus - there is a definite and continual demand for ESL/EFL dictionaries, and these others simply don't have the credibility a good online dictionary offers. When teaching I tend to recommend the new Macmillan online dictionary - www.macmillandictionary.com - combines a thesaurus and dictionary in one.
FunDave
· 3 months ago
I mostly use Google search on the iPhone to look up words, speak the word into the iPhone and Goog usually finds it the first time, and if not, it's fun to see what comes up. FunDave
I personally love the "define:" function for Google since it doesn't just provide the actual definition but also provides different possibilities -- whether it has the same name for a organization, an acronym etc.
Name
· 3 months ago
Online dictionaries are a great way to get a quick definition, but I still turn to my Oxford when I want to know precisely what a word means. Also, I find the online resources aren't always clear about localised spellings (Canadian, British, American, etc). If the quality of online resources improve, they will eventually supplant my traditional dictionary, but I don't see it happening any time soon.
Vijay
· 3 months ago
I still use dictionary to know about synonyms, spelling etc.,
Google can be used just as a Spell Checker.
Justin J. Dean
· 3 months ago
I use Google, but by searching "define: word" - are people still oblivious to that feature?
JC John Sese Cuneta (謝施洗)
· 3 months ago
I still use the dictionary, an online one (dictionary.com) for that purpose - spelling, meaning, and usage.
Google's "Did you mean" for me, is useful only when searching for something. For example, you made a typo, or the word have another way of writing it, or you thought you got the spelling correctly.
Jason Barone
· 3 months ago
I'm a huge "I need to know what that means" person so I use them all the time. I have Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com in my Firefox searches programmed with keywords "dic" and "the" For words that I know how to spell, Wikipedia via "wik"
argentiNehotfudge
· 3 months ago
i'm a language professor and though I only use cd/online dictionary I confess I had sometimes found myself using google. ShAmE on me
Manish Ahuja
· 3 months ago
after having discovered http://tfd.com/ I've never really felt the need to touch a copy of the printed dictionary :)
smartkani
· 3 months ago
I use an online dictionary.
Olivier Lartillot
· 3 months ago
I use the excellent New Oxford American Dictionary (+ Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus) application, which is included in Mac OS X (Internet connection not required). As a non-native speaker, I learn a lot concerning spelling, but also meaning, etymology, etc. ... and the app includes Japanese as well!I use the excellent New Oxford American Dictionary (+ Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus) application, which is included in Mac OS X (Internet connection not required). As a non-native speaker, I learn a lot concerning spelling, but also meaning, etymology, etc. ... and the app includes Japanese as well!
r0cketman22
· 3 months ago
It's all about Google's dictionary. However, I keep an offline version on my iPhone handy. It's faster and you never know when you'll be without Internet service.
My favorite is "Advanced English Dictionary."
Carla
· 3 months ago
I use both an online and printed dictionary. It depends on where and am (home or on the road) and what I'm doing.
Carla
· 3 months ago
I use both an online and printed dictionary. It depends on what I am doing (on the road or at home).
Benjamin Dobson
· 3 months ago
I use Dictionary.app. I love it.
Σχολή Χορού
· 3 months ago
I use the digital version of printed dictionaries, but almost never a printed dictionary like old times.
Anders
· 3 months ago
Firefox has a real-time spellchecker which I am using right now as I write this. ;-) Also, Google is useful for more difficult cases, and I use online dictionaries like Answers.com to check the meaning of certain words. And Google can also be used as a simple grammar checker by comparing the number of search results for different quoted phrases.
Yasmin Varley
· 3 months ago
lol i use either dictionary.com or urbandictionary.com (can't understand some of the random slang people come out with! and those words are definately not in the normal dictionaries!)
footybanter.co.uk
· 3 months ago
I suppose there's an argument for the electronic word taking over the printed word entirely, it certainly does for me for reference material.
For fiction and pleasure reading, you can't beat the good feel and smell of a paperback though.
Bader Alrayyes
· 3 months ago
using Google dictionary in general :)
Doloboy
· 3 months ago
I only use google >.>
Anand
· 3 months ago
I use both dictionary.com as well as define: function in google frequently..
Proofreader Dallas
· 3 months ago
An interesting survey. I believe that too many people rely on spellcheckers - a particular problem in the UK when using American-produced systems. For example, very few spellcheckers recognise that LIASE is incorrectly spelt for UK use. As a proofreader, my tip is: always use a printed English dictionary, and make sure it is a good one (e.g. Oxford or Collins).
John Smith
· 3 months ago
In this digital world, no doubt that Digital dictionaries plays major role. The printed dictionary exists but digital ones are used often as they are available handy.
mantene
· 3 months ago
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED to the initiated) is the best English dictionary online or in print, though it isn't exactly portable in its printed form. It takes up a few shelves in the reference library. At least the online version can be brought up on a laptop or an iPhone.
WVMikeP
· 3 months ago
We have an overwhelming majority of kids coming up through the school system nowadays that don't even know that the dictionary (book-form) is even alphabetized.
icemanyvr
· 3 months ago
I think the popularity of google's "Dictionary" can be attributed to the fact that it will guess the word you are trying to spell. This makes it quite easy to ascertain the correct spelling if you are unsure as to the spelling of the word. On the other hand, if you are using an online/app version of a dictionary, it can be a hassle to look up words, because if you don't enter it correctly, they often wont give you the choice of "did you mean" or an alternate choice. I have found this on several occasions, and google is the clear winner in these cases.
Alexis Brille
· 3 months ago
I use Mac OSX's Dictionary app.
Never used a search engine for a dictionary, :S.
jessefriedman
· 3 months ago
It's funny to see this poll today. I was going through some of my books this weekend and came across a rather large dictionary. I considered donating it or dumping it but decided to keep it because my son who's 2 years old will probably never use one unless I have it. I think it's important for him to at least look up a few words in his time by flipping a few pages.
matt
· 3 months ago
i use the dictionary app on my iTouch, or the built-in osx dictionary
BTW, dictionaries aren't just for spelling. Definitions are key. I am one of those word geeks that used to go from one word's definition to another and spend hours reading the dictionary. Obviously, hypelinking URLs make that all that much more easy.
Fibo
· 2 months ago
The dictionary, whether paper or online, is important when you want more than just spelling. Information such as the history of the word and its origin are often highly useful when you are writing a text and want to be sure to understand which of the definitions are right
If you want to know you're spelling the coorect word correctly, only an online dictionary will do. And then, I want one that has all the bells and whistles like both UK and US English including the propers pronunciations, and FREE!
Michelle
· 2 months ago
Silly, of course I use a dictionary. Hardcover, latest edition. Because generally, I want to know a little more than "does that letter really go there".
All Comments
Bing = define word
;)
Google FTW
___
http://www.aurelienlewin.com/
http://twitter.com/aurelienlewin
sorry ol' book, i don't really wanna flip through pages to find a word. =/
http://www.google.com/search?q=Define+dictionary
And if that's not enough, http://tr.im/y7B5
The actual dictionary does get use at my house, though..
The problem with some online dictionaries is that if you don't spell it exactly right, it won't give you suggestions.
Google can be used just as a Spell Checker.
Google's "Did you mean" for me, is useful only when searching for something. For example, you made a typo, or the word have another way of writing it, or you thought you got the spelling correctly.
For words that I know how to spell, Wikipedia via "wik"
My favorite is "Advanced English Dictionary."
For fiction and pleasure reading, you can't beat the good feel and smell of a paperback though.
Never used a search engine for a dictionary, :S.
If you want to know you're spelling the coorect word correctly, only an online dictionary will do. And then, I want one that has all the bells and whistles like both UK and US English including the propers pronunciations, and FREE!