Library Guides @ VIU: English as a Second Language (ESL) and International Students: Dictionaries & Vocabulary

Online Dictionaries

Cambridge Dictionaries Online
Choose from several dictionaries, including Learner's, Essential British English, and Essential American English.
Dictionaries at Dave's ESL Cafe
Links to a variety of online dictionaries, including dictionaries for some specific subjects (such as medicine and music).
Internet Picture Dictionary
Includes activities to help with building vocabulary.
LanguageGuide: English
"Practice English vocabulary, the alphabet and numbers. Place your cursor over an image or text to hear it pronounced aloud."
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online
Features a word of the day, plus pronunciation help and example sentences for selected words. Includes a 'how to use" guide.
Vocabulary.com
Online activities to help you build your English vocabulary.

Words of the Day

Build your vocabulary day by day. Check these sites for the daily word, with its definition, pronunciation, and examples of how to use it in conversation or writing.

Word of the Day from Cambridge Dictionaries Online
Word of the Day from Dictionary.com
Word of the Day from Merriam-Webster.com
Word of the Day from the New York Times Learning Network
Includes examples of how the word has been used in New York Times articles.
Word of the Day from Wordthink.com