For children and schools
Choosing a children's dictionary
Why do children need different dictionaries? Can’t they just use an adult one?
Children’s vocabulary, comprehension, and language skills develop as they grow older – it can depend on what they’re learning at school, what books they like to read, and what their friends are talking about.
Find out more about why you should choose a children's dictionary or use our dictionary selectors to find the right dictionary to suit your child:
Free dictionary resources
Download free worksheets for use at home or in the classroom, and use the bilingual audio resources for help with language learning.
Subject and language reference resources (5-16 years)
Free bilingual audio resources
Free audio pronunciation of our First Words series in nine languages including English.
Creating a children's dictionary
Dictionaries are compiled by selecting words from a corpus. A corpus is a word bank or database.
The Oxford Children’s Corpus holds a huge collection of children’s literature and select websites.
Having fun with a children's dictionary
If you love words, try out our fun activity sheets - jam-packed with puzzles and games. Prepare to be riddled with riddles, tied up in tongue-twisters, and addicted to anagrams here!
The activities are written by John Foster, one the nation’s best-loved and highly regarded children’s poets: find out more at www.johnfosterchildrenspoet.co.uk.
