Guide Words for Kids: Find Any Word in a Picture Dictionary (Grade 2 English)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. A picture dictionary is a book that shows words with pictures and meanings. It can hold hundreds of words! Today you will learn a trick to find any word fast.

First, words in a dictionary are in ABC order. All the a words come first, then b, then c, all the way to z. If two words start the same, look at the second letter.

At the top of each page are two guide words. The left one is the first word on the page. The right one is the last word on the page. Every word on that page fits between them.

Let's test a word. The guide words are cab and cup. Is cat on this page? C a comes after c a b, and c a t comes before c u p. Yes, cat fits between them!

What about dog? D comes after c, so dog comes after cup. It is not on this page. Turn ahead to find the d words. What about bat? B comes before c, so turn back.

Here is the guide word trick in three steps. Look at the guide words. Ask if your word comes between them in ABC order. If yes, look on that page. If not, turn ahead or back.

Now it's your turn. The guide words are hen and hop. Which word is on this page? Hat, hill, or hug? Pause and try. It is hill! H i comes after h e and before h o.

Great job! Dictionary words are in ABC order. The guide words show the first and last word on a page, so check if your word fits between them. Practice the picture dictionary guide in the English Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!