This is a comparison of the features offered by the four main dictionary CD-ROMs for advanced learners of English.
- Macmillan English Dictionary
- Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
- Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
- Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary
More details of the features are after the chart.
| Features | Macmillan | Longman | Cambridge | Oxford |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hear pronunciation: (UK & US) | X | X | X | X |
| Record yourself | X | X | X | X |
| Double-click quick reference | X | X | X | X |
| Copy | X | X | X | X |
| X | X | X | X | |
| QuickFinder | X | X | X | X |
| Detailed search results | X | X | X | X |
| Word rating | X | X | X | X |
| Exercises | X | X | X | X |
| Pictures | X | X | X | X |
| Collocations | X | X | X | X |
| Word families | X | X | ||
| Extra examples | X | X | X | |
| Sound Search | X | X | ||
| Cultural information | X | X | ||
| Grammar | X | |||
| Thesaurus / Activator | X | X | X | X |
| Advanced Search | X | X | X | X |
| Study pages | X | X | X | |
| Notebook | X |
Details
| Quick reference | A user can click on any word in the displayed definition and a small window with the definition of that word will open. |
| QuickFinder | The dictionary is integrated with a word processor or internet browser program so that as the mouse symbol is held over a word the dictionary automatically displays its definition. |
| Search results | A list of all the places within the dictionary the required word appears. |
| Advanced search | A user can find word(s) within a specific category or categories such as part of speech or subject; headwords or definition text. |
| Sound search | A user can find word(s) that feature particular sounds or combinations of sounds from the phonemic alphabet. |
| Extra examples | A set of supplementary sentences showing how a word or phrase is used in context. |
| Thesaurus / Activator | A re-ordering of the headwords of a dictionary in which the words are arranged into logical categories instead of alphabetically. |
