Reference books provide frequently used information in a handy format. Dictionaries define words and phrases, while thesauruses list synonyms and antonyms. Encyclopedias offer insight into topics, and atlases help understand geography. Other useful reference books include style guides, grammar guides, lexicons, and collections of quotes.
Different types of reference books provide different types of frequently used information in a handy format. Whether in book form or accessible online, there are a variety of reference book types that you may find very useful in school, work, home, or while traveling.
Some of the most frequently needed and used types of reference books are dictionaries. Standard dictionaries focus on the pronunciation and definition of the most commonly used words and phrases of standard English. These dictionaries list multiple meanings for words and may also include hyphenation, alternate spellings, an example sentence, and etymological information. Some entries may contain a drawing or photograph.
Dictionaries are useful if you see or hear a word that is new to you and want to find out its meaning, as well as to make sure that the words you have chosen to use to write or speak are exactly the ones you want. In addition to the standard dictionaries, there are specialized dictionaries, such as biographical dictionaries, gazetteers, children’s dictionaries, and bilingual dictionaries, as well as dictionaries for many, many languages.
Another popular example of one of the types of reference books is thesaurus. A thesaurus may or may not have definitions and pronunciations, but lists synonyms, and sometimes antonyms, of a word or phrase. A thesaurus can come in handy for a writer or speaker who wants to avoid repetition or needs access to a slightly different shade of meaning.
Most of the input words and phrases of a standard encyclopedia are also found in a dictionary, but while the dictionary definition is usually limited to a single clause, phrase, or sentence, the type of reference books called encyclopedias feature articles of a certain length, giving insight into a topic. Encyclopedias typically include illustrations, charts, and other features that expand on the verbal explanation in the actual article. There are also specialized encyclopedias for children and for particular subject areas.
An atlas is among the reference books designed to help us understand geography. Filled with maps of a certain area, such as a country, state or region, it can be designed for study or practical use while traveling. Atlases feature indexes to help determine on which map each location can be found. Specialized atlases can focus on objects in space, such as the moon, or historical maps that reveal the changing borders of a country, for example.
Other reference books you may find useful include style guides, grammar guides, lexicons, and collections of quotes. All of these can be found both published as books and in a variety of forms that can be accessed online or from your computer desktop.
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