English Language Arts
Grade 9
15 min
Use guide words
Use guide words
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define 'guide words' and articulate their function in alphabetized reference materials.
Accurately locate the guide words in both physical and digital dictionaries.
Determine with 100% accuracy whether a given word falls alphabetically between a pair of guide words.
Apply the letter-by-letter comparison method to sort complex, multi-syllable vocabulary.
Efficiently locate unfamiliar terms from Grade 9 literature (e.g., 'taciturn', 'malevolent', 'assuaged') in a dictionary using guide words.
Analyze and justify the placement of a word on a specific dictionary page by referencing its alphabetical relationship to the guide words.
Explain how the principle of guide words applies to navigating other indexed information,...
2
Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Guide WordsThe two words printed at the top of each page in a dictionary. The first guide word is the first entry on the page, and the second guide word is the last entry on the page.If you open a dictionary and see 'Metaphor' and 'Meticulous' at the top, those are the guide words for that page.
Entry WordThe specific word you are looking up in a dictionary. It is listed in bold at the beginning of its definition.If you are looking up the meaning of 'eloquent', then 'eloquent' is the entry word.
Alphabetical OrderThe arrangement of words based on the conventional sequence of letters in the alphabet (A-Z). Comparison is done letter by letter from left to right.'Apple' comes before 'Apply' because, while the f...
3
Key Rules & Conventions
The 'Between' Rule
An entry word belongs on a page if and only if it falls alphabetically *between* the two guide words.
Use this as your primary test. The target word must come alphabetically after the first guide word but before the second guide word. If it fails either condition, it's not on the page.
The 'Inclusion' Rule
The guide words themselves are included on the page. The first guide word is the first entry, and the second guide word is the last entry.
This rule clarifies the boundaries. If your target word is one of the guide words, you've found the right page. For example, the word 'Logic' will be on the page with guide words 'Logic / Longitude'.
Letter-by-Letter Comparison
To determine alphabetical order, co...
4 more steps in this tutorial
Sign up free to access the complete tutorial with worked examples and practice.
Sign Up Free to ContinueSample Practice Questions
Challenging
You are a lexicographer creating a new dictionary page. The page must include 'Rhetoric', 'Ribald', and 'Rife', but it must NOT include 'Rhyme' or 'Rigid'. Which pair of guide words would be most precise and effective?
A.Retrofit / Riffle
B.Rhetoric / Rife
C.Rhyme / Rigid
D.Rhapsody / Rigmarole
Challenging
The structural logic of guide words in a printed dictionary is most analogous to which of the following real-world navigation systems?
A.table of contents in a book, which lists chapter titles in sequential order.
B.Numbered signs for interstate exits, which indicate the start and end of a stretch of road.
C.GPS coordinates, which provide an exact, absolute location.
D.Alphabetical tabs in a physical filing cabinet (e.g., 'A-C', 'D-F'), which indicate the range of contents within a section.
Challenging
While a digital dictionary's search bar seems to make guide words obsolete, the underlying database still relies on their core principle. How is this most likely true?
A.The search algorithm visually scans a digital image of a dictionary page using guide words.
B.The digital dictionary only contains words that would have been guide words in a physical copy.
C.The word list is stored in an alphabetically sorted and indexed data structure, allowing the search function to quickly narrow down the possible location of a word, similar to how a human uses guide words.
D.The search bar is programmed to first search for the letters 'g-u-i-d-e' before processing the user's query.
Want to practice and check your answers?
Sign up to access all questions with instant feedback, explanations, and progress tracking.
Start Practicing Free