Dictionary skills

Place words in alphabetical order and use guide words to find entries quickly.

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Put these words in alphabetical order. Put these in order: dog, apple, cat, bird
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2
Which word would appear first in a dictionary? A) zebra B) apple C) mango D) tiger
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3
Which word would come last in a dictionary? A) zebra B) yellow C) wolf D) violin
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4
Which letter comes FIRST in alphabetical order? A) m B) p C) b D) t
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5
Sort these words into alphabetical order. Put these in order: sun, moon, star, cloud
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6
If a dictionary page has the guide words 'cat' and 'desk', which word would be on that page? A) apple B) cow C) dog D) egg
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7
Which dictionary skill helps you find a word quickly? A) reading every page B) using guide words at the top of pages C) shutting your eyes D) asking a friend
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8
Order these words alphabetically. Put these in order: banana, bag, bat, ball
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9
If guide words are 'happy' and 'horse', which word would be on this page? A) heavy B) hutch C) garden D) ice
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10
Put these into alphabetical order. Put these in order: river, rain, rock, road
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Answer key

Dictionary skills · for parents and teachers

1
apple, bird, cat, dog
A, b, c, d - so apple, bird, cat, dog is alphabetical order.
2
apple
'Apple' starts with 'a', which comes first in the alphabet.
3
zebra
'Zebra' starts with 'z', the last letter of the alphabet.
4
b
'B' comes earliest in the alphabet.
5
cloud, moon, star, sun
c, m, s (star), s (sun) - so cloud, moon, star, sun. When two words start with the same letter, look at the second letter.
6
cow
'Cow' comes between 'cat' and 'desk' alphabetically, so it would be on that page.
7
using guide words at the top of pages
Guide words at the top of each page tell you the first and last words on that page, helping you find what you need quickly.
8
bag, ball, banana, bat
Using the second letter: ba comes first (bag, ball, banana, bat). Then the third: bag (g), ball (l), banana (n), bat (t).
9
heavy
'Heavy' starts with 'he', which falls between 'ha' (happy) and 'ho' (horse).
10
rain, river, road, rock
Second letters: a (rain), i (river), o (road, rock). Then third letter for road (a) vs rock (c).