Collins COBUILD Basic American English Dictionary

The 2nd edition of the Collins COBUILD American Basic Dictionary is the ideal dictionary for elementary-level learners of American English. Up-to-date, easy-to-use and fully illustrated, the dictionary is particularly suitable for students who are studying at English-medium schools.

The Collins COBUILD American Basic Dictionary covers all the essential words and phrases that students at this level need to master. The full-sentence definitions are written using simple language and the examples, taken from the 4.5-billion-word Collins Corpus, show learners how English is really used.

It also includes a wide range of curriculum terms for students whose first language is not English, but who are studying other subjects at school through the medium of English.

Packed full of engaging vocabulary-building features, the dictionary encourages students to learn new words and improve their fluency. The features help learners to explore the language for themselves, giving them the tools they need to decode new words and texts and to become confident learners and speakers of English.

‘Spelling Partners’ show students words that are spelt the same but have different meanings; ‘Sound Partners’ show students words that sound alike but have different meanings. ‘Word World’ and ‘Picture Dictionary’ features illustrate topic-specific vocabulary and ‘Word Partners’ highlight common collocations (words that frequently appear together). Finally, ‘Word Builders’ and ‘Usage’ notes teach students how words are formed, what they mean and how to use words in the correct contexts.

With hundreds of images illustrating key terms, the Collins COBUILD American Basic Dictionary is the ideal reference tool for elementary learners of American English.