ABSTRACT
The purpose of a dictionary is to enable the user to find any word and its meaning with a minimum of difficulty in a predetermined place. Where a language has an established system of spelling, as almost all modern languages have, anyone who knows how to spell and is not conducting his search on purely phonetic principles is sure of finding the word he is seeking at the first attempt. He will not of course do so if, for example, he assumes that English is spelt on phonetic principles and looks for “honour” under O or “use” under Y.
