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Is there really a dictionary big enough to contain all the words of the language with the richest vocabulary in the world? According to various estimated, the English language has anywhere between 500,000 and one million words – a mind boggling amount. The history of English has resulted in a language amalgamated from old Germanic, medieval French, Latin, and ancient Greek; with sprinklings and additions from just about any other language English has come in contact with.
Until English dictionaries became widespread, having so many sources contributing to the English language had led to tremendous confusion and doubt, as the same word used to be spelled in several ways, multiple word meanings were disputed, and correct usage controversies abounded. Although proto-dictionaries and even bi-lingual dictionaries appeared as early as the late 1500s, it was Dr. Samuel Johnson, publishing the first comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language in 1755, who is considered the forerunner of the English lexicographic endeavor. His dictionary demonstrated lexicographic meticulousness never seen before and took 9 years to complete.
The next big achievement in English lexicography arrived 73 years later, as Noah Webster created the American Dictionary of the English Language, establishing early differences between British and American English, in both word usage and spelling. The greatest dictionary ever produced, the 20 volume Oxford English Dictionary, is considered the greatest scholarly work ever undertaken (in any field or language) and is the most emblematic of the English language lexical opulence. It aspires to include all the words ever used in English, providing etymological accounts of meaning changes throughout the centuries and comprising standard, conversational, and literary English, as well as technical terms, slang, and words used in English varieties other than British English.
Modern dictionaries now provide full access to the lexical riches of the language. Even better yet, having the dictionary online eases your way through this lexical labyrinth. The WhiteSmoke online English dictionary is a state-of-the-art language tool, which is fully integrated with all other en-suite WhiteSmoke writing tools, allowing English writers to enjoy a complete all-in-one writing software to upgrade their texts. Together with the integrated synonym thesaurus and optional multi-language translator, our English dictionary is the perfect companion for any international English writer.
WhiteSmoke is an all-in-one online writing solution based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology. Its users benefit from excellent contextual text correction that includes a smart grammar check and an exact spelling and punctuation editor. These join the enrichment generator that suggests synonyms and descriptive adjectives and adverbs, all bringing your text up to a higher level. Ready-made writing templates for professional documents in various professional fields (business, legal, medical, creative) and the English Lessons Portal, are an important addition to the WhiteSmoke English writing experience.
New to the WhiteSmoke 2008 version are added features that include a streamlined Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the Notifier, which alerts users about suggested text modifications as they type in any text box. Added features to the grammar checker, more entries to the dictionary, thesaurus, and enrichment database further enhance WhiteSmoke’s remarkable online English writing software. All WhiteSmoke functions are performed online at a fraction of a second and all-in-all take English text enhancement to a completely new dimension.
Go to the English Lessons Portal for more English Lessons
English Dictionary
Is there really a dictionary big enough to contain all the words of the language with the richest vocabulary in the world? According to various estimated, the English language has anywhere between 500,000 and one million words – a mind boggling amount. The history of English has resulted in a language amalgamated from old Germanic, medieval French, Latin, and ancient Greek; with sprinklings and additions from just about any other language English has come in contact with.
Until English dictionaries became widespread, having so many sources contributing to the English language had led to tremendous confusion and doubt, as the same word used to be spelled in several ways, multiple word meanings were disputed, and correct usage controversies abounded. Although proto-dictionaries and even bi-lingual dictionaries appeared as early as the late 1500s, it was Dr. Samuel Johnson, publishing the first comprehensive Dictionary of the English Language in 1755, who is considered the forerunner of the English lexicographic endeavor. His dictionary demonstrated lexicographic meticulousness never seen before and took 9 years to complete.
The next big achievement in English lexicography arrived 73 years later, as Noah Webster created the American Dictionary of the English Language, establishing early differences between British and American English, in both word usage and spelling. The greatest dictionary ever produced, the 20 volume Oxford English Dictionary, is considered the greatest scholarly work ever undertaken (in any field or language) and is the most emblematic of the English language lexical opulence. It aspires to include all the words ever used in English, providing etymological accounts of meaning changes throughout the centuries and comprising standard, conversational, and literary English, as well as technical terms, slang, and words used in English varieties other than British English.
Modern dictionaries now provide full access to the lexical riches of the language. Even better yet, having the dictionary online eases your way through this lexical labyrinth. The WhiteSmoke online English dictionary is a state-of-the-art language tool, which is fully integrated with all other en-suite WhiteSmoke writing tools, allowing English writers to enjoy a complete all-in-one writing software to upgrade their texts. Together with the integrated synonym thesaurus and optional multi-language translator, our English dictionary is the perfect companion for any international English writer.
Writing with WhiteSmoke Online Writing Software
WhiteSmoke is an all-in-one online writing solution based on Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology. Its users benefit from excellent contextual text correction that includes a smart grammar check and an exact spelling and punctuation editor. These join the enrichment generator that suggests synonyms and descriptive adjectives and adverbs, all bringing your text up to a higher level. Ready-made writing templates for professional documents in various professional fields (business, legal, medical, creative) and the English Lessons Portal, are an important addition to the WhiteSmoke English writing experience.
The WhiteSmoke 2008 Edition
New to the WhiteSmoke 2008 version are added features that include a streamlined Graphical User Interface (GUI) and the Notifier, which alerts users about suggested text modifications as they type in any text box. Added features to the grammar checker, more entries to the dictionary, thesaurus, and enrichment database further enhance WhiteSmoke’s remarkable online English writing software. All WhiteSmoke functions are performed online at a fraction of a second and all-in-all take English text enhancement to a completely new dimension.
- Expanded vocabulary
- Templates
- Punctuation corrections
- Improved clarity
- Grammar check
- Thesaurus
- Spell check
- English-Dictionary
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