Longman Pronunciation Dictionary Cased and CD-ROM Pack 3rd Edition [Anglais] [Relié]

The pronouncing key is the International Phonetic Transcription. It is not the Merriam Webster system which Americans are more familiar with. However, almost all dictionaries are already switching to the International Phonetic Transcription, as it can also be used for languages other than English, as the term "International" implies.

This is the only Dictionary which supplies the pronunciation of common Proper Names, and fairly uncommon ones. Like Genevieve, Solihull (accent on the last), Transfynydd (Welsh place), Rzezsow (Polish - pronouncing is nothing like the way it is spelt), Hammarskjold (UN leader). Included are Proper names in Chinese, Cantonese, Arabic, Italian, thus the use of the International pronouncing key is a better choice.

Some troublesome medical names like Guillain Barre, Meniere, are included, but not Poiseuille-Hagen nor Cialis.

This dictionary is in British English, although it refers to American English variations.

There are a number of useful graphs and pie-charts showing the percentages of people pronouncing in different ways. 40% pronounce "Controversy" with accent on the first syllable, 60% on the second. I am now relieved I can pronounce it either way.

The number of silent "g"s, "l"s, "w"s in our vocabulary is considerable, and if involved in an argument on pronouncing, you can throw this tome at your detractors. There is a large collection of French words and phrases, like "sauve qui peut" and a lot worse ones. The cautionary moral is that before you give a speech, teach a class, or read news on TV, always re-check the pronunciation of doubtful words before you make a fool of yourself.

This dictionary has been useful to me since it was the "Daniel Jones" pronouncing dictionary over 50 years ago.

For a Printed in China dictionary, in common use, it seems a tad overpriced, but when you consider the CD-ROM on the back cover, the Dictionary + CD ROM, the additional cost seems justified. The bonus is in the great paper quality, and Longman's use of blue highlights. The hinges of the cover boards in this magnificently printed book are a bit loose compared to other books made in China.

The CD-ROM (pronounced rom, or rum)includes pronunciations in both British and American English, a pop-up dictionary, interactive exercises, and so on. As I date back to the Daniel Jones, I am not the most competent person to comment on the CD-ROM (which is a useless appendage to me, but that is just my personal user preference). The physical dictionary's pocket is a good holder for the CD-ROM, which might otherwise get lost among all the small thin fiddly things.

If nothing else, it acts as an excellent word list, a good stand-in for a Scrabble dictionary. Normal head-words are not capitalised, only proper names are capitalised. I have used its predecessors as my muse to name my businesses. If you have more than a couple of serious dictionaries, this dictionary is worth considering as the next buy.