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Frequently Asked Questions
Dictionaries
How will revision affect the size of the OED? |
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More than 300 staff and advisers are completely revising the twenty volume Oxford English Dictionary (Second Edition). Although revision is still in its early stages, editors estimate that the process could double the length of the Dictionary, taking the number of words and phrases defined from 640,000 to 1.3 million.
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OED First Edition |
OED Third Edition |
| Proposed Size |
4 volumes, 6,400 pages |
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| Actual Size |
10 volumes, 15,490 pages |
Size when complete unknown, perhaps 1.6 million words, the equivalent
of 40 volumes |
| Proposed time to complete |
10 years |
20 years |
| Actual time to complete |
70 years |
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Other questions in this section: What is a dictionary?
What are people referring to when they talk about the 'Oxford Dictionary'?
Are dictionaries always in alphabetical order?
Are dictionaries really necessary?
Are lexicographers good spellers?
Are other languages besides English recorded in huge multi-volume dictionaries?
Do dictionary-makers ever make mistakes?
Do you include words used on the Internet?
How can I access OED Online?
How do you decide if a new word should go in an Oxford dictionary?
How do you decide what to include in a dictionary?
How do you know what a word means?
How has computer technology affected dictionary-making?
How have dictionaries changed over the years?
How will a dictionary look in 2050?
How will revision affect the size of the OED?
Is there an official committee which regulates the English language?
What skills and talents does a lexicographer need?
When will the Third Edition of the OED be published?
Will you put the word I have invented into the dictionary?
Can't find the answer to your English Language question?
Browse Oxford's extensive range of language reference titles, or
Send your query to the Oxford Word and Language Service
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