The 9 Best Dictionaries For Kids

Families with a child in first through fourth grade get the most from the Merriam-Webster Children's Dictionary, a hardcover designed by DK around Merriam-Webster's word list. About 3,000 photos and drawings sit right beside the words they explain, so a kid can see a pulley or a gecko instead of guessing. Map pages and full-color spreads invite browsing, too. It is a heavy book for a backpack, and the type runs small for some young readers.

Merriam-Webster revised the Merriam-Webster's Elementary Dictionary in 2023, and it fits kids in grades three to five who already read on their own. More than 37,000 words come with example sentences, short word histories and color pictures scattered through the pages. Definitions use words a fourth grader knows, so a child can look something up without calling for help. Most pages are dense columns of text, which can put off a reluctant reader.

For homeschool families, or a house with two kids a few grades apart, the Scholastic Children's Dictionary stretches from third grade into the middle school years. Newer words such as drone and USB sit among animals, plants and fossils, each with a bright photo or drawing. Definitions stay short and plain, and the pages feel more like a magazine than a textbook. It is a heavy book that belongs on a shelf at home.

Clear, friendly definitions are what The American Heritage Children's Dictionary does best, and lively example sentences show each word at work in a real line. Color photos and drawings run through the book, and the publisher aims it at grades three to six. It feels less stern than a grown-up reference, which helps a hesitant kid open it. The current edition dates to 2018, so words that caught on since then won't be in it.

Kids in kindergarten through second grade are the audience for Merriam-Webster's First Dictionary, which introduces about 3,000 words. Each meaning is a full sentence a parent can read aloud, and Ruth Heller's bright animal art fills the margins. An alphabet strip across the top of each page shows how a dictionary is put together before kids ever meet guide words. By third grade most readers want more words than it holds.

Picture-first learners from kindergarten to about fourth grade do well with the DK Children's Illustrated Dictionary, where a photo sits beside most entries. Spreads are bright and uncluttered, and it works well for practicing alphabetical order with a young child. It also helps kids who are still learning English, since the picture carries the meaning. The word list is short, though, and common words a child goes looking for can be missing.

Middle schoolers who have outgrown a picture-filled book are ready for Merriam-Webster's Intermediate Dictionary, revised in 2024 with about 70,000 entries. Definitions are written for ages that tackle novels, science units and essays, and many come with a usage example. It is compact for a full dictionary, so it can ride along in a school bag or live in a locker. Pictures are small and few, so a younger child may find it dry.

Preschoolers just meeting their letters get a gentle start from DK My First Dictionary, a tall picture book with about 1,000 words. Each word has a clear photo and a one-line meaning, and big colored letter tabs mark every section. Word games at the back turn looking things up into play. It covers too few words to help with schoolwork past first grade, so expect to replace it within a couple of years.

A school bag has room for Webster's Dictionary for Students, a compact book made with Merriam-Webster's editors for grades three to six. It holds about 37,000 definitions in plain language, which covers homework, spelling lists and reading logs. It costs little, so a second copy can stay at school or at a grandparent's house. The trade-off is small print and almost no pictures, which makes it a poor first pick for a young or struggling reader.