You use a dictionary when Word Clearing. The misunderstood word is looked up in the dictionary and the meaning read out loud and they tell you what the word means so that they know it without again referring to the dictionary. Then the word is used in several sentences which clearly indicate that it consults their understanding.

Words sometimes have different or more than one meaning. You have to know every different meaning so all definitions are looked up and the word is fully defined. You also must choose the definition in use in the sentence so that the materials are understood.

Knowledge of the alphabet is the key to finding words quickly. The alphabet must be known cold. The Word Clearer who has to figure out which letter comes first, M or N or U or V, wastes many precious minutes which add up to many wasted hours.

Words are arranged in alphabetical order in all dictionaries. All words beginning with the letter A would be in the first section, all words beginning with the letter B in the second section, and so on. Within these sections the words themselves are arranged so that each second letter in the word is in alphabetical order. (For example, the word fall precedes the word few, which precedes the word field, etc.)

Near the top of each page, printed in bold type, are the first word and the last word on the page (in very large dictionaries it’s every two columns). You can use this as a guide to quickly find the page that contains the word you are looking for.

Many words are in a combined form and by separating the word you can look up each part in the dictionary. By doing this, the meaning of the word often becomes clearer. Take the word Theo-logy. The first part, Theo- means god or gods and the second part of the word, -logy means discourse or expression or the science, theory or study of. When you put the two parts together, you have the science, theory or study of god. Sometimes in combining forms of words, a letter is changed, as in the word in-dividu(e)-ate.

Many times when looking up a word, you will find in its definition other words which need to be looked up in order to understand the meaning of the original word. Therefore, each word given in the definition must also be clearly defined and understood so that there are no underlying misunderstood words on the word you are looking up. Large child’s dictionaries are good as the definition words are simple.

The so-called “Merriam Webster” dictionaries in the U.S. are almost useless and give out more misunderstoods in definitions than they clarify in clearing, don’t bother with them. The World Book Dictionary available from Field Enterprises Educational Corporation, Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, Illinois, 60654, U.S. A. is a huge and very good child’s dictionary. In the U. K. the 18 volume Oxford series are good.

The smaller dictionaries (paperback or junior) seldom contain complete definitions of a word. Sometimes a most vital part of a definition is omitted. This can involve running around to look for another dictionary or missing the real meaning of the word. So always use a big enough dictionary.

The word, when it reads on the meter, is used over and over in sentences until it has no more TA. It doesn’t matter if the word was looked up in the dictionary as the word will still read if the word is misunderstood.

The dictionary usually has several examples of use. These are not enough. The person has to make up several of his own before he really knows the word.

Words of a special tech require a dictionary of it if possible.

Many students have been or are engaged in technical professions outside of Scientology such as engineering, computer programming, architecture, etc, and you will need a glossary or dictionary of the terms involved in these technologies.

When Word Clearing someone on his post hat aboard the Flagship or a stationship you would need a nautical dictionary.

Very often you will get a word off the track and you won’t find it in any dictionary or glossary on this planet. You must get the earlier misunderstood word until you get the basic word that was misunderstood.

There are two kinds of foreign language dictionaries. One is a dictionary entirely in the foreign language. The other is the English/Foreign language dictionary, in which one half of the dictionary is English words with the foreign word next to it, and the other half is the foreign word with its English counterpart next to it. You would use the all foreign dictionary only with a person who knew that language fluently.

You use a dictionary. It is always a misunderstood word, never a concept or idea.