Dictionary Skills and Guide Words Worksheets - Free Printable

This is a worksheet designed to teach students how to use guide words in a dictionary. The task is to identify which words from the provided lists would appear on each dictionary page, based on the guide words at the top of the page.

The instructions explain that guide words are at the top of every dictionary page. The word on the left is the first word defined on that page, and the word on the right is the last. All the entry words on that page are in alphabetical (ABC) order between those two guide words.

I will solve this by checking each word in the list against the guide words for its respective page. A word belongs on a page if it comes alphabetically after or is equal to the left guide word and before or is equal to the right guide word.

I will start with the first section: Hamster to Hippopotamus.

First Section: Hamster - Hippopotamus

Guide Words: Hamster (left), Hippopotamus (right)

I need to check each word in the list to see if it falls alphabetically between "Hamster" and "Hippopotamus".

- hurry: H-U-R-R-Y. "Hamster" starts with H-A, so "hurry" (H-U) comes after "Hamster". "Hippopotamus" starts with H-I, so "hurry" (H-U) comes after "Hippopotamus". Therefore, "hurry" is NOT between them.
- healthy: H-E-A-L-T-H-Y. After "Hamster" (H-A) and before "Hippopotamus" (H-I). Yes.
- heart: H-E-A-R-T. After "Hamster" (H-A) and before "Hippopotamus" (H-I). Yes.
- hunt: H-U-N-T. After "Hamster" (H-A) but after "Hippopotamus" (H-I). No.
- humor: H-U-M-O-R. After "Hamster" (H-A) but after "Hippopotamus" (H-I). No.
- horse: H-O-R-S-E. After "Hamster" (H-A) and before "Hippopotamus" (H-I). Yes.
- helicopter: H-E-L-I-C-O-P-T-E-R. After "Hamster" (H-A) and before "Hippopotamus" (H-I). Yes.
- honest: H-O-N-E-S-T. After "Hamster" (H-A) and before "Hippopotamus" (H-I). Yes.
- help: H-E-L-P. After "Hamster" (H-A) and before "Hippopotamus" (H-I). Yes.
- hummingbird: H-U-M-M-I-N-G-B-I-R-D. After "Hamster" (H-A) but after "Hippopotamus" (H-I). No.
- hand: H-A-N-D. After "Hamster" (H-A)? Let's compare: "Hamster" vs "hand". Both start with H-A. Next letter: "m" vs "n". "m" comes before "n", so "hand" comes after "Hamster". Before "Hippopotamus" (H-I)? Yes. So, "hand" is between them. Yes.
- harmless: H-A-R-M-L-E-S-S. After "Hamster" (H-A)? Compare: "Hamster" vs "harmless". H-A vs H-A. Next: "m" vs "r". "m" comes before "r", so "harmless" comes after "Hamster". Before "Hippopotamus" (H-I)? Yes. So, "harmless" is between them. Yes.
- heavy: H-E-A-V-Y. After "Hamster" (H-A) and before "Hippopotamus" (H-I). Yes.
- healing: H-E-A-L-I-N-G. After "Hamster" (H-A) and before "Hippopotamus" (H-I). Yes.

So, for the Hamster-Hippopotamus page, the words to circle are:
- healthy
- heart
- horse
- helicopter
- honest
- help
- hand
- harmless
- heavy
- healing

Now, I will move to the second section: Seeds to Soap.

Second Section: Seeds - Soap

Guide Words: Seeds (left), Soap (right)

I need to check each word in the list to see if it falls alphabetically between "Seeds" and "Soap".

- skunk: S-K-U-N-K. "Seeds" starts with S-E, "Soap" starts with S-O. "Skunk" (S-K) comes after "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O). Yes.
- spotty: S-P-O-T-T-Y. After "Seeds" (S-E) but after "Soap" (S-O)? "P" comes after "O", so "spotty" comes after "Soap". No.
- slippery: S-L-I-P-P-E-R-Y. After "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O). Yes.
- sunshine: S-U-N-S-H-I-N-E. After "Seeds" (S-E) but after "Soap" (S-O)? "U" comes after "O", so "sunshine" comes after "Soap". No.
- simple: S-I-M-P-L-E. After "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O). Yes.
- sandy: S-A-N-D-Y. After "Seeds" (S-E)? "A" comes before "E", so "sandy" comes before "Seeds". No.
- square: S-Q-U-A-R-E. After "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O)? "Q" comes after "O", so "square" comes after "Soap". No.
- sharp: S-H-A-R-P. After "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O). Yes.
- smooth: S-M-O-O-T-H. After "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O). Yes.
- sticky: S-T-I-C-K-Y. After "Seeds" (S-E) but after "Soap" (S-O)? "T" comes after "O", so "sticky" comes after "Soap". No.
- sweep: S-W-E-E-P. After "Seeds" (S-E) but after "Soap" (S-O)? "W" comes after "O", so "sweep" comes after "Soap". No.
- skateboard: S-K-A-T-E-B-O-A-R-D. After "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O). Yes.
- snack: S-N-A-C-K. After "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O). Yes.
- sidewalk: S-I-D-E-W-A-L-K. After "Seeds" (S-E) and before "Soap" (S-O). Yes.

So, for the Seeds-Soap page, the words to circle are:
- skunk
- slippery
- simple
- sharp
- smooth
- skateboard
- snack
- sidewalk

Final Answer

To solve this problem, you must circle the words that fall alphabetically between the two guide words for each dictionary page.

For the page with guide words "Hamster" and "Hippopotamus", circle these words:
- healthy
- heart
- horse
- helicopter
- honest
- help
- hand
- harmless
- heavy
- healing

For the page with guide words "Seeds" and "Soap", circle these words:
- skunk
- slippery
- simple
- sharp
- smooth
- skateboard
- snack
- sidewalk