Customer Reviews

Vox Compact Spanish and English Dictionary

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A dictionary is just one of those books that doesn't have much to speak of (no plot twists, no character development, etc.), so I'm afraid this review will be rather short.

That said, this is the BEST Spanish-English dictionary I've ever used. It contains over 85,000 entries, plus complete descriptions of both English and Spanish grammar, tables of all the irregular verbs, and a 45-page section that defines literally thousands of commonly used phrases and idioms in both languages. It also has synonyms for words that have multiple translations so that you know the difference, for example, between a person's hand ("mano") and the hand of a clock ("manecilla"). Nevertheless, it comes in a convenient size with easy-to-read font so that it's perfect for use by students. If you're a school student who's studying Spanish, this is the only Spanish-English dictionary you'll ever buy.

~El Fin~

An excellent dictionary when you want a one-word definition, and still, words with multiple meanings are clearly laid out. Easy to read. Tending toward short entries. A joy for simple translation and a relief for vocabulary-building.

There are adequate sections on pronunciation, grammar, and conjugation. There are lists of common irregular verbs in Spanish and in English.

Encountering a foreign word for the first time, it is by definition unfamiliar. I was too often frustrated by otherwise-wonderful dictionaries which were simply hard to read (and my near-sight is excellent). This is by far my favorite of all the Spanish-English dictionaries I've seen.

Advanced students will want a more advanced dictionary (and possibly a magnifying glass, probably not needed here). For the other 99.9% of (us) Spanish learners, this is a great find.

I've had this dictionary for about eight years. I would have to say that if you are in the basic levels of learning spanish or maybe reading a simple novel in spanish, this would be your best bet. It is easy to use and easy to read although a little bulky. The only complaint that I have about it is that as I began reading more difficult novels and encountering words that are less common, this dictionary did not come into as great a use as it has in years past. But, like I said if you are doing beginning or intermediate levels of spanish, this would probably be your best bet.

This is the paperback dictionary to travel with if you're a serious student. Not pocket-sized, but worth the weight. I've been in language schools in Spain and Mexico, and in both places the other students had dictionary envy. It's coverage is excellent, and it supplies synonyms for each definition, so you know you've got the right word at the right time.

Excellent with a pretty complete range of words, expressions, etc. Wonderful size - don't need a magnifying glass but good for travel.

It is quite complete with all the verb forms, comjugations and tenses that we learned in High School. But, because of the varying dialects, there were a few words I could not find. Living in the Southwest, the Mexican influence over the Spanish is marked. For instance the word 'estraner' or 'te estrano', for "I Miss You" is not in this dictionary which made it a disappointment for me.

The Vox Compact Spanish-English Dictionary is good, and weighs one pound 12 ounces. The Oxford Spanish Desk Dictionary is better and weighs two pounds. Neither fits in your pocket. I suggest buying either a pocket dictionary for traveling (light), or buying the Oxford dictionary for studying or traveling not so light. There's no reason to buy the Vox dictionary, except maybe price. Also, the Oxford Spanish Dictionary is mis-titled, it should be the Oxford Spanish-Engish Dictionary. It's equally for English speaking learning Spanish or Spanish speakers learning English.

If you are trying to learn "correct" Spanish and not just a few phrases to get you by while traveling, this book is an absolute must. I used it while taking Spanish at Ohio State and it was by far the book of choice among students. Incredibly useful information and laid out in a way that is easy to understand. If you're a student, GET THIS BOOK!!!!

It's my own fault, I didn't look at the dimensions, but from the description (and price), I figured that "compact" meant small and easy to carry around. No so. This is a rather large book. Not handy for travel.

I bought this dictionary for my daughter for school. She loves the extras in it, like the phrases and additional notes. She said that makes it even better than she expected. Great choice for high school Spanish class.