In a dictionary, an entry word is the headword at the top of an entry that you use to look up meanings and usage.
Open any dictionary page and your eyes land on one bold item first. That bold item is the entry word. It’s the label that tells you you’ve reached the right entry, then the rest of the block adds meaning, pronunciation, grammar, and usage notes.
If you’ve typed a word into a dictionary search box and landed on a different form, you’ve already met the idea. Dictionaries file related forms under one chosen lookup form. Learn that logic once and you’ll stop feeling like the dictionary is “changing your word.”
What Is An Entry Word In The Dictionary? In Print And Online
The entry word is the word (or phrase) shown at the start of a dictionary entry, often in bold or larger type. Many dictionaries call it a headword. It works like a signpost: it names the entry and pins it to a spot in the alphabetical list.
On paper, the entry word is what fixes the page location. Online, it still anchors the entry even when you jump there by search. The entry word is the “nameplate” for the information that follows.
Entry word in a dictionary and what it points to
The entry word isn’t only a label. It can also hint at what’s bundled inside the entry. A single entry word can group a family of forms: plurals, verb tenses, and related phrases.
That’s why you’ll often search for “running” and land on “run,” or search for “better” and land on “good.” The entry word is the filing choice, and the entry shows how other forms connect.
| Entry Feature You’ll See | What It Signals | How To Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Bold entry word | The lookup form used to file the entry | Match your search term to this form, then read downward |
| Part of speech label | Whether the word is a noun, verb, adjective, and so on | Pick the label that matches your sentence frame |
| Pronunciation line | Sound guide using symbols and stress marks | Check stress so you don’t say the right sounds in the wrong order |
| Variant spellings | Alternate forms accepted in some settings | Use the form that fits your region or style rules |
| Sense numbers | Separate meanings under one entry word | Read the short signpost words before a sense to choose fast |
| Usage labels | Tone or setting: informal, slang, offensive, dated, technical | Decide if the word fits the setting you’re writing for |
| Word origin line | Earlier forms and source languages | Use it when history or older meanings matter |
| Related phrases under the entry | Fixed phrases filed under the entry word | Scan these when your target term is part of a longer phrase |
| Cross-references | Directions to a related entry | Follow them when you see “see also” or a similar cue |
Why dictionaries pick one form as the entry word
Dictionaries don’t print every form of every word as a full entry. Instead, editors pick a form that can hold the rest. For English, that’s often the base form: a singular noun, the infinitive form of a verb, or the plain form of an adjective.
One major dictionary defines “entry word” as the term placed at the beginning of an entry, the same idea as “headword.” You can see that language on Merriam-Webster’s definition of “entry word”.
Publishers describe this choice in their own writing too. Oxford Languages says a headword is the form you’d look up, with other features listed under it. Their page on Oxford Languages dictionary dataset notes on headwords lays out the idea in plain terms.
Entry word, headword, and lemma
Most English dictionaries treat “entry word” and “headword” as the same thing: the bold form that files the entry. You may also hear “lemma” in linguistics and language apps. It points to the same practical idea, a base form used to group related spellings and forms.
So if you meet “ran,” “runs,” and “running,” they can all point back to the entry word “run.” The entry word is not “more correct” than the other forms. It’s the sorting choice that keeps the dictionary readable and keeps lookups quick.
Inflection is the usual reason a lookup fails
Inflection is a label for word changes like plural nouns and verb endings. When a search misses, try the base. If you searched “hoped,” try “hope.” If you searched “children,” try “child.”
After you land on the entry word, scan for the form you started with. Many entries list common inflected forms near the top.
Some entry words are phrases
An entry word can be more than one word. Dictionaries often file compounds and set phrases as their own entries when people search for them as a unit, like “ice cream” or “credit card.”
When a phrase has its own entry word, it’s often because the phrase has a shared meaning that readers recognize right away.
What sits inside an entry after the entry word
Once you’ve found the entry word, the rest of the entry is a set of small tools. Each tool answers a different question: What does it mean? How is it used? How is it said? What grammar patterns follow it?
Pronunciation and stress
Many entries show pronunciation with symbols. Start with stress. A mark shows which syllable gets the punch, and that alone fixes many slips in speech.
Parts of speech and grammar notes
Words can shift roles. “Book” can be a noun and a verb. The entry splits senses by role, so match the role you need before you copy anything into your sentence.
Senses, signposts, and usage notes
Senses separate meanings under one entry word. Signpost words help you choose fast, and usage labels warn you about tone, region, or whether a sense feels dated.
How to locate the right entry word fast
Finding the entry word is a skill you can practice. These moves work in paper dictionaries, phone apps, and browser-based dictionaries.
Start with what you see, then step back
Begin with the form in your text. If the result looks close but not exact, step back to the base form. For verbs, remove -ed or -ing. For nouns, try the singular. For adjectives, try the plain form instead of -er or -est.
Use guide words on a printed page
Print dictionaries use guide words at the top of a page to show the first and last entry word on that page. If your target falls between them alphabetically, you’re on the right page. If not, flip a few pages and check again.
Scan subentries under the main entry word
Some dictionaries place related terms under a main entry word as subentries. These are often bold but smaller. If you can’t find a full entry for your phrase, scan the subentries under the base word.
If you’re using an online dictionary, try the “did you mean” suggestions, but don’t stop there. Click the entry word you want and read the part of speech first. Search results can mix words that only look similar often.
Common confusions about entry words
Entry words sound simple, yet a few patterns trip people up. Once you know the patterns, the page stops feeling like a blur.
Entry word vs. word family
Seeing “run” as the entry word when you searched “running” can feel like a mismatch. It isn’t. “Run” is the filing choice, and “running” sits inside that entry as a related form.
Same spelling, different words
Some words share spelling but carry unrelated meanings. Dictionaries may split them into separate entries, sometimes with small numbers (like “bank 1” and “bank 2”). Treat those as different words that happen to look the same.
Names and proper nouns
Many school dictionaries list common words and skip names. If a name is missing, an encyclopedia or a subject reference is often the better place to check.
Using entry words to write and edit with less guesswork
Once you know what the entry word is doing, a dictionary becomes more than a spelling checker. You can choose the right sense, keep tone steady, and avoid grammar slips.
Match the sense to your sentence
When a word has several senses, pick by context. Ask what nearby words push it toward one sense. The entry’s signposts and ordering help you match meaning to your line.
Let labels steer your tone
Labels like “informal” or “slang” can be fine in chat and wrong in a report. If your goal is a formal tone, let the labels guide your choice.
Use pronunciation when you’ve only met a word in reading
Some words are common in books but rare in speech. A quick look at the pronunciation line can stop a misread before it sticks.
Table check: quick tasks and entry word cues
Use the table below as a fast reference when you’re in the middle of homework, editing, or reading. It’s built around what you can spot right after you find the entry word.
| Your Task | Entry Cue To Check | Slip That Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Find the right meaning fast | Sense numbers and signpost words | Reading the first sense and stopping too soon |
| Write a word correctly in a sentence | Part of speech label and grammar notes | Using a noun sense when you need a verb sense |
| Choose a tone that fits school writing | Usage labels like informal or slang | Copying a casual phrase into a formal paragraph |
| Check if a spelling is accepted | Variant spellings in the entry | Assuming one spelling is wrong when it’s a known variant |
| Say the word out loud | Pronunciation line and stress marks | Putting stress on the wrong syllable |
| Spot whether a sense feels old | Labels like dated or historical | Using an older sense in modern writing |
| Find a longer phrase you half-remember | Subentries and related phrases | Searching each word alone and missing the phrase entry |
| Clear up two meanings with one spelling | Separate entries or numbered homographs | Mixing meanings from different entries |
A simple mini-workflow for any lookup
If you want a routine you can repeat, try this four-step flow.
- Start with the form you see, then note the entry word you land on.
- Check the part of speech, then pick the sense that matches your sentence.
- Scan labels for tone and region, then confirm spelling or pronunciation if needed.
- Write your sentence, then reread it with the entry’s grammar notes in mind.
People still ask, what is an entry word in the dictionary? It’s the headword that names the entry and gathers the details under one label.
And when you catch yourself asking, what is an entry word in the dictionary? try the quick fix: strip endings, try the base, and let the bold entry word guide your reading.