Which Was the First American Dictionary?

Language is important in shaping a nation’s identity, culture, and education. Early on, the Americans used many British dictionaries, and most of them were British in their spelling, pronunciation, and meaning. As the nation gained its political independence, it also wanted to create its own national identity in terms of language and education. 

Many of these efforts focused on creating uniform spellings and meanings for words to reflect this American identity. The developing of the first American dictionary was an important event in American history.

The dictionary built the parameters of how words were spelled and defined throughout the United States. Today’s American English learners, government workers, and everyday people use these same words found in the first American dictionary.

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Which Was the First American Dictionary? 

Source: Webster's Dictionary

Noah Webster’s “A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language,” published in 1806, was the first American dictionary. It focused on American English instead of British English. Among the innovations Webster created to simplify the English language for America was a more logical way to spell words. 

He removed extraneous letters so that American spellings made more sense than British English. The other goal of Webster's dictionary was to create an American language that gave all Americans access to an established language to improve education throughout the United States. 

The 1806 dictionary was smaller than later dictionaries, but it is the beginning of American lexicography and is considered a critical milestone in the development of American English.

Why Was an American Dictionary Needed?

As America became independent, Americans needed a distinct form of language to express who they were as a country. 

England’s dictionaries did not incorporate differences in the way words were spelled, pronounced or used between America and England. 

The American dictionary contributed to the consolidation of America’s English language, encouraged education and allowed both students and authors to communicate effectively, using a uniquely American form of the English language.

Who Wrote America’s First Dictionary?

Noah Webster created the first American dictionary. He was a teacher and lexicographer, as well as a reformer in education. 

Webster’s goal was to create a single, standard form of American English; one that used simplified spelling and reflected the way Americans spoke and wrote, rather than adhering to the British standard of the English language. 

His book laid the foundation for the development of dictionaries in America.

How Did It Differ from British Dictionaries?

Newspapers in America had a simpler method of spelling than newspapers in England; thus, Webster used the American method of spelling, eliminating extra letters such as u in the word color, or r in the word center.

 He also spelled out words differently based on American pronunciation and definitions compared to the English definition. 

This was to provide ease of use for the reader and ultimately formed an American identity through language, which distinguished America from England and created an entirely new version of the English language.

Conclusion

The first American dictionary created the foundations for many of the components we now have in our dictionaries and of American English today. Throughout the United States, Webster’s efforts impacted the spelling, pronunciation, and teaching of language. This dictionary represents a significant milestone in the evolution of linguistics.