Moby Pronunciation List

Grady WardProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.0

Word count: 14K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Moby Pronunciation List by Grady WardAuthor: Ward, Grady, 1951-,Language: English, Class: AG: General Works: Dictionaries and other general reference books, Release Date: May 1, 2002

Editor's review

Moby Pronunciation List is a typical tool-type electronic text: its value lies not in continuous reading but in repeated lookup. It organizes English pronunciation information into a searchable list, suitable as a handy reference for writing, editing, language teaching, or typesetting and proofreading. As a public-domain eBook released by Project Gutenberg, it also matters because it shows how early electronic-text projects digitized dictionary-type materials, making it easy for readers to look things up quickly on a computer or e-reader. Its strengths are clear entries, a well-defined purpose, and a light, portable size—no need to read it from cover to cover. Reading scenarios are mostly verification-related, such as checking the pronunciation of an unfamiliar word or needing a searchable source text when compiling a glossary. Note that it is English-language material and primarily a list, lacking explanations and example sentences; it cannot replace a systematic pronunciation textbook.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Writers and editors who need to quickly verify the pronunciation of English words
Teachers engaged in English teaching who need to organize pronunciation materials
Translators and typesetters compiling glossaries or doing text proofreading
Digital readers interested in public-domain electronic texts and dictionary materials

Not a good fit for

Beginners who want to systematically learn English pronunciation rules
General readers expecting continuous reading with explanations and example sentences
Learners who need Chinese definitions and usage notes

Reading tips

Use it as a lookup tool with the search function to find words, rather than reading it through.
Keep it at hand during proofreading or writing; check pronunciation questions as they arise and note them down.
Excerpt some entries to make your own glossary and cross-reference it with your project documents.
If used for teaching, first select common entries, then add example sentences and exercises.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for reading from cover to cover?

Not really. It is essentially a list of pronunciation entries; reading it in order is both tedious and inefficient. A more reasonable approach is to treat it as a lookup tool and consult it when you encounter a specific word. If you want to understand its overall structure, you can browse the beginning first to get familiar with how the entries are arranged, then look things up as needed.

Can it replace an English pronunciation textbook?

No. It provides pronunciation information entries and lacks systematic phonetic explanations, pronunciation rules, and practice design. Beginners who want to master pronunciation should choose textbooks with explanations and examples; this list is better suited to people with some foundation for verification and proofreading.

What should I pay attention to when using this material?

It is English-language material presented in list form, so using it requires some English proficiency. In addition, as a public-domain electronic text, it is best to first confirm how specific entries are annotated before use, to avoid treating lookup results as the sole standard; for key pronunciations, cross-check with other dictionaries.

Comments

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About the author

Grady Ward Author · American · 1951

Grady Ward (born 1951) is an American software engineer and lexicographer. Combining computer technology with the organization of English vocabulary, he created and released the Moby series of English lexical resources, which has had a certain influence in the field of language data. The series includes lists of common words in multiple languages, a thesaurus list, a part-of-speech list, a pronunciation list, and a hyphenation list. Among them, the Moby Thesaurus contains more than 2.5 million synonyms, a considerable scale that provides usable foundational data for natural language processing, dictionary compilation, and language research. Five of his works are held in this collection. Public information about his education and personal background is limited; his contribution lies mainly in openly aggregating and sharing large-scale English lexical materials for the convenience of later users.