The BBC English Dictionary has been specially developed for people around the world who want to understand and use modern English. It places a unique emphasis on the current spoken language, drawing on millions of words of recently broadcast material for its authenticity and authority. The dictionary offers fresh insights into today's English, based on an analysis of over seventy million words of broadcasting output from 1988 to the present day, taken from news, current affairs and sports broadcast provided by BBC World Service and National Public Radio of Washington. The coverage and treatment of the language make the dictionary equally suitable for native and non-native speakers of English.