Dictionaries: questions and Band 8 answers

Yes, pretty much every day, actually. Whenever I am reading an article or drafting a report for work and come across an unfamiliar term, I will quickly look it up. It has become second nature, especially since I can do it in seconds on my mobile phone.

Definitely digital ones. They are just far more convenient because you do not have to flick through hundreds of pages to find a single entry. Plus, digital versions often have audio recordings, which helps immensely with figuring out the correct pronunciation of tricky words.

Most of the time, I am checking subtle nuances in meaning or looking for synonyms so I do not repeat the same words in my writing. Occasionally, I will double-check spelling, especially with words that have silent letters, just to avoid making silly typos.

I did, yes. Back in primary school, our teacher made us keep a chunky hardback dictionary on our desks. We had regular vocabulary quizzes, so we were constantly flipping through it to find definitions and practise alphabetical order, which felt like a game back then.

To be honest, I think they will become quite rare. While some collectors or language purists might keep them on their bookshelves for nostalgia, most people simply want instant access on their handheld devices, so physical copies will probably just gather dust.