These pages contain prefatory material published in print editions of the OED.

To read more about the OED, its history, and the work currently underway to produce a completely revised Third Edition, see our web site - http://www.oed.com.

Second Edition (1989)

• Preface
• The New Oxford English Dictionary project
• Introduction
  • Special features of the Second Edition
  • Principles of integration
  • The translation of the phonetic system
  • New vocabulary
  • Statistics
• General explanations
  • The vocabulary
  • Classification of the vocabulary
  • Main words
  • Subordinate words
  • Combinations
  • Derivatives
  • Ordering of entries
  • Ordering of senses
  • Pronunciation
• The history of the Oxford English Dictionary
• Key to the conventions of the Dictionary
• Key to the pronunciation
• List of abbreviations, signs, etc.
• Note on proprietary names

Additions Series

• Volume 1 (1993)
  • Editorial staff
  • Introduction
  • Proprietary names
• Volume 2 (1993)
  • Preface
  • Proprietary names
• Volume 3 (1997)
  • Editorial staff
  • Preface
  • Note on proprietary status
• Key to the pronunciation