Are Dictionaries Prescriptive?
The goal of most dictionary makers is to describe the way words are being used, pronounced, and spelled. In this sense, they are largely descriptive. When we use dictionaries as an authority for correct usage, pronunciation, or spelling, we use them as a prescriptive guide. However, starting with the first English dictionary, made by Samuel Johnson in 1755, dictionaries have always offered multiple acceptable pronunciations and definitions of words. Many offer alternative spellings (for example, gray or grey), plural forms (for example, indices or indexes), or past tense forms (for example, burned or burnt). The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is a specialized dictionary that captures regional variation in words and pronunciations. It is a product of interviews with people all over the country concerning how people pronounce certain words and which variant of a word they typically use (for example, bag, sack, poke). Another important source for DARE is written materials
