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Rating: 
Summary: looking for decent learner's dictionary
Review: As a new learner of welsh, the strength of this dictionary is it is easy to use, highlights clearly where the mutations occur and is good on examples of usage. Ideal for learning, but falls short on the detailed coverage - I am still looking for a good advanced dictionary - the Welsh Academy English-Welsh dictionary seems the standard reference in that direction, but does not seem to be available for Welsh-English which is not a little frustrating!
Rating:
Summary: This is a near-perfect companion to nearly any Welsh course.
Review: Let me begin by stating that I write here as a student of Celtic languages, history, and culture.
First of all, this dictionary presents itself in a very comprehensive manner. It gives the word, whether it is a noun/verb/adjective/etc., the gender of the nouns, and throughout the course of the text there is a large quantity of gramatical reference material that is very helpful. It also places many entries within the bounds of an example sentence, so you can see how many words are actually used, which is especially helpful in understanding idioms, metaphors, and the like. My only complaint with this text is that, like most dictionaries, it does *not* include a phonetic transcription, either in syllables or phonetic notation. This sort of thing is enormously useful, and especially so when learning a language like Welsh, which is a very intimidating languae initially to an English-speaker. I recommend aquiring this dictionary along with the 'Hugo Three-Month Language Course' offered by Phylip Brake, as it is the best I have seen in Welsh language aids. It *does* include the words in English syllables, for example! Sláinte...
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent learner's dictionary
Review: The prolific Gareth King has contributed yet another opus to his set of aids for Welsh learners, to go along with his grammar, books of exercises, and introductory textbook (Colloquial Welsh), all published by Routledge. For the learner grappling with spoken Welsh, this is by far the best dictionary I have seen to date, and its price is very reasonable. The usage notes are tremendously helpful, and have illuminated some problems I have long wondered about. Be warned, though, that King's dictionary is a guide to spoken, not literary Welsh--the two are practically different languages, with many differences in grammar and vocabulary. If you plan to learn Welsh only for reading purposes, this book will be of limited use. As the previous reviewer noted, it is not comprehensive, but it doesn't aim to be. However,if you know all that's in this book, you are probably ready to move on to other dictionaries anyway. Spoken Welsh is a fluid entity, and King has made some decisions that other native speakers may not agree with. It would be nice to see some native speakers, especially teachers, review this book.
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