High Frequency Words: The Bête Noire of Lexicographers and Learners Alike. A close look at the verb ‘make’ in five advanced learners’ dictionaries of English

The highly polysemous and phraseological nature of high frequency words makes them a major stumbling block for both lexicographers and learners. This article seeks to investigate the lexicographic treatment of high frequency words through a detailed study of the verb make in five recent editions of monolingual learners’ dictionaries (CALD 2003, COBUILD 2003, LDOCE 2003, MEDAL 2002 and OALD 2000). After a first section devoted to the nature of high frequency words and the difficulties they pose, sections 2 and 3 respectively focus on the semantic and phraseological treatment of the verb make in the five dictionaries. The article is rounded off by a series of suggestions for improvement and a plea for increased learner training in dictionary use.