This thesaurus is aimed chiefly at those who are taking their first steps in learning the English language or who are trying to improve a basic grasp of the language. Most of the words listed here are commonly used by English speakers, both in writing and in daily conversation. English has a rich vocabulary and it is sometimes difficult to know which word to use. Often a single word has several meanings, which vary slightly from each other or which refer to completely different things. Sometimes, when speaking or writing, you may find you have used a particular word several times already and you want to find another word for the same thing. This is where a thesaurus can be helpful. Users of this thesaurus will find several alternatives are listed for each word. Where a particular word has a number of possible meanings these are numbered, beginning with a sample phrase to make clear what the particular meaning is. Each entry ends, where appropriate, with a short list of words (labelled OPPOSITE) that have the opposite meaning. The following example illustrates how entries in this thesaurus are arranged:open1 the door is open undone, unlocked, unfastened, ajar OPPOSITE: shut, closed, fastened2 be open with someone frank, honest, candid, straight, direct OPPOSITE: reserved, secretive3 open to attack vulnerable, susceptible, exposed OPPOSITE: protected, invulnerable