By arranging frequently used characters under the phonetic element they have in common, rather than only under their radical, the dictionary encourages the student to link characters according to their phonetic. The system of cross-referencing then allows the student to find easily all the characters in the dictionary which have the same phonetic element, thus helping to fix in the memory the link between a character and its sound and meaning. More controversially, the book aims to alleviate the confusion that similar looking characters can cause by printing them alongside each other.All characters are given in both their traditional and simplified forms. Appendix one clarifies the choice of characters listed whilst the second appendix provides a list of the radicals with detailed comments on usage. The dictionary has a full pinyin and radical index. This innovative resource will be an excellent study-aid for students with a basic grasp of Chinese, whether they are studying with a teacher or learning on their own.