How many pronunciations and transcriptions of words are there in the dictionary?

Answer 1

First we must agree that there is no single work that can be called the dictionary: if we restrict our discussion to reputable and carefully edited dictionaries, we will find several publishers that offer varying editions of their works -- unabridged, abridged (so-called "collegiate" or "desk" dictionaries; pocket; beginner; elementary school; and American English are a few of the designations that various publishers use. In principle, you will find a pronunciation suggestion for each word; some words have alternate pronunciations. The number of pronunciation entries will depend, therefore, on how many words are in the dictionary that you choose as your standard and on how many of those words have more than one pronunciation entry. The publishers of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary have a Web site that might lead you to an answer: http://merriam-webster.com At that site, click on About Usand then on Contact Us. You can ask your question there, and I think there's a good chance that the editors will reply.

Answer 2

Most dictionaries include one standard pronunciation and one phonetic transcription for each word. Some dictionaries may provide additional variations for regional accents or dialects.