What are guide words used for in a dictionary?

Guide words are utilized in a dictionary to show the first and last items on a page. By displaying these words at the top of each dictionary page, guide words help users quickly locate the entries they need. For instance, if someone is looking for a word that starts with 'cat,' the guide words will indicate whether the target word falls within that specific range. This feature enhances the efficiency of finding words by narrowing down the pages to check, saving time and making the use of the dictionary more user-friendly.