The web-based version contains all materials in the print version and supplements, as well as the current revisions to that edition due out in 2010. Each dictionary entry includes the phonetic pronunciation of the word, its definitions, and etymology.
Users also have the option of viewing one or more quotations using the word.
Timelines indicate when the word was first used and how it entered the language. The OED Online offers a number of common database features. The dictionary's search engine looks for words typed in either upper or lower case. However, if one used the full-text search, the database will only search the exact spelling entered. Phrases should be entered in the full-text search option.