The method with which the
pronunciation of words was taught and their meanings were ex- plained was very popular in the Han
Dynasty. Shuo Wen Dictionary mainly relies on the method which explains meanings of words through analyzing their character forms, however, it also adopts the method with which the
pronunciation of words is taught and their meanings are explained in order to reveal histori- cal and cultural connotation which could not be expounded with the method of
explaining meanings of words through analyzing their character forms, when the explanation had to do with important historical events, political systems, ceremony systems and customs. There were many phonetic loan characters in the classical works. It is very difficult to explain the meaning of words exactly, without understanding the method with which the pronunciation of words is taught and their meanings are explained. Shuo Wen Dic- tionary adopts the method of explaining the word with the meaning of phonetic loan character to go with the method of explaining meaning of word through analyzing its character fonn, and demonstrates the dif- ference between its original meaning and the meaning of phonetic loan character. This article takes four examples to prove the use of the method with which the pronunciation of words is taught and their mean- ings are explained in Shuo Wan Dictionary.