Whether you are a student or a native speaker, an improved and expanded level of vocabulary will boost you on a personal and particularly professional level; the benefits are unlimited. Explore language, communicate in a more engaging, entertaining way and speak without confusion on any subject. Become a better writer or enhance your overall reading experience. There are no limits to what you can achieve.
In this comprehensive article, I will outline proven techniques to show you how to improve your vocabulary on a daily basis.
1. Set your goals
It is an interesting fact that if we want to speak a language fluently we only need to know an average of 2,500 passive and 2,000 active word families to handle most types of our conversations. That is 4.5% of the available 100,000-word families in English. English natives know about 10,000 to 20,000 words.
Before you start filling the gaps, I suggest making your project a passion or simply getting enthusiastic about discovering interesting, specialized or rarely used words. Welcome unknown words, try guessing their meaning, and think about their uses. It can be an eye-opener!
If you want to be organized, here we go:
- What is the main goal and purpose? Is it for a job, exams or personal reasons?
- How many new words? What is your time frame and schedule? Per day, week, year.
- In which specific areas you would like to expand on?
- Schedule your activities. Stick to 15 minutes a day.
- Get your stuff ready, e.g. dictionary, thesaurus, flashcards, and worksheets.
2. Get a thesaurus and dictionary
If you are looking to expand your word knowledge, the best thing you can do is to purchase both a thesaurus and an English-English dictionary (Physical, online or app). A dictionary will allow you to learn what new words mean, as well as how to pronounce them. It will often give you an example of the word in a sentence, showing you just how to use that word in everyday conversation and work.
A thesaurus, on the other hand, will show you other words you can use that have the same meaning in your conversations and work. When used together? They are an incredibly powerful tool that can become the very basis of your wider reading and improved vocabulary. Thesaurus.com is a popular online tool.
3. Read. And then read some more!
Words are like pictures. The more we see them the easier we recognize and get familiar with them. Voracious reading can be one powerful key, particularly to enhance your writing!
However, despite what some websites and vocabulary teachers may tell you, reading is not the be-all-and-end-all of improving your word pool. There is no sense in reading a 500 page book if you are only going to understand 1/3 of the text! Reading is, however, a hugely important part of solidly building and improving vocabulary. These factors are important to approach material effectively:
Remember: Unless you apply speed reading techniques, it’s better to take time and just enjoy the reading process. You may want to approach your text on a word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence basis. This is also where the dictionary and thesaurus come in handy. Grab that dictionary and look the word up and how to pronounce it!
Start Small, Aim Tall: Depending on your age or reading and knowledge level aim for material that is made for you but is also challenging in a positive way. Science-Fiction and fantasy books are great sources of imaginary words, while non-fiction material will increase your vocabulary on a more academic level. Reading novels or books about contemporary topics will help get to learn vocabulary that is new and wasn’t around a few years ago.
Read classic novels: As entertaining as the latest celebrity gossip magazine may be, by itself, it will not teach you the wide variety of words you will be looking to learn. Often the most useful reading material available for building your vocabulary is classic novels from literature greats. Whilst they may take longer to digest and understand, this reading source will also show you just how certain words can be utilized in conversation and description.
Use Audiobooks: The great thing about audiobooks is that you can find them just about anywhere, from online sources to your local library. Plug in your headphones and do nothing more than listen! Even if you do not understand every word you hear, it will teach you the exact pronunciation and placement of every word. And if you do understand every word? Then that is even better! Words are often made much clearer when placed into context and used in conversation, and as a listener, you will also be presented with an interesting and engaging story to boot!
Sign up to receive a word a day: There are numerous sites that will email you a word a day for you to remember. And it’s a helpful word too that you will be able to use whenever you like. Add this word to the lists and mindmaps you have created in Step 4 to further develop your vocabulary.
4. Use imagery, visualize
Attach an image to certain words: This is a technique utilized throughout schools when attempting to educate students in a second language. By getting pupils to associate an image with a certain word, each and every time they see that image they will immediately think of that word and thus start to use it in sentences and conversation.
You can do exactly the same. For long words, try splitting the word down into parts, each part having a cute cartoon attached to it. There is only one rule here; the more unique, the weirder the image you attach to that word, the better. Make it truly memorable.
5. Play vocabulary games
Online word memory games: The great thing about the internet is that games are literally everywhere and there are quite a few to improve your vocabulary significantly. Alongside traditional favorites such as word searches, you can find shooters, car-driving games, and flip cards, all of which will present new words to you in an enjoyable, welcoming environment.
Create your own memory games: If a regular or mobile internet connection is an issue, do not worry! Detailed in section 7 is just how you can create word lists of similar words that will help you with your memorizing of these words. Create a word search or a crossword on your Microsoft Word, or simply construct one with a pen and paper. Add in the list of words you want to learn for the day, and off you go!
Use the games in your cupboard: We all have a drawer or a small cupboard where we all put the family board games. Favorites such as Scrabble and Boggle can all go some way to improving your vocabulary, and, if you have a dictionary at hand, you can learn and have some fun while laying down your letters!
Create flash cards: The use of flash cards is one of the most effective ways to learn new information. Add words into the mix, and you will see your rate of memory retention shoot upward. Write some tricky, or hard-to-learn words onto your cards and then have a go with them, and watch your memorization shoot upwards!
6. Consider software to improve your vocabulary
Vocabulary Builder Software can help expand your active word families effectively. They should offer extensive step-by-step guides and give access to a comprehensive word database including in-depth explanations and the option to add images and your own notes. Depending on what type of learner someone is, a comprehensive program also ships with a variety of games, video tutorials, flashcards, the ability to create and print word lists, and of course advanced progress monitoring.
The latest trend is to make them all cloud-based adding benefits such as social sharing options, learning in groups, and constant system updates. Consider tutors that allow several system installs and more than one user account so family and friends can join the fun.
7. Write! And then write some more.
Start an online blog: Each and every one of us lives a different life each day, and yours could well be one of the more interesting ones out there. Why not write about it? This will have 2 main benefits. It will encourage you to write down words on a regular basis, and the more comfortable you become with writing and using said words, the more likely you are to use them in the future. Find that your writing is using the same words again and again? Use your thesaurus to find a good alternative. This will, in turn, give you another word to use in your everyday writing and conversation!
Write a poem or small song: Whilst you will not be expected to write the next hit single for Beyoncé or Iggy Azalea, writing down a song or poem with a simple, yet clear rhyming pattern can be a great tool to use when trying to remember new words. How about writing a poem that contains a certain word and what it means? If it rhymes with another word that you are trying to learn, that is even better.
Create vocabulary worksheets: Human beings love lists. They make activities clear to understand, they keep order and you can also easily keep track of your progress in a variety of activities. Hence, why not use them when trying to expand your vocabulary? Create lists of similar words using your thesaurus, let’s say fifteen words of similar meaning in each list. All you need to do is spend 10-15 minutes each day memorizing this list, making sure you can remember each and every word on there.
Create a mind map: Find that the list is not working for you? Try mind mapping instead. Mind maps make the connections between certain subjects incredibly clear, and if used correctly can be a major asset when expanding your vocabulary. They will also allow you to give examples of words in use, something you are limited with if you choose to construct lists.
8. Link words!
Find the latin or greek origin of words: This may sound like a time consuming and rather boring way of expanding your vocabulary. Rest assured that this is actually one of the most effective ways that you learn. A majority of English words originate from Latin and Greek. By relating to the word and actually finding its origin and original meaning, you are much more likely to remember it in the long run, but also understand new ones quickly.
Think of each word as a new person that you meet. If you just pass over it once, you are not going to remember anything about it for more than a few hours. If you engage with it, learn about it and also put it to use?
Master suffixes and prefixes: By understanding their meaning you are likely to grasp a word's meaning faster.
Link words from different languages that sound similar: What is meant by this is that, if English isn’t your first language, use your native tongue to your full advantage! Take for example the French for the color pink, which is rose. Roses can be pink in color, so every time you see a rose or think of rosé, you will associate it with the color pink. Easy!
9. Use new words in everyday language!
Talk with people: Nothing out there beats actually absorbing yourself in an environment where you are encouraged to use those words as much as possible. For this particular avenue of exploration, this means talking to as many people as possible. Engage in everyday conversation, no matter how basic, and try using one or two of your learned words when talking to somebody. See how they react, and see if you get a response. If not? Then try again. It is all part of the learning process, success or not!
Type to people: Are you on an online forum focused on your fashion interests? Your favorite football team? Your favorite hobby? Use this to your advantage! The great thing about communicating through an online medium is that it is less immediate in nature than a face-to-face conversation, so you can plan and think carefully about your response.
10. Run vocabulary tests regularly!
Testing can be fun. And you dictate when! The idea of a test for many of us is no fun. Sure, whilst you will be putting your vocabulary to practice on a regular basis with the techniques shown above, once in a while a short test will be in order. Have you actually remembered those lists you created in Step 7 a week after you wrote them out? Find out!
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