When you read a novel, you’re likely to imagine the narrative like a painting, as the writer is able to transport you to another world with excellent use of different words. Having a strong vocabulary helps you in many ways in expressing your thoughts more effectively and adding value to your writing and speaking. You can describe the emotions and the settings more clearly with the right usage of words. The English language has over a million words, and expanding the range of vocabulary is the best way to speak English fluently.
Are you wondering if there is any way that can help increase vocabulary skills? Here we bring you 14 effective ways that can enrich your English vocabulary.
Just collecting a vocabulary list is of no use when you don’t know how they are used. Develop a reading habit to learn new words along with the context in which they are used. You can understand them easily without having to check their meaning in the dictionary. You will get exposure to many unfamiliar words by reading a novel, magazine, blog post, or article.
“I want to talk in English fluently.”
Many individuals wish to speak English fluently, but they won’t know how to speak like a native by using appropriate words. Listening to another person talking in English is a great way to increase your vocabulary. Watch English movies, talk shows, or television programs where you’re likely to find new words. Attend English-speaking events like debates, competitions, etc., to get exposure to new words and how they are pronounced.
Writing every day is an outstanding practice that helps you stay organized and also gives you an opportunity to improve your vocabulary. Keep a journal of your day’s activities, and you can try to use the recently learned vocabulary in your sentences.
There are umpteen mobile applications that allow you to take English lessons with native speakers. You can indulge in a casual conversation and learn new words with exact pronunciation.
If you’re a music lover, it can also be a fun way to learn new words. Listen to English songs produced by English-speaking countries and look for new words and their meaning.
You may run into instances where you will not be able to guess the exact meaning of a word or how it can be used. Referring to the dictionary online will be helpful to know the usage. Also, it leads you to related words, synonyms, antonyms, and root words.
You may come across technical jargons that are relevant only to a specific industry or domain. Try to learn those practical terms and incorporate them in your English writing and speaking. Also, a single word can produce different meanings depending on the industry.
For example, the word ‘Fair’ describes someone as good-looking, and at the same time, it also means an event in a particular place.
It’s essential to know the different meanings of a single word and use them appropriately according to the context.
Most English words have roots in Latin and Greek. It can be fun if you get to know the root words and analyze their meaning with related words in English. One root word will lead you to many other words, which will help you build your vocabulary quickly.
For example, the word ‘Dictator’ and ‘Dictation’ share a common root from the Latin word ‘Dict’ which means ‘to say’.
A person who dictates the rules in a country is called a dictator. An action of saying words aloud to be written down or an action of giving orders is called dictation. Both words were derived from the Latin word ‘Dict’.
The following are some examples:
| Examples | Root Word | Definition | Origin |
| Inspection, spectator | Spect | To look | Latin |
| Construction, structure, destruction | Struct | To build | Latin |
| Percent, century | Cent | One hundred | Latin |
| Biology, biography | Bio | Life | Greek |
| Homonym, homogenous | Homo | Same | Greek |
| Pseudoscience, pseudonym | Pseudo | False | Greek |
Word games like Crossword Puzzle, Scrabble, and Boggle can be a fun way to build your vocabulary. Take a list of new words you learned from these games and go through them from time to time.
Smartphones have several flashcard applications that help you learn new words each day. It’s the easiest way to study, practice, and become an expert in English speaking and writing.
Don’t rush yourself trying to learn many words in a single day. It can turn overwhelming for your brain to remember all of them. The best way is to learn at least a single word each day and gradually start building your vocabulary.
While building vocabulary is a good exercise, you should also be aware of how to use them in a sentence. Enrolling in a writing class will help you practice those words through essays, assignments, and many other writing tasks. This will greatly benefit you in your professional life as well.
When you read the same type of things every day, it will not be helpful in expanding your vocabulary. You should diversify your reading list, which includes literature, politics, history, fiction, philosophy, and many other topics you enjoy.
Understandably, just sitting all day and learning is not for everyone. Make learning fun and exciting by getting out of your home and visiting places in your surroundings. For example, you can visit a museum and learn new things from there. Go to places of worship and pay attention to the things around you.
Did you enjoy going through our long list of tips to enrich your vocabulary? We’ve got more such articles that will assist you in mastering the English language. Subscribe for our email alerts and stay tuned with English With Janet for more.
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