Proven Vocabulary Building Methods

There are an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 English words. Knowing just 10% of these words is impressive. Building a good vocabulary is important because you will eliminate the 'uhh' and the 'umm' in your speech, meaning you will come across as more educated and intelligent.

There are an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 English words. Knowing just 10% of these words is impressive. Building a good vocabulary is important because you will eliminate the 'uhh' and the 'umm' in your speech, meaning you will come across as more educated and intelligent. You should build your vocabulary because you will be able to use words that are more descriptive, meaning you will be able to better communicate with others and to understand others. A good vocabulary is the secret to understanding what is going on around you (through comprehension and reading) to increase your retention. A good vocabulary helps with your self-esteem and you will do better in your relationship and at work. There are several methods of vocabulary building.

You could build vocabulary by ensuring that you are actively receptive to all the new words you come across. Most readers have the habit of brushing aside unfamiliar words when reading or listening, sometimes subconsciously, and they then wonder why their vocabulary is not improving despite reading. Note unfamiliar words down for future reference if taking a dictionary to find out what they mean is not an option.

Reading is one of the most effective ways to build vocabulary. Reading not only allows you to learn new words, it is also interesting, it helps you learn a new way to think, it broadens your mind, and it enables you to understand the context. Read books in the field you are in and consider technical books and other non-fiction books. You could also read the newspaper. Another proven way of building vocabulary is using the words you learn in your everyday life. This is particularly effective when writing. Writing is an effective way of building your vocabulary. You could read the dictionary to build your vocabulary. There are many online dictionaries if you do not have one.

There is a trend towards using online vocabulary builders. An online vocabulary builder offers convenience since you it helps you in vocabulary building wherever you are, whenever you want. Online vocabulary builders also offer anonymity. There are several activities that will help you in building vocabulary. You could learn different skills since different skills have different vocabularies. An example is taking up gardening to learn gardening lexicon and for a better understanding of Latin-based words since plants have Latin words. Word puzzles, wordplay games, and other word games will also help with your vocabulary. Learning new vocabulary through activities is not only fun, it is often more effective since you will be able to link the new words with your motor skills and because you will have the right context.

Learning some Latin will help you build vocabulary since English is Latin-based in that the roots of English words are Latin. Review/study the new words you learn regularly so that you do not forget them. Dedicate a few minutes each day for vocabulary building. You could also use vocabulary-building aids like wordbooks and CDs. Building vocabulary should be a lifetime activity.

About the Author

Natasha March Belle Jose is the author of this article on Build Vocabulary. Find more information on Building Vocabulary here.