How to Build My Vocabulary

A strong vocabulary opens doors for further learning.

A well-developed vocabulary can enrich your conversations and writing and give you the ability to understand words that may baffle others. There are many ways to introduce yourself to new words and their meanings. Tools such as personal goals, dictionaries, thesauruses and the Internet can help you to strengthen your vocabulary and even help you learn to decipher words that are unknown by using Latin word roots.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Start a vocabulary notebook. Write down new words that you hear and want to look-up later on. Set goals for learning new words, or list each new word as you learn it, and become pleasantly surprised when you have filled the notebook.
   • 2
     Read your newspaper daily to introduce yourself to words that are functional and relevant to current events. When you come across a word that you do not fully understand, look it up in a dictionary, and make a note of the word. Try to use it in daily conversations to reinforce your understanding.
   • 3
     
     
     
     Use a thesaurus to look up synonyms of words that you already know. Many common words have uncommon synonyms that can be used to replace them in your writing and speech.
   • 4
     Visit the Vocab Vitamins website to sign up for daily email messages that will introduce you to a new word and its meaning each day.
   • 5
     Visit the Merriam Webster website to use an online dictionary and thesaurus. The site also offers articles about different words each day to explain origins and meanings.
   • 6
     See the Cuesta College Academic Support site for a list of root words and their meanings. Many words are derived from Latin root words. Once you learn the meaning of each root word, you can decipher the meanings of some new words without having to look them up.
   • 7
     Read in your spare time. Skip the movies for a book that you are interested in. Your local library may surprise you with a diverse selection of books, without the commitment of a purchase. Reading new words in detailed context sometimes leads you to the definition by allowing you to infer what is meant.