How to Improve Your Vocabulary
If TV cartoons don’t provide enough intellectual stimulation, try these tips to improve your vocabulary and impress your friends, or just yourself.
Up next in How to Improve Your Reading (16 videos)
Because reading is fun and fundamental!
You Will Need
- Books
- A dictionary
- A notepad
- A computer with internet access
Steps
-
Step 1
Read everything
Read everything you can get your hands on with a dictionary at hand for unfamiliar words.
-
Step 2
Look up words every day
Look up a word in the dictionary each day. Once you comprehend usage and correct pronunciation, write it down, and memorize it.
-
Step 3
Note words for later use
Listen to conversations and jot unfamiliar words in a notepad. Look the word up, and use it in conversation.
-
Flashcards with word definitions are a quick way to practice sounds, pronunciations, and meanings.
-
Step 4
Write sentences
Write words in a sentence; then read them aloud to retain them.
-
Step 5
Play word games
Play word games which build your vocabulary while you’re enjoying competition and having fun.
-
Access online resources for daily word challenges and fun vocabulary exercises.
-
Step 6
Group words by theme
Group words and meanings specific to fields of interest or themes.
-
Did you know? Reading 15 minutes a day translates into one million words a year.
