Vocabulary

What is vocabulary?

Your vocabulary is all the words you know. You have different vocabularies for different skills:

• Listening vocabulary: words you understand when you hear them.
• Speaking vocabulary: words you use when you talk.
• Reading vocabulary: words you understand when you read.
• Writing vocabulary: words you use in your writing.

Your listening vocabulary is usually the biggest. A great goal is to move words from understanding to using.

Why vocabulary matters

A strong vocabulary helps you:

• Understand what you read. Knowing more words means understanding more books, articles and instructions.
• Express yourself clearly. You can say exactly what you mean.
• Learn in every subject. Science, math and social studies all have special words.
• Do well on tests. Many questions depend on word meaning.
• Communicate confidently with others.

Research shows that students with larger vocabularies tend to understand texts better, and that reading widely is one of the best ways to build vocabulary.

Kinds of words to learn

Educators often sort words into three tiers:

Tier two words are especially valuable because they appear everywhere in reading but are less common in conversation.

Strategies for learning new words

1. Use context clues

Context clues are hints in nearby words. The arid desert had not seen rain in months. Since there was no rain, arid must mean very dry.

2. Use word parts

Word parts (prefixes, roots and suffixes) give clues.
– un- (not) + believe + -able (can be) = unbelievable, cannot be believed.
– tele (far) + scope (see) = telescope, a tool to see far.

3. Look it up

Use a dictionary to find the definition, pronunciation and part of speech. Read all the meanings and choose the one that fits.

4. Connect it

Link the new word to something you know. Enormous → an elephant. Fragile → a glass ornament.

5. Make a word map

A word map helps you understand a word deeply:

• Word: generous
• Definition: willing to give and share
• Synonym: kind, giving
• Antonym: selfish, stingy
• Sentence: My generous friend shared her lunch with me.
• Picture: someone handing a gift to another person

6. Use it

Use the new word in speaking and writing at least three times in the next few days. Using words is what makes them stick.

7. Read, read, read

Reading widely, especially books a little challenging for you, is the best way to meet new words in context.

Synonyms and shades of meaning

A synonym has the same or nearly the same meaning. Learning synonyms helps you choose precise words.

Instead of said, try: whispered, shouted, explained, replied, muttered, announced.

Instead of good, try: excellent, delightful, helpful, kind, delicious (depending on what you mean).

Synonyms often have shades of meaning: warm, hot, scorching show different levels.

Words with more than one meaning

Many words have several meanings. Context tells you which one.

• bat: a flying animal, or a stick used in baseball
• bank: a place for money, or the side of a river
• bark: a dog’s sound, or the outside of a tree

Building vocabulary every day

• Word of the day: learn one new word each day and use it.
• Vocabulary journal: keep a notebook of new words with meanings and sentences.
• Word games: crosswords, word searches, Scrabble, Boggle, Bananagrams.
• Talk about words: when you hear an interesting word, ask about it.
• Read different kinds of texts: stories, nonfiction, poems, news.

Worked example

Sentence: The reluctant puppy dug its paws into the grass and refused to go into the bath.

1. Context clue: the puppy dug its paws in and refused.
2. Guess: reluctant means not wanting to do something.
3. Check: a dictionary says unwilling and hesitant. ✓
4. Connect: like how I feel about cleaning my room.
5. Use it: I was reluctant to jump into the cold lake.

Common mistakes

• Skipping unknown words without trying to figure them out.
• Memorizing definitions without using the words.
• Choosing a fancy synonym that does not fit the sentence.
• Using only the first dictionary meaning when another fits better.

Try it yourself

1. Use context to define the bold word: The ancient castle was over 800 years old.
2. Use word parts: what does unhelpful mean?
3. Give two synonyms for big.
4. Make a word map for brave.
5. Write two sentences using two meanings of light.

Answers: 1. Very old. 2. Not helpful. 3. Examples: large, huge, enormous. 4. Brave: not afraid; synonyms: courageous, bold; antonym: fearful; sentence: The brave firefighter entered the building. 5. Please turn on the light. My backpack is light today.

Study tip

Keep a “word wall” on your bedroom door or in your notebook. Each week, add five new words from your reading. Try to use each one before the week ends.

Quick recap

• Vocabulary is all the words you know and use.
• Learn words with context clues, word parts, dictionaries and word maps.
• Tier two words are especially useful across subjects.
• Use synonyms to choose precise words.
• Read widely and use new words to make them your own.