How to Improve Vocabulary

It is said that your success in life depends, among other things, on a good attitude and a good grasp of vocabulary. Have you ever been in a situation where a word escaped you and you had to spend ten minutes fumbling and mumbling? No matter how smart you are, there is always the need to upgrade your vocabulary.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Willingness to learn something new
• Attention to spoken words

1. READ, READ, READ
   
   A woman once told me that books were visas to other worlds. Get into the habit of reading books, magazines and journals. I get new words and phrases from reading Details, The New Yorker and Esquire. All you have to have is an inquiring mind.

2. BUY A GOOD DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS
   
   You have to know what words mean before you use them. A good dictionary gives you all the meanings to a word. A thesaurus gives you other words that either intensify or minimize the meaning of a specific word. You need vocabulary as a writer and a speaker, in order to convey your thoughts with clarity.

3. LEARN HOW TO PRONOUNCE WORDS
   
   Whether you write or not, it is important to learn how to pronounce the words you learn. There is a uniqueness to every word and it helps you as a speaker or writer to capture that.

4. USE YOUR WORDS APPROPRIATELY
   
   You cannot be using words just because you read about them. You will be accused of malapropism. Malapropism is when you substitute the right word with its homonym. For example, while the right sentence to say is 'The pinnacle of success', a person guilty of malapropism will say, 'The pineapple of success'.

5. NEVER USE WORDS TO IMPRESS OTHERS, USE THEM TO EXPRESS YOURSELF
   
   I personally know of people who use complex words to say simple concepts. They are always disappointed because their audiences always complain about their choice of words. Your grasp of vocabulary is to help you express yourself with eloquence. Simplicity is the best policy.

6. BE READY TO LEARN ON THE SPOT
   
   When you see a new word or hear it uttered, make sure you get its definition as soon as possible. Your readiness to grasp new things will assist your mind to build its vocabulary bank faster than you think.

[CrystalR]

on 12/27/2008 I love to read and enjoy learning new words although sometimes I know the spelling and definition of a word, but not the pronunciation having only read the word! Dictionary.com helps a lot with this one.

[halliwood]

on 12/26/2008 Great article, I love to read and it really helps. But I love the steps about using them just to impress, that's never a good idea. I will admit that I do need to work on step 3 a little though.

[ALLinRueThyme]

on 12/26/2008 Excelent article. It seems that vocabulary is one of those things people don't tend to foster. Good of you to point out the necessity of constantly working to reach beyond ones present knowledge.

[voliegurl]

on 12/26/2008 Great tips and advice..thanks and 5* with recommendation!

[JoyNmyHeart]

on 12/26/2008 Beautifully written article on improving your vocabulary. When I was in school I was amazed at the vocabulary words I knew already just from reading a lot of books.