How to Determine the Meaning of Unknown Words
More than 170,000 words in the English language are in use, and several thousands more that, although obsolete, appear in older writings, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. That means that even the most well-read amongst us will inevitably come across a word she doesn't know. A strategy in place for figuring out the meaning of these unknown words will help you to build your vocabulary and improve your reading skills.
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Instructions
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Use context clues. When you use context clues, you are attempting to find out the meaning of the unknown word by referring to the words that surround it. For example, you may not know the meaning of the word "flammable." The passage in your book reads: "It turned out that the material was extremely flammable. She nearly burned down the house." You can assume from the sentence "she nearly burned down the house" that "flammable" means something that catches fire.
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Divide the word into parts. If you know the meaning of the components of the word, you may be able to figure out the meaning of the word itself. For example, you may not know the meaning of the word "lighthearted." The passage in your book reads: "She was lighthearted about the incident and laughed at her carelessness." You know that "light" is the opposite of "heavy" and that "heart" can mean "soul" or "spirit." By putting the two together, and placing the word into context, you can figure out that "lighthearted" refers to someone who is carefree and doesn't let things bother them too easily.
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Look up the word in your dictionary. Sometimes it may not be possible to figure out the unknown word from context clues or dividing it into parts. Try not to let this disrupt the course of your reading. Note the word down and come back to it later. Once you have looked the word up in your dictionary, reread the passage to better understand its usage in context.
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Tips & Warnings
Pay attention to any prefixes and suffixes the word may contain. For instance, the suffix "-able" in "flammable" refers to "ability." The prefix "im- " in "impossible" can mean "not."
As many words in English are derived from the Greek or Latin, learning Greek and Latin word roots can help you to figure out many unknown words. For instance, the components in the word "xenophobia" are derived two Greek words: "xenos," meaning "foreigner" and "phobos" meaning "fear."
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