Give me some options on how one can improve their vocabulary?

Answer 1

Get the word of the day from dictionary.com

http://dictionary.reference.com/

And every time you read a word you don't know, write it down and look it up. use it three times in proper context and it will be yours. (That's the general rule).

Answer 2

I had the same idea not to long ago. I took a english class where I was taught how to write well and use words. When I finished this class my instructor told me that I had come a long ways and that she was very proud of me. Reading books or anything that has a story is well. Always have a dictionary for you to look up words that you do not know. Also a Toastmasters Club they are all over town they help will public speaking that way you learn and listen to the way people speak. it's educational and these Clubs usually meet for about 1 hour or so. You can go on line and check for locations and times. They have a yearly fee which is like 65.00 and you can pay in payments like 20.00 a month whatever is convenient for you.

Answer 3

The short answer is read, but that’s way too simplistic of an approach which is likely to yield unsatisfying results. You’ve heard reading the dictionary, or reading as much of anything as possible. But, alas, you get what you pay for.

My suggestions are as follows:
1-Read above your reading level - which is to say choose material that is complex in nature, dense with ideas and not commonly thought to be mainstream. Avoid the newspapers as a source of vocabulary expanders since these are usually written at a sixth grade reading level. Types of this content include scholarly journals and books usually written by authors who are well versed on a subject.

Malcolm X expanded his vocabulary by reading the dictionary, but he had an inordinate amount of time to do this since he was incarcerated at the time. I don’t recommend being incarcerated, but the dictionary is a good starting point.

The last suggestion is to remove all slang from your dialog and use only proper words “al a advice from Lawrence Fishburn in “Akeelah and the Bee”

Answer 4

I was always very good with vocabulary in high school, but I have yet to see any vocabulary stuff in college. Anyway, I think the key to improving vocabulary is improving your memory. You improve your memory by reading over vocabulary words/definitions over and over again, and the more you do that the more likely you are to retain that information.

Answer 5

The biggest tool I have found in improving my own vocabulary is using a Thesaurus. For those who don't know, a thesaurus provides synonyms for a particular word. I first started using it to find "smarter-sounding" words when I'd be typing a paper for school. But I've used it a lot more often to find different words to mean the same thing. It will expand your vocabulary like nothing else can.

Answer 6

I always challenge myself by looking up a word I want to use in the Thesaurus and using a different one. I have lots of literature sites that have great lists of neat words. Give yourself a word for each day and challenge yourself to use it ten times in that day. You can go in the dictionary and start in A and work your way to Z using a different word each day. Eventually, you will get there. I made a list of my favourite words and every time I learn a new one that I like, I add it to the list. I look at it often. Writing helps as well, whether it be a journal, a book, poetry, letters to people you know or yourself.

Go to plays
Read the newspaper and highlight the words you don't know or are unsure of and then look them up later. You can do this with magazines and books too (except make a list instead of highlighting in books that aren't yours).

Happy Learning!

Answer 7

It depends if you are native speaker or not. I am not a native speaker.

I started watching movies, playing video games and turned all my software to English. Anyway I did everything that does not make you smarter because it has small, simple words that are often repeated.

After that stage and that applies to the native speakers as well is to start reading newspapers, magazines (not about fashion, sports and life style) and most importantly books. Play alot of scrable but make a forbidden word list which contains simple and common words. Debate with your friends on topics that interest you. I did that. I am sure I can surprise you with my vocabulary.

If you go to school doing your homework well, it helps too.

Answer 8

How about reading the book


30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary (Hardcover)
by Wilfred Funk, Norman Lewis


amazon.com has it.

Answer 9

Read more in general. It does not matter what you read the newspaper, magazine, books whatever. More exposure to words means a bigger vocabulary.

Answer 10

lol.

Here is a game that might be in stores soon.

You can see it at www.christophercnorth.com

Its the one called syllables and it sure helps with ones vocabulary.