What is the best way to build up my vocabulary?

Question

I really feel like my vocabulary is not where it should be: college level! How do I get it there?

Answer 1

freerice.org or .com

im not sure which one but it gives great vocab and for every question you get correct, the site donates 10 grains of rice to people who are starving

Answer 2

First, if you use the words "like" "you know" he/she "goes" instead of "said" make a conscious effort to retrain yourself to eliminate these "dead" and meaningless (and stupid sounding) words from your every day speech habits. Look up other words to substitute anduse them consciously. Secondly, Read READ READ!!! every day, for at least one hour, and read the classics . Read the actual book, not on line. Read in a quiet , non distracting place (hey, like a college library or the adult section of a public library - not the coffee shop with your headphones on) Read about things you are interested in, perhaps what you want to take at college. Ask the reference librarian to help you find what you want and learn how to find anything you want in the library. Keep a notebook, pencil and dictionary by your side. looking up things in an actual book instead of the net helps build your vocabulary because you will keep discovering more new words by accident. Write down any word you don't understand in your notebook. Stop and look up the meaning right then and write it down. Write a sentence of your own using the word. Actually writing by hand (not typing it into your laptop) helps you remember it. That is because it is a synaptic-developer brain skill. Try to use the word in a conversation the next day. Being well-read (meaning that you have a broad range of interests and general knowlege of a variety of subjects, as well as having a good vocabulary) will help insure your understanding of your work when you get to college. It is also the mark of a well educated and interesting person who will go far (and enjoy the ride more!) Kudos to you for having the maturity and foresight to recognize what you need to compete in an increasingly tough world. Those people with good communications skills, written and verbally, and who have taken the time to practice them will win the job over the people who do not understand this, every time - this part of reality never changes.

Answer 3

Take note of what people are saying. If someone says something you don't understand ask them what it means. After a while you'll just learn to use more developed vocabulary. You don't have to read the dictionary to develop a better vocabulary. All you have to do is listen and sooner or later you'll notice a change in the way you address things and say things. It'll be like an epiphany.

Answer 4

Skip the dictionary.
Read books that challenge you a bit. If you are not at a college reading level yet, work your way there. Take note of the vocabulary as you read. Practice using the words in different contexts.

Answer 5

Read college level books. Look up all the words you don't know. Reading a dictionary is not the ideal way to build a vocabulary. There will be tons of words you don't know and many aren't used. Realistically, reading material that is used and looking up the words you don't know will work better.

Answer 6

Just because you don't use $10 college words doesn't mean you have a bad vocabulary. As long as you understand what is being said/read you have a good vocabulary. However, if you really feel the need to expand - read, read, read!

Answer 7

Reading is a great way to build your vocabulary. Keep a notepad handy and when you come across a word you don't know, jot it down and look it up. For that matter, any time you come across a word you don't know, it's a good idea to look it up.

You can also subscribe to one of those word of the day things. Unfortunately many of these use exotic words that don't often come up in everyday use.

When you're writing something, try using a thesaurus to look up alternatives for words you use frequently. And you can make this a habit whether you're writing a paper for a class or just answering questions on Yahoo Answers.

Answer 8

I have a very large vocabulary and I am not yet in college. I have taked a test which informed that I read at a higher than college level reading level. I read one page of the dictionary everyday, often before bed so it can sink in. I hope I helped!

Answer 9

http://www.yourdictionary.com

Go to this website, and start reading the dictionary in English, beginning with the A's and moving through it.

Also, you could buy the book

English from Latin and Greek elements, which is a book that shows how many words in the English language are derived from Latin and Greek words. Knowing this, your vocabulary will soar.

Try both methods, and post again in a month.

Take care

Answer 10

You might try taking a dictionary and looking up adjectives...they are words that describe other words...like pretty feet...pretty describes the feet...think of the subject word then add the adjective that tells you something about the subject....like "The blue eyes belong to Frank" Blue describes Eyes

The more adjectives you learn the easier it will be to describe what you want to say.

Here is something you might do:
make a list of subjects or nouns..like this:
car
house
book
cat
spoon

Now look up words that are called adjectives words that tell someone about the subject or noun.

Example:
The cat woke up and jumped on the white bookshelf.
White is the adjective that tell you about the bookshelf noun and subject of the sentence.
.

Answer 11

Subscribe to a word of the day email:
HERE:
http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscribe.html

freerice.com is very cool & teaches a lot of vocabulary all the way up to college level.
The premise is that they will donate 20 grains of rice for each word you get right, to help the world's hungry ones.