How to Expand Your English Vocabulary Fast
How to Expand Your English Vocabulary Fast
Hello everyone,
Having a good vocabulary is extremely important.
The more words you know, the better you can express yourself and understand others.
A strong vocabulary helps with reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It makes you a better communicator overall.
Unfortunately, expanding your vocabulary can seem difficult and time-consuming. But with the right strategies, you can actually build up your word power rapidly.
This lesson will share some of the most effective techniques to increase your English vocabulary fast.
The Key to Quick Vocabulary Growth
The number one key to quickly learning lots of new vocabulary words is this: use many different methods at the same time.
Don’t just study word lists or read a dictionary.
That’s not very efficient. Instead, combine several multi-sensory methods that will get words stuck in your memory from multiple angles.
The more your brain is exposed to a word through различные ways, the faster that word becomes permanently cemented in your long-term memory.
With that key principle in mind, here are some of the best strategies to employ to expand your English vocabulary quickly:
1. Read as Much as Possible
Reading is critical for vocabulary growth. The more you read, the more you’ll encounter new words in context, which aids retention. Read books, newspapers, magazines, websites – anything and everything. Carry a book or kindle everywhere so you can read during downtimes. Look up and study words you don’t know.
2. Use Flashcard Apps
Old-school paper flashcards are effective, but apps make learning even easier. Apps like Anki, Quizlet, and Memrise let you create digital flashcard decks to review new words and their definitions. Gamify it by challenging yourself to learn X number of new words per day. The spaced repetition systems in these apps use optimal memory techniques.
3. Subscribe to “Word of the Day” Services
Sign up to receive a new vocabulary word by email or notification each day. Study the new word, make a flashcard for it, and try to use it in your speech/writing that day. Great vocabulary-building habits!
4. Listen to Audio Books/Podcasts
Hearing words spoken aloud provides a different linguistic exposure than just reading them. Listen to audiobooks, vocabulary-building podcasts, or any other audio material while commuting, exercising, etc. Pay special attention when new words come up.
5. Play Word Games
Crossword puzzles, Scrabble, Boggle, Wordscapes – any word-based game helps reinforce vocabulary by getting you thinking about words from different angles. Playing is a fun, relaxing way to learn.
6. Keep a Vocabulary Journal
Each time you learn a new word, write it down in a special vocabulary journal. Note the definition, part of speech, and a sample sentence using it correctly. Reviewing this journal frequently is an excellent study method.
7. Learn Prefixes, Suffixes, and Root Words
Many long vocabulary words contain prefixes (word beginnings like un-, re-, pre-), suffixes (word endings like -ing, -ed, -able), and root words (core words that get combined to create longer words). Knowing these word components makes it much easier to deconstruct and learn new vocabulary.
8. Study Sample Sentences
Don’t just learn a word and its definition. Also study useful example sentences that illustrate proper usage and context. Seeing a word used correctly helps solidify your understanding.
9. Label Household Items with Vocab Words
Use sticky notes to label household objects with new vocabulary words you want to learn. Seeing those words every day around your home or office will help them stick in your mind.
10. Join a Book Club
Book clubs, whether online or in-person, get you reading classic and modern books filled with rich vocabulary. Discussing the books reinforces all those new words you encountered while reading.
11. Learn New Words Themed by Topic
Some words naturally get learned together thematically. For example, learn cooking terms together, academic/scholarly words together, legal/political terms together, etc. The semantic connections help things click.
12. Watch TV/Movies with Subtitles or Transcripts
Turning on subtitles as you watch TV and movies provides that valuable combination of audio and text for vocabulary learning. You hear and see new words simultaneously. Pause and look up ones you don’t know.
13. Put New Words on Your Mirrors
Write cool new vocabulary words with dry erase markers on your bathroom mirror. Having to look at those words each morning and evening makes memorizing them easier.
14. Make Vocabulary-Rich Friends
When the people you spend the most time with have good vocabularies themselves, you’ll pick up their word habits. Vocab is contagious! Their use of fancy words pushes you to learn those words too.
15. Change Your Web Browser
Many browsers allow you to set a “word of the day” feature to pop up a new vocabulary word each time you launch the browser. Words appearing where you least expect it helps commit them to memory.
16. Learn Etymology (Word Origins)
Knowing why words were originally formed makes them more interesting and memorable. For example, “Penguin” comes from the Welsh words for “white head” because of their distinct appearance.
17. Sing Vocabulary Songs or Raps
Just like learned the ABCs by singing as a kid, putting words to music and rapping vocabulary words makes them stick in your brain. Find pre-made vocab songs or make up your own!
18. Connect New Words to Emotions/Memories
Our brains encode emotional and personal memories exceptionally well. When you learn a new word, consciously connect it to a specific feeling or personal experience to lock it in.
19. Take Vocabulary Building Classes
Many colleges offer short, affordable courses focused entirely on expanding your English vocabulary. Just a few weeks of intensive study can produce impressive word growth.
20. Simply Talk More!
One of the best ways to reinforce words is to use them regularly.
The more you make an effort to speak using your new vocabulary words in daily conversations, the deeper they’ll get imprinted in your mind.
Those are 20 of the most effective techniques for rapidly expanding your English vocabulary.
The key once again is using many of these methods together for comprehensive multi-sensory learning.
Mastering vocabulary is an ongoing effort with immense value.
A rich word knowledge opens up more media for learning, provides more accurate communication abilities, increases reading comprehension, improves writing quality, enhances test scores, and gives you more confidence.
Developing an extensive vocabulary is certainly challenging, but easily attainable through regular practice of the techniques in this post.
So start putting them into action consistently and get ready to supercharge your word power!
