Quick and simple tips and tricks to increase your vocabulary with little effort and even less time.
People are always looking to increase their vocabulary. Especially high school students with PSAT's and SAT's on their minds. The truth is, you don't have to spend lots of money for an expensive tutor or lengthy, hard-to-follow books. With minimal daily effort, you can change ordinary to extraordinary.
First, you need to establish an interest in reading. You need to see those difficult, hard to understand words in context. You don't have to go and read the dictionary or encyclopedia to grasp an understanding of vocabulary; you can read everyday things: the newspaper, a magazine, articles, stories, things on the Internet, text books, school books, or a book the interests you. All of these are sure to have words that you don't completely understand. Sometimes you can find a word's meaning by looking at the other words surrounding it. They give clues to what the word you don't understand will mean. For example, if you can across a sentence such as: "The ardent girl waved her arms rapidly and screamed excitedly." You can grasp what ardent means.
You need to invest in a good dictionary. Good doesn't necessarily mean expensive, just find a nice paperback that you can easily carry around with you. You can also opt for an electronic dictionary; they take the work out of looking up words.
I would recommend that you get a spiral-bound notebook and then letter the pages from 'A' to 'Z.' Whenever you come across a word you don't know, write it down in your book and look it up in the dictionary. Then WRITE DOWN the meaning of the word in your book. Take a minute and really see how it fits into the writing. Copy the meaning again, if you wish, to really get it stuck in your head. If you are away from your notebook and come across a word you don't know, write it down on a piece of paper, or the like, and look up its meaning when you have the time.
Sometimes you may find many words in a piece of writing that you don't understand. Rather than stopping every minute to look up different words, highlight them or write them down, and look them up in the dictionary when you're done with the piece. Once you find all the meanings, read the article or piece of writing again, keeping in mind all the meanings of these new words.
Another good idea is to make flashcards of problematic words. On the front of a 3x5" index card, write the word in big letters. One the back write the meaning. Use these flashcards to study for a test, or to just test yourself, and resist the urge to peek at the back when stuck. Really think about the word. Once you've remembered the words meaning, try and use it in a conversation or in something you write.
Of course you can always purchase special books and computer CD ROMS for increasing your vocabulary. They have specific ones for everyone's needs; be it studying for the SAT's or for everyday use.
With practice, patience, and persistence, you'll have a wide vocabulary in no time. Not only can you impress your friends, you'll understand much more literature and have an easier time reading simple to very difficult writing.
