“Happy DR!” - this is the most popular modern SMS message sent to birthday people. “SPS!” is often the answer. But before, in order to congratulate a friend on his birthday, one had to work hard. They wrote long poems on postcards or made florid speeches on the phone: they wished unbreakable happiness, sincere love, good health, unbending optimism, wonderful mood ... In response, the congratulatory person scattered in exquisite gratitude.
What to do for those who do not agree to put up with this state of affairs? The only solution is to think about how to increase vocabulary. How to do this will be discussed in the article.

Read

Humanity has not yet come up with a better way to increase vocabulary. Nothing compares to the efficiency of reading.

The choice of authors depends on taste - the poetry of Pushkin and Pasternak, the novels of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky ... If you do not like the classics, it is useful to read the original modern authors, so long as they have a rich thesaurus. At the same time, it is very important to read thoughtfully, trying to remember interesting words, and not in the usual way: the plot captures so much that there are no separate sentences, there is only a general impression and emotions.

play

The time when we do housework or travel in transport is great for intellectual games, because thoughts at such moments are rarely occupied with something important. So, to replenish your vocabulary, you can do the following exercises:

• Choose any word and come up with as many synonyms as possible for it.
• Try to describe as full and detailed as possible one of the interior items passing by people, the weather. You can try to do it in different styles - realistic and romantic, comical and dramatic, noticing as many details, properties, differences as possible.
• To say something simple about yourself is very intricate (not “I want to eat”, but “At the moment I come to the need to organize the next meal, because I feel hungry and strive to satisfy it”), and vice versa - to simplify everything complex.

Think

The human vocabulary is divided into passive and active. In fact, the first group is lexemes that we know, but do not use, the second - those that we use regularly in our speech. It is very important to use a hidden resource, to bring to the surface little-used words.

It is necessary to make an intellectual effort and activate the passive thesaurus, consciously striving to use as much diverse vocabulary as possible.

It may seem unnatural at first, but it will soon become a habit.

Listen to music

Admittedly, this rule loses its force with regard to many modern hits, since the song often consists of three words, devoid of any meaning. But what can help replenish vocabulary is old romances, rock ballads and rap.

When the Musicmixmatch portal analyzed which of the famous performers has the largest vocabulary, it was found that rappers have the richest vocabulary. Eminem came first. Jay-Z, Tupac and Kanye West follow.

What percentage of these words belongs to the normative vocabulary, however, is not specified. Only then in the ranking are Bob Dylan, The Black Eyed Peas, Julio Iglesias and others.

Download the app

There are many applications that allow you to enlarge the thesaurus. They are easy to use and practically do not take time, while new words are gradually laid out on the shelves of memory.

Use dictionaries and encyclopedias (any)

It does not matter in what form - paper or online, the main thing is to look into them more often, and aerobatics is to simply read all the chapters in a row, as many erudite people do.

A great habit is to hear any unfamiliar word and immediately recognize its meaning. This is a very effective way to build up your vocabulary with smart words.

learn languages

When we add to the foreign vocabulary, our own increases by itself.

Expand your knowledge of different types of vocabulary

Be it professional terms, neologisms (new words), archaisms (obsolete), phraseological units (set expressions), foreign, moderately and to the point - even jargon. Various types of dictionaries can help with this.

Write

It doesn't matter where - small stories in a notebook or posts on a social network, the main thing - albeit a little, but regularly and carefully choosing words.

Who knows where this hobby will lead - many of the world's bestsellers began to be written as a cure for boredom.

Cinematography, especially if talented screenwriters took part in the production of the film, this is also wonderful. It is very useful to follow not only the plot, but also the dialogues, noting the most interesting phrases and words. For an additional effect, in order to connect visual memory in addition to auditory, you can turn on subtitles.

Are you familiar with the situation when you speak English and cannot fully express an idea because you do not know the right word?

Small vocabulary is a common problem. Its size determines how freely you can express your thoughts in English.

In this article you will learn:

• How to learn English words to expand vocabulary;
• The best ways to expand vocabulary;
• 3 tips on how to quickly replenish your stock of English words.

How to learn words correctly in order to increase the vocabulary of English words?

The main reason for the lack of vocabulary growth is the wrong method of learning new words. This is when you learn words, and after 3-5 days you remember only a small part.

If you learn English words correctly, then the vocabulary will gradually expand, and you will not forget the words. Follow these tips so you don't waste your time.

1. Learn fewer words, but do it well.

It makes no sense to learn a lot of words if in the end you remember only a few. Do not take 50 words at once. Better take 10-15 words, but work with them properly.

2. Use an English-English dictionary.

Of course, it is easier to look at the translation of a word in an electronic translator or a Russian-English dictionary. But using an English-English dictionary gives certain "pluses":

• You can easily understand the meaning of the word. Indeed, in such dictionaries, not the translation of the word is given, but its meaning (in English).
• Learn similar (synonyms) and opposite words (antonyms) that are given to each word.
• In the English-English dictionary, set expressions are given where this word is used.

At the initial levels, a bilingual dictionary (English-Russian) should be used.

3. See not one, but all the meanings of the word.

Most often, one word has several meanings, and they are completely different. For example, the word break can mean both a hole in something (a crack, a hole) and free time from work (a break).

The more meanings of one word you know, the more correctly you will be able to use it.

4. Constantly use the words you know.

No matter how well you remember a word, if you don't use it, you will forget it. Constantly use the words you have learned.

If you do not have the opportunity to communicate in English every day, then you can mentally describe what you see and learn to think in English.

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The Best Ways to Expand Your English Vocabulary

These are the most popular ways to help you learn a lot of new words and expressions.

1. Watch movies and series in English.

Who doesn't love watching an interesting movie or series? By doing this in English, you will expand your vocabulary.

Be sure to select a movie / series according to your level of English proficiency. After all, if there are too many unknown words in it, you will simply get tired of watching it.

You can also focus on what vocabulary you need more. For example, when watching the series "Friends" you can replenish your vocabulary with everyday expressions, while watching the series "Office" - with working vocabulary.

2. Listen to English songs and podcasts.

You can always find many interesting and useful expressions in songs. But from passive listening, you will never increase your vocabulary. You need to do it right.

Listening to podcasts is also very helpful. You can choose a podcast according to your level and choose any topic that interests you.

3. Read English books and articles.

Reading is another popular way to build up your vocabulary. However, do not forget that if you want to remember the words, you need to work through them, and not just sign the translation with a pencil over an unknown word.

4. Solve crosswords and play games.

Now there are many games that are aimed at training and memorizing new words. Solve crossword puzzles, add words from letters, look for the right words, etc. All this will help you to replenish your vocabulary and repeat the words you already know.

Movies, series, songs, podcasts, and games will help you gradually increase your vocabulary. But what if you need to top it up within a short period of time? We will open 3 ways that will allow you to do this.

3 Tips to Improve Your English Vocabulary Quickly

1. Learn lists of words on one topic.

Learning words that are united by one topic is much easier than learning everything mixed up.

To do this, you need to take 10-20 words related to one topic. For example, animals, interior items, work, travel, etc. Be sure to choose a topic that is interesting and necessary for you. Why do you need to learn car parts if you don't face it in life?

Have you learned words about work? Make up a short story about what duties you perform and how your work day goes. If you don't have a job yet, dream and talk about your dream job.

If you are learning a language in a group, you can act out skits. It's very fun and helpful. Imagine that one person is an employer, and the other has come for an interview.

2. Learn the most used words.

There are words that people use very often, and there are those that are rarely used.

It is much more useful to learn words that you can use in any situation. For example, in the list of words "work" it is much more useful to include the words: employer, employee, hire, fire, work schedule, etc. These are the words you really need.

If you learn specific words that are not related to your work, you are unlikely to use them. And, as I wrote above, if you do not use words, then you will forget them.

3. Learn the words that are around you.

This exercise will allow you to test and improve your English vocabulary. Look around the room / office / park / restaurant where you spend time. What do you see?

Name each item you see. If you don't know a word, write it down. As a result, you will make your own list of words that you can learn. Thanks to him, you will know the names of the objects around you.

So, if you follow all the methods described in the article, you can significantly replenish your vocabulary. And you definitely won’t have a situation where you want to say or ask something, but you don’t know the right English word.

Friends, how do you learn English words?

Learning is a continuous process. You can become an erudite person both in your teens and in retirement, when you are already over eighty, simply by expanding your vocabulary. Develop habits that will help you remember and use the most accurate words in your language. And it will become easier for you to communicate, write and think. After you read more specific tips for expanding your vocabulary, read this article to the end.

Steps

Part 1

Read avidly. When you leave school, you will no longer be given word exercises, and there will be no homework at all, which at one time forced you to learn new words. You can just stop reading. But if you want to expand your vocabulary, make yourself a reading plan and stick to it.

• You can try reading one book a week, or just read the newspaper every morning. Choose a reading pace that suits you, and design a reading program that fits into your schedule.
• Try to read at least one book and a couple of magazines every week. Be consistent. You will not only increase your vocabulary, but you will also be in the know, you will know what happened. You will expand your stock of general knowledge and be an educated, well-rounded person.

1. Read serious literature. Set yourself the task of reading as many books as you have the time and desire to. Read the classics. Read old and new fiction. Read poetry. Read Herman Melville, William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf.

   Read also Internet sources and "low-brow tabloid" literature. Read online magazines, essays and blogs on various topics. Read music reviews and fashion blogs. True, this vocabulary does not apply to high style. But to have an extensive vocabulary, you need to know both the meaning of the word "inner monologue" and the meaning of the word "twerking." Being well-read means being familiar with both the work of Geoffrey Chaucer and the work of Lee Child.

   Look in the dictionary for every word you don't know. When you see an unfamiliar word, don't skip it with annoyance. Try to understand its meaning from the context of the sentence, and then look it up in a dictionary to clarify its meaning.

   • Get yourself a small notebook and immediately write down all the unfamiliar words that you will meet in it, so that later you can check their meaning. If you hear or see a word you don't know, be sure to look it up in a dictionary.

2. Read a dictionary. Dive headfirst into it. Read dictionary entries about those words that you are still unfamiliar with. To make this process more fun, you need a very good dictionary. Therefore, look for a dictionary that gives detailed explanations of the origin and use of words, as this will help you not only remember the word, but also enjoy working with the dictionary.

   Read the dictionary of synonyms. Look for synonyms for words you use frequently and try to use them.

   Part 2

   Use new words

   1. Set yourself a goal. If you're determined to expand your vocabulary, set a goal for yourself. Try to learn three new words a week and use them in speech and writing. Through conscious effort, you will be able to learn several thousand new words that you will remember and use. If you can't use a particular word correctly in a sentence, then it's not part of your vocabulary.

      • If you can easily memorize three words a week, then raise the bar. Try to learn 10 words next week.
      • If you look up 20 new words a day in the dictionary, it will be difficult for you to use them correctly. Be realistic and develop a practical vocabulary that you can actually use.

   2. Use flashcards or sticky notes throughout your home. If you're going to make it a habit to learn new words, try some simple memory tricks as if you were studying for a test. Hang a sticker above the coffee maker with the definition of the word you hope to remember, so you can learn it while you make yourself a cup of coffee in the morning. Attach a new word to each houseplant so you'll learn as you water them.

      • Even when you're watching TV or doing other things, keep a few flashcards handy and learn new words. Expand your vocabulary under any circumstances.

   3. Write more. Start journaling if you haven't already, or start a virtual diary. Intense flexion of the muscles when writing will help you remember words better.

      • Write letters to old friends and describe everything to the smallest detail. If your letters tend to be short and simple, change that by writing longer letters or emails than you've ever written before. Spend more time writing letters as you would if you were writing a high school essay. Make thoughtful choices.
      • Do more writing assignments at work. If you usually avoid issuing orders, writing collective emails, or participating in group discussions, change your habits and write more. In addition, you may receive money for expanding your vocabulary.

   4. Use adjectives and nouns correctly and accurately. The best writers strive for brevity and precision. Get an explanatory dictionary and use the most accurate words in your sentences. Do not use three words where you can safely get by with only one. The word that reduces the total number of words in a sentence will be a very valuable addition to your vocabulary.

      • For example, the phrase "dolphins and whales" can be replaced with the single word "cetaceans". So "cetacean" is a useful word.
      • A word is also useful if it is more expressive than the phrase or word it replaces. For example, the voices of many people can be described as "pleasant". But if someone very a pleasant voice, then it is better to say that he has a voice that "caresses the ear."

   5. Don't show it off. Inexperienced writers think they can improve their writing by using the thesaurus function in Microsoft Word twice in every sentence. But actually it is not. The use of swear words and the correct spelling of words will make your written speech pompous. But what's even worse is that it will make your writing less accurate than more ordinary words. Proper use of words is a hallmark of a true writer and a sure sign of a large vocabulary.

      • You could say "Iron Mike" is a nickname for Mike Tyson, but "nickname" would be more accurate and appropriate in this sentence. Therefore, the word "nickname" is less useful in your vocabulary.

   Part 3

   Improve your vocabulary

   1. Subscribe to the Word of the Day newsletter in one of the online dictionaries. You can also get yourself a Word of the Day calendar. Remember to read the words on that page every day, try to memorize the words of each day, and also use them in your speech throughout the day.

      • Check out word-building sites (like freerice.com) and expand your vocabulary while you satisfy your hunger or do something else useful.
      • There are so many online sites dedicated to alphabetizing unusual, weird, obsolete, and difficult words. Use a search engine to find these sites and learn from them. This is a great way to pass the time while waiting for the bus or standing in line at the bank.

   2. Solve word puzzles and play word games. Word puzzles are a great source of new words because their creators often have to use a huge number of underused words in order for all the words to fit into their puzzles and to keep them interesting for those who solve them. There are many varieties of word puzzles, including crossword puzzles, word puzzles, and hidden word puzzles. Along with expanding your vocabulary, puzzles will also improve your critical thinking skills. As for word games, try games like Scrabble, Boggle, and Cranium to expand your vocabulary.

      Learn some Latin. Although it seems like a dead language, a little knowledge of Latin is a great way to learn about the origin of many English words, and it will also help you understand the meaning of those words that you do not already know without looking up in a dictionary. There are educational resources for Latin on the Internet, as well as a huge amount of texts (check your favorite old bookshop).

   Warnings

   • Keep in mind that you may use words that other people may not know. This can create barriers to communication and understanding. So be prepared to use simpler synonyms in various contexts to mitigate this issue. In other words, don't be a bore.