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Vocabulary Boosters

For your vocabulary to grow bigger and stronger, you have to feed it daily with new words!

Learning Benefits

Hover over each Learning Benefit below for a detailed explanation.
Memory and Memorization
Attention and Focus

Vocab In a Flash

Make flash cards with words that give you problems. Write the word on one side, the definition on the back. Underneath the definition, write a sentence using the problem word in context. Hint: You're not going to learn the word if the sentence goes something like, "I don't know the word 'onerous'." Make sure the sentence gives clues about what the word means. For example: "Learning all these vocabulary words doesn't have to be an onerous task; in fact, I can make it pretty easy!"

An Earful of Words

English can be a tricky language. Just look at all the words that are spelled differently but sound exactly the same! Learn the difference between homophones: to, too, and two; write and right; there, their, and they're; accept and except.

Make up reminders to help you tell the difference between the meanings as well as what meanings go with what spellings of the words. Here's one for the set of to, too, and two:

  • "To" is usually used when you go somewhere or do something, like running to the store or getting to the point. Just remember that to has the same number of letter as "do" and "go" — and substitute the "t" for either the "d" or the "g."
  • "Too" indicates "as well" or "more," like "Me, too!" or "There are too many vocabulary words!" The idea is that there's something extra, including and extra "o"!
  • "Two" is the spelling of the number 2. This is easy — ask yourself how many "v's" it takes to make the "w" in the middle of the word. The answer is, of course, 2 or "two".

Get to the Root of It

Most words are made up of mini words called roots that come from the Greek and Latin languages. These roots appear in the middle of lots of different words but always mean the same thing. For example, the root "spec" means "to look at." Now think about all the words that have "spec" somewhere in it:

  • spectator is someone who watches something, like an event. All those people at your little sister's dance recital are spectators.
  • When you inspect an object, you're looking very closely at it. And inspectors examine evidence when they're trying to solve a mystery.
  • Respecting another person means that you look at him with admiration.
  • spectacle is an exhibition that people look at with great interest.
  • Speculation means looking at something you don't know a lot about and guessing its meaning.

So basically, every time you speak these words, you're using a little bit of Greek or Latin. Pretty cool, huh?

It's All in the Details

Try to pinpoint the best word to use when you describe something. Think about specific colors, whether a common word works for a situation, or how something makes you feel. Is the chair best described as red, or is it more a like a deep maroon? Was it simply a good day because you got picked first for soccer, or was it fantastic because you also got an A+ on your math homework, your crush talked to you during lunch, and the weather was perfect for a bike ride after school? Did your brother simply make you mad, or are you furious about the mess he made in your room? Picking the word that's "just right" will help you write better and improve your vocabulary.

Pick a Word of the Day

Open the dictionary, close your eyes, and point to a word on the page. Whatever you pick becomes the word of the day. Once you know the definition of that word, use it at least once in conversation during the day. Your teacher will be in awe when you tell her you're disgruntled that the cafeteria ran out of pizza at lunch (it means you're not happy about it, annoyed, or displeased).

If you don't want to pick the word yourself, there are other ways to get your word of the day. Bookstores often sell tear-off calendars with a different word for every day of the week. There's even Word of the Day toilet paper!

Play Games

Who knew that something like learning could be so fun? Word scrambles, Mad-Libs, crossword puzzles, and word-find games all help expand vocabulary, believe it or not. Board games like ScrabbleBoggle, and Scattergories also offer some pretty entertaining ways to discover new words.


It's very simple: The more you read, the more you'll build up your vocabulary. So pick up a book today and work on advancing your reading level.

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