Expanding Your Vocabulary for Writing: 8 Useful Tips
Want to know how to write great papers? One of the ways is to enhance your vocabulary. The more words you know, the better you become in writing and spend less time to finish your papers, which directly impacts your productivity.
There are several ways through which you can increase your vocabulary. The following are some hints on increasing word power:
1. Read A Lot
We advise you to read extensively and make use of different writing sources such as books, journals, newspapers, blogs, and comics. These sources can have a lot of unfamiliar words that you might not come across in normal circumstances. The more you read, the more words you absorb into your brain for writing. As your taste broadens, so does your list of words that you will actively use. In addition to new words, you will also develop your logic and critical thinking. Just remember to study different genres.
2. Use Online Dictionary
When reading various texts, there can be many unfamiliar words. Don’t just skim over them. Stop and find out what each new word means. If it is an e-reader like Kindle, you only need to highlight the word, and you will see the dictionary definition instantly. Additionally, having Dictionary.com or Merriam-Webster dictionary app on hand can be helpful too. Looking up its meaning is essential since this helps lodge the word in your memory for future reference.
3. Write Down Unknown Words
Once you find new words in the dictionary, write them down in your notebook. This will ensure that all the new words are located in a single place that is easy to reach. From time to time, look through this journal and review some of the terms you have learned.
Practice using these words in your chat, social media, emails, and daily routines. This way, these words won’t stay in passive vocabulary. You can also ask an expert to "write my essay using this list of words" and see how an experienced writer incorporates them into their work. Moreover, you’ll soon get used to using more advanced language.
4. Learn a New Word Each Day
Many websites can teach you one word every day. Merriam-Webster has a Word-of-the-Day feature which includes a quick notification each day offering new word, its explanation and several ways of using that word in sentences. Collins Dictionary also provides a Word-of-the-Day service.
Write down these words in your notebook. Alternatively, you can use apps that help you build your vocabulary. Such a daily habit is a great learning aid for your vocabulary enrichment.
5. Use New Words Frequently in Conversations
Incorporate these new words into the daily conversations you engage in orally. Aim to ensure that each day, at least a single word is used as you speak with others.
The more you speak and use new words, the higher chance of them being engraved in your memory. The connection between talking and writing is clear; improving oral language enhances written language while written language improves spoken language too.
6. Play Word Games
Doing crossword puzzles every day can boost your vocabulary. There are online options or simple pencil-and-paper methods that work just fine.
Interactive word games such as Scrabble and Boggle can be fun for both you and a group of friends, plus they also serve an educational purpose. Another entertaining approach to increasing your word knowledge would be downloading apps like ‘Words With Friends’ on your phone. Take in mind that most of these games are also entertaining so you won’t get bored.
7. Use Better, More Specific Words
As you develop your vocabulary and become proficient in new words, try to improve your word selection when writing. Instead of using nondescript terms such as “big” or “small,” go for more particular and telling substitutes. Was the house simply big, or was it huge, giant, enormous, or massive? When you choose from a richer collection of words, you convey your meaning with better precision and vividness. This practice will not only enhance the reader’s visual perception but also remove any ambiguity, thereby making your writing clearer with more detailed scenes and ideas.
8. Use a Thesaurus
When seeking for more specific words to be used, it’s good to use a Thesaurus. For instance, if there’s any vague word in your essay, consult a thesaurus and select another suitable one that is more accurate and capable of conveying your thoughts well.
