Using vocabulary, HELP.. ? ?

Question

Hi, was just looking for suggestions on good ways to extend my vocabulary.

Odd question I know, but improving the variety of words I use is something I want to do... I know, I know, I sound like a crazy person..

(Suggestions welcome lol)

Answer 1

Dictionary.com has a word of the day service you can get via email or by going to their site. Many of the words are some you wouldn't necessary use in general speech, but still, it's a nice tool.

You don't sound crazy to me. I'm a word freak, too, and often will end up browsing the dictionary when I go to check something. ;-)

Answer 2

A quicker and lazier way is to read the vocabulary page of the Reader's Digest. Multiple choice questions on one page and  answers with meanings given on another. You don't even have to refer to your dictionary! Another way(diligence required here)  is to cut out some good articles about your interests or hobbies, underscore the difficult words, look up the appropriate meaning in the dictionary and write it alongside the words.  You should gain a fair amount of vocabulary words every year. Use them in your writing, so you remember its proper usage, better. Pass them on to a younger sibling or relative once you are done with them. Cheers!

Answer 3

Try opening a dictionary to a random page and let whatever catches your eye lead you to the word to read about.  

Answer 4

I usually either randomly flip through a dictionary until a word catches my eye or you can try an online thesaurus and look up words you use all the time and try and find more unique words to use in place of them.

http://dictionary.reference.com/

http://thesaurus.reference.com/

Answer 5

Play Scrabble on a regular basis, plenty of Scrabble clubs in the U.K.

Answer 6

I suggest basic etymology book as a primer

Norman Lewis- Word power made easy

or smth like that

Answer 7

lots of reading on journals, novels, newspapers, etc.

or try visiting this site: http://dictionary.msn.com/

or try its thesaurus for you to know other synonyms and antonyms

or play games that can enhance your vocabulary like bookworm or text twist.  in this games, list all the words you don't know the meaning then go back to the site of msn dictionary (some words show its meaning in bookworm though) then read.