What is the most effective way to build vocabulary??

Question

I am a freshman in high school, and i am trying to build my vocabulary. I have an SAT book with vocabulary words, as well as a book of English root words.

I'm probably going to memorize a few words everyday. Or should I start learning (memorizing) root words?

Answer 1

Read, read, read, read

Answer 2

learn root words, prefixes and suffixes.  that way you can know parts of alot of words instead of all of some random ones that may or may not be on the test.

reading hard books helps too because then they are in context and make more sense than just word on card.  Flash cards explain denotation, but not connotation.

Answer 3

Actually, the best way to build a vocabulary is to read a lot of books. If you look at vocabulary words and root words, it can help, but it will not show you the proper context for the words - you may end up using them incorrectly.

Answer 4

Here's the drill I used in high school to increase vocab, it paid

off.   Routine memorization has little payoff in English as we

take words from many languages.  1st: look at a big word and

break it down, prefixes, suffixes, root,etc. understand the parts. 2nd: use it in a sentence or many. 3rd: make it negative and make another sentence. 4th: use the root itself

in a sentence (and look up what language it is from). Have

an older person read your sentences and question you on 'em

so you are sure in your skills.  Lexophiles rock!!!!!

Answer 5

The only two things which I used to do back in high-school and my early college years was to read a lot of books and I don't just mean standard novels and bestsellers but actual text books, law reviews or different journals such as a medical one.

Another good way, which is really simple and it something you can do while writing essays or assignments and that is to use a thesaurus. This is a good way to increase your vocab.

Answer 6

everyday try to remember few words not a lot up to 6 and try to use them in everday life, take a day break and go again.

in the next 4 years you will have them all down.

good luck