How to Build a Strong Vocabulary

 






How to Build a Strong Vocabulary of 800 to 1000 Words.

Our world is the world of Words. What establishes our credentials is our ability to use words effectively.

A person’s Vocabulary consists of all the words that he or she knows or uses in his or her Communication.

Vocabulary size is directly linked to your comprehension ability. The use of appropriate words is required to be a good Communicator.

In order to understand a word, we have to study its – Roots, Prefix & Suffix as a word is made up of these basic elements.

Therefore we should study the meaning of a given word by dividing it into three parts – Prefix, Suffix & Root Word.


ROOT WORDS

Understanding and knowing the meaning of common root words can help us to figure out the meaning of new words that we come across.

For example - “Circ” the root word means round and is used in the words – circulation, circumference, circumstances, circus, circle, etc.

 A basic word to which Affixes (Prefixes and Suffixes) are added is called a root word because it forms the basis of a new word. The Root word is also a word in its own right.


PREFIXES & SUFFIXES

Certain beginning and ends can add to the meaning or change the existing meaning of the word. These are called Prefix or Suffix.

Example - Sufficient – Add Prefix – In = Insufficient.

                    Class – Add Suffix – fy = Classify.

A root word is a word that has a prefix, suffix, or both added to it. 

Example – unzipped – Root Word – Zip

                                                Prefix – Un

                                                Suffix – ed.

New words can be formed with the help of affixes, which include both prefixes and suffixes. By using these, new words can be formed by making some modifications to the root word. For example, if the root word is ‘regulate’, you can change it to deregulation by adding two affixes— de- (prefix) and -tion (suffix).

After becoming aware of this pattern of word formation, you can easily learn new words, thus enhancing your Vocabulary.

A large number of English words have Latin or Greek origins. Therefore learning Latin & Greek Root Words can be a smart way of building up your vocabulary.


Greek and Latin Roots

  • Greek civilization had an unparalleled influence on Western civilization and ended about 1200 BC, with the death of Alexander the Great.
    • Latin was spoken by Romans
    • Romans conquered most of Europe
    • Latin spoken in different areas of Europe developed into Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
    • These languages are called “Sister Languages” because they all developed from the same language, Latin.
    • In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded England, and he spoke French, a language derived from Latin.
    • Now approximately 60% of English words are borrowed from French
    • Monks from Rome also brought Latin terms.
    • During the 17th & 18th centuries, English was seen as imperfect and Latin was seen as perfect so using Latin words in place of English was seen as a good practice.



 Professional Vocabulary

  •  Latin is used by doctors, attorneys, religious leaders, and other professions.

• The Catholic Church conducted all masses entirely in Latin until 1969.

• Many Latin drama/comedy authors adopted plots, characters, and other ideas from the Greeks.

• University classes are often taught entirely in Latin at many European universities.

• Latin was used frequently to write scientific and philosophical texts until the late 1800s because of its grammatical flexibility.


USE THE DICTIONARY AND THESAURUS TO BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY

A Dictionary is an invaluable tool for building up your vocabulary. It will help you to use words and phrases more exactly.

In a Thesaurus, the words are arranged in groups that have similar meanings. It helps you a great deal if you are looking for Synonyms and Antonyms of any particular word.



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