We recommend five things for learning English vocabulary:
1. Context and Exposure
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- See or hear the vocabulary used in context
- Sample contexts: reading material, audio, video, conversation
- Sometimes you can guess meaning from the situation.
- What type of word is it (noun, verb, adjective)?
- Look at the words around it.
- Try to read or listen to as much English as possible
Choose from a variety of sources
2. Pictures and associations
- Sometimes seeing groups of related words can help
- See our picture dictionary.
3. Understand Word Parts (prefixes, suffixes, roots)
- See our word parts lists here.
4. Recognize collocations (words that go together)
- Some words are commonly used with other words
- See our lists of collocations: with verbs, with prepositions.
5. Consider connotations and multiple meanings of words
- Some words carry special or emotional meanings
- Example: house vs. home
- Some words can have many different meanings
- Example: play, set, run