English has an ability to express an idea or concept with the finest details possible.

This can be done using synonyms.

A synonym is a word with the same, or almost the same, meaning as another word.

For example, you could say, “Janet wears a blue hat and a red dress.”

You could also say, “Janet sports a navy cloche and a burgundy gown.”

Let’s explain the second sentence:

“Sport” means “to wear in a proud way.”
It is a synonym of “wear.”

“Navy” means “very dark blue.”
It is a synonym of “blue.”

“Cloche” means “a woman’s hat that is shaped like a bell and fits close to the head.”
It is a synonym of “hat.”

“Burgundy” means “dark red,” like the Burgundy wine.
(That’s wine from an area in eastern France called Burgundy.)
It is a synonym of “red.”

“Gown” means “a long woman’s dress, worn in special occasions.”
It is a synonym of “dress.”

If we didn’t have the above words in the English vocabulary, we would probably say something like this:
“Janet proudly wears a very dark blue hat. Her hat is shaped like a bell and fits close to the head. She also wears a dark red long formal dress.”

This is longer and slightly less accurate. (Though definitely clearer if you are unfamiliar with the above words!)

- Now reread the first and second sentences.
- After reviewing each, Imagine Janet’s appearance.
She looks quite different, doesn’t she?  :-)

This is only one way of using synonyms.

Understanding synonyms (and their opposite – the antonyms) is important to truly mastering the English language with all its “colors” (= aspects).

1) So what are synonyms and antonyms?

2) Pretty, beautiful, handsome… what’s the difference?

3) Why are synonyms and antonyms important?

4) How to use them to improve vocabulary?

5) How to use them to improve writing skills?

Visit the Synonyms and Antonyms lesson to get the answers.

This time I would like to talk with you about a topic relevant to vocabulary.

That topic is English word formation processes.

As any student soon discovers, English has a very rich vocabulary. But obviously, it didn’t get all of its words at once. Most of the English words were gradually developed, some adopted, some simply invented.

By understanding these processes, you can get greater understanding of the background of English.

More importantly, by looking into the origin of single words, students can gain deeper understanding of the vocabulary they are trying to learn.

Let’s look at a practical example.

The student is studying a new word for them – “guard” (a person who protects a place or people). After understanding the literal meaning of “guard,” you can look into this word’s origin.

It turns out that it comes from the Old French word “garder,” which means, “protect.” Now, this makes sense, doesn’t it? A guard indeed protects!

Here is another example. The English word “secure” actually comes from the Latin word “securus,” which is built from “se-” (free from) and “cura” (care).

So as you can see, word etymology (the origin and history of words and their meanings) can truly enhance understanding.

Try this tip and see how it affects your or your students’ progress.

And click here to learn more about the different word formation processes in English.

Here are three major vocabulary building tips:

Tip #1: Read, read, read!

Reading can greatly help you in building vocabulary.

Advantages of reading:

• You can look for materials to match your own level.
• You can read at your own pace, or you can reread.
• You can then do many different activities and exercises based on what you have read.

Probably the biggest bonus with reading is the following:

When done properly, reading can be a lot of fun.

You can enjoy reading an interesting story, and improve your vocabulary at the same time.

This can be much more interesting than a “fill in the gap” exercise

However, for reading materials to reach their full effect, they really have to be both interesting and not too advanced for the student’s level.

Click here for interesting yet simple short stories for English learners.

Tip #2: Make sure you understand what you are reading!

This point might seem obvious, but actually, it is really not.

Some people think it is best not to stop on every word, but to understand the words from the context. That basically means, to guess what the word means, or to simply ignore it.

This is a common approach, but research has shown it is a problematic one. It can lead to misunderstanding and all sorts of other confusions.

It might seem like understanding from context is faster, but it doesn’t really help you in building vocabulary. It can leave you with many words you don’t really understand, or that you only think you understand.

It can slow down your progress significantly.

Here is an example:

A student reads the following sentence “It was sunny outside, so Marta brought a parasol.”

Now, what does that mean? What is a “parasol”?

You can guess, but that won’t necessarily get you to the right answer. You will probably remain unsure.

However, this can be solved easily. You can use the dictionary to find out what it really means. “Parasol” is a kind of umbrella that protects against the sun.

So now it makes sense: “It was sunny outside, so Marta brought a parasol.”

In summary, the way to build vocabulary is to learn vocabulary. Not to guess one!

And this is the point where dictionaries really come in handy.

They are wonderful tools. They help not only in finding out what a word means exactly, but also with giving examples of how the word is actually used.

And that is priceless

Click here for a list of recommended good dictionaries.

Tip #3: Practice the new words you have learned!

Okay, so you’ve learned some new words. Cool!

Now what? How can you make sure you don’t forget them?

Here we discover the importance of practice.

Make sure you practice the new words.

Now, practice doesn’t have to be boring. You can turn it into a game, make it fun!

Click here for a list of vocabulary activities you can use to practice new words.

Dictionaries are very important tools for English learners. They make things more clear, give valuable information about vocabulary, and in many cases help teach grammar.

With that said, the learner should know how to choose his dictionaries.

There are some excellent English-English dictionaries, such as the Unabridged Merriam-Webster, that can make the learner scream in horror… It is simply way too big and complicated for the average learner. Actually, it can even be way too big and complicated for the average English speaker!

Other dictionaries can be too small. They might have too little words, and too little information for each word. So they can have little or no use.

So the trick is to select the perfect one for you. You should ask yourself the following questions:

- Are the definitions clear to me? Can I easily understand them?
- Does it give enough example sentences? (These are highly helpful.)
- Does this dictionary have most of the words I am looking for?
- Can I get it together with a handy CD? (This can actually be very useful and time saving!)

There are other features that make a dictionary more desirable, such as many illustrations, usage notes, grammar notes, and other cool extras, so you might want to look for those too.

Did you know many good and popular dictionaries have a free online version? You can read about them, and about other recommended dictionaries in this English Dictionary Guide.

Ola Zur is the editor of Really Learn English Vocabulary and Easy English Grammar, an illustrated guide to English.

Interjections are sounds, words or phrases that express the speaker’s emotion.

Here are some examples:
Ouch! It hurts!
Hmm… That’s an interesting question.
Hey! What are you doing?
Wow, that’s wonderful!
My goodness, what happened?

What is special about interjections is that they remain unaffected by the rest of the sentence. They do not change their form. They do not have singular/plural form, different tenses etc. Also, a single interjection can be considered as an Entire sentence!

Example:
Goodbye!
(That’s the whole sentence…)

Sometimes regular words in the language function as interjections.

Examples:
Yes!
Sorry!
Ok.

How to use interjections?
You can use them to express emotions such as surprise (e.g. oh!), annoyance (e.g. damn!), joy (e.g. Hurray!), etc. They are also used to greet (e.g. hi!), pause your speech (e.g. um…) and so forth.

Writing tip: When combining the interjection with the rest of the sentence you should usually use an exclamation mark (!) or a comma (,) depending on the strength of the statement.

Examples:
Wow, this is awesome!
Ah, that’s nice.

Interjection is a part of speech. Click here for more data on the English parts of speech.