Vocabulary: The Power

of Words

A practical workshop on how to

improve vocabulary and usage
of words
 What is vocabulary?

 Vocabulary is the words used in a language

 A good vocabulary is a tool for effective
communication
 Effective communication is being able to say
properly what you want to say
 Success and vocabulary go hand in hand
 Words can perform miracles for your speech
and writing
 Tips for improving vocabulary-I

 Read as much as you can from newspapers, books

and on the internet
 Do not forget to consult a dictionary every time you
do not know the meaning of a word
 Example of a good dictionary is Concise Oxford
English Dictionary
 Write words and their meanings with example
sentences on blank flashcards
 Keep such cards in your pocket and read from them
several times in a day
 Tips for improving vocabulary-II

 Install Merriam Webster dictionary app for

instantly checking meanings on a
smartphone
 Listen to English radio broadcasts by
installing mobile apps such as ‘Simple
Radio’ or apps by BBC
 Watch English movies as listening is a great
way to improve vocabulary and remember
better
 Tips for improving vocabulary-III

 A language can only be learnt well by engaging in

all its components, that is, listening, reading,
writing and speaking
 Try to use newly learnt words in short sentences
 Gradually try to write paragraphs on topics that
interest you and then move on to write essays
 Writing a daily diary can help a lot
 You can only speak English if you start thinking in
English
 Begin speaking by using English words in your
thoughts and practising in front of a mirror
 Testing vocabulary

 Write words opposite in meaning to the given words:

1. Tall S______
2. North S______
3. Happy S______
4. Different S______
5. Dangerous S______
6. Big S______
7. Dull S______
8. Noisy S______
9. Sit S______
10. Receive S______
 A more difficult test

 Write words opposite in meaning to the given words:

1. Generous S_______
2. Meaningless S_______
3. Believing S_______
4. Complicated S_______
5. Doubtful S_______
6. Careful S_______
7. Wakefulness S_______
8. Rough S_______
9. Objective S_______
10. Laugh S_______
 Homonyms

Homonyms are words that are pronounced almost exactly

alike but that differ considerably in meaning.
1. Most buildings have [(a) stationery, (b) stationary] walls.
2. The [(a) principal, (b) principle] features of Southern
California are sunshine and smog.
3. His vocal [(a) cords, (b) chords] are inflamed.
4. He sat for hours [(a) poring, (b) pouring] over the
dictionary.
5. Admiral Nelson is famous for one of the most important
[(a) navel, (b) naval] encounters in British history.
6. Sitting contentedly by the fire, the cat licked [(a) it’s, (b)
its] paws.
 Why build vocabulary?

 The meanings of individual words contribute

to the meanings of sentences and therefore to
understanding.
 After the age of five, oral conversation is a
much less effective way of developing
vocabulary knowledge.
 As students increase their reading skills, text
becomes the vehicle for learning many new
words that are not part of their oral
vocabulary.
 Is dictionary enough?

Using a Dictionary is Not Enough:

 Reading a definition does not tell us how a

word is actually used
 We need examples in context
 Dictionary definitions can be incomplete
 Being able to define a word is an end result
of knowing the word very well
 Words in context

 Generous: Mr Kumar was quite generous in giving

donations to hospitals.
 Stingy: He is stingy when it comes to sharing
expenses.
 Believe: She could not believe that her son had won
an international chess competition.
 Complicated: It was a complicated puzzle and Akash
was not able to solve it.
 Skeptical: The government was skeptical of the
economic analysis published by newspapers.
 Word games

 Word games help in improving vocabulary to a great

extent
 One of the simplest word games is word search puzzles
 Some other common word games are crossword,
scrabble and hangman
 Young learners can also make anagrams. An anagram is a
word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of
another word. For example, schoolmaster is an anagram
of ‘the classroom’.
 Other examples are ‘The eyes’ and ‘They see’,
punishment and ‘nine thumps’, and ‘eleven plus two’ and
‘twelve plus one’.
Word search puzzle
Crossword
 Learning via roots

 Like human families, words have origins and can be

traced to a root word in the same or some other
language
 Learning more about root words can help in increasing
vocabulary by leaps and bounds
 The Greek root anthropos means mankind and
learning it can make words like anthropology,
misanthropy, philanthropy and anthropocentric easier
 Anthropos makes it clear that all these words have
something to do with mankind. Anthropology is the
study of mankind while philanthropy is the promotion
of welfare of others. Greek root philos means love.