15 Ways to Improve Your Writing Vocabulary in a Short Time
As a writer, your toolbox should comprise of vast vocabulary along with grammar, punctuation, and more. With vocabulary, your writing can remain more effective and powerful and help you relay the intended meaning to your audience.
Whether you choose to write your content or use platforms like My Custom Essay, useful vocabulary is indispensable. This fantastic tool will help you avoid vague words and select the best word that will intrigue your readers.
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Here are 15 quick ways to make your vocabulary better:
1. Read Daily
Whether you are in school or already graduated, you should never abandon the culture of reading. Read a properly written and edited magazine article, essay, news article, or book, daily. Technical and nonfiction texts can teach you a whole new way to think, speak, and write words you probably didn’t know they exist.
2. Use New Words
Did you learn a new word from the magazine article you read last night? Go ahead and use it in your writing. The fastest way to ensure you never forget a new word or phrase is to use it quickly in your conversation, email, assignment, or journal entry.
3. Use a Thesaurus
Ever written content and pasted it on Grammarly only to be told that you’ve overused one word so many times? That’s an excellent opportunity to use a thesaurus to up your vocabulary game and discover other words that convey the same meaning.
Besides, the tool will help you when you are using a word whose meaning you aren’t sure of. You can check the word up and use to correctly. Either way, you’ll update your vocabulary list in no time.
4. Use a Diary
As you read different materials, you are going to discover new vocabularies. If you come across five new words daily, for example, you won’t be able to remember all of them a week later. Write the latest words in a diary so you can check their meaning from a dictionary later on and start practicing them in your speech or writing.
5. Crosswords
Other than being a powerful memory exercise, crosswords are a robust way to help you know words you never knew existed. At first, you may use a dictionary to help you solve the crossword. Once your vocabulary builds up pretty good, you won’t need any hints to fill the crossword.
6. Watch TV Series and Movies with Subtitles
Perhaps, movies provide us with a better way to remember new words than books do. You’ll hardly forget scenes from your favorite movie, right? What about the words one of the main characters said?
You only need to know the context the word or phrase was used, and you’ll master it. Some people learn a new language by merely watching a movie and following the subtitles.
7. Listen to the Radio
If you want to study incomprehensible words fast, use the radio. Listen to a channel that uses English a lot for five to seven minutes and tries to follow the program. Write down any unfamiliar word and afterward, find out the meaning of those words using a dictionary.
8. Get into a Dialogue with a Native Speaker
Arrange for a brief, two to five-minute conversation with a friend or teacher who understands English perfectly. After the chat, ask the person to correct all your mistakes.
9. Identify Filler Words
After writing an essay or even text message, read through it to identify any filler words, sentences, or phrases that can be replaced with a more precise, carefully-chosen word or phrase.
10. Use Mnemonics
Mnemonics refer to memory tricks that can help you remember new words. You can recognize a new word by associating it with a funny sentence with a similar meaning and trying to speak out the sentence.
For example, if the word is cantankerous (argumentative), the sentence may be “My friend always finds things to argue and complain about.”
11. Use Online Vocabulary Tests
Online vocabulary tests could help too. Most tests will ask you to fill in a blank using a word from the multiple choices given. You will then be allowed to see your score and the correct answers once you complete the test.
12. Enroll for a Writing Course
You can find writing courses or mini-courses online. Try to go with one that uses quizzes and assignments to help you improve your fluency and polish up your writing skills. Some classes are geared toward creative writing or essay writing.
13. Ask for Feedback
If your written vocabulary needs improvement, you could use some help. After writing a piece, ask a friend to go through it and identify mistakes such as poor word choice. The person should also suggest new, better words.
14. Play Word Games
Download a couple of highly-rated word games on your phone and start playing the game after a busy day. Some of the games will help you to build your vocabulary skills.
15. Carry a Dictionary with You
Whether it’s a printed on an online dictionary, keep it handy when traveling to work, waiting for a bus, or waiting for an appointment. Whenever time allows, read a page or two, to learn new words that can boost your writing.
