Introduction
The Value of Vocabulary Building
Words are unique and interesting. A limited vocabulary keeps you from expressing your real
thoughts and feelings. A strong vocabulary gives you the right words to use at the right time.
Vocabulary building takes patience and continued effort. Your vocabulary can and should be a
reflection of you. Your vocabulary is you. And like you, your vocabulary should be alive. It should
change and grow to meet your needs.
The Purpose of Vocabulary
Words are great subjects to investigate. When you become a student of language, and delight in
discovering word relationships, and become aware of how you can make words work for you, you
are more likely to stop when you encounter an unfamiliar word and consider its meaning. If you do
this, you will become a master of words and your vocabulary will grow. You must develop strategies
to conquer unfamiliar words when you find them in your college textbooks and in your learning to
make words work for you. (Hennings, p. xvii)
Why Vocabulary Development Counts

Vocabulary is a basic part of reading comprehension. If you don't know enough words, you are
going to have trouble understanding what you read. An occasional word may not stop you, but
if there are too many words you don't know, comprehension will suffer. The content of
textbooks is often challenging enough; you don't want to work as well on understanding the
words that express that content.

Vocabulary is a major part of almost every standardized test, including reading achievement
tests, college entrance exams, and armed forces and vocational placement tests. Vocabulary is
a key measure of both one's learning and one's ability to learn. The more words you know, then,
the better you are likely to do on such important tests.

Studies have indicated that students with strong vocabularies are more successful in school
and that a good vocabulary is an influential factor for people who enjoy successful careers in
life. Words are the tools not just of better reading, but of better writing, speaking, listening,
and thinking as well. The more words you have at your command, the more effective your
communication can be, and the more influence you can have on the people around you.

In today's world, a good vocabulary counts more than ever. Many jobs provide services or
process information, and the skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking are essential.
The keys to survival and success in the workplace are the abilities to communicate skillfully and
learn quickly. a solid vocabulary is essential for both of these skills. (Nist & Mohr, p. 1)
Improving your Vocabulary
Throughout your college years, new words will be
flooding into your consciousness. Many of them are
the keys to ideas and information that will be new to
you. When students have trouble in a course, the
trouble can often be traced back to their imperfect
comprehension of terms that are essential to an
understanding of subject matter. A first-year
science or social science course may introduce you to almost as many new words as a first course in
a foreign language. Then there are also words which may not literally be new to you, but which have
specific meanings within the context of a specific course and therefore must be learned as if they
were new words.
For a college student, a large, wide-ranging vocabulary is a necessary tool for grasping fundamental
ideas and facts. Words are the tools of communication, learning, and thinking, and a student with an
inadequate vocabulary cannot function effectively and efficiently. (Pauk, p. 308)
Etymology: The Origin of Words
Becoming Interested in the Origin of Words
Words, like facts, are difficult to remember out of context. Remembering is greatly facilitated when
you have a body of information with which to associate either a word or a fact. For words, interesting
origins or histories will help provide a context. For example, a hippopotamus is a "river horse," from
the Greek hippos, meaning "horse," and potamos, meaning "river."
Indiana is called the Hoosier state, and its people Hoosiers. Why? In the early days, the pioneers
were gruff in manner; when someone knocked at the front door, a pioneer's voice would often boom,
"Who's yere?"
If you were offered a Hobson's choice, would you know what was meant? Thomas Hobson owned a
livery stable in seventeenth-century England. He loved his horses, and to prevent any one horse
from being overworked, he hired them out in turn, beginning with stall number one. Customers had
to take the horses they were given. Thus Hobson's choice means no choice at all. (Pauk, p. 314)
Etymology is the study of the origins of words. The English language is living and growing. Although
many of our words have been part of our language for many years, new words are added all the time.
Following are various ways our language is influenced.

Derived from Foreign Words - English, in many cases, has been commonly expanded by
incorporating foreign words into it. Most of our language has ancient Anglo-Saxon or Latin
origins. Other languages have also added to our vocabularies.

Additions through Technology & Products - Our words often reflect current interests, trends,
and innovations. One of the most recent contributors to our language has been computer
technology, which has created words such as bytes, monitor, and disk.
Another way new words come into our language is through the development of products. Some
examples include: Kleenex, Walkman, Scotch tape, Xerox, and Linoleum.

People's Names - sometimes when a person invents or introduces something, that thing
becomes associated with the person's name. The person, through time, is forgotten while the
name lives on in our language. Examples include:
o
mesmerize - F.A. Mesmer, an Austrian doctor and hypnotist.
o
sideburns - an American English alteration of burnsides, Ambrose E. Burnside, a Union
general.

Words from Letters - The initials for the names of things may actually come to replace the
names. The initials become the words that represent the thing, concept, or group. The
following are examples of words that have developed from initials.

o
TV - TeleVision
o
DWI - Driving While Intoxicated
o
COD - Cash On Delivery
o
ZIP - Zone Improvement Plan
Word Histories - Some words also have interesting histories. Learning the stories behind the
meanings is a good way to learn those words. The following examples will give you an idea of
how history can affect language.
o
footman - It was once thought to bring bad luck if a person stepped on the door
threshold when entering a house. Rich people hired a servant to stand at their doors.
His job was to guard against a guest's stepping on the threshold. The guard became
known as a footman.
o
hooker - A synonym for prostitute. The term became popular during the Civil War. The
women involved were camp followers. General "Fighting Joe" Hooker approved their
presence in order to boost the morale of his men.
Using a Dictionary
One of the best ways to learn new words is to keep a good dictionary close to your elbow and use it.
Sometimes, you can get some idea of the meaning of a new word from its context - how it is used
in your reading material. Use context when you can, but be aware that it has its limitations.
According to Lee Deighton of Columbia University, using context has the following three limitations:
1. Context provides only the meaning that fits that particular situation.
2. You often end up with a synonym, which is not quite the same as a definition.
3. When you have to infer the meaning of a word, you can be slightly (or greatly) in error.
Your safest bet is to avoid all the guesswork and go straight to your dictionary. As you study, consult
your dictionary whenever you come to a word that you don't know precisely. Find the exact meaning
you need; then go back to your textbook and reread the paragraph, with the meaning substituted
for the word. If you become interested in a particular word, write it on a 3 x 5 card. Later, go back
to the dictionary and investigate it. Write its meanings on the card, and keep the card and other like
cards to look through and study occasionally. But don't break into your studying for a long session
with the dictionary; save that for later.
Follow the example of thousands of successful people. Get yourself a pocket dictionary, and always
carry it with you. Its definitions will be terse, consisting mainly of synonyms, but its value lies in its
ability to spark a lifelong interest in words as well as increase your vocabulary. Of course, a pocket
dictionary is no substitute for a larger, desk-size dictionary; but as a portable learning tool, the
pocket dictionary is worth at least its weight in gold.
For your study periods, buy and use the best abridged dictionary that you can afford, but be aware
that no word is ever fully defined even by a good abridged dictionary. The dictionary meaning is only
an operational meaning that will solve your immediate problem. Words have multiple shades of
meaning that add richness to our language. The various shades will become apparent to you as you
keep reading, listening, and trying to use words in a variety of contexts.
For intensive word study, however, there is no substitute for an unabridged dictionary. Locate the
unabridged dictionaries in your library or resource center and use them to supplement your own
abridged desk dictionary. An unabridged dictionary gives more definitions, more about the
derivations of words, and more on usage. (Pauk, pp. 308 - 309)
Interpreting a Dictionary Entry
A typical dictionary entry includes these parts:
1. the word or phrase broken into syllables.
2. the word or phrase with the pronunciation indicated through the use of diacritical marks marks that indicate the vowel sounds such as a long vowel or a vowel affected by other sounds;
accent marks, a mark called the schwa that tells you that the vowel is in an unaccented syllable
of the word.
3. the part or parts of speech the word functions as -for example as a noun (n.), verb (v.),
adjective (adj.), or adverb (adv.).
4. related forms of the word, such as the plural form of nouns and the past tense of verbs.
5. the definition or definitions of the word or phrase. Generally dictionaries group the definitions
according to a word's use as a noun, verb, adjective, and/or adverb.
6. the origin, or etymology, of the word or words, such as from the Latin, Old French, Middle
English, Hebrew, the name of a person. Some dictionaries use the symbol < to mean "came
from." For example, the origin of the word flank is given as "<Old
French flanc<Germanic."This tells us that flank came from the Old French word fanc. The
French word in turn came from the German language. Some dictionaries use abbreviations to
tell you where the item came from: OE for Old English, L for Latin, and so forth.
Interpret a dictionary entry using the following steps:

Pronounce the word in syllables using the diacritical marks as a guide.

Note the part or parts of speech of the word and any related words.

Read the definitions.

Check the etymological reference to see if you can find remnants of the meaning of the
originating word in the meaning of the entry.

Use the word in a sentence that has a clue in it as to the meaning of the word. (Hennings, p. 5)
Structural Analysis
The Greeks and Romans came up with a system for creating words by putting together smaller word
parts. They used three types of word parts: prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Pre means "before," and so
it makes sense that a prefix comes before the main part of a word. Suf means "after," and so a suffix
comes at the end of a word. A root word is the main part of a word, and usually comes in the middle.
Many English words are composed of at least one root, and many have one or more prefixes and
suffixes.
Word parts contribute to the total meaning of a word. Each part has its own meaning. The meaning
of an unknown word often is a combination of its parts. Splitting words into parts to discover the
meaning of unknown words is called structural analysis.
Parts of words provide the essential meanings. Studying the parts of words can tell you many things.
The base of a word gives you an overall meaning for the unknown word. Affixes affect the base's
meaning. Some affixes provide general meanings. Others identify the subject area of the unknown
word. Affixes also help determine the part of speech of the unknown word.
Recognizing Word Roots and Prefixes
While using the dictionary is an excellent way to increase your vocabulary one word at a time, if you
would like to learn whole clusters of words in one stroke, you should get to know the most common
roots and prefixes in English.
It has been estimated that 60 percent of the English words in common use are made up partly or
entirely of prefixes or roots derived from Latin and Greek. The value of learning prefixes and roots
is that they illustrate the way much of our language is constructed. Once learned, they can help you
recognize and understand many words without resorting to a dictionary. With one well-understood
root word as the center, an entire "constellation" of words can be built up.
Although knowing the meanings of prefixes and roots can unlock the meanings of unfamiliar words,
this knowledge should supplement, not replace, your dictionary use. Over the centuries, many
prefixes have changed in both meaning and spelling. While some prefixes have a single and fairly
invariant meaning, most prefixes have more than one meaning each.
For example, the prefix de- means "of' or "from"; yet the dictionary lists four different meanings for
it. So learn as many of the common prefixes and roots as you can, but learn them for better and
more precise understanding of words you already know and words that you have yet to look up in
the dictionary. When you go to the dictionary, make sure that you spend some time on the prefixes
and roots that make up each word. You will soon become convinced that a word is not an
assemblage of letters put together like an anagram, but the true and natural outcome of. evolution.
(Pauk, p. 310)
Common Word Roots
Root
Meaning
Example
Definition
agri
field
agronomy
field-crop production and soil management
anthropo
man
anthropology
the study of man
astro
star
astronaut
one who travels in interplanetary space
bio
life
biology
the study of life
cardio
heart
cardiac
pertaining to the heart
cede
go
precede
to go before
chromo
color
chromatology
the science of colors
demos
people
democracy
government by the people
derma
skin
epidermis
the outer layer of skin
dyna
power
dynamic
characterized by power and energy
geo
earth
geology
the study of the earth
helio
sun
heliotrope
any plant that turns toward the sun
hydro
water
hydroponics
growing of plants in water reinforced with nutrients
hypno
sleep
hypnosis
a state of sleep induced by suggestion
ject
throw
eject
to throw out
magni
great, big
magnify
to enlarge, to make bigger
man(u)
hand
manuscript
written by hand
mono
one
monoplane
airplane with one wing
ortho
straight
orthodox
right, true, straight opinion
pod
foot
pseudopod
false foot
psycho
mind
psychology
study of the mind in any of its aspects
pyro
fire
pyrometer
an instrument for measuring temperatures
script
write
manuscript
hand written
terra
earth
terrace
a raised platform of earth
thermo
heat
thermometer
instrument for measuring heat
zoo
animal
zoology
the study of animals
Common Prefixes
ante-
before
antebellum
before the war
anti-
against
antifreeze
liquid used to guard against freezing
auto-
self
automatic
self-acting or self-regulating
bene-
good
benefit
an act of kindness; a gift
circum-
around
circumscribe
to draw a line around; to encircle
contra-
against
contradict
to speak against
de-
reverse, remove
defoliate
remove the leaves from a tree
dis-
apart
dislocate
to unlodge
dys-
bad
dysfunctional
not functioning
ecto-
outside
ectoparasite
parasite living on the exterior of animals
endo-
within
endogamy
marriage within the tribe
ex-
out
excavate
to dig out
equi-
equal
equidistant
equal distance
extra-
beyond
extraterrestrial
beyond the earth
hyper-
over
hypertension
high blood pressure
hypo-
under
hypotension
low blood pressure
in-
in
interim
in between
inter-
between
intervene
come between
intra-
within
intramural
within bounds of a school
intro-
in, into
introspect
to look within, as one's own mind
macro-
large
macroscopic
large enough to be observed by the naked eye
mal-
bad
maladjusted
badly adjusted
micro-
small
microscopic
so small that one needs a microscope to observe
multi-
many
multimillionaire
one having two or more million dollars
neo-
new
neolithic
new stone age
non-
not
nonconformist
one who does not conform
pan-
all
pantheon
a temple dedicated to all gods
poly-
many
polygonal
having many sides
post-
after
postgraduate
after graduating
pre-
before
precede
to go before
pro-
for
proponent
a supporter
proto-
first
prototype
first or original model
pseudo-
false
pseudonym
false name; esp., an author's pen-name
re-, red- back again
rejuvenate
to make young
re-, red- together
reconnect
to put together again
retro-
backward
retrospect
a looking back on things
semi-
half
semicircle
half a circle
sub-
under
submerge
to put under water
super-
above
superfine
extra fine
tele-
far
telescope
seeing or viewing afar
trans-
across
transalpine
across the Alps
Number prefixes
uni- one
tetra- four
oct- eight
mono- one
quint- five
nov- nine
bi- two
pent- five
dec- ten
duo- two
sex- six
lat- side
di- two
hex- six
ped- foot
tri- three
sept- seven
pod- foot
quad- four
hept- seven
Math & Science Affixes and Roots
Root or Affix
Example
aqua (water)
aquarium
hydro (water)
hydroplane
hemi (half)
hemisphere
semi (half)
semicircle
equi (equal)
equivalent
tele (far off)
telescope
micro (small)
microfilm
onomy (science of)
astronomy
ology (study of)
geology
uni (one)
universe
bi (two)
bicycle
tri (three)
triangle
octa (eight)
octagon
dec (ten)
decade
centi (hundred)
centimeter
milli (thousand)
millimeter
bio (life)
biology
astro (star)
astronaut
thermo (heat)
thermodynamic
meter (measure)
diameter
ped (foot)
pedestrian
pod (foot)
tripod
Prefixes that mean "no": a- de- dis-, in- non- un-, contra
Examples: disqualify, nondescript, unscrupulous, contradict, inadvertent
Prefix
Meaning
Examples
a-, an-
without, not
asexual, atypical, amoral, anarchy
de-
reverse action, away
defrost, demystify, desensitize, deduct
dis-, dif-, di-
not, apart
dissatisfied, disorganized, different, divert
in-, il-, it-, im-
not
inappropriate, invisible, illegal, impossible
non-
not
nonproductive, nonessential, nonsense
un-
not
unlikely, unnoticeable, unreliable
contra-, counter-
against
contrary, contradict, counterproductive
Prefixes that indicate "when," "where," or "more": pre-, post-, ante-, inter-, infra-,
traps-, sub-, circum-, ultra
Examples: premature, postscript, anteroom, intervene, transformation
Prefix
Meaning
Examples
pre-, pro- before
pre-dinner, preliminary, previous, prologue
post-
after
postwar, postoperative, postpone
ante-
before
antecedent, antechamber
inter-
between, among
interstate, intercept, interfere
intra-
within
intramural, intrastate, intravenous
trans-
across
transcontinental, transparent, transaction
sub-
under
submarine, submerge, subjugate
circum-
around
circumnavigate, circumference
ultra-
beyond, on the far side of, excessive
ultrasonic, ultraviolet, ultraconservative
Word Relationships
Synonyms, Antonyms, Homonyms, Analogies
In some ways words are like families. Just as there are different relationships among members of
the same family, there are different relationships among words. Picture your own family. You
probably have relatives who like to do the same things you do. But they may look nothing like you.
You may have relatives who are from another city. They might have unusual accents and all "sound
alike." There are probably still others who are rebels. They always want the opposite of what
everyone else in the family wants.
There are similar relationships between words. Words that mean the same thing but look different
are called synonyms. Their meanings are very similar (e.g., pretty/cute). An antonym is a word that
has the opposite meaning of another word (e.g., pretty/ugly). A homonym is a word that sounds like
another word but has a different meaning (e.g., there/their).
Because these terms are often confused, here is an easy way to keep them straight.
Heard alike
Same meaning
An opposite
O
Y
N
M
N
T
O
O
O
N
N
N
Y
Y
Y
M
M
M
Words are related in many other ways as well. When thinking about the relationship between two
words, you must examine those words for ways in which they are different, alike, or related to each
other.
Understanding how words fit together helps you expand and network frameworks. As an active
reader, this skill enables you to analyze and synthesize information. Such knowledge is useful in
building your vocabulary. This, in turn, gives you more skill in using the context (see figure below).
Using Word Relationships
Many kinds of word relationships are possible. When looking at relationships the order of the words
is important. Changing the order changes the relationship. In word relationships, the colon (:) is an
abbreviation of the phrase "is to." For example, instead of "white is to black," "white: black" is
written. Like all abbreviations, this one saves space and time. Again, remember that there are
countless kinds of relationships that can be constructed.
Common Word Relationships
Relationship
Synonym
Definition
Examples
Two words have the same or nearly the same dirty : nasty
meaning
worn: used
calm: peaceful
Antonym
One word means the opposite of another
hot: cold
late: early
new : old
Homonym
Two words sound alike
blue: blew
lie: lye
here: hear
Part to whole
A piece or portion of something is related to the toe: foot
total object
sole: shoe
leaf : plant
wall: room
Whole to part
The whole is related to one of its parts
tree : trunk
house: room
coat: sleeve
Age or size
An animate (living) or inanimate (nonliving) fawn: deer
object is related to a younger or older object of freshman: senior
the same type
calf: cow
mother: child
Rhyme
Although items do not begin with the same goat: boat
sound/letter, the ending sounds are the same
trouble: bubble
slow : toe
light: kite
Person to location
A person is related to the place with which he is sailor : ship
associated
criminal : jail
President:
House
Object to use
Something is related to its function
oven: bake
soap: clean
broom: sweep
Source to object
The place from which an item is taken and the pound: stray dog
item are compared
bakery : cookies
White
mind: thought
Analogies
An analogy is an implied (unstated) relationship between two pairs of objects. Because the
relationship is implied, the first thing you must decide is what kind of relationship exists between
each pair (i.e., synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, part-to-whole, time, place, age, etc.). This
relationship can be any of the associations you have already studied.
An analogy deals with the relationship between two pairs of words. The two pairs are usually
dissimilar (not the same), although the relationships between each pair are similar. Because
analogies require you to identify similar relationships between dissimilar objects, understanding
analogies is one of the highest levels of thinking.
Analogies are usually written in one of two forms:
Up is to down as fast is to slow
or
Up : Down :: Fast : Slow
The colon (:) in the second example means "is to." The pair of colons (::) means "as."
Context Clues
Types of Context Clues
Definition
Explanation
Synonym
Experience
Antonym
Knowledge of Subject
Examples
Learning new words when reading
The first way to figure out the meaning of a word is from its context. The context is the other words
and sentences that are around the new word. When you figure out the meaning of a word from
context, you are making a guess about what the word means. To do this, you use the hints and clues
of the other words and sentences. You won't always be right, but many times you will be. You might
not be able to guess the exact meaning of a word, but you may be close enough to get the meaning
of the sentence it is in. A basic strategy for unlocking the meaning of an unfamiliar word is to search
the context of the sentence in which a new word appears for clues. Sometimes this can be easy to
do because the author may have provided a definition or a synonym right there next to or near a
term that you can use to unlock its meaning. A definition is a statement giving the meaning of a word.
A synonym is a word that means almost the same as another.
For example, read the following sentence: "Don't think of words as separate, discrete items, or
entities." What is the meaning of the word entities? The definition is right there - separate, discrete
items. But what is the meaning of discrete? The meaning of that word is right there too--separate.
When in doubt about the meaning of an unfamiliar word, look around in the sentence; check to see
if there is a definition or synonym clue to help you unlock meaning.
Another kind of context clue (in addition to definitions and synonyms embedded in sentences) is a
word or words of opposite meaning (antonym) set somewhere near a word that is unfamiliar. If you
find a word or words of opposite meaning and you recognize it or them, you are "home free." You
can unlock the meaning of the unfamiliar word.
For example, read the following sentence: "I was not exactly enamored of the travel plans my agent
made for me; my lack of enthusiasm was triggered by the eight-hour layover required between
flights." What is the meaning of the word enamored? You can use the context of the sentence to
reason in this way: Enamored of means just the opposite of lacking in enthusiasm for.
Strategy
Step 1: Check for synonyms or definitions embedded right there. If you find a synonym or definition,
reread the sentence with the new term keeping that synonym or definition in mind.
Step 2: Check for an antonym clue. If you find one, think about its meaning, actually telling yourself
the opposite meaning. Then reread the sentence and rephrase it in your own mind.
Context Clues: Substitution
At times, rereading a sentence that contains an unfamiliar term and substituting a word or phrase
for it that makes sense can help you to unlock the meaning of the unfamiliar word. To understand
the substitution strategy, read the following sentence:
"When we stayed at the military base, each Saturday we went to the commissary to
buy the food and supplies we would need for the next week."
Although you may never have visited a commissary, given the use of the word in this sentence, you
immediately can substitute the word store for the word commissary. You probably can wrestle an
even more complete meaning for commissary from the overall context of the sentence: a store for
food and supplies that is located on a military base.
Steps in the substitution strategy are as follows:
Step 1: When you read a sentence that you have trouble understanding because of an unfamiliar
word in it, reread the sentence and substitute a word that seems to make sense in the context.
Step 2: Read on. If the word you substituted does not make sense in the context of the rest of the
paragraph, try again.
Step 3: If the sentence still does not make sense to you and you do not understand the main point
the author is making in the paragraph, look for synonym, definition, and antonym clues. If you are
still uncertain, check a dictionary.
Context Clues: Multiple Meanings
As you have learned, a basic strategy for unlocking the meaning of an unfamiliar word is to search
the context of the sentence in which a new word appears for clues. This is especially important when
a word has multiple meanings that you already know and you must decide the particular one that
applies. Try using the following strategy:
Step 1: Check the context for clues: definitions and synonyms given "right there" as well as words
of opposite meaning - antonyms.
Step 2: Substitute each meaning you know in the context of the sentence until you find one that
makes good sense there. (Hennings, p. 48)
In Conclusion ...
The Importance of Reading
There is probably no surer or sounder way to improve your reading permanently than by building a
strong, precise vocabulary, and the only way to build your vocabulary is by reading a lot. In a precise
vocabulary, every word is learned as a concept. You know its ancestry, its principal definition as well
as several secondary definitions, its synonyms and the subtle differences among them, and its
antonyms. Then, when you encounter it in your reading, this vast store of knowledge flashes before
you, illuminating the sentence, the paragraph, and the idea the author is trying to convey (Pauk, p.
346).
References:
Pauk, Walter. How to Study in College. Fourth Edition. 1989.
Mohr, C., & Nist, S. Improving Vocabulary Skills. 1997.
Hennings, Dorothy. Vocabulary Growth. Strategies for College Word Study. 2001.
http://academic.cuesta.edu/acasupp/AS/501.HTM