Fun Ways to Develop Your Vocabulary Skills

Whether you are trying to improve your writing or speaking vocabulary, you have a few fun options. A strong vocabulary promotes precise writing and helps you avoid monotonous or vague words and phrases. When you expand your vocabulary, you improve your ability to describe ideas, emotions, and situations. The most valuable vocabularies are those that you can use in everyday conversations and recall automatically. The following are a few fun ways to develop your vocabulary skills.

1. Play Word Games

Doing crossword puzzles expands your vocabulary and can have significant brain benefits. Choose options that start out easy but progress in complexity over time. They will help you improve your vocabulary gradually.

Other classic games include Boggle and Scrabble. They work the same way and can be equally fun.

If you really want to improve your efficiency with word games, consider following up rounds by taking notes. Keep a list of the words you have learned, their meanings, and how you can use them. Study the list often.

2. Travel

Traveling to new destinations is one of the most exciting ways to expand your vocabulary. The use of words varies from one region to another and traveling around may open your ears to words and phrases that you did not know. You may find, for example, that the English spoken in the United States is different from English-speaking Africa, Britain, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. Traveling may help you acquire new vocabulary.

3. Take an Online Quiz

Consider taking an online quiz to improve your vocabulary. There are lots of quizzes that do not only test your knowledge but also help you learn new words.

4. Read

Reading increases your chances of coming across words that you did not know. It is even better if you read a wide variety of books, articles, and magazines. Consider reading outside your area of expertise to expand your vocabulary. There’s a lot of e-reader software that can improve your vocabulary. They allow you to look up new words that you may come across.

5. Watch Word Documentaries

If you are really interested in learning new words, consider watching relevant documentaries. There are lots of fun yet informative documentaries that may boost your vocabulary. If you don’t know any, consider looking up the options on Wikipedia.

6. Learn a Foreign Language

While this may seem counterintuitive, it may be a great way to improve your vocabulary. Most languages are part of a bigger group and learning one may help you understand another one better. English, for example, was formed from a collision of Old French and Anglo-Saxon. It has relations with Russian, Latin, Spanish, Greek, and other languages. If you are trying to improve your English vocabulary, learning any of the related languages may be a good idea.

7. Use Your Inbox

A few sites may help you expand your vocabulary using email. They will send you a vocabulary word every day with its meaning and usage. Enrolling in a few sites will ensure that you always have a few words to learn.

8. Mobile Apps

There are a few mobile apps that can help you develop your vocabulary. These apps may quiz you on the words you wish to learn and help you retain them. There are plenty of options for both iOS and Android devices.

9. Create Word Groups

After learning new words, try grouping them based on meaning. When you create these groups, you can identify patterns and learn ways to incorporate them into daily conversations. Grouping words is one of the simplest ways to remember their general meanings.

10. Take Writing Classes

Writing classes are fun and they can develop your vocabulary skills. As you improve your vocabulary, you also get benefits that can improve your professional life. Consider taking online courses that include tests and assignments to boost your communication skills. When you complete a writing course, take notes of every word you have learned and how you can use it.

11. Vocabulary Tests

Consider taking vocabulary tests to improve your ability to retain new words. At the end of every week or learning period, come up with a test to include all the root words and vocabulary words you have learned about. Create a flashcard with words and their meanings every time you learn something new. The cards can be fun yet effective ways to learn new words and their definitions.

12. Practice In Conversations

The most interesting part of learning new words is using them in your everyday conversations. It is useless to amass a large vocabulary if you don’t know how to use the words. Putting your newly-learned dictionary into use is fun. Experiment in low-stake conversations and learn from your trial and error.

Learning new vocabulary does not need to be boring. There are lots of words to learn, and many fun ways to learn them. The above-mentioned are just a few of them. Happy learning!