​​​​​​​If you want to speak and write beautifully, develop your lexicon.

There are three types of vocabulary:

• Active - we know and actively use in speech. "Word", "Train", "House".
• Passive - we know, but we practically do not use it in speech. "Refined", "Blend", "Many-armed", "Divine", "Solidarity".
• External - we do not know these words. "Cabatchik", "Abaza".

Cramming dictionaries is useless, it develops External vocabulary. Most of the words in the External Vocabulary are unfamiliar to people and sound pretentious.

To increase the vocabulary, it is necessary to transfer words from the Passive vocabulary to the Active one. Then you will use quite rare words, while others will understand you.

Vocabulary exercises

(exercises can be done both orally and in writing; I recommend both options for developing both oral and written vocabulary)

• History in Nouns

Tell short story I use only nouns. Morning, work, exit, entrance. Key, car, ignition... failure! Repeat - failure renewal ... despair ... anticipation of being late, bosses indignant! Ingenuity is the solution!

• History in verbs

Repeat the previous exercise using only verbs. I wake up, I wash, I go out. Look, it's locked! I look back, I scold, I curse. I am looking for, I believe they write, they are waiting for a call. I'm looking for ... I despair ... - This exercise is more difficult.

• History in adjectives and adverbs

The same thing, only in adjectives and adverbs - the most difficult of the three.

• Alphabet

Give a related speech using words that begin consecutively with letters of the alphabet (except those for which there are no or very few words). > a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z. For example, Angola is awake in the evenings looking far away if the dawn lives exclusively in red purple raspberry. The news is organized by a simple routine, hence the triumph gives way to the physically predatory sepals. The heron tickles the extreme nimble lizard widely.

• Monophone

Give a related speech using words that start with the same letter. For example, the letter "P". Speech does not have to be meaningful, but nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and other parts of speech must be logically connected in it. For example, the Beautiful Patrolman turns nimbly, stops provocations, pursues the pursued according to simple rules. - A good result is a minute of continuous speech.

These exercises are quite difficult, they make you work intensively with vocabulary. Many words are updated in memory and move from Passive to Active vocabulary. On the other hand, doing these exercises is much more interesting than studying boring dictionaries!

Conclusion: it is important to develop an active vocabulary. Exercises are more interesting and effective than studying dictionaries.

Sometimes emotions overwhelm you so much that instead of a thousand necessary phrases, you say a short one: "There are not enough words." The fact is that the brain does not have time to generate enough images that can be quickly and easily translated into verbal form. One of the particulars why this happens, linguists consider the lack of words. Today we’ll talk about how to increase your vocabulary in communication and shine in any dialogue.

General cleansing

A few articles are not enough to understand the kitchen of fast reading. We recommend that you turn to books: this is a source of concentrated information, written in chronological order.

Purchase or download:

• "The Art of Reading. Understanding Books Thomas Foster. Read before you start a quick read. On the example of the works of the classics, the author teaches to understand the meaning between the lines and perceive information from a different angle. "Memories, symbols, parallels - that's what separates the professional reader from the amateur," says Foster. Adopting a different model of reading books will help you remember information better, which will now be based on associative thinking and related to the experience.
• Short reading in practice. How to read quickly and remember what you read well" Pavel Palagin. The book was recognized by millions of book lovers and received good reviews. The techniques are simple and clear, allow you to master the technique of fast reading in a few weeks. The author harshly criticizes sluggish readers, thereby motivating them to finish the study of the issue as soon as possible. At seminars, Palagin does not hesitate to advise reading only 25% of the book and discarding the rest as unnecessary. This statement fuels the interest of the public, seeking to refute the words of the author.
• "The Development of Memory" by Harry Lorraine. The perfect book to train your memory and imagination. After reading, you will become better at perceiving information, remembering dates and large numbers, and effortlessly continue the storyline of any story.

Learning is a continuous process. You can become an erudite person as in adolescence, and in retirement age, when you are already over eighty, just expanding your vocabulary. Develop habits that will help you remember and use the most accurate words in your language. And it will become easier for you to communicate, write and think. After you read more specific tips for expanding your vocabulary, read this article to the end.

Steps

Part 1

Read avidly. When you leave school, you will no longer be given word exercises, and in general there will be no homework which at one time forced you to learn new words. You can just stop reading. But if you want to expand your vocabulary, make yourself a reading plan and stick to it.

• You can try reading one book a week, or just read the newspaper every morning. Choose a reading pace that suits you, and design a reading program that fits into your schedule.
• Try to read at least one book and a couple of magazines every week. Be consistent. You will not only increase your vocabulary, but you will also be in the know, you will know what happened. You will expand your stock of general knowledge and be an educated, well-rounded person.

1. Read serious literature. Set yourself the task of reading as many books as you have the time and desire to. Read the classics. Read old and new works of art. Read poetry. Read Herman Melville, William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf.

   Read also Internet sources and "low-brow tabloid" literature. Read online magazines, essays and blogs at various themes. Read music reviews and fashion blogs. True, this vocabulary does not apply to high style. But to have an extensive vocabulary, you need to know both the meaning of the word "inner monologue" and the meaning of the word "twerking." Being well-read means being familiar with both the work of Geoffrey Chaucer and the work of Lee Child.

   Look in the dictionary for every word you don't know. When you see an unfamiliar word, don't skip it with annoyance. Try to understand its meaning from the context of the sentence, and then look it up in a dictionary to clarify its meaning.

   • Get yourself a small notebook and immediately write down all the unfamiliar words that you will meet in it, so that later you can check their meaning. If you hear or see a word you don't know, be sure to look it up in a dictionary.

2. Read a dictionary. Dive headfirst into it. Read dictionary entries about those words that you are still unfamiliar with. To make this process more fun, you need a very good dictionary. Therefore, look for a dictionary that gives detailed explanations of the origin and use of words, as this will help you not only remember the word, but also enjoy working with the dictionary.

   Read the dictionary of synonyms. Look for synonyms for words you use frequently and try to use them.

   Part 2

   Use new words

   1. Set yourself a goal. If you're determined to expand your vocabulary, set a goal for yourself. Try to learn three new words a week and use them verbally and writing. Through conscious effort, you will be able to learn several thousand new words that you will remember and use. If you can't use a particular word correctly in a sentence, then it's not part of your vocabulary.

      • If you can easily memorize three words a week, then raise the bar. Try to learn 10 words next week.
      • If you look up 20 new words a day in the dictionary, it will be difficult for you to use them correctly. Be realistic and develop a practical vocabulary that you can actually use.

   2. Use flashcards or sticky notes throughout your home. If you're going to make it a habit to learn new words, try some simple memory tricks as if you were studying for a test. Hang a sticker above the coffee maker with the definition of the word you hope to remember, so you can learn it while you make yourself a cup of coffee in the morning. Attach a new word to each houseplant, and thus you will learn as you water them.

      • Even when you're watching TV or doing other things, keep a few flashcards handy and learn new words. Expand your vocabulary under any circumstances.

   3. Write more. Start journaling if you haven't already, or start a virtual diary. Intense flexion of the muscles when writing will help you remember words better.

      • Write letters to old friends and describe everything to the smallest detail. If your letters tend to be short and simple, change that by writing longer letters or emails than you've ever written before. Spend more time writing letters as you would if you were writing a high school essay. Make thoughtful choices.
      • Do more writing assignments at work. If you usually avoid issuing orders, writing collective emails, or participating in group discussions, change your habits and write more. In addition, you may receive money for expanding your vocabulary.

   4. Use adjectives and nouns correctly and accurately. The best writers strive for brevity and precision. Purchase Dictionary and use the most accurate words in your sentences. Do not use three words where you can safely get by with only one. The word that reduces the total number of words in a sentence will be a very valuable addition to your vocabulary.

      • For example, the phrase "dolphins and whales" can be replaced with the single word "cetaceans". So "cetacean" is a useful word.
      • A word is also useful if it is more expressive than the phrase or word it replaces. For example, the voices of many people can be described as "pleasant". But if someone Very a pleasant voice, then it is better to say that he has a voice that "caresses the ear."

   5. Don't show it off. Inexperienced writers think they can improve their writing by using the thesaurus function in Microsoft Word twice in every sentence. But actually it is not. The use of swear words and the correct spelling of words will make your written speech pompous. But what's even worse is that it will make your writing less accurate than more ordinary words. Proper use of words is characteristic a real writer and a sure sign of a large vocabulary.

      • You could say that "Iron Mike" is Mike Tyson's "nickname", but "nickname" would be more accurate and appropriate in this sentence. Therefore, the word "nickname" is less useful in your vocabulary.

   Part 3

   Improve your vocabulary

   1. Subscribe to the Word of the Day newsletter in one of the online dictionaries. You can also get yourself a Word of the Day calendar. Remember to read the words on that page every day, try to memorize the words of each day, and also use them in your speech throughout the day.

      • Check out word-building sites (like freerice.com) and expand your vocabulary while you satisfy your hunger or do something else useful.
      • There are a lot of online sites dedicated to compiling alphabetical lists unusual, strange, obsolete and difficult words. Use a search engine to find these sites and learn from them. This is a great way to pass the time while waiting for the bus or standing in line at the bank.

   2. Solve word puzzles and play word games. Word puzzles are a great source of new words because their creators often have to use a huge amount of underused words to make sure all the words fit in their puzzles and keep them interesting for those who solve them. There are many varieties of word puzzles, including crossword puzzles, word puzzles, and hidden word puzzles. Along with expanding your vocabulary, puzzles will also improve your critical thinking skills. Concerning word games, try games like Scrabble, Boggle and Cranium to expand your vocabulary.

      Learn some Latin. Although it seems like a dead language, a little knowledge of Latin is a great way to learn about the origin of many English words, and it will also help you understand the meaning of those words that you do not already know without looking up in a dictionary. There are educational resources for Latin on the Internet, as well as a huge number of texts (check your favorite old bookshop).

Undoubtedly, a rich vocabulary is an indicator of a person's high intellectual development. If you have a beautiful speech, then in modern world you will be perceived as a person with a good education and culture, a creative person. People who own an extensive vocabulary, in society, as a rule, cause more respect than those who cannot “connect a couple of words”. Even if you are already out childhood, this does not mean at all that you cannot afford to enrich your speech - this is possible at any age.

You probably know that reading books is beneficial for many reasons. This process can help improve memory, diction, and, of course, can positively affect the quality of your vocabulary. Start with those writers whose work is close and understandable to you. Over time, move on to more complex pieces. Pay attention to text containing interesting expressions that you would like to remember and use later. Reread these expressions by ear - so you better remember them. The most interesting of them can be written in a separate notebook.

Expand your vocabulary with smart people

If you want to replenish your vocabulary with interesting adverbial phrases or just clever words, then, of course, do not neglect communication with intellectuals. If you notice that the speech of the people who surround you is very poor, then, of course, you should understand that you will not gain the necessary skills from communicating with them. Moreover, you yourself can lose the acquired vocabulary.

Don't be afraid to look stupid by talking to people who know a lot of interesting information - this is one of the most effective ways increase your intellectual level, and it was unwise not to take advantage of it.

Improve your speech and vocabulary by learning new words

When you hear or notice a new word while reading, in no case try to “skip” it - look up the definition in the dictionary. In addition, it is important to note for yourself in which turn of speech this word is used. After that, try to mentally replace it with a suitable synonym. Subsequently, having fully understood the meaning of a previously unfamiliar word, you will be able to replenish your vocabulary with it. To make it easier to remember, try to visualize it in your mind by adding images related to this word. Let the picture in your imagination be as saturated as possible.

For our time, the reference can be called the speech of the middle of the twentieth century - it is as close as possible to the modern one, but has not yet absorbed the various jargons and barbarisms that appeared later. Therefore, it is desirable to give preference to literature predominantly of this period. The books of Russian and English classics will be most effective.

It is also worth noting that there are special books that help in the development of speech. Let's name some of them. First of all, pay attention to the "Mastery of the on-air performance" by B. D., Gaymakova. First of all, the book will be of interest to people who plan to work on television and radio. However, this work will be useful to everyone else. Includes three parts that tell about the rules public speaking, technique and culture of speech.

We advise you not to ignore the book by N. Gal "The Word Living and Dead". The author is a well-known translator, but her work will be of interest not only to her colleagues. The work will help you find your own style, avoiding the "dead" language.

Learn a new word every day

If you enrich your vocabulary with a new word every day, then, of course, after a while you will be able to show off your new knowledge very effectively. There are many apps and websites on the web that offer to learn new words. Also, communities with this focus exist in VK. It is important to remember that you do not just need to learn unfamiliar words - they should be used in Everyday life. In the evening, learn some new concept for yourself, and the next day try to apply it in a conversation with someone. So memorization will be much more efficient.

Hearing an unfamiliar word, be sure to “google” its meaning

As soon as you happen to hear a word whose meaning you do not know or is rather vague for you, remember it. To be sure, you can write it down on a piece of paper. Subsequently, at the first opportunity, look on the Internet for the meaning of this word.

Read aloud, retell, learn poetry

Reading aloud, as well as memorizing verses, is doubly useful. Thus, you not only develop your memory, but also learn vocabulary and syntax. In Russian, the word order in a sentence can be called quite free, but not everyone uses this freedom to the fullest. Almost every one of us has familiar syntactic constructions at the ready, thereby limiting the lexical range. If you have a task to expand this range, then when constructing phrases, you should use a creative approach. For example, if you are used to using the phrase "I want", then try to replace it with others - "I wish", "I would like" and the like. Of course, reading certain works will help you easily replace previously chosen phrases.

However, quite often, when we start reading, we plunge into the plot, with little or no focus on vocabulary. As a result, the linguistic abundance of a work often passes us by. To avoid this, use this psychological trick: read books that the author wrote in the first person. When you study them slowly and thoughtfully, ready-made phrases will be stored in your memory, which you can later use when talking about yourself.

Replace simple words with complex ones that broaden your horizons

Try to use more complex words in your speech, replacing them with those simple words, which you used to use before. To do this, for any words that you regularly use, look for synonyms. So you will significantly enrich and diversify your vocabulary. Do not treat this task as something very complex and requiring serious energy costs - this natural process which may last for the rest of your life.

Solve crossword puzzles

Solving crossword puzzles is not just fun, but also a great way to increase vocabulary. Do not neglect this opportunity on vacation, at home, on the road. Pay attention to crossword puzzles that are published in well-known, well-established publications.

Listen to audiobooks

If you spend a lot of time driving and don't have much free time to read fiction and study dictionaries, then listen to audiobooks. Also, this technique is useful for those people who perceive information better by ear. Do not even doubt that if you pass the time in traffic to the sound of a good audiobook, these minutes will do you good.

Watch the video

Sometimes, vocabulary enrichment can occur while watching a variety of videos. We are talking about all kinds of quizzes, intellectual talk shows, documentary projects. Also, do not discount the special courses that contribute to the replenishment of the lexicon. Thus, you can not only have a good time, but also benefit your own self-development. Of course, it is important to distinguish worthwhile materials from unnecessary ones. For example, if you see on a television program that the next youth reality show or a stupid action movie of the 90s with a corresponding translation is approaching, then it is better to devote time to something else, because such viewing will not only not benefit you, but can also harm .

Note method

You may find it very difficult for you to memorize new terms. In this situation, the already mentioned "note method" will help. Get a pack of stickers, then write a new word on one side of the piece of paper, and its meaning on the other. Now paste the stickers around the apartment. Now "difficult" words will constantly catch your eye, and you will be able to re-read their meanings again and again until they are fully learned and included in your usual vocabulary.

Write

You will quickly learn the correct use of new expressions if you engage in writing activities. For this, of course, it is not necessary to be a writer - just set aside at least half an hour a day to write some small text. It can be a simple statement of your own thoughts on a particular occasion.

For example, you can write what you dream about, what kind of people you dislike, what you can admire in another person, and the like. You can even write a multi-page article on a topic that interests you. When you start writing any text, you will have some time to think about your thoughts, thanks to which you will have the opportunity to learn how to correctly use new phrases, succinctly inserting them into the text in the right place. Writing is definitely one of the creative activities that activates your mental potential. Naturally, this trains the brain remarkably, allowing you to recall words that you had practically never used in speech before.

Vocabulary is a set of words of a person's native language, understandable to him in meaning and used in communication. It consists of words that are constantly used in oral and written speech, as well as words that are understandable in meaning during a conversation or reading literature.

There are two types of vocabulary:

• Active. This is a stock of words used daily by a person in speech when communicating with people around him.
• Passive. These are words that are not used in communication, but are familiar by ear and content.

Active and passive vocabulary contain unequal indicators of the volume of words. The active vocabulary of an adult greatly exceeds the passive one. The volumes of words in both dictionaries tend to change constantly. They are able to increase if a person learns new terms, reads, develops or decreases.

The active and passive vocabulary may decrease due to the age when words are forgotten or when they stop using them in communication. In this case, the words will disappear from the vocabulary of a person or be replaced by new ones.

Assessing the exact amount of vocabulary the average person has is a difficult task. No one knows specifically what it should be in terms of content and number of words. The reference point in this matter is the dictionary of the Russian language by V. I. Dahl, which contains about two hundred thousand words and the explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov, with a volume of 70 thousand Russian words.

Of course, it is clear that such a volume of words is beyond the power of even smart person. Human memory is not able to contain such an amount of information without harm to health.

An interesting study was recently conducted to determine the volume of words among native Russian speakers. It was carried out in the form of testing, where those who wished to mark in the provided list the words they understood and used. Words were noted only in case of full understanding of the definition.

To improve the quality of testing and sort out false information, non-existent designations were present in the lists. The presence in the questionnaire of the subject of at least one word from non-existent and marked as familiar to him was considered unreliable information and was not taken into account.

In the course of the work, the following data were obtained:

• The passive vocabulary of a person increases every year until the age of 20. Further, the rate of development decreases, gradually disappearing after 40 years. At this age and until the end of life, a person’s vocabulary remains unchanged.
• Studying at school adds up to 10 words to children in a passive vocabulary every day. The active and passive vocabulary of the student is constantly growing.
• By the end of their studies, teenagers speak an average of 50,000 words.
• School time increases the growth of the volume of words by almost 3 times.
• After leaving school, a person's passive vocabulary stops growing and averages 3-4 words daily.
• At the age of 55, the vocabulary continues to decline, due to the irreversible deterioration of memory and the use of some words in practice.

The study assessed the level of education of the subjects, obtaining interesting conclusions. It turns out that the possession of the largest amount of words in people occurs at an unequal moment in life. Medium special education implies the end of word growth at 40 summer age, and higher a little later - after 50 years. Such a gap of 10 years is explained by the discrepancy between the work performed and the position held by people with different education. Some people at the age of 50 read scientific books and gain new knowledge due to the specifics of work or own will for self-education.

It was also identified interesting fact, which showed that the subjects who completed their studies in educational institution and those who did not complete it for personal reasons have the same passive vocabulary in terms of volume.

Vocabulary of adults with different levels of education:

• The passive vocabulary has the same indicators for people with secondary education and secondary special education. It varies between 70-75 thousand words.
• People who received higher education, or those who have not graduated from the institute have in their luggage a stock of 80 thousand words.
• Educated people, candidates of sciences have a rich vocabulary of 86 thousand words, which is 6 thousand more than those who have received higher education.

The education received, of course, affects the vocabulary of a person, but not 100%. A person himself makes a huge contribution to the development of the lexicon, constantly improving himself and engaging in self-education. Therefore, it is easy to meet a person who graduated only from school with a vocabulary several times larger than that of a graduate. The main role in this matter is played by sociability, occupation and lifestyle of a person.

The conducted study does not give a complete picture of the vocabulary of an average Russian person, as it contains small errors. But despite this, it helps to determine the relationship of vocabulary with age and level of education.

How to expand your vocabulary

There are no universal ways to increase words in the vocabulary of the native language. Each person chooses what suits only him. To replenish vocabulary, several methods developed by polyglots for learning a foreign language will help.

To increase passive vocabulary:

• Reading literature.

The more and more often a person reads books, the richer and more interesting his speech sounds. It is pleasant to communicate and spend time with well-read people. This is a universal way to enrich the stock of new words. The quality of the selected literature is not the last value. It is better to give preference in choosing to popular science books, classical literature, avoiding modern “soap” novels or detective stories in them, you definitely won’t find new words in the correct application.

• Interested in the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Always be interested in the meaning of incomprehensible words or new terms from the interlocutor, do not let them pass by your ears. In the course of communication, new information is much easier to assimilate and can be quickly restored if necessary in memory. If new interesting word sounded from the radio announcers, then its meaning can be peeped in a special dictionary.

• Dictionaries.

Every literate person should have a set of dictionaries at home that need to be used periodically. This is the explanatory dictionary of V. I. Dahl, Ozhegov, as well as the Dictionary of Accents for Radio and Television Workers. It will help restore gaps in stress and contains many interesting words.

The Stress Dictionary for Radio and Television Workers has been published since 1960. Its authors are M. V. Zarva and F. L. Ageenko. The history of creating an accent dictionary for radio and television workers began with the release of an announcer's guide in 1951, and after 3 years the Dictionary of Accents was released. To help the announcer.

All dictionaries for radio and television workers were based on the stocks of "heavy" words accumulated in the card index during the formation of the first radio in the era of the USSR. The replenishment of the card file of radio and television took place constantly. Many words never made it into dictionaries. "Dictionary of radio and television" contains the name of geographical names, the names of works of art, surnames and names of people.

How to expand your active vocabulary

To increase vocabulary, you will need the ability of a person to translate words from a passive dictionary into an active one. The following methods will help you with this:

• Notes.

Write down new words on pieces of paper along with the meaning and stick them around the house in those places where they will often catch your eye. This method will help you remember information more efficiently and quickly without memorization.

• Associative line.

To memorize a word, build a suitable association for it. It can be directed to smell, taste, motor, tactile characteristics or tied to color scheme. The result depends on the imagination of the person, and the desire to consolidate the information received. The associative series helps to remember difficult words and is easier to remember at the right time.

There are also exercises to develop vocabulary. One of the most effective is the oral storytelling exercise. To do this, you need to try to tell a little story, using only nouns, then only verbs or adjectives. This is not an easy exercise. It helps to use the available vocabulary, while refreshing them in a person’s memory.