How to expand my vocabulary? [closed]
Closed by System on Aug 15, 2019 at 14:29
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I wanted to write something for a long time. But what I think is, in writing the choice of words plays a very significant role. From where I can learn this thing?
I think I don't have enough words in my active vocabulary to write what I feel or want to write.
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The only thing you can do is to read and write, but reading will help the most. In order to learn something, you need to keep it in your head. Say you're learning piano. You need to keep learning new songs, each one getting challenger so that you learn more, and remember it.
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I keep a "Big Word Dictionary" to expand my vocabulary. Whenever I come across a fancy new word, I write it down. Every now and then I revisit this dictionary and see, if I could insert some of these words into my own writing.
One way to hunt down those beautiful new words, as others have pointed out, is to read. Additionally it doesn't hurt to browse the English language and usage stack Exchange. Another great resource is the Merriam Webster Website. They publish a word of the day every day, and usually those are real diamonds.
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Read, read, read, read. The only way to learn words is to ingest them, to feed on them. The only place where to look is books.
Read a lot of different authors, styles, genres, ages. The more words and expressions you put in your head, the more you can use them in your writing.
Every time I wrote something, I realized I was heavily influenced by the things I was reading at a time. Back in high school, when studying the italian romantic age, I started speaking like those 19th century guys, because I was reading so much of them!
While writing is mostly a matter of practice, you need fuel to do it well, and that is taken from other authors.
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Also, write, write, write.
As you write a new word in appropriate context, you are putting it into your working vocabulary.
Don't discount a thesaurus.
There are some online.
You have ideas, and you can articulate your ideas. Let's say you have a character that needs to go to a particular place. You might have a good idea in your mind of what that place is, but perhaps you are struggling to find the right words.
"Lorenzo went to the place."
But that's too simplistic. How did he go? Where? He drove. To the lake. But you want something more precise, or slightly less simplistic. Here's where a thesaurus can come in handy.
Look up synonyms for drive online (just type 'drive synonym' into google.). If you actually do this - you'll see a ton of information about the word 'drive', and you will come away not only with an alternative word for drive but also a much wider understanding of all the ways the word can be used, and its roots (etymology).
From that exercise, let's use 'motored.'
Now, look up synonyms for 'lake.' (Same exercise as above.) I see a word I haven't used before - 'tarn.' It means a small mountain lake (defined on google.).
"Lorenzo motored to the tarn."
^^That's a very different image than the first one.
Through this exercise you can expand your vocabulary and also increase your facility with the words you already know.
The only caveat I'd add here is to avoid using fancy words if you don't need them.
Don't say "he motored to the tarn' just because it sounds unusual. The point is to find the right word and the best word, and to practice using words.
As you read, and practice writing, it all gets stronger and better, like peddling a two-wheeled conveyance.
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