Vocabulary Building Cheatsheet

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March 03, 2025 01:16

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Essential Word Roots

Common Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning & Example
pre-	Before: precede (come before)
sub-	Under: submerge (sink under)
inter-	Between: interact (act between)
trans-	Across: transfer (carry across)
un-	Not: unhappy (not happy)
re-	Again: rewrite (write again)

Common Suffixes

Suffix	Meaning & Example
-able/-ible	Capable of: readable (capable of being read)
-tion/-sion	State of: creation (state of being created)
-ness	Quality of: happiness (quality of being happy)
-less	Without: fearless (without fear)
-ful	Full of: beautiful (full of beauty)
-ize/-ise	To make: modernize (to make modern)

Common Roots

Root	Meaning & Example
port	Carry: transport (carry across)
scrib/script	Write: scribble (write carelessly)
ject	Throw: reject (throw back)
cede/ceed	Go: precede (go before)
voc/voke	Call: vocal (relating to the voice or calling)
fac/fact	Make/Do: manufacture (make by hand)

Thematic Word Lists

Words Describing Emotions

Elated: Extremely happy and excited.

Melancholy: A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.

Serene: Calm, peaceful, and untroubled.

Wistful: Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing.

Apathetic: Showing or feeling no interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Exuberant: Filled with or characterized by a lively energy and excitement.

Despondent: In low spirits from loss of hope or courage.

Content: In a state of peaceful happiness.

Words Related to Critical Thinking

Cogent: Clear, logical, and persuasive.

Fallacy: A mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument.

Inference: A conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

Paradigm: A typical example or pattern of something; a model.

Empirical: Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic.

Deductive: Reasoning from general principles to a specific conclusion.

Inductive: Reasoning from specific observations to a general conclusion.

Skeptic: A person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions.

Words Related to Society and Culture

Ethos: The characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations.

Mores: The essential or characteristic customs and conventions of a society or community.

Paradigm: A typical example or pattern of something; a model.

Assimilation: The process of adapting or adjusting to the culture of a group or nation.

Globalization: The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or operate on an international scale.

Ideology: A system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Hegemony: Leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others.

Postmodernism: A late 20th-century movement in the arts, architecture, and criticism that represents a departure from modernism and has at its heart a general distrust of grand theories and ideologies.

Vocabulary Learning Techniques

Mnemonic Devices

Create associations between new words and familiar concepts or images. For example, to remember ‘Ephemeral’ (lasting a very short time), associate it with a mayfly, which has a short lifespan.

Use acronyms or rhymes to help recall the meaning of a word. Example: ROY G. BIV to remember the colors of the rainbow.

Contextual Learning

Learn new words in context by reading books, articles, and other materials. Pay attention to how the words are used and try to infer their meaning from the surrounding text.

Write your own sentences using the new words to solidify your understanding and usage.

Spaced Repetition

Review new words at increasing intervals to reinforce memory. Use flashcards or apps that employ spaced repetition algorithms.

Examples of apps and resources: Anki, Memrise.

Active Recall

Test yourself on new words regularly without looking at the definitions. This forces your brain to actively retrieve the information, which strengthens memory.

Use flashcards or online quizzes to practice active recall.

Immersion

Immerse yourself in the language by watching movies, listening to music, and engaging in conversations with native speakers. Exposure to the language in various contexts helps reinforce vocabulary learning.

Consider language exchange programs or travel to countries where the language is spoken.

Tools for Vocabulary Enhancement

Online Dictionaries

Use online dictionaries to look up the definitions, pronunciations, and examples of new words. Some popular online dictionaries include Merriam-Webster, Oxford Dictionaries, and Collins Dictionary.

Look for dictionaries that provide etymological information to understand the origins and historical development of words.

Thesauruses

Use a thesaurus to find synonyms and antonyms of words. This can help you expand your vocabulary and express yourself more precisely.

Popular online thesauruses include Thesaurus.com and Merriam-Webster Thesaurus.

Flashcard Apps

Use flashcard apps to create and review flashcards with new words and their definitions. Flashcard apps often incorporate spaced repetition algorithms to optimize learning.

Examples: Anki, Memrise, Quizlet.

Vocabulary Builder Apps

Use vocabulary builder apps to learn new words through interactive exercises, quizzes, and games. These apps often adapt to your learning progress and provide personalized feedback.

Examples: Vocabulary.com, Magoosh Vocabulary Builder.

Reading Apps and Websites

Use reading apps and websites to access a wide range of texts and articles. Look for platforms that allow you to highlight new words and look up their definitions instantly.

Examples: Kindle, Project Gutenberg, news websites.