fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2275 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2275 ⌋

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm trying to enhance my vocabulary because it will reflect in my writing and make it better. I know that they say reading and keeping a dictionary beside you is one of the best ways, but what's another way you use to increse your vocab? Could be another site, or anything you like to mention! Since grade school is over and there are no vocab lists and flash cards, I don't really know where to start.

There are word games on dictionary.com! They're lots of fun and good for your exact purpose.

http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/8300

It's a game that also donates food to the World Food Hunger program.

Make sure you turn off your ad blocker if you play, otherwise the World Food Hunger program doesn't get any money from the sponsors.

Good to know--I had no idea about this.

Using a thesaurus helps.

Yeah, I thesaurus like crazy.

Only if you actually know the connotations of the words you're using.

A thesaurus is good if you forget synonyms, but some people go way too far with it and use words that really, really don't work, and you can tell they glanced at a thesaurus and thought, "Hey, the word-book said they meant the same thing, so obviously I can use one in place of the other!"

True enough. Thesaurus and dictionary, maybe? (-:

Read frequently and continuously. Anything as long as it's not completely forgettable low quality YA/fantasy/etc.

Anything aiming to specifically learn new words just doesn't give you a natural feel for proper usage, and is less likely to be remembered.

Yeah, this.

Also, in particular read Jack Vance, because that dude uses a ridiculous vocabulary and is also a generally enjoyable writer IMO. Although it's a shame that his political views can tend towards the... offputting, he's very good if you're into classic sf&f type stuff. It's fun.

Seconding Jack Vance--including your reservations about him. Also Mervyn Peake.

Most word games put the words into context and give you a natural feel for their usage. They aren't the games you played in elementary school. And the word games have the added advantage of teaching you new words; reading frequently and continuously doesn't always do that, especially for anyone who already reads a great deal.

Ditto on FreeRice (man I need to get back to that!). Also, I carry a dictionary everywhere, so I can look up unfamiliar words I hear in conversation/tv shows/radio.

And sometimes I just read the dictionary.

Yeah.

Read. Read. Read.

When I was in school, I always loved writing example sentences for the words. It was fun and helped me remember it better than just copying the definition down (although that helped too).

Reading books from all different time periods and contexts. Running back and forth to a dictionary to find the right word while you're writing can break your momentum, so I build my vocabulary by reading, and reading, and reading.

Here's how David Foster Wallace, notorious for his vocabulary, worked.
http://www.listsofnote.com/2011/12/david-foster-wallaces-word-lists.html

Do the 'English Vocabulary' game here: http://freerice.com/index.php#/english-vocabulary/1555

You learn lots of neat new words, and you start to get the connections between the bases of words and how new words were made off them. How they branch and grow.

Look up *every* word you don't understand, read the etymology, look at the thesaurus. Basically - just roll around in words a lot.

Well, if you'd also be interested in overall brain-training there are several games like that on lumosity.com. You program what you want to focus on and it provides games to help you do that. You can play limited things once a day if you do it free, but if you pay you get more. I've had a pretty decent experience with just the free option though.

TOo lazy to see if other people mentioned it, but freerice.com.

[ SECRET POST #2275 ]

writers, how do you build your vocabulary?

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Re: writers, how do you build your vocabulary?

Re: writers, how do you build your vocabulary?

Re: writers, how do you build your vocabulary?

Re: writers, how do you build your vocabulary?

Re: writers, how do you build your vocabulary?

Re: writers, how do you build your vocabulary?

Re: writers, how do you build your vocabulary?

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Re: writers, how do you build your vocabulary?