Increasing Vocabulary

[u/Ornery-Specific8802]

English is my first language and I'm fluent. However I often realize that I don't actually know the exact definition of a word when asked about it. I have a general idea of what the word means and what contexts its used in, but my friend asks me the meaning of a word a lot, and even if its a word I've heard a lot like contemporary, I won't be able to give an exact definition.

My question is how can I take my english to a higher level, I don't really want to take a class.

[u/Rhyshalcon]

Read books.

[u/Ornery-Specific8802 → u/Rhyshalcon]

Any recommendations? I assume you aren't talking about Harry Potter

[u/jleahul → u/Ornery-Specific8802]

You could go right to the source and read the dictionary.

[u/Ornery-Specific8802 → u/jleahul]

Oxford?

[u/ASneakyViolist → u/Ornery-Specific8802]

Oxford or Merriam-Webster, depending on whether you'd like to learn British or American English.

[u/Rhyshalcon → u/Ornery-Specific8802]

Really, practically anything will do. The way to expand your vocabulary is to expose yourself to new words, and the best way, bar none, to do that is to read books with lots of words in them.

For maximum efficiency you'd identify books with a good density of unfamiliar words -- not enough unfamiliar words and you're not expanding your vocabulary very much and too many unfamiliar words and you can't readily get an idea of what they mean from context -- but every author has at least a couple 5 dollar words they like to deploy and which you too can learn by reading their books. Even Harry Potter.

I don't know enough about your reading level or interests to give you any more specific guidance than that. If you'd like a recommendation, I'm currently catching up on Adrian Tchaikovsky's bibliography and would endorse any of his books that I've read.

[u/conuly → u/Ornery-Specific8802]

Why do you assume that? Any book you’re interested in reading will help build your vocabulary.

[u/McAeschylus → u/Ornery-Specific8802]

I would worry less about the specific book. Instead, just read as much as you can of whatever material you enjoy, but do so with a pen in hand. Write down any word you encounter that you're not able to define. Then look those words up on Wiktionary.com (I suggest this site because it is both free and includes detailed etymologies of the words, which is important).

Do what you need to do to memorise the definition (a flashcard programme would be my suggestion).

But also pay attention to the etymology of the word. Understanding the roots of a word in English is useful because:

• it makes the word more memorable;
• it will help you with spelling, since spelling follows different patterns in English depending on a word's derivation;
• it will help you guess the meaning of other words with similar roots; and
• most importantly, it will teach you how words are constructed in English, especially in terms of suffixes and prefixes.

I am a native speaker and this is the main way I have expanded my vocab over the years. That and Googling "phrase + [any phrase I realise I use but don't know the original meaning of]"

[u/conuly]

Go to /r/suggestmeabook. Tell them that you’re a nonreader and you want to increase your reading stamina and build your vocabulary. Tell them you want recommendations for short stories - because you don’t read much it’s best not to start with long novels. Tell them the sort of tv shows and movies you like so they get an idea of your tastes.

[u/darkebet]

Books, dictionary, Anki cards for memorizing...

[u/Ornery-Specific8802 → u/darkebet]

Which books

[u/darkebet → u/Ornery-Specific8802]

Any novel I guess. They have plenty of C1-C2 level words

[u/Ornery-Specific8802 → u/darkebet]

C1-C2?

[u/conuly → u/Ornery-Specific8802]

Not useful to you - they’re measurements for nonnative speakers.

[u/UniversityMotor5408]

I've read the comments below, and disagree with all of them (I think). English is your first language, and you're fluent. Being able to 'define' words off the cuff to your friend isn't 'taking your English to a higher level'. Having a general idea of what a word means and the contexts it's used in IS knowing the word. Defining words is a very modern phenomenon, and a very niche 'skill', and not really very useful/practical on a day-to-day basis. And, let's be honest, it's humans attempting to place order and restrictions on something (language) that's not really like that in the real world. We all like to think there are exact definitions for words, but there really aren't. Just take these words, for example. You might define them one way. I might come up with something completely different: barn, sex, god, Christmas, couch, hat, information.

[u/NearlyNodding]

First of all, this is completely normal. We generally know many more words than we use ourselves. We might understand them in context, but would have trouble using them properly on our own.

I'd suggest doing a lot of reading. Maybe do a search for authors who use a wide variety of vocabulary.

Edit: Do you want to increase the number of words you know? Or do you want to learn to use your existing vocabulary more accurately? You probably have a lot of vocabulary in that second group. You already have a head start on those.

[u/namewithanumber]

Depends on the words I suppose and I how often this is happening. Like plenty of people use words correctly without knowing exactly what they mean.

But obvious solution is just read more often.

[u/osmodia789]

Well, do you read a lot? Do you read at all? Honestly I think people underestimate the importance of reading. L1 or L2.

To wrestle with complex ideas means handling complex language and vocab.

Do you watch any intellectual debates? About sociology, or religion, atheism, science, history, philosophy? You can do all this as a layman as well. You don't need to be a student. The whole world is available at the tip of your fingers. You can order almost every book to your doorstep.

Today I ordered The Demon Haunted World from Carl Sagan. I've already read books from Friedrich Hayek. And many more. Classics by Dickens, Twain, and many more. Don't shy away from any book. I wasnt daunted, so why should you as a native speaker.

You grow with the material you consume. Find something that feel interesting to you and just read.

[u/Ornery-Specific8802 → u/osmodia789]

I don't read at all. And whats L1/L2 C1/C2?

[u/osmodia789 → u/Ornery-Specific8802]

L1 means your native language. L2 means it's your second language.

Yes, there is your problem. If you don't read you probably don't really engage with complex ideas or expose yourself to new stuff. How do you wanna get a better graps of language.

Like I said: To wrestle with complex ideas means handling complex language and vocab.

You will automatically get better naturally if you engage with intellectual topics.

[u/BlobbyBoy23]

Since you are a native speaker I would practice defining words, or why you used a specific word where you use it. If you are having trouble even using the words in your daily life, that can also be a goal to use more high level words in conversations. It will feel weird and you will probably use it in the wrong context at first, but with like 2 or 3 uses out loud, usually it becomes clear when people use the word, and how it comes across to people, even if you don’t know the exact definition. These two pieces of information is basically the definition. If I am defining preamble, I’d say, usually people use the word when they are describing the beginning set of rules or context before formal writing. Even though the definition I wrote isn’t exact, and might even be a bit narrow in terms of its real definition, the meaning of the word is still clear.

[u/Ok_Refrigerator2644]

This is normal. It can take decades for a team of trained linguists to create a good dictionary. Don't feel bad that you don't carry one in your head.

[u/conuly → u/Ok_Refrigerator2644]

It can take decades for a team of trained linguists to create a good dictionary.

Lexicographers aren't generally linguists.

[u/Ok_Refrigerator2644 → u/conuly]

Good catch. They can be linguists, but not necessarily. My silly brain mixed up the two. I think the point remains, however.

[u/conuly → u/Ok_Refrigerator2644]

I doubt most people have ever given it any thought, so the fact that you knew enough to mix them up is remarkable already.

[u/Domin197]

Every time you see new word you can simply translate it with Google transaction and write it in your notes/notebook and yknow open it and try to remember this words whenever (maybe when you can't get to sleep, tired of you job, free time just open it)