: Re: Effective ways to enrich your active vocabulary? I come across words like rectitude, like laudatory, like indigent, and being an experienced reader with a strong grasp on my native language, I

@Sent2472441

Vote Up Vote Down

On the general point of widening your active vocabulary, I'm entirely with you Aerovistae. A rich vocabulary is one of the foundations of good writing. J.R. describes it well with:

There's a big difference between using a fancier word when a simpler one will do (which can be unnecessarily pretentious, something that commenters have exhorted you to avoid), and using a more precise word that more accurately captures the nuances of what you are trying to say.

I'd actually go even further. I think what nuance describes in this case is the complex interplay between denotation and connotation. It might be that a simpler word denotes the same meaning to your reader, but to think of language in this way is to entirely undermine the associative power of words. In short, no synonym is exactly alike.

Unfamiliar words can also be a powerful way to engage readers. A quick example: I read Les Miserables around 10 years ago and can barely remember the basic plot outline. I can however remember a particular metaphor in which a daydreaming man is imagined as a caryatid on holiday. I had no idea what a caryatid was, which is exactly why it had such potency - it stuck out. Once I looked the word up it was firmly in my mind, which primed me ingeniously for the surprising number of times Hugo uses that word, and had me pondering its significance more deeply. Simple words can't do that.

Anyway, on the practical side of improving your active vocabulary. I use spaced repetition software (Anki in my case) to memorise the definitions of words, but with a twist. Instead of just reciting the definition, I write out a sentence using the word whenever it appears on a flashcard. The software is helpful because it shows the words you're struggling with more often. It also allows you to study hundreds of words without losing track of where you are.

(0)

Login to post a comment!