Vocabulary Fundamentals

Vocabulary

Word Formation

• Prefixes: add meaning to the beginning of a word (e.g., un-, re-, de-)
• Suffixes: add meaning to the end of a word (e.g., -able, -ment, -ly)
• Root words: core words that can be modified with prefixes and suffixes (e.g., run, view, act)
• Compounding: combining two or more words to create a new word (e.g., blackboard, toothbrush)

Word Types

• Nouns: people, places, things, and ideas (e.g., dog, city, happiness)
• Verbs: actions or states of being (e.g., run, eat, be)
• Adjectives: describe nouns or pronouns (e.g., happy, big, blue)
• Adverbs: describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (e.g., quickly, very, well)
• Pronouns: replace nouns in a sentence (e.g., he, she, it, they)
• Prepositions: show relationships between words (e.g., in, on, at, with)
• Conjunctions: connect words, phrases, or clauses (e.g., and, but, or, so)
• Interjections: express emotion or feeling (e.g., oh, wow, ouch)

Vocabulary Acquisition

• Reading: learn new words through context and repetition
• Mnemonics: use associations, acronyms, or rhymes to remember words
• Flashcards: create cards with words on one side and definitions on the other
• Practice: use new words in sentences or conversations to reinforce learning

Word Choice

• Connotation: emotional associations of words (e.g., happy vs. joyful)
• Denotation: literal meaning of words (e.g., dog vs. canine)
• Synonyms: words with similar meanings (e.g., big, large, huge)
• Antonyms: words with opposite meanings (e.g., hot vs. cold)

Learn about the basics of vocabulary, including word formation, word types, vocabulary acquisition, and word choice. Understand the different ways to learn and use new words effectively.