Vocabulary Word Formation

Vocabulary

Word Formation

• Prefixes: added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning (e.g., un- in unhappy)
• Suffixes: added to the end of a word to change its meaning (e.g., -ly in friendly)
• Root words: original words that can be modified with prefixes and suffixes (e.g., tele- in telephone)
• Compounding: combining two words to form a new word (e.g., bookshelf)

Word Types

• Homophones: words that sound the same but have different meanings (e.g., to, too, two)
• Homographs: words that are spelled the same but have different meanings (e.g., bank - financial institution, bank - riverbank)
• Synonyms: words with similar meanings (e.g., happy, joyful, pleased)
• Antonyms: words with opposite meanings (e.g., hot, cold)

Vocabulary Development

• Etymology: study of the origin and history of words
• Semantic fields: groups of words related to a particular concept or theme (e.g., words related to food, travel)
• Connotations: emotional associations of words (e.g., home - warm, cozy; prison - cold, harsh)

Vocabulary in Context

• Collocations: words that frequently appear together (e.g., strong coffee, heavy rain)
• Idioms: fixed expressions with a specific meaning (e.g., "break a leg" - good luck)
• Phrasal verbs: verbs composed of a verb and a preposition (e.g., get on, turn off)

Vocabulary Acquisition

• Active learning: actively engaging with new vocabulary through activities such as flashcards, quizzes, and games
• Passive learning: indirectly acquiring vocabulary through reading, listening, and exposure
• Spaced repetition: reviewing vocabulary at increasingly longer intervals to aid retention

Vocabulary

Word Formation

• Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning, e.g., un- in unhappy
• Suffixes are added to the end of a word to change its meaning, e.g., -ly in friendly
• Root words are original words that can be modified with prefixes and suffixes, e.g., tele- in telephone
• Compounding combines two words to form a new word, e.g., bookshelf

Word Types

• Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings, e.g., to, too, two
• Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, e.g., bank - financial institution, bank - riverbank
• Synonyms are words with similar meanings, e.g., happy, joyful, pleased
• Antonyms are words with opposite meanings, e.g., hot, cold

Vocabulary Development

• Etymology is the study of the origin and history of words
• Semantic fields are groups of words related to a particular concept or theme, e.g., words related to food, travel
• Connotations are emotional associations of words, e.g., home - warm, cozy; prison - cold, harsh

Vocabulary in Context

• Collocations are words that frequently appear together, e.g., strong coffee, heavy rain
• Idioms are fixed expressions with a specific meaning, e.g., "break a leg" - good luck
• Phrasal verbs are verbs composed of a verb and a preposition, e.g., get on, turn off

Vocabulary Acquisition

• Active learning involves actively engaging with new vocabulary through activities such as flashcards, quizzes, and games
• Passive learning involves indirectly acquiring vocabulary through reading, listening, and exposure
• Spaced repetition involves reviewing vocabulary at increasingly longer intervals to aid retention

Test your knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, root words, and compounding. Learn how to identify and use these word formation techniques to improve your vocabulary.