Vocabulary: Word Formation and Word Types

Vocabulary

Word Formation:

• Compounding: combining two or more words to create a new word (e.g., bookshelf)
• Blending: combining parts of two words to create a new word (e.g., smog from smoke and fog)
• Derivation: adding prefixes or suffixes to a root word to create a new word (e.g., unhappy from happy)

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 as a financial institution or the side of a river)
• Synonyms: words with similar meanings (e.g., big, large, huge)
• Antonyms: words with opposite meanings (e.g., hot and cold)

Word Choice:

• Connotation: the emotional association of a word (e.g., home vs. house)
• Denotation: the literal meaning of a word (e.g., the definition of "home" as a place of residence)
• Idioms: phrases or expressions with a figurative meaning (e.g., "break a leg" meaning "good luck")

Vocabulary Building:

• Roots and prefixes: learning common roots and prefixes to decipher unfamiliar words
• Context clues: using surrounding words to infer the meaning of an unknown word
• Word families: learning words with common prefixes, roots, or suffixes to expand vocabulary

Word Formation

• Compounding combines two or more words to create a new word, such as bookshelf
• Blending combines parts of two words to create a new word, such as smog from smoke and fog
• Derivation adds prefixes or suffixes to a root word to create a new word, such as unhappy from happy

Word Types

• Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings, such as to/too/two
• Homographs are words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, such as bank as a financial institution or the side of a river
• Synonyms are words with similar meanings, such as big, large, and huge
• Antonyms are words with opposite meanings, such as hot and cold

Word Choice

• Connotation is the emotional association of a word, such as the warm feelings associated with the word "home"
• Denotation is the literal meaning of a word, such as the definition of "home" as a place of residence
• Idioms are phrases or expressions with a figurative meaning, such as "break a leg" meaning "good luck"

Vocabulary Building Strategies

• Learning common roots and prefixes can help decipher unfamiliar words
• Using context clues, such as surrounding words, can help infer the meaning of an unknown word
• Learning word families, such as words with common prefixes, roots, or suffixes, can expand vocabulary