Learn About Words
The Words in the Mental Cupboard: How many words are there in English and what is an average speaker's vocabulary size?
Read Richard Lederer's article about how Words And People Are Inextricably Bound Together.
How Do I Get a Word into a Dictionary?
Words and Their Stories: VOA Learning English weekly podcasts that explain American English idioms and expressions.
TED Ed lessons on language: How do languages change and evolve? | How did English evolve? | Making sense of spelling | The true story of true | Why is there a b in doubt? | A brief history of plural s | Shakespearean dating tips | Insults from Shakespeare |
Increase Your Vocabulary
Practice class vocabulary lists onquizlet. Everyone in class should have their own quizlet account. To open an account, go to quizlet.com and sign up with a name I can recognize. Make sure you 'join' our ESL 7 Class. Use this Quizlet Test Score Sheet to keep record of your progress.
Test Your Vocab: Take this 5-minute test to estimate the size of your vocabulary. See here how you compare to other native and nonnative speakers.
Flashcards are a great tool to improve vocabulary. Use this onlineflashcard maker or learn how to make flashcards yourself.
There are several sites to practice TOEFL vocabulary: 300+ TOEFL Vocabulary Words; 200 online
TOEFL Flashcards; or 500+ TOEFL Vocabulary Words
Academic Word List: Learn, practice the spelling, and quiz yourself on 570 academic words divided into 10 sublists according to their frequency.
Become a faster verbivore by learning and perfecting your vocabulary learning strategies. Begin with these 10 vocabulary learning tips. Learn some more from these 38 language-learning experts from around the world.
Dictionaries
A dictionary is an ESL student's best friend. Like people, dictionaries differ in character. Pick your favorite and consult it every day:
dictionary.com | Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary | Your Dictionary | vocabulary.com | Urban Dictionary |
Subscribe to receive a new Word-of-the-Day from Learner's Dictionary in your email each day.
Dictionaries are a great source of information about the origin and peculiarities of words. Read these articles from dictionary.com:
What is the difference between i.e.
and e.g.? | What's the difference between a homograph, homonym, and homophone? | What character was removed from the alphabet? |
What's the difference between
torturous and tortuous? | What is the origin of pizza? | What is Mrs. short for? | well vs. good | Why is English spelling so random?
Watch also these slideshows:
8 tantalizing words for eating | 8 food idioms right under your nose | 8 classic summer food names | 7 essential words of fall | 11 wily whiskers | 12 strange names of baby animals | 9 dog idioms | 10 popular bugs | 5 uncommon colors | 5 beautiful color words | 15 shades of green | diction of the dollar | 10 merry words for happiness | 8 words to say yes | 7 words to say thank you | 8 common sign-offs | 10 Shakespearean terms of endearment| 13 everyday Latin phrases | 11 punctuation marks | 6 words that can ruin your sentence | 10 commonly mispronounced words | the punctuation puzzle |
In the Loop: A Reference Guide to American English Idioms
The Words in the Mental Cupboard: How many words are there in English and what is an average speaker's vocabulary size?
Read Richard Lederer's article about how Words And People Are Inextricably Bound Together.
How Do I Get a Word into a Dictionary?
Words and Their Stories: VOA Learning English weekly podcasts that explain American English idioms and expressions.
TED Ed lessons on language: How do languages change and evolve? | How did English evolve? | Making sense of spelling | The true story of true | Why is there a b in doubt? | A brief history of plural s | Shakespearean dating tips | Insults from Shakespeare |
Increase Your Vocabulary
Practice class vocabulary lists onquizlet. Everyone in class should have their own quizlet account. To open an account, go to quizlet.com and sign up with a name I can recognize. Make sure you 'join' our ESL 7 Class. Use this Quizlet Test Score Sheet to keep record of your progress.
Test Your Vocab: Take this 5-minute test to estimate the size of your vocabulary. See here how you compare to other native and nonnative speakers.
Flashcards are a great tool to improve vocabulary. Use this onlineflashcard maker or learn how to make flashcards yourself.
There are several sites to practice TOEFL vocabulary: 300+ TOEFL Vocabulary Words; 200 online
TOEFL Flashcards; or 500+ TOEFL Vocabulary Words
Academic Word List: Learn, practice the spelling, and quiz yourself on 570 academic words divided into 10 sublists according to their frequency.
Become a faster verbivore by learning and perfecting your vocabulary learning strategies. Begin with these 10 vocabulary learning tips. Learn some more from these 38 language-learning experts from around the world.
Dictionaries
A dictionary is an ESL student's best friend. Like people, dictionaries differ in character. Pick your favorite and consult it every day:
dictionary.com | Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary | Your Dictionary | vocabulary.com | Urban Dictionary |
Subscribe to receive a new Word-of-the-Day from Learner's Dictionary in your email each day.
Dictionaries are a great source of information about the origin and peculiarities of words. Read these articles from dictionary.com:
What is the difference between i.e.
and e.g.? | What's the difference between a homograph, homonym, and homophone? | What character was removed from the alphabet? |
What's the difference between
torturous and tortuous? | What is the origin of pizza? | What is Mrs. short for? | well vs. good | Why is English spelling so random?
Watch also these slideshows:
8 tantalizing words for eating | 8 food idioms right under your nose | 8 classic summer food names | 7 essential words of fall | 11 wily whiskers | 12 strange names of baby animals | 9 dog idioms | 10 popular bugs | 5 uncommon colors | 5 beautiful color words | 15 shades of green | diction of the dollar | 10 merry words for happiness | 8 words to say yes | 7 words to say thank you | 8 common sign-offs | 10 Shakespearean terms of endearment| 13 everyday Latin phrases | 11 punctuation marks | 6 words that can ruin your sentence | 10 commonly mispronounced words | the punctuation puzzle |
In the Loop: A Reference Guide to American English Idioms