Vocabulary
/voʊˈkæbjəˌlɛri/
nounB1
Definition
Vocabulary means all the words that someone knows or uses in speaking, reading, or writing. It can also mean the list of words in a language or a book. Having a good vocabulary helps you understand others and express your ideas clearly.
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See It in Action
The set of words known or used by a person or group
- •Her English vocabulary is very large because she reads a lot.
- •Children learn new vocabulary every day at school.
- •To improve your vocabulary, try to learn five new words each week.
A list or collection of words in a language or a book
- •The textbook has a vocabulary section at the end of each chapter.
- •The teacher gave us a vocabulary list to study for the test.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "vocabulary" like "words" (A1 word), but it means ALL the words you know, not just one or two
- ✓Picture a big box or a bag full of different words, each word like a colorful ball you can pick anytime
- ✓It feels like having many tools in your language toolbox to build sentences and ideas easily
- ✓Sounds like "vo-CAB-you-lary" → imagine a taxi (cab) full of words driving around to help you speak
- ✓Remember learning new words in school or from books, adding them to your personal word collection
- ✓NOT like "dictionary" (a book with words), vocabulary is the words INSIDE your mind or what you use
- ✓NOT like "sentence" (a group of words), vocabulary is the single words you know before making sentences
Try Other Words
- •Lexicon: the complete set of words in a language or person’s knowledge (Use in formal or linguistic contexts)
- •Word list: a simple list of words (Use when talking about a small, specific group of words to learn)
- •Terminology: special words used in a particular field (Use when talking about technical or subject-specific vocabulary)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "voca-" (from Latin "vox," meaning voice or word) + "-bulary" (a suffix forming nouns related to collections)
- •Etymology: From Latin "vocabularium," meaning a list or collection of words
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 17th century to mean a collection of words for a language or person
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in language learning to describe the words someone knows or needs to learn
Reflect & Connect
•How does your vocabulary change when you learn a new language or subject?
•What are some ways you can remember new vocabulary words better?
Fill in the blanks
1.To speak well, you need to ___ your vocabulary by learning new words.
2.A person's vocabulary usually grows when they ___ more books or talk to more people.
3.Vocabulary is different from grammar because vocabulary means the ___ you know, not the rules you follow.
4.When preparing for a test, it's helpful to study the ___ list your teacher gives you.
5.Some people have a large vocabulary because they ___ many different topics and ideas.
6.You can use flashcards or apps to practice and ___ your vocabulary every day.
7.If your vocabulary is small, it might be hard to ___ your thoughts clearly.