vocabulary used in speech or writing

How to Build Vocabulary You Can Actually Use in Speech and Writing?

• Published on Aug 25, 2019

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This post comes from my experience of adding more than 8,000 words and phrases to my vocabulary in a way that I can actually use them on the fly in my speech and writing. Some words, especially those that I haven’t used for long time, may elude me, but overall the recall & use works quite well.

That’s why you build vocabulary, right? To use in speech and writing. There are no prizes for building list of words you can’t use. (The ultimate goal of vocabulary-building is to use words in verbal communication where you’ve to come up with an appropriate word in split second. It’s not to say that it’s easy to come up with words while writing, but in writing you can at least afford to think.)

This post also adopts couple of best practices such as

• Spaced repetition,
• Deliberate Practice,
• Begin with end in mind, and
• Build on what you already know

In this post, you’ll learn how you too can build such vocabulary, the one you can actually use. However, be warned. It’s not easy. It requires consistent work. But the rewards are more than worth the squeeze.

Since building such vocabulary is one of the most challenging aspects of English Language, you’ll stand out in crowd when you use precise words and, the best part, you can use this sub-skill till you’re in this world, long after you retire professionally. (Doesn’t this sound so much better when weighed against today’s reality where most professional skills get outdated in just few years?)

You may have grossly overestimated the size of your vocabulary

Once your understand the difference between active and passive vocabulary, you’ll realize that size of your vocabulary isn’t what you think it to be.

Active vs. Passive vocabulary

Words that you can use in speech and writing constitute your active vocabulary (also called functional vocabulary). You, of course, understand these words while reading and listening as well. Think of words such as eat , sell , drink , see , and cook .

But how about words such as munch , outsmart , salvage , savagery , and skinny ? Do you use these words regularly while speaking and writing? Unlikely. Do you understand meaning of these words while reading and listening? Highly likely. Such words constitute your passive vocabulary (also called recognition vocabulary). You can understand these words while reading and listening, but you can’t use them while speaking and writing.

Your active vocabulary is a tiny subset of your passive vocabulary:

(While the proportion of the two inner circles – active and passive vocabulary – bears some resemblance to reality, the outer rectangle is not proportionate because of paucity of space. In reality, the outer rectangle is much bigger, representing hundreds of thousands of words.)

Note : Feel free to use the above and other images in the post, using the link of this post for reference/attribution.

Many mistakenly believe that they’ve strong vocabulary because they can understand most words when reading and listening. But the real magic, the real use of vocabulary is when you use words in speech and writing. If you evaluate your vocabulary against this yardstick – active vs. passive – your confidence in your vocabulary will be shaken.

Why build vocabulary – a small exercise?

You would be all too aware of cases where people frequently pause while speaking because they can’t think of words for what they want to say. We can easily spot such extreme cases.

What we fail to spot, however, are less extreme, far more common cases where people don’t pause, but they use imprecise words and long-winding explanations to drive their message.

The bridge was destroyed (or broken) by the flooded river.

The bridge was washed away by the flooded river.

Although both convey the message, the second sentence stands out because of use of precise phrase.

What word(s) best describe what’s happening in the picture below?

Image source

Not the best response.

A better word is ‘emptied’. Even ‘dumped’ is great.

A crisp description of the above action would be: “The dumper emptied (or dumped) the stones on the roadside.”

What about this?

‘Took out grapes’.

‘Plucked grapes’ is far better.

If you notice, these words – wash away , empty , dump , and pluck – are simple. We can easily understand them while reading and listening, but rarely use them (with the possible exception of empty ) in speech or writing. Remember, active vs. passive vocabulary?

If you use such precise words in your communication you’ll stand out in crowd.

Little wonder, studies point to a correlation between strength of vocabulary and professional success. Earl Nightingale, a renowned self-help expert and author, in his 20-year study of college graduates found :

Without a single exception, those who had scored highest on the vocabulary test given in college, were in the top income group, while those who had scored the lowest were in the bottom income group.

He also refers to a study by Johnson O’Connor, an American educator and researcher, who gave vocabulary tests to executive and supervisory personnel in 39 large manufacturing companies. According to this study:

Presidents and vice presidents averaged 236 out of a possible 272 points; managers averaged 168; superintendents, 140; foremen, 114; floor bosses, 86. In virtually every case, vocabulary correlated with executive level and income.

Though there are plenty of studies linking professional success with fluency in English overall, I haven’t come across any study linking professional success with any individual component – grammar and pronunciation, for example – of English language other than vocabulary.

You can make professional success a motivation to improve your active vocabulary.

Let’s dive into the tactics now.

How to build vocabulary you can use in speech and writing?

(In the spirit of the topic of this section, I’ve highlighted words that I’ve shifted from my passive to active vocabulary in red font . I’ve done this for only this section, lest the red font become too distracting.)

Almost all of us build vocabulary through the following two-step process:

Step 1 : We come across new words while reading and listening. Meanings of many of these words get registered in our brains – sometimes vaguely, sometimes precisely – through the context in which we see these words. John Rupert Firth, a leading figure in British linguistics during the 1950s, rightly said , “You shall know a word by the company it keeps.”

Many of these words then figure repeatedly in our reading and listening and gradually, as if by osmosis , they start taking roots in our passive vocabulary.

Step 2 : We start using some of these words in our speech and writing. (They are, as discussed earlier, just a small fraction of our passive vocabulary.) By and large, we stay in our comfort zones, making do with this limited set of words.

Little wonder, we add to our vocabulary in trickle . In his book Word Power Made Easy , Norman Lewis laments the tortoise-like rate of vocabulary-building among adults:

Educational testing indicates that children of ten who have grown up in families in which English is the native language have recognition [passive] vocabularies of over twenty thousand words. And that these same ten-year-olds have been learning new words at a rate of many hundreds a year since the age of four . In astonishing contrast, studies show that adults who are no longer attending school increase their vocabularies at a pace slower than twenty-five to fifty words annually .

Adults improve passive vocabulary at an astonishingly meagre rate of 25-50 words a year. The chain to acquire active vocabulary is getting broken at the first step itself – failure to read or listen enough (see Step 1 we just covered). Most are not even reaching the second step, which is far tougher than the first. Following statistic from National Spoken English Skills Report by Aspiring Minds (sample of more than 30,000 students from 500+ colleges in India) bears this point:

Only 33 percent know such simple words! They’re not getting enough inputs.

Such vocabulary-acquisition can be schematically represented as:

The problem here is at both the steps of vocabulary acquisition:

• Not enough inputs (represented by funnel filled only little) and
• Not enough exploration and use of words to convert inputs into active vocabulary (represented by few drops coming out of the funnel)

Here is what you can do to dramatically improve your active vocabulary:

1. Get more inputs (reading and listening)

That’s a no-brainer. The more you read,

• the more new words you come across and
• the more earlier-seen words get reinforced

If you’ve to prioritize between reading and listening purely from the perspective of building vocabulary, go for more reading, because it’s easier to read and mark words on paper or screen. Note that listening will be a more helpful input when you’re working on your speaking skills .

So develop the habit to read something 30-60 minutes every day. It has benefits far beyond just vocabulary-building .

If you increase your inputs, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs but no other steps result in larger active vocabulary.

2. Gather words from your passive vocabulary for deeper exploration

The reading and listening you do, over months and years, increase the size of your passive vocabulary. There are plenty of words, almost inexhaustible, sitting underutilized in your passive vocabulary. Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could move many of them to your active vocabulary? That would be easier too because you don’t have to learn them from scratch. You already understand their meaning and usage, at least to some extent. That’s like plucking – to use the word we’ve already overused – low hanging fruits.

While reading and listening, note down words that you’re already familiar with, but you don’t use them (that is they’re part of your passive vocabulary). We covered few examples of such words earlier in the post – pluck , dump , salvage , munch , etc. If you’re like most, your passive vocabulary is already large, waiting for you to shift some of it to your active vocabulary. You can also note down completely unfamiliar words, but only in exceptional cases.

To put what I said in the previous paragraph in more concrete terms, you may ask following two questions to decide which words to note down for further exploration:

• Do you understand the meaning of the word from the context of your reading or listening?
• Do you use this word while speaking and writing?

If the answer is ‘yes’ to the first question and ‘no’ to the second, you can note down the word.

3. Explore the words in an online dictionary

Time to go a step further than seeing words in context while reading.

You need to explore each word (you’ve noted) further in a dictionary. Know its precise meaning(s). Listen to pronunciation and speak it out loud, first individually and then as part of sentences. (If you’re interested in the topic of pronunciation, refer to the post on pronunciation .) And, equally important, see few sentences where the word has been used.

Preferably, note down the meaning(s) and few example sentences so that you can practice spaced repetition and retain them for long. Those who do not know what spaced repetition is, it is the best way to retain things in your long-term memory . There are number of options these days to note words and other details about them – note-taking apps and good-old word document. I’ve been copying-pasting on word document and taking printouts. For details on how I practiced spaced repetition, refer to my experience of adding more than 8,000 words to my vocabulary.

But why go through the drudgery of noting down – and going through, probably multiple times – example sentences? Why not just construct sentences straight after knowing the meaning of the word?

Blachowicz, Fisher, Ogle, and Watts-Taffe, in their paper , point out the yawning gap between knowing the meaning of words and using them in sentences:

Research suggests that students are able to select correct definitions for unknown words from a dictionary, but they have difficulty then using these words in production tasks such as writing sentences using the new words.

If only it was easy. It’s even more difficult in verbal communication where, unlike in writing, you don’t have the luxury of pausing and recalling appropriate words.

That’s why you need to focus on example sentences.

Majority of those who refer dictionary, however, restrict themselves to meaning of the word. Few bother to check example sentences. But they’re at least as much important as meaning of the word, because they teach you how to use words in sentences, and sentences are the building blocks of speech and writing.

If you regularly explore words in a dictionary, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs combined with exploration of words result in even larger active vocabulary.

After you absorb the meaning and example sentences of a word, it enters a virtuous cycle of consolidation. The next time you read or listen the word, you’ll take note of it and its use more actively , which will further reinforce it in your memory. In contrast, if you didn’t interact with the word in-depth, it’ll pass unnoticed, like thousands do every day. That’s cascading effect.

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4. Use them

To quote Maxwell Nurnberg and Morris Rosenblum from their book All About Words :

In vocabulary building, the problem is not so much finding new words or even finding out what they mean. The problem is to remember them, to fix them permanently in your mind. For you can see that if you are merely introduced to words, you will forget them as quickly as you forget the names of people you are casually introduced to at a crowded party – unless you meet them again or unless you spend some time with them.

This is the crux. Use it or lose it.

Without using, the words will slowly slip away from your memory.

Without using the words few times, you won’t feel confident using them in situations that matter.

If you use the words you explored in dictionary, your vocabulary-acquisition funnel will look something like:

More inputs combined with exploration of words and use of them result in the largest active vocabulary.

Here is a comparison of the four ways in which people acquire active vocabulary:

The big question though is how to use the words you’re exploring. Here are few exercises to accomplish this most important step in vocabulary-building process.

Vocabulary exercises: how to use words you’re learning

You can practice these vocabulary activities for 10-odd minutes every day, preferably during the time you waste such as commuting or waiting, to shift more and more words you’ve noted down to your active vocabulary. I’ve used these activities extensively, with strong results to boot.

1. Form sentences and speak them out during your reviews

When you review the list of words you’ve compiled, take a word as cue without looking at its meaning and examples, recall its meaning, and, most importantly, speak out 4-5 sentences using the word. It’s nothing but a flashcard in work. If you follow spaced repetition diligently, you’ll go through this process at least few times. I recommend reading my experience of building vocabulary (linked earlier) to know how I did this part.

Why speaking out, though? (If the surroundings don’t permit, it can be whisper as well.)

Speaking out the word as part of few sentences will serve the additional purpose of making your vocal cords accustomed to new words and phrases.

2. Create thematic webs

When reviewing, take a word and think of other words related to that word. Web of words on a particular theme, in short, and hence the name ‘thematic web’. These are five of many, many thematic webs I’ve actually come up in my reviews:

(Note: Name of the theme is in bold. Second, where there are multiple words, I’ve underlined the main word.)

If I come across the word ‘gourmet’ in my review, I’ll also quickly recall all the words related with food: tea strainer, kitchen cabinet, sink, dish cloth, wipe dishes, rinse utensils, immerse beans in water, simmer, steam, gourmet food, sprinkle salt, spread butter, smear butter, sauté, toss vegetables, and garnish the sweet dish

Similarly, for other themes:

Prognosis, recuperate, frail, pass away, resting place, supplemental air, excruciating pain, and salubrious

C. Showing off

Showy, gaudy, extravaganza, over the top, ostentatious, and grandstanding

D. Crowd behavior

Restive, expectant, hysteria, swoon, resounding welcome, rapturous, jeer, and cheer

E. Rainfall

Deluge, cats and dogs, downpour, cloudburst, heavens opened, started pouring , submerged, embankment, inundate, waterlogged, soaked to the skin, take shelter, run for a cover, torrent, and thunderbolt

(If you notice, words in a particular theme are much wider in sweep than just synonyms.)

It takes me under a minute to complete dozen-odd words in a theme. However, in the beginning, when you’re still adding to your active vocabulary in tons, you’ll struggle to go beyond 2-3 simple words when thinking out such thematic lists. That’s absolutely fine.

Why thematic web, though?

Because that’s how we recall words when speaking or writing. (If you flip through Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis, a popular book on improving vocabulary, you’ll realize that each of its chapters represents a particular idea, something similar to a theme.) Besides, building a web also quickly jogs you through many more words.

3. Describe what you see around

In a commute or other time-waster, look around and speak softly an apt word in a split second for whatever you see. Few examples:

• If you see grass on the roadside, you can say verdant or luxurious .
• If you see a vehicle stopping by the roadside, you can say pull over .
• If you see a vehicle speeding away from other vehicles, you can say pull away .
• If you see a person carrying a load on the road side, you can say lug and pavement .

Key is to come up with these words in a flash. Go for speed, not accuracy. (After all, you’ll have similar reaction time when speaking.) If you can’t think of an appropriate word for what you see instantaneously – and there will be plenty in the beginning – skip it.

This vocabulary exercise also serves an unintended, though important, objective of curbing the tendency to first think in the native language and then translating into English as you speak. This happens because the spontaneity in coming up with words forces you to think directly in English.

Last, this exercise also helps you assess your current level of vocabulary (for spoken English). If you struggle to come up with words for too many things/ situations, you’ve job on your hands.

4. Describe what one person or object is doing

Another vocabulary exercise you can practice during time-wasters is to focus on a single person and describe her/ his actions, as they unfold, for few minutes. An example:

He is skimming Facebook on his phone. OK, he is done with it. Now, he is taking out his earphones. He has plugged them into his phone, and now he is watching some video. He is watching and watching. There is something funny there in that video, which makes him giggle . Simultaneously, he is adjusting the bag slung across his shoulder.

The underlined words are few of the new additions to my active vocabulary I used on the fly when focusing on this person.

Feel free to improvise and modify this process to suit your unique conditions, keeping in mind the fundamentals such as spaced repetition, utilizing the time you waste, and putting what you’re learning to use.

To end this section, I must point out that you need to build habit to perform these exercises for few minutes at certain time(s) of the day. They’re effective when done regularly.

Why I learnt English vocabulary this way?

For few reasons:

1. I worked backwards from the end result to prepare for real-world situations

David H. Freedman learnt Italian using Duolingo , a popular language-learning app, for more than 70 hours in the buildup to his trip to Italy. A week before they were to leave for Rome, his wife put him to test. She asked how would he ask for his way from Rome airport to the downtown. And how would he order in a restaurant?

David failed miserably.

He had become a master of multiple-choice questions in Italian, which had little bearing on the real situations he would face.

We make this mistake all the time. We don’t start from the end goal and work backwards to design our lessons and exercises accordingly. David’s goal wasn’t to pass a vocabulary test. It was to strike conversation socially.

Coming back to the topic of vocabulary, learning meanings and examples of words in significant volume is a challenge. But a much bigger challenge is to recall an apt word in split second while speaking. (That’s the holy grail of any vocabulary-building exercise, and that’s the end goal we want to achieve.)

The exercises I described earlier in the post follow the same path – backwards from the end.

2. I used proven scientific methods to increase effectiveness

Looking at just a word and recalling its meaning and coming up with rapid-fire examples where that word can be used introduced elements of deliberate practice, the fastest way to build neural connection and hence any skill. (See the exercises we covered.) For the uninitiated, deliberate practice is the way top performers in any field practice .

Another proven method I used was spaced repetition.

3. I built on what I already knew to progress faster

Covering mainly passive vocabulary has made sure that I’m building on what I already know, which makes for faster progress.

Don’t ignore these when building vocabulary

Keep in mind following while building vocabulary:

1. Use of fancy words in communication make you look dumb, not smart

Don’t pick fancy words to add to your vocabulary. Use of such words doesn’t make you look smart. It makes your communication incomprehensible and it shows lack of empathy for the listeners. So avoid learning words such as soliloquy and twerking . The more the word is used in common parlance, the better it is.

An example of how fancy words can make a piece of writing bad is this review of movie , which is littered with plenty of fancy words such as caper , overlong , tomfoolery , hectoring , and cockney . For the same reason, Shashi Tharoor’s Word of the Week is not a good idea . Don’t add such words to your vocabulary.

2. Verbs are more important than nouns and adjectives

Verbs describe action, tell us what to do. They’re clearer. Let me explain this through an example.

In his book Start with Why , Simon Sinek articulates why verbs are more effective than nouns:

For values or guiding principles to be truly effective they have to be verbs. It’s not ‘integrity’, it’s ‘always do the right thing’. It’s not ‘innovation’, it’s ‘look at the problem from a different angle’. Articulating our values as verbs gives us a clear idea… we have a clear idea of how to act in any situation.

‘Always do the right thing’ is better than ‘integrity’ and ‘look at the problem from a different angle’ is better than ‘innovation’ because the former, a verb, in each case is clearer.

The same (importance of verb) is emphasized by L. Dee Fink in his book Creating Significant Learning Experiences in the context of defining learning goals for college students.

Moreover, most people’s vocabulary is particularly poor in verbs. Remember, the verbs from the three examples at the beginning of the post – wash away , dump , and pluck ? How many use them? And they’re simple.

3. Don’t ignore simple verbs

You wouldn’t bother to note down words such as slip , give , and move because you think you know them inside out, after all you’ve been using them regularly for ages.

I also thought so… until I explored few of them.

I found that majority of simple words have few common usages we rarely use. Use of simple words for such common usages will stand your communication skills out.

An example:

a. To slide suddenly or involuntarily as on a smooth surface: She slipped on the icy ground .

b. To slide out from grasp, etc.: The soap slipped from my hand .

c. To move or start gradually from a place or position: His hat slipped over his eyes .

d. To pass without having been acted upon or used: to let an opportunity slip .

e. To pass quickly (often followed by away or by): The years slipped by .

f. To move or go quietly, cautiously, or unobtrusively: to slip out of a room .

Most use the word in the meaning (a) and (b), but if you use the word for meaning (c) to (f) – which BTW is common – you’ll impress people.

Another example:

a. Without the physical presence of people in control: an unmanned spacecraft .

b.  Hovering near the unmanned iPod resting on the side bar, stands a short, blond man.

c. Political leaders are vocal about the benefits they expect to see from unmanned aircraft.

Most use the word unmanned with a moving object such as an aircraft or a drone, but how about using it with an iPod (see (b) above).

4. Don’t ignore phrasal verbs. Get at least common idioms. Proverbs… maybe

4.1 phrasal verbs.

Phrasal verbs are verbs made from combining a main verb and an adverb or preposition or both. For example, here are few phrasal verbs of verb give :

We use phrasal verbs aplenty:

I went to the airport to see my friend off .

He could see through my carefully-crafted ruse.

I took off my coat.

The new captain took over the reins of the company on June 25.

So, don’t ignore them.

Unfortunately, you can’t predict the meaning of a phrasal verb from the main verb. For example, it’s hard to guess the meaning of take over or take off from take . You’ve to learn each phrasal verb separately.

What about idioms?

Compared to phrasal verbs, idioms are relatively less used, but it’s good to know the common ones. To continue the example of word give , here are few idioms derived from it:

Give and take

Give or take

Give ground

Give rise to

Want a list of common idioms? It’s here: List of 200 common idioms .

4.3 Proverbs

Proverbs are popular sayings that provide nuggets of wisdom. Example: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

Compared to phrasal verbs and idioms, they’re much less used in common conversation and therefore you can do without them.

For the motivated, here is a list of common proverbs: List of 200 common proverbs .

5. Steal phrases, words, and even sentences you like

If you like phrases and sentences you come across, add them to your list for future use. I do it all the time and have built a decent repository of phrases and sentences. Few examples (underlined part is the key phrase):

The bondholders faced the prospect of losing their trousers .

The economy behaved more like a rollercoaster than a balloon . [Whereas rollercoaster refers to an up and down movement, balloon refers to a continuous expansion. Doesn’t such a short phrase express such a profound meaning?]

Throw enough spaghetti against the wall and some of it sticks .

You need blue collar work ethic to succeed in this industry.

He runs fast. Not quite .

Time to give up scalpel . Bring in hammer .

Note that you would usually not find such phrases in a dictionary, because dictionaries are limited to words, phrasal verbs, idioms, and maybe proverbs.

6. Commonly-used nouns

One of my goals while building vocabulary has been to learn what to call commonly-used objects (or nouns) that most struggle to put a word to.

To give an example, what would you call the following?

Answer: Tea strainer.

You would sound far more impressive when you say, “My tea strainer has turned blackish because of months of filtering tea.”

Than when you say, “The implement that filters tea has turned blackish because of months of filtering tea.”

What do you say?

More examples:

Saucer (We use it every day, but call it ‘plate’.)

Straight/ wavy/ curly hair

Corner shop

I’ll end with a brief reference to the UIDAI project that is providing unique biometric ID to every Indian. This project, launched in 2009, has so far issued a unique ID (popularly called Aadhaar card) to more than 1.1 billion people. The project faced many teething problems and has been a one big grind for the implementers. But once this massive data of billion + people was collected, so many obstinate, long-standing problems are being eased using this data, which otherwise would’ve been difficult to pull off. It has enabled faster delivery of scores of government and private services, checked duplication on many fronts, and brought in more transparency in financial and other transactions, denting parallel economy. There are many more. And many more are being conceived on top of this data.

At some level, vocabulary is somewhat similar. It’ll take effort, but once you’ve sizable active vocabulary, it’ll strengthen arguably the most challenging and the most impressive part of your communication. And because it takes some doing, it’s not easy for others to catch up.

Anil is the person behind this website. He writes on most aspects of English Language Skills. More about him here:

Such a comprehensive guide. Awesome…

I am using the note app and inbuilt dictionary of iPhone. I have accumulated over 1400 words in 1 year. Will definitely implement ideas from this blog.

Krishna, thanks. If you’re building vocabulary for using, then make sure you work it accordingly.

Building solid vocabulary is my new year’s resolution and you’ve perfectly captured the issues I’ve been facing, with emphasis on passive vocabulary building. So many vocab apps are multiple choice and thereby useless for this reason. Thanks so much for the exercises! I plan to put them to use!

It was everything that I need to boost my active vocabulary. Thank you so much for sharing all these precious pieces of information.

Anil sir, I am quiet satisfied the way you laid out everything possible that one needs to know from A-Z. Also, thanks for assuring me from your experience that applying this will work.

This post definitely blew me away…. I am impressed! Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information. It was exactly what I needed!

Amazing post! While reading this post, I am thinking about the person who developed this. I wanna give a big hug and thank you so much.

Comments are closed.

• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument. Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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Vocabulary – Meaning, Types, Uses, Learning Strategies and Quizzes

Vocabulary is not just a list of words in a language. It’s a bridge that connects ideas, thoughts and communication. This guide will explore the meaning of vocabulary and its significance in English language learning.

What Is the Definition of Vocabulary?

Vocabulary is a set of familiar words within a person’s language. According to Merriam-Webster , it’s “a list or collection of words or of words and phrases usually alphabetically arranged and explained or defined.”

What Are the Synonyms of Vocabulary?

Can’t get enough of words? Well, here are a few with the same or similar meanings as vocabulary .

• Terminology

And, for the grammarians in the room, vocabularies is the plural form of vocabulary .

What Is the History/Origin of Vocabulary?

Vocabulary came from the Latin word “vocabulum,” which means word, name or noun. The term found its way into English usage via the (Medieval) Latin phrase “vocabularium,” which literally translates to “a list of words.” The term’s first known use in English traces back to the 1500s.

What Are the Four Types of Vocabulary?

The four types of vocabulary are as follows:

• Listening vocabulary: We need to know these words to understand what we hear. If a friend told you, “The dishes served at this new restaurant are delectable,” you’d need to know the meaning of the word delectable to understand the meaning behind the whole sentence.
• Speaking vocabulary: Words we use in speech, aka when talking.
• Reading vocabulary: The words we need to know to understand what we read. This vocabulary type is much larger than speaking or listening vocabulary because writers use a more sophisticated or technical lexicon.
• Writing vocabulary: Words we use when writing.

How Is Vocabulary Used in Sentences?

Understanding vocabulary is so important to effective communication.

• His vocabulary is extensive, covering various topics from politics to sports.
• She’s trying to improve her vocabulary for the SAT.
• The vocabulary used in academic journals can be challenging for a layman.
• He’s always looking for interesting words to add to his vocabulary.

Related Words and Phrases

Just like a rich tapestry, vocabulary is woven with various threads. Here are some related terms you might come across:

• terminology
• abbreviated form
• accommodation
• holophrastic
• inappropriacy
• receptively
• superordinate
• synonymously
• syntagmatic

Words Often Used in Combination With Vocabulary

Vocabulary isn’t a loner; it often mingles with other words to create more nuanced phrases or specific contexts. Let’s look at some collocations with vocabulary and how they’re used.

• Basic vocabulary includes the most common words that everyone should know in a language, like “run,” “eat,” “happy” and “sad.”
• Common vocabulary consists of words that are often used and widely understood, like “information,” “program,” “idea” and “problem.”
• Controlled vocabulary is what you’d call a collection of predefined terms used in indexing and retrieving information like “Subject Headings” in library catalogs.
• Core vocabulary includes essential words around which language skills are built, like “be,” “have,” “do,” “say,” “get” and “make.”
• Expressive vocabulary includes words used to express thoughts, ideas, or emotions, such as “gloomy,” “elated,” “devastated” and “ecstatic.”
• Limited vocabulary is a small collection of words known and used by a person, like a toddler’s first words, such as “mama,” “dada,” “no” or “yes.”
• New vocabulary involves recently learned or coined words like “Blockchain,” “cryptocurrency” and “COVID-19.”
• Overall vocabulary is all the words known or used by a person or within a particular language, like a person’s total word knowledge in English, Spanish, etc.
• Productive vocabulary means words actively used in daily communication.
• Receptive vocabulary includes terms understood when reading or listening.
• Specialized vocabulary includes words like “plasma,” “biodiversity” and “quantum physics” in scientific contexts.
• Technical vocabulary consists of terms like “appellate,” “injunction” and “tort” in legal parlance.
• Vocabulary acquisition is all about learning the meaning of words like “catharsis” after reading a tragedy.
• Vocabulary comprehension involves understanding hard terms like “photosynthesis” in a biological context.
• Vocabulary development is all about expanding your word knowledge, like going from “happy” to “joyful,” “elated” and “content.”
• Vocabulary instruction is teaching words and what they mean.
• Vocabulary learning involves understanding the words that are being taught to you.
• Vocabulary score is simply the number of correct answers on a vocabulary quiz.
• Vocabulary tests are quizzes designed to assess your word knowledge and usage.

What Is the Role of Vocabulary in the English Language and Communication?

Vocabulary is the backbone of communication in any language, and English is no exception. It helps us express our thoughts and ideas and understand what we read and hear. It also allows us to connect with others and participate in social, academic, and even professional activities.

How Many Words Are in the English Vocabulary?

The 2nd Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary has entries for 171,476 words in use and thousands of obsolete words. But, when considering derivatives, English could easily have over a million words!

What Is the Difference Between Formal and Informal English Vocabularies?

Formal and informal vocabularies differ in the level of formality they portray. Formal vocabulary is typically used in professional, academic, or other more serious contexts, often utilizing more complex and sometimes longer words.

Informal vocabulary, including slang, idioms, contractions and colloquialisms, is used in casual conversations.

What Is Academic Vocabulary, and How Does It Differ From Regular Vocabulary?

Academic vocabulary refers to words commonly used in educational or scholarly contexts. These are often multisyllabic, more complex words not typically used in everyday conversation. Regular vocabulary, conversely, includes words that are used in a variety of contexts, both casual and formal.

What Are the Regional Varieties of English Vocabulary?

English vocabulary differs widely from region to region, like how American English vocabulary can vary from the British English vocabulary.

There are also unique vocabularies for other English-speaking areas like Australia, Canada, or various regions of the UK. These differences could be as simple as a cookie (American English) versus a biscuit (British English) or as complex as entirely different words for the same concept.

What Is the Relationship Between Vernacular Language and Standard Vocabulary?

Vernacular language is a dialect or way of speaking specific to a particular region or group. But standard vocabulary is a set of words we accept and use across multiple regions or groups.

Vernacular can significantly influence standard vocabulary as words from dialects often enter the widely accepted lexicon.

How Do Regional and Cultural Factors Influence English Vocabulary?

Regional and cultural factors can greatly influence English vocabulary. The term mate is common in Australia and the UK to refer to someone who’s a friend. However, it is less commonly used in the US that way because it means a romantic partner there.

Similarly, cultural factors can lead to the creation of new words or the adoption of words from other languages. Consider how many Spanish words are now part of the standard English vocabulary in regions of the US with large Hispanic populations.

What Are Examples of Different Regional Varieties of English Vocabulary?

Here are a few examples of regional variations:

• In the UK, you might take a lift to your flat , but in the US, you’d take an elevator to your apartment .
• Australians might put on their thongs to go to the beach. But in the US, they put on their flip-flops .
• In the Southern US, soft drinks are usually referred to as coke. However, in the Northeast, you might call them soda; in the Midwest, you’d likely call them pop .

What Is Vernacular Language and How Does It Relate to Standard Vocabulary?

Vernacular language is the native language and dialects used by people in a specific country or area. It includes colloquial and slang expressions that might not be part of the standard vocabulary.

Despite this, vernacular language often influences the standard vocabulary, leading to the adoption and normalization of certain words and phrases. It is like how y’all is a common vernacular term in the Southern US that has made its way into wider English usage.

What Are the Levels of English Vocabulary?

English vocabulary is categorized into three main levels: high-frequency words, academic words and low-frequency words. High-frequency words are English’s most commonly used words, like the , is  and an .

Academic words are more specialized and used in educational or professional settings, like analyze or theory . Low-frequency words are not used as commonly in daily language and might include words like abode or gossamer .

How Is Vocabulary Used in IELTS and TOEFL?

Vocabulary is crucial in the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).

Examiners assess the range and accuracy of vocabulary test-takers use in writing and speaking sections. Students are expected to show a wide variety of vocabulary, including academic words, collocations, idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs.

How Do We Improve English Vocabulary?

We can improve our vocabulary by engaging with English language content regularly. Do things like reading books, newspapers, and magazines, watching English movies or TV shows (perhaps with subtitles), listening to English radio or podcasts, and speaking with native English speakers whenever possible.

Using new words in real-life contexts can also help to cement their meanings and correct usage in your mind.

What Are the Effective Strategies for Improving English Vocabulary?

• Read widely and regularly in English to encounter new words.
• Use a dictionary to look up the meaning of words you don’t understand.
• Keep a vocabulary notebook to record new words and their meanings.
• Make a habit of using new words when speaking and writing.
• Play word games or use language learning apps.

What Are the Techniques to Expand Your Vocabulary?

• Learn a new word every day.
• Use flashcards to review and remember new words.
• Understand the roots of words, prefixes, and suffixes.
• Practice using synonyms and antonyms.
• Engage in conversation with diverse groups of people.

What Are Some Effective Vocabulary Exercises?

• Word association games help us associate new words with words we already know.
• Crossword puzzles or word search games can help you recognize and remember new words.
• Reading comprehension will help you identify and look up any words you didn’t understand after reading something.

How Do Formal and Informal Contexts Influence Vocabulary Use?

The context in which you’re communicating often determines the type of vocabulary you use. You’ll likely use more formal, complex language in formal contexts such as academic papers, business meetings or official documents.

Informal contexts, such as casual conversations with friends, often utilize informal vocabulary, including slang, contractions and colloquial expressions.

How Can You Teach Vocabulary to English Language Learners?

Teaching vocabulary to English language learners requires a multi-faceted approach. First, new words should be presented in a meaningful context, such as within a sentence or a story so that learners can infer meaning.

Next, encourage repetition and review to help cement the words in the learner’s memory. Finally, learners should be allowed to use new words in speaking and writing.

What Books and Apps Can Help Improve English Vocabulary?

There are so many out there, but these are some of the best.

• Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis
• 1100 Words You Need to Know by Murray Bromberg and Melvin Gordon
• The Vocabulary Builder Workbook by Chris Lele
• Vocabulary.com

How Are Vocabulary Tests Constructed, and How Can They Help?

Vocabulary tests assess a person’s understanding of word meanings, usage and synonyms. They usually come in multiple-choice questions, matching exercises or fill-in-the-blanks.

These tests can help by measuring a person’s current vocabulary level, highlighting areas for improvement, and providing a sense of achievement as one’s vocabulary improves.

How Does Understanding Vocabulary Enhance Spoken English Skills?

Understanding vocabulary is fundamental to enhancing spoken English skills. A robust vocabulary allows for more precise and effective communication all around. It enables us to express thoughts, ideas and feelings more accurately.

Also, it boosts your confidence in speaking, enhances comprehension when listening to others, and fosters more engaging and interesting conversations.

How Can Images and Videos Enhance Vocabulary Learning?

The English vocabulary isn’t just about words and definitions. It is a complex network of concepts, associations and even real-world applications.

Images and videos can greatly improve vocabulary learning. Images give us a visual representation of words, making abstract concepts more concrete and easier to understand.

Videos give us contextual learning. They show how words are used in everyday conversations and scenarios, promoting comprehension and retention.

How Can Quizzes and Games Help in Learning Vocabulary?

Quizzes and games are great tools for learning vocabulary. Quizzes help students review and reinforce what they’ve learned while tracking their progress.

Games make learning fun and interactive, promoting engagement and making memorization less tedious. I recommend utilizing both techniques because they offer repetitive exposure to new words, which is important for learning.

What Are Some Popular Vocabulary Quizzes and Games?

• Vocabulary.com: This website offers a ton of vocabulary quizzes and learning activities.
• Freerice.com: A vocabulary game that donates rice for every correct answer. How cool!
• Memrise: This app uses spaced repetition and mnemonic techniques to help you learn and remember words.
• Quizlet: Provides user-generated vocabulary flashcards, quizzes and games.
• Crosswords and Word Search Puzzles: These age-old, classic games are always a hit for vocabulary building.

What Are Some Effective Methods for Teaching Vocabulary?

The English vocabulary can easily be taught with:

• Direct instruction: Teaching specific words, like pre-teaching vocabulary, before reading a text.
• Contextual learning: Learning new words by understanding their usage in a sentence or a text.
• Word association: Linking new words to words that students already know.
• Multimedia tools: Particularly effective today. This involves using images, videos and interactive games to make learning engaging. Great for those with attention deficits or reading disorders.

A Wrap on Vocabulary

The English vocabulary is dynamic and reflects our language’s capacity to evolve and adapt with time.

Whether informal or slang words, formal writing, or academic terminologies, every word adds a unique shade of meaning to our communication.

On the educational side of things, techniques for teaching vocabulary have evolved to engage people in a more interactive and inclusive learning environment. Incorporating strategies like contextual learning, multimedia tools, quizzes and games can make learning less intimidating and more fun.

It’s not just about amassing a ton of words; it’s about understanding their application, appreciating the nuances of their meanings, and using them effectively and confidently.

Interactive Quiz Section

Now you can test your new skills and knowledge with two vocabulary exercises.

Vocabulary Quiz #1

Multiple-Choice Exercise

Vocabulary Quiz #2

True or False Exercise

Enhance your vocabulary by exploring our wide range of educational resources.

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100+ Daily Use English Words for Fluent Communication

Clapingo Team

15 min read

 · spoken english

Enhance Your English Vocabulary For Fluent Communication 

Basic english words , commonly used phrases , mastering pronunciation through tongue twisters, advanced vocabulary for fluent communication , business vocabulary: key to professional success, essential business words and phrases, conversation starters:, importance of daily used english words for fluent communication .

Daily use of English words is essential in developing fluency and effective communication skills. By incorporating new words into your daily life conversations, you can expand your vocabulary and improve your ability to express yourself clearly.

Whether you are speaking with friends, colleagues, or clients, having a wide range of vocabulary at your disposal allows you to convey your thoughts and ideas more precisely.

Using simple and common vocabulary is particularly relevant in everyday conversations. Rather than relying on complex or technical terms, using everyday language helps ensure that your message is easily understood by others. It also makes it easier for you to comprehend what others are saying. By using simple words, you can avoid confusion and foster better communication.

The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive list of practical common words for fluent communication. This list will encompass a variety of topics, ranging from basic vocabulary to advanced terms, idioms, and phrases commonly used in different contexts. Each word will be accompanied by its meaning and contextual examples to help you understand how it can be used in real-life situations.

To further support your journey towards English fluency, Clapingo has published an article titled " Learn 10 Ways To Improve Your English Fluency Without Resorting To Grammar. "

This article offers valuable insights and practical tips on improving fluency through techniques that go beyond grammar rules alone, emphasizing strategies to speak English fluently and effectively.

Learning basic common English words is fundamental for daily use and effective communication. These words form the building blocks of your vocabulary and are frequently used in various situations. Familiarizing yourself with them will greatly enhance your ability to engage in conversations confidently.

Here are some essential basic common English words to get you started:

1. Numbers : One, two, three, four, five...

2. Colors : Red, blue, green, yellow...

3. Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...

4. Months : January, February, March...

5. Family members : Mother, father, brother...

6. Food items: Apple, banana, bread...

7. Animals: Dog, cat, bird...

By incorporating these words into your daily life conversations and practicing their pronunciation and usage regularly, you will quickly develop a strong English vocabulary.

Remember that consistent practice is key to retaining and expanding your vocabulary. To further reinforce your learning journey with additional resources, interactive exercises for basic English common words, and many more topics related to English language skills development, visit Clapingo's YouTube channel here.

Learning commonly used phrases is crucial for effective communication. While having a robust vocabulary is important, using everyday phrases in the right context can greatly enhance your ability to communicate fluently and naturally. Here are some reasons why learning commonly used phrases is significant:

1. Improved Fluency : Incorporating commonly used phrases into your conversations helps you sound more fluent and natural in English. It allows you to express yourself effortlessly without thinking too much about constructing sentences.

2. Cultural Understanding: Commonly used phrases often have cultural nuances and show familiarity with the language. By learning these phrases, you gain a deeper understanding of the culture and can connect with native English speakers more personally.

3. Politeness and Etiquette: Using appropriate greetings, expressions of gratitude, and other polite phrases shows respect for others and helps build positive relationships. It allows you to navigate social situations with ease.

4. Confidence Booster:  You feel more confident in conversations when you know commonly used phrases. This confidence lets you express yourself effectively, convey your thoughts clearly, and engage in meaningful discussions.

Now let's dive into a comprehensive list of everyday phrases that will be useful for various situations:

- Good morning/afternoon/evening

- How are you?

- Nice to meet you

- Have a great day!

Expressions of Gratitude:

- Thank you

- I appreciate it

- You're welcome

- I'm grateful for your help

Asking for Directions:

- Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to...?

- Can you please show me the way to...?

- Is there a nearby...?

Ordering Food or Drinks:

- I'd like...

- Could I have...?

- What do you recommend?

Making Apologies:

- I'm sorry

- My apologies

- I didn't mean to...

Asking for Help:

- Can you please assist me with...?

- Could you lend me a hand?

- I need some help with...

Giving Instructions:

- First, you need to...

- Then, you should...

- Finally, make sure to...

Expressing Preferences:

- I prefer...

- I would rather...

- I'm more inclined towards...

These are just a few examples of commonly used phrases. Remember to practice using them in context to improve your fluency and confidence in everyday conversations. For a more extensive list of daily use more words and phrases, you can refer to the following 

Tongue twisters are a fun and effective way to improve pronunciation, focus on enunciation, and tackle those tricky sounds that often slip through the cracks of daily conversation. From the whimsical " wonder wood word work " that challenges our Ws and Rs, to the complex " track transport treat tree, " which tests our ability to transition smoothly between similar sounds, each tongue twister in this collection is designed to refine your speech clarity and speed.

Dive into the dynamic " team teenage television tell ," perfect for practicing T sounds, or try the sibilant " size skill sky sleep " to master the subtle differences between Ss and SKs. The robust " strong sudden suffix sun " rolls off the tongue, pushing your pronunciation to new strengths, while "secure security sentence" focuses on S and C sounds, essential for clear communication.

Moving on to more challenging sounds, " film fine finish fire " and " chief child children " are great for F and Ch sounds, helping you articulate with precision. For those looking to enhance their shadowing skills, " shade shadow shape share " and " deep defeat detail " offer a rich practice ground. " Energy entertainment evening " brings in the E sounds, pushing the envelope of evening elocutions.

On the emotional spectrum, " sad safe sail sand " and " steel story street " evoke vivid scenarios requiring careful articulation. And for the automotive enthusiast, " car cardiac careless carnival " provides a fun ride through hard C and R sounds. Meanwhile, " fake family fan " and " solid something song " explore F and S sounds in familial contexts, adding a personal touch to practice sessions.

For the builders and makers, " too tools " and " cold colour column " are not just practical but also a test of fluid transition between similar sounding words. " Feet fever figure " and " brother bucket building " challenge your ability to maintain rhythm and pace, while " bottle boy branches ," " cow craft cravings ," and " cap capital captain " turn everyday objects into a verbal playground.

Finally, the adventurous " first fish flowers ," " west wet wheels ," " win wings winner ," wrap up our collection with a celebration of victory, be it in mastering the sounds of English or just getting through these tongue-twisting trials with fewer stumbles. Each twist and turn in these phrases is a step towards more fluent, confident speech. So take a deep breath, and let's twist our way to clearer communication!

Incorporating advanced vocabulary into your daily life conversations can significantly enhance your language and communication skills. Here are some benefits of using advanced vocabulary:

1. Precision and Clarity: Advanced vocabulary allows you to express yourself precisely and convey your thoughts accurately. It helps you articulate complex ideas and concepts with clarity.

2. Impressiveness: Using advanced vocabulary demonstrates your command over the language and can leave a lasting impression on others. It showcases your intelligence, sophistication, and ability to communicate effectively.

3 . Enhances Writing Skills: Learning advanced vocabulary not only improves your spoken communication but also enhances your writing skills. It enables you to write with finesse, choose the right words, and communicate your ideas more effectively.

4. Better Reading Comprehension: As you expand your vocabulary, you will find it easier to comprehend and understand a wider range of texts. Advanced vocabulary exposes you to different writing styles and helps you grasp complex ideas in various domains.

To help you enrich your vocabulary, here is a diverse range of advanced words along with their meanings and contextual examples:

Remember to incorporate these words into your daily life conversations and writing to reap the benefits of an enhanced vocabulary.

Learning idioms and phrasal verbs is crucial for achieving fluency in English. While grammar and vocabulary are important, understanding and using idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs can take your language skills to the next level.

Here's why:

- Idioms and phrasal verbs are commonly used in everyday English conversations. By learning them, you'll be able to understand native speakers better and communicate more effectively.

- Idiomatic expressions add color, depth, and nuance to your language. They can help you express yourself more naturally and sophisticatedly, making your speech sound more native-like.

- Phrasal verbs, which consist of a verb followed by a preposition or an adverb, are an integral part of spoken English. They often have different meanings than their individual components, so understanding them is essential for comprehension.

Now let's dive into some commonly used idioms and phrasal verbs along with their meanings and examples:

1. Break the ice - to initiate a conversation or friendship.

Example: "We played a game to break the ice at the team-building event."

2. Hit the nail on the head - to accurately identify or address a problem.

Example: "Sarah hit the nail on the head when she suggested that we need better time management."

3. Let the cat out of the bag - to reveal a secret.

Example: "Don't let the cat out of the bag about our surprise party!"

Phrasal Verbs:

1. Call off - to cancel something.

Example: "They called off the meeting due to bad weather."

2. Look forward to - to anticipate or be excited about something in the future.

Example: "I'm really looking forward to my vacation next month."

3. Put up with - to tolerate or endure something unpleasant.

Example: "I can't put up with his constant complaining anymore."

These are just a few examples, but there are hundreds of idioms and phrasal verbs in English. Practice using them in context to become more fluent and confident in your English communication. For a comprehensive list of idioms and phrasal verbs, check out the following video

Business English Vocabulary For Fluent Communication

In the fast-paced and competitive world of business, effective communication is crucial. One key aspect of successful communication is having a strong grasp of business vocabulary. Whether you are participating in meetings, giving presentations, or negotiating deals, using the right words and phrases can make all the difference.

In this section, we will explore the importance of business vocabulary and provide you with a list of essential words and phrases commonly used in professional settings.

Having a wide range of business vocabulary is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it enhances your credibility and professionalism. When you use appropriate terminology in your conversations and written communications, you demonstrate that you understand the industry and know how to navigate within it.

Secondly, having a strong business vocabulary allows for clear and concise communication. In professional settings, time is often limited, and being able to express yourself accurately and succinctly is highly valued. Using the right words helps avoid misunderstandings and ensures that your message is effectively conveyed.

Lastly, mastering business vocabulary enables you to build rapport with colleagues and clients. Speaking their language shows that you understand their needs, concerns, and challenges. It establishes trust and fosters stronger relationships.

To help you on your journey to becoming fluent in business English, here is a comprehensive list of essential words and phrases commonly used in various professional settings:

These are just a few examples of the many words and phrases used in business settings. You can find a more extensive list of essential business vocabulary on the Clapingo website.

By familiarizing yourself with these words and phrases, you'll be able to navigate professional environments with confidence and communicate effectively. Incorporate them into your daily conversations, emails, and presentations to enhance your professional image and improve your chances of success.

Remember, mastering business vocabulary takes time and practice. Make it a habit to learn a few new words or phrases every day. Soon enough, you'll notice a significant improvement in your communication skills, leading to better opportunities in your career.

So, don't hesitate! Start expanding your business vocabulary today and watch as your professional prospects soar.

  5 Importance Tips of Mastering the English Language ​

Socializing and Small Talk 

Socializing and small talk play a crucial role in building relationships. Engaging in casual conversations helps to establish connections, create rapport, and foster a sense of community. When you engage in small talk, you show interest in the other person's life and make them feel valued. It is also an effective way to break the ice and initiate conversations with new acquaintances or colleagues. Here are some common conversation starters, questions, and responses for social situations:

1. "Hi, I'm [Name]. What's your name?"

2. "Nice weather we're having today, isn't it?"

3. "Have you been to this event before?"

4. "What do you do for a living?"

5. "Where are you from?"

1. "How was your weekend?"

2. "Are you enjoying the event so far?"

3. "What brings you here today?"

4. "Do you have any exciting plans for the upcoming holidays?"

5. "What are your hobbies or interests?"

1. "Yes, I had a great weekend! How about you?"

2. "Yes, it's my first time here too! Are you enjoying it?"

3. "I'm here because I'm interested in [topic/event]."

4. "I'm planning to visit my family during the holidays."

5. "I enjoy reading and hiking in my free time."

Remember, small talk should be light-hearted and non-controversial to keep the conversation pleasant and enjoyable for both parties involved.

Must read:  Can listening to songs help you improve your Spoken English? ​

Recapping the importance of daily used English words for fluent communication, consistent practice, and exposure to new vocabulary are key factors in language development. By incorporating English vocabulary words into your conversations daily, you become more comfortable and confident in expressing yourself fluently. Daily practice helps you expand your vocabulary and improve your sentence formation.

To effectively develop your language skills, engaging with various resources that offer support for English learners is important. Clapingo is an exceptional online platform that provides resources tailored specifically for Indian learners. With its vast collection of articles, videos, and interactive exercises, Clapingo offers a wealth of learning opportunities to enhance your spoken English skills.

By making a conscious effort to use daily use English vocabulary words regularly, you will notice significant improvements in your communication abilities. Consistency is key in language learning, so strive to incorporate new vocabulary into your daily conversations and interactions. With time and practice, you will become more proficient in expressing yourself fluently and confidently.

Remember, building a strong foundation in the daily used English words is essential for effective communication. Setting clear goals can help achieve the desired or intended result of enhancing your vocabulary and language skills. Regular practice and exposure to new vocabulary will undoubtedly contribute to your overall language development.

​ Spoken English Words List To Learn English Under 15 Days! ​

1. Why is it important to learn daily use English words?

Using English words daily is essential for developing fluency in the language. By incorporating these words into your vocabulary, you can express yourself more clearly and effectively in everyday conversations.

2. What are some examples of simple English words for daily use?

Simple common English words for daily use include common nouns like "house," "car," and "book," as well as verbs such as "eat," "sleep," and "read." These basic words form the foundation of communication and should be mastered by all learners.

3. Can you provide some new words in English for daily use?

Certainly! Here are a few new words that you can incorporate into your everyday conversations:

a) Serendipity - The occurrence of finding something pleasant or valuable by chance.

b) Resilience - The ability to bounce back or recover quickly from difficulties.

c) Equanimity - Mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper.

d) Ubiquitous - Present or found everywhere.

e) Pernicious - Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way.

4. What are some examples of the daily use of basic English words?

Daily use basic English words, including numbers (one, two, three), colors (red, blue, green), days of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday), months (January, February, March), and common greetings (hello, goodbye).

5. Can you suggest some advanced English words for daily use?

Certainly! Here are a few advanced English words that can elevate your vocabulary:

a) Eloquent - Fluent or persuasive in speaking or writing.

b) Ubiquitous - Present or found everywhere.

c) Tenacious - Tending to keep a firm hold of something; persistent.

d) Acumen - The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions.

e) Mitigate - To make (something) less severe, serious, or painful.

Fluent communication

Daily Use English

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Crafting Engaging Sentences: Mastering the Structure of Present Continuous Tense

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How to Improve Your Vocabulary for Writing & Speaking Success

Language is a powerful tool, and the better you are at wielding it the better your results will be. If you want to engage your audience and pique their interest, you need to develop exceptional written communication skills. A big part of improving your writing skills is simply learning how to improve your vocabulary .

Below, we’ll take a comprehensive look at why improving your vocabulary matter, and we’ll review a variety of methods that you can use to quickly grow your vocabulary.

Why Learn Vocabulary?

When you’re working as a writer, words are the only tool that you have available to help you communicate a personality, an emotion, or an idea.

Therefore, the more words you know and can use, the more likely it is that you will be able to find the perfect way to string together your thoughts into a message that will get the job done.

Having a large vocabulary allows you to say the same thing in a variety of different ways.

This means that you will be able to rewrite ideas from resources that you find without plagiarizing the original source.

You’ll also be able to better customize your message to specific audiences.

Of course, having a mastery of the English language will also improve the quality of your writing as well, and help you establish a sense of professionalism and expertise.

Is one of your dreams to learn how to write a book ?

Writing a book that is free of grammar and spelling errors will increase your chances of actually getting it published. By the way, this free guide to publishing books  will show you a lot more ways to improve your odds with a publisher.

In summary, if you intend to use written material to share a message or communicate with the masses, in any way, expanding your vocabulary is an excellent way to make it easier for you and for your readers.

Expand Vocabulary No Matter What Level

You may already have an impressive vocabulary or you may be starting out with only a basic set of words that you are able to pull from when you’re writing.

The good news is that no matter where you are starting out, the process for improving your vocabulary even further remains the same.

How to Expand Your Vocabulary as a Writer

Expanding your written vocabulary is, fortunately, much easier than expanding your speaking vocabulary.

The reason for this is that writing offers two big advantages that speaking does not: time to think and a backspace key, however this time to think, something introduces people to writer’s block .

When you’re writing, you’ll have all the time you need to search your mind (or a thesaurus) for the exact word that you need.

You’ll also have the ability to delete a word or a sentence and start over if need be.

Nevertheless, the goal is to eliminate the need for these things as much as possible.

Consulting a dictionary or a thesaurus every few minutes may be fine starting out, but it’s going to make for a slow, painstaking writing process.

You’ll be much better served by having a deep vocabulary that you can draw from at-will in your writing so that the words flow quickly and effortlessly from your mind to the keyboard.

Vocabulary Strategies

If you’re ready to start improving your vocabulary, there are a variety of strategies that you can employ. It’s important to note, though, that all of these strategies take time and effort.

Mastering the English language overnight is no more possible than it is to master any other skill overnight.

With that said, these strategies are still designed to help you improve your vocabulary skills as quickly and as effectively as possible.

Without further ado, let’s dive into some of the strategies you can use to expand your vocabulary.

How can I Learn Vocabulary Words?

Some effective strategies for learning new vocabulary words that you can put to use in your writing include:

1. Read…a lot

Reading everything you can get your hands on is one of the most passive and most effective ways to boost your vocabulary.

When you read, you’ll see new words put into use by writers who are likely to have a diverse vocabulary and you can add these words to your own vocabulary as you come across them.

The best part about reading to improve your vocabulary is that it doesn’t matter what it is that you read; whether it’s a how-to guide on the internet, a romance novel, or anything in-between, the simple act of digesting written material will drastically improve your vocabulary over time.

2. Keep a Thesaurus and a Dictionary Nearby

Dictionaries and thesauruses are the two most effective vocabulary-expanding tools that you have available, and you can use each of them in a slightly different way.

Whenever you come across a word that you don’t understand, look it up in a dictionary and take the time to commit the word and its definition to memory.

Meanwhile, you can look up words that you already know in a thesaurus at any time to find other words that mean the same thing.

Commit a few of those words to memory and you’ll have the ability to say the same thing in a number of different, more eloquent ways.

3. Make Flashcards

There’s a good reason why flashcards are a favorite memorization tool for students everywhere, and that reason is that they work well.

Start by putting together a few dozen flash cards filled with words that you don’t yet have committed to your vocabulary, and frequently add new flashcards to your collection.

If you run through these flashcards just once a day you will be well on your way to expanding your vocabulary.

4. Describe Your Surroundings

Whenever you’re sitting in traffic, relaxing at home, waiting in line at the coffee shop, or otherwise not preoccupied, try a mental exercise where you describe your surroundings in your head.

Do you know the name of everything in your setting?

What words would you use to describe the people around you?

Ask yourself questions such as this and paint a mental picture of the world around you using the most descriptive language that you can.

Exercises such as this will help you put the new words you use into practice in order to better commit them to your memory.

5. Listen to Music

In the same way that reading grows your vocabulary, listening can grow your vocabulary as well.

Listening to music is one good option, especially if you are listening to artists that are creative with their verses and rhymes.

However, listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and more can also improve your vocabulary over time as well.

6. Commit to Learning One New Word Every Day

Learning just one new word a day isn’t a particularly challenging goal, yet it is one that can make a dramatic difference in your vocabulary.

Each day, choose a new word to memorize and try to use that word as often as you can throughout the day.

Daily Vocabulary Words

Learning just one new word every day is a highly effective way to incrementally expand your vocabulary over time.

To use this method, you can pick a word at random from the dictionary or you can use one of many daily vocabulary word programs that will send a new word to your inbox each day.

Dictionary.com and other online dictionaries also feature a new word each day on the homepage of their website that you can check out.

However, you choose your daily word, though, take the time to memorize the word and try to use it as much as possible in conversation or in your mind throughout the day.

If you give your daily word enough focus, you should be able to make it a permanent part of your vocabulary after just 24 hours.

Learn a New Word a Day

Learning a new word a day is such an effective strategy thanks to the fact that it requires only a minimal amount of commitment and effort yet still allows you to add a new word to your vocabulary each and every day.

If there’s only one vocabulary-building strategy that you choose to implement, it should be this one.

Vocabulary List

An effective addition to your strategy of learning a new word a day that you might want to consider is keeping a list of the words that you choose to learn along with their definitions.

If you keep a list such as this, you’ll be able to review it from time to time in order to further commit your daily vocabulary words to memory and ensure that you don’t forget them as time goes by.

Your list will also serve as a visual example of how much your vocabulary has expanded, which can be a big motivator to keep up your progress.

Vocabulary Practice

Learning new words alone isn’t enough to truly improve your vocabulary; in order to make the words you memorize a functional part of your vocabulary that you can use in your writing, you also need to put the words you memorize into practice.

In the next section, we’ll look at some activities and exercises that you can use in order to practice using the words that you learn.

Vocabulary Activities to Help You Grow

There are plenty of effective activities that you can use to put the words you learn into practice as well as learn new vocabulary words in the process.

These activities include things such as:

1. Vocabulary Games

There is a wide range of online games designed to help you improve your vocabulary.

These games can serve as a fun and entertaining way to learn new words and put the words that you already know into practice.

Many online dictionaries such as Dictionary.com offer free vocabulary games, and a quick Google search for vocabulary games will turn up even more options.

2. Vocabulary Test

Vocabulary tests allow you to test your current vocabulary and receive a score at the end of the test that lets you know what level you are on. In addition to improving your vocabulary by exposing you to new words, these tests also allow you to gauge your progress so that you will know if and by how much your vocabulary is improving.

As with vocabulary games, a wide range of vocabulary tests can be found with a quick Google search .

3. Vocabulary Quiz

Vocabulary quizzes are similar to vocabulary tests, but are typically shorter and may not provide a very detailed analysis of your vocabulary level once the quiz is complete.

Nevertheless, vocabulary quizzes are still a great way to practice your vocabulary and measure your results.

4. Vocabulary Worksheets

Vocabulary worksheets come in a wide range of formats.

Some can be completed online while others can be printed off and completed by hand, and the exact goal and instructions for the worksheet vary from worksheet to worksheet.

Whatever format you choose, though, vocabulary worksheets are a great way to practice your vocabulary skills.

What is the Best Way to Learn Vocabulary?

There is no single best way to learn vocabulary, and the most beneficial approach will come from implementing a number of different practices and strategies.

Hopefully, this guide has given you plenty of vocabulary-building methods for you to consider implementing.

If you choose a handful of these methods and commit to them each day, you can rest assured that your vocabulary will improve over time, helping you write more effective content for your business.

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About Brian Tracy — Brian is recognized as the top sales training and personal success authority in the world today. He has authored more than 60 books and has produced more than 500 audio and video learning programs on sales, management, business success and personal development, including worldwide bestseller The Psychology of Achievement. Brian's goal is to help you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever imagined. You can follow him on Twitter , Facebook , Pinterest , Linkedin and Youtube .

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How to write a good speech in 7 steps

By:  Susan Dugdale  

- an easily followed format for writing a great speech

Did you know writing a speech doesn't have be an anxious, nail biting experience?

Unsure? Don't be.

You may have lived with the idea you were never good with words for a long time. Or perhaps giving speeches at school brought you out in cold sweats.

However learning how to write a speech is relatively straight forward when you learn to write out loud.

And that's the journey I am offering to take you on: step by step.

To learn quickly, go slow

Take all the time you need. This speech format has 7 steps, each building on the next.

Walk, rather than run, your way through all of them. Don't be tempted to rush. Familiarize yourself with the ideas. Try them out.

I know there are well-advertised short cuts and promises of 'write a speech in 5 minutes'. However in reality they only truly work for somebody who already has the basic foundations of speech writing in place.

The foundation of good speech writing 

These steps are the backbone of sound speech preparation. Learn and follow them well at the outset and yes, given more experience and practice you could probably flick something together quickly. Like any skill, the more it's used, the easier it gets.

In the meantime...

Step 1: Begin with a speech overview or outline

Are you in a hurry? Without time to read a whole page? Grab ... The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist And come back to get the details later.

• WHO you are writing your speech for (your target audience)
• WHY you are preparing this speech. What's the main purpose of your speech? Is it to inform or tell your audience about something? To teach them a new skill or demonstrate something? To persuade or to entertain? (See 4 types of speeches: informative, demonstrative, persuasive and special occasion or entertaining for more.) What do you want them to think, feel or do as a result of listening the speech?
• WHAT your speech is going to be about (its topic) - You'll want to have thought through your main points and have ranked them in order of importance. And have sorted the supporting research you need to make those points effectively.
• HOW much time you have for your speech eg. 3 minutes, 5 minutes... The amount of time you've been allocated dictates how much content you need. If you're unsure check this page: how many words per minute in a speech: a quick reference guide . You'll find estimates of the number of words required for 1 - 10 minute speeches by slow, medium and fast talkers.

Use an outline

The best way to make sure you deliver a perfect speech is to start by carefully completing a speech outline covering the essentials: WHO, WHY, WHAT and HOW.

Beginning to write without thinking your speech through is a bit like heading off on a journey not knowing why you're traveling or where you're going to end up. You can find yourself lost in a deep, dark, murky muddle of ideas very quickly!

Pulling together a speech overview or outline is a much safer option. It's the map you'll follow to get where you want to go.

Get a blank speech outline template to complete

Click the link to find out a whole lot more about preparing a speech outline . ☺ You'll also find a free printable blank speech outline template.  I recommend using it!

Understanding speech construction

Before you begin to write, using your completed outline as a guide, let's briefly look at what you're aiming to prepare.

• an opening or introduction
• the body where the bulk of the information is given
• and an ending (or summary).

Imagine your speech as a sandwich

If you think of a speech as a sandwich you'll get the idea.

The opening and ending are the slices of bread holding the filling (the major points or the body of your speech) together.

You can build yourself a simple sandwich with one filling (one big idea) or you could go gourmet and add up to three or, even five. The choice is yours.

But whatever you choose to serve, as a good cook, you need to consider who is going to eat it! And that's your audience.

So let's find out who they are before we do anything else. 

Step 2: Know who you are talking to

Understanding your audience.

Did you know a  good speech is never written from the speaker's point of view?  ( If you need to know more about why check out this page on  building rapport .)

Begin with the most important idea/point on your outline.

Consider HOW you can explain (show, tell) that to your audience in the most effective way for them to easily understand it.   

Writing from the audience's point of view

To help you write from an audience point of view, it's a good idea to identify either a real person or the type of person who is most likely to be listening to you.

Make sure you select someone who represents the "majority" of the people who will be in your audience. That is they are neither struggling to comprehend you at the bottom of your scale or light-years ahead at the top.

Now imagine they are sitting next to you eagerly waiting to hear what you're going to say. Give them a name, for example, Joe, to help make them real.

Ask yourself

• How do I need to tailor my information to meet Joe's needs? For example, do you tell personal stories to illustrate your main points? Absolutely! Yes. This is a very powerful technique. (Click storytelling in speeches to find out more.)
• What type or level of language is right for Joe as well as my topic? For example if I use jargon (activity, industry or profession specific vocabulary) will it be understood?

Step 3: Writing as you speak

Writing oral language.

Write down what you want to say about your first main point as if you were talking directly to Joe.

If it helps, say it all out loud before you write it down and/or record it.

Use the information below as a guide

(Click to download The Characteristics of Spoken Language  as a pdf.) 

You do not have to write absolutely everything you're going to say down * but you do need to write down, or outline, the sequence of ideas to ensure they are logical and easily followed.

Remember too, to explain or illustrate your point with examples from your research. 

( * Tip: If this is your first speech the safety net of having everything written down could be just what you need. It's easier to recover from a patch of jitters when you have a word by word manuscript than if you have either none, or a bare outline. Your call!)

Step 4: Checking tone and language

The focus of this step is re-working what you've done in Step 2 and 3.

You identified who you were talking to (Step 2) and in Step 3, wrote up your first main point.  Is it right? Have you made yourself clear?  Check it.

How well you complete this step depends on how well you understand the needs of the people who are going to listen to your speech.

Please do not assume because you know what you're talking about the person (Joe) you've chosen to represent your audience will too. Joe is not a mind-reader!

How to check what you've prepared

• Check the "tone" of your language . Is it right for the occasion, subject matter and your audience?
• Check the length of your sentences. You need short sentences. If they're too long or complicated you risk losing your listeners.

Check for jargon too. These are industry, activity or group exclusive words.

For instance take the phrase: authentic learning . This comes from teaching and refers to connecting lessons to the daily life of students. Authentic learning is learning that is relevant and meaningful for students. If you're not a teacher you may not understand the phrase.

The use of any vocabulary requiring insider knowledge needs to be thought through from the audience perspective. Jargon can close people out.

• Read what you've written out loud. If it flows naturally, in a logical manner, continue the process with your next main idea. If it doesn't, rework.

We use whole sentences and part ones, and we mix them up with asides or appeals e.g. "Did you get that? Of course you did. Right...Let's move it along. I was saying ..."

Click for more about the differences between spoken and written language .

And now repeat the process

Repeat this process for the remainder of your main ideas.

Because you've done the first one carefully, the rest should follow fairly easily.

Step 5: Use transitions

Providing links or transitions between main ideas.

Between each of your main ideas you need to provide a bridge or pathway for your audience. The clearer the pathway or bridge, the easier it is for them to make the transition from one idea to the next.

If your speech contains more than three main ideas and each is building on the last, then consider using a "catch-up" or summary as part of your transitions.

Is your speech being evaluated? Find out exactly what aspects you're being assessed on using this standard speech evaluation form

Link/transition examples

A link can be as simple as:

"We've explored one scenario for the ending of Block Buster 111, but let's consider another. This time..."

What follows this transition is the introduction of Main Idea Two.

Here's a summarizing link/transition example:

"We've ended Blockbuster 111 four ways so far. In the first, everybody died. In the second, everybody died BUT their ghosts remained to haunt the area. In the third, one villain died. His partner reformed and after a fight-out with the hero, they both strode off into the sunset, friends forever. In the fourth, the hero dies in a major battle but is reborn sometime in the future.

And now what about one more? What if nobody died? The fifth possibility..."

Go back through your main ideas checking the links. Remember Joe as you go. Try each transition or link out loud and really listen to yourself. Is it obvious? Easily followed?

Keep them if they are clear and concise.

For more about transitions (with examples) see Andrew Dlugan's excellent article, Speech Transitions: Magical words and Phrases .

Step 6: The end of your speech

The ideal ending is highly memorable . You want it to live on in the minds of your listeners long after your speech is finished. Often it combines a call to action with a summary of major points.

Example speech endings

Example 1: The desired outcome of a speech persuading people to vote for you in an upcoming election is that they get out there on voting day and do so. You can help that outcome along by calling them to register their support by signing a prepared pledge statement as they leave.

"We're agreed we want change. You can help us give it to you by signing this pledge statement as you leave. Be part of the change you want to see!

Example 2: The desired outcome is increased sales figures. The call to action is made urgent with the introduction of time specific incentives.

"You have three weeks from the time you leave this hall to make that dream family holiday in New Zealand yours. Can you do it? Will you do it? The kids will love it. Your wife will love it. Do it now!"

How to figure out the right call to action

A clue for working out what the most appropriate call to action might be, is to go back to your original purpose for giving the speech.

• Was it to motivate or inspire?
• Was it to persuade to a particular point of view?
• Was it to share specialist information?
• Was it to celebrate a person, a place, time or event?

Ask yourself what you want people to do as a result of having listened to your speech.

For more about ending speeches

Visit this page for more about how to end a speech effectively . You'll find two additional types of speech endings with examples.

Write and test

Write your ending and test it out loud. Try it out on a friend, or two. Is it good? Does it work?

Step 7: The introduction

Once you've got the filling (main ideas) the linking and the ending in place, it's time to focus on the introduction.

The introduction comes last as it's the most important part of your speech. This is the bit that either has people sitting up alert or slumped and waiting for you to end. It's the tone setter!

What makes a great speech opening?

Ideally you want an opening that makes listening to you the only thing the 'Joes' in the audience want to do.

You want them to forget they're hungry or that their chair is hard or that their bills need paying.

The way to do that is to capture their interest straight away. You do this with a "hook".

Hooks to catch your audience's attention

Hooks come in as many forms as there are speeches and audiences. Your task is work out what specific hook is needed to catch your audience.

Go back to the purpose. Why are you giving this speech?

Once you have your answer, consider your call to action. What do you want the audience to do, and, or take away, as a result of listening to you?

Next think about the imaginary or real person you wrote for when you were focusing on your main ideas.

Choosing the best hook

• Is it humor?
• Would shock tactics work?
• Is it a rhetorical question?
• Is it formality or informality?
• Is it an outline or overview of what you're going to cover, including the call to action?
• Or is it a mix of all these elements?

A hook example

Here's an example from a fictional political speech. The speaker is lobbying for votes. His audience are predominately workers whose future's are not secure.

"How's your imagination this morning? Good? (Pause for response from audience) Great, I'm glad. Because we're going to put it to work starting right now.

I want you to see your future. What does it look like? Are you happy? Is everything as you want it to be? No? Let's change that. We could do it. And we could do it today.

At the end of this speech you're going to be given the opportunity to change your world, for a better one ...

No, I'm not a magician. Or a simpleton with big ideas and precious little commonsense. I'm an ordinary man, just like you. And I have a plan to share!"

And then our speaker is off into his main points supported by examples. The end, which he has already foreshadowed in his opening, is the call to vote for him.

Prepare several hooks

Experiment with several openings until you've found the one that serves your audience, your subject matter and your purpose best.

For many more examples of speech openings go to: how to write a speech introduction . You'll find 12 of the very best ways to start a speech.

That completes the initial seven steps towards writing your speech. If you've followed them all the way through, congratulations, you now have the text of your speech!

Although you might have the words, you're still a couple of steps away from being ready to deliver them. Both of them are essential if you want the very best outcome possible. They are below. Please take them.

Step 8: Checking content and timing

This step pulls everything together.

Check once, check twice, check three times & then once more!

Go through your speech really carefully.

On the first read through check you've got your main points in their correct order with supporting material, plus an effective introduction and ending.

On the second read through check the linking passages or transitions making sure they are clear and easily followed.

On the third reading check your sentence structure, language use and tone.

Double, triple check the timing

Now go though once more.

This time read it aloud slowly and time yourself.

If it's too long for the time allowance you've been given make the necessary cuts.

Start by looking at your examples rather than the main ideas themselves. If you've used several examples to illustrate one principal idea, cut the least important out.

Also look to see if you've repeated yourself unnecessarily or, gone off track. If it's not relevant, cut it.

Repeat the process, condensing until your speech fits the required length, preferably coming in just under your time limit.

You can also find out how approximately long it will take you to say the words you have by using this very handy words to minutes converter . It's an excellent tool, one I frequently use. While it can't give you a precise time, it does provide a reasonable estimate.

Step 9: Rehearsing your speech

And NOW you are finished with writing the speech, and are ready for REHEARSAL .

Please don't be tempted to skip this step. It is not an extra thrown in for good measure. It's essential.

The "not-so-secret" secret of successful speeches combines good writing with practice, practice and then, practicing some more.

Go to how to practice public speaking and you'll find rehearsal techniques and suggestions to boost your speech delivery from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Quick How to Write a Speech Checklist

Before you begin writing you need:.

• Your speech OUTLINE with your main ideas ranked in the order you're going to present them. (If you haven't done one complete this 4 step sample speech outline . It will make the writing process much easier.)
• Your RESEARCH
• You also need to know WHO you're speaking to, the PURPOSE of the speech and HOW long you're speaking for

The basic format

• the body where you present your main ideas

Split your time allowance so that you spend approximately 70% on the body and 15% each on the introduction and ending.

How to write the speech

• Write your main ideas out incorporating your examples and research
• Link them together making sure each flows in a smooth, logical progression
• Write your ending, summarizing your main ideas briefly and end with a call for action
• Write your introduction considering the 'hook' you're going to use to get your audience listening
• An often quoted saying to explain the process is: Tell them what you're going to tell them (Introduction) Tell them (Body of your speech - the main ideas plus examples) Tell them what you told them (The ending)

TEST before presenting. Read aloud several times to check the flow of material, the suitability of language and the timing.

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Free English Lessons

How to learn english vocabulary (and remember it) – video.

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In this lesson, you can learn how to learn English vocabulary as well as how to use and remember it.

You can see the common mistakes which many english learners make when learning vocabulary, and you’ll see several simple, practical ideas that you can use to build your english vocabulary and remember what you learn. learn how to learn english vocabulary quickly and efficiently and remember it too., quiz: how to learn english vocabulary (and remember it).

Test how well you understand our ideas and tips about vocabulary learning. There are 20 questions in this quiz, most of which were mentioned in this lesson. The questions follow the order of the lesson and some of the answers to earlier questions will help you with later ones.

There are also some bonus questions where you have to think about something that was not mentioned in the lesson. In some cases, you can press ‘Hint’ for extra help.

When you have finished, click ‘Finish Quiz’ to get your score. You can also press ‘View Questions’ to see the correct answers and some extra notes.

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1 . Question

Which of these is an example of a common mistake, made by students when trying to learn vocabulary?

• Trying to learn a long list of new words.
• Not bothering to look up some words you don’t know in a text.

2 . Question

Which of these is an example of a good practice for students trying to learn vocabulary?

• Stopping in the middle of a conversation to look up a word on your phone.
• Trying to learn words you don’t need.

3 . Question

True or false: it’s impossible to learn all the words in English.

4 . Question

In parts one and three of the lesson, you heard the word ‘meaningful’ quite a lot. Which definition(s) describe(s) a sentence that is meaningful? Choose as many as you think are right.

• The information is true, not invented.
• The text is from a real source (e.g. a newspaper), not a coursebook.
• The context is relevant to you personally.
• The words can have different meanings in different contexts.

5 . Question

If you see a word that you don’t know in a meaningful context, it’s a good idea to look it up, or use the context to make a guess. Which of these situations is not an example of a meaningful context?

• Your teacher uses a word that you don’t know several times during a class.
• You’re at a restaurant in Scotland and try listening to the people on the next table, but their accents are difficult to understand.
• You read a blog related to your hobby and the writer uses a word you don’t know.
• You watch an advert in English but don’t know what’s being advertised because they use some words you don’t know.

6 . Question

In part two of the lesson, you saw two words related to learning vocabulary. Can you remember them? Write the missing word in the gap.

Your vocabulary means words that you can understand, but you don’t use.

You need to write a word with seven letters, beginning with P.

7 . Question

In the previous question you should have written ‘passive’ vocabulary. So, what is active vocabulary? Write one word in the gap to complete the definition.

Your active vocabulary means words you can use when you are speaking or .

You need to write the name of a language skill: it’s similar to speaking but you do it with your hands.

8 . Question

True or false: it is normal for a person’s active vocabulary (the words they know how to use) to be less than their passive vocabulary (the words they understand when they read or hear them).

9 . Question

True or false: you can build your active vocabulary in the same way as you build your passive vocabulary; it just takes longer.

10 . Question

There are four language skills–two of them are comprehension skills (where your job is to understand) and two of them are communication skills (where your job is to communicate information to someone else). You need to practise the communication skills in order to build your active vocabulary. So, what are the communication skills?

• speaking and listening
• speaking and writing
• reading and writing
• vocabulary and grammar

11 . Question

Which learning activity is for passive vocabulary and which for active vocabulary? Move the two sort elements into the column on the right.

Sort elements

• this builds passive vocabulary
• this builds active vocabulary

12 . Question

If you keep a list of new words which you update all the time and write the translations into your own language next to the English words, does this build passive vocabulary or active vocabulary?

• This builds passive vocabulary.
• This builds active vocabulary.

13 . Question

Which of these things are aspects of vocabulary? Choose as many as you think are right.

• Collocation (= common combinations of words, e.g. we say ‘black and white’, not ‘white and black’)
• Connotation (= a positive or negative idea contained in a certain word, e.g. ‘slim’ means ‘thin’ but ‘skinny’ means ‘a bit too thin’)
• Subject-verb agreement (= a singular noun needs a singular verb, e.g. ‘she does’, not ‘she do’)
• Set phrases (= in certain contexts, we always say certain things, like ‘nice to meet you’)

You need to tick three options. If you’re unsure, remember that vocabulary concerns what words mean, whereas grammar is about how words fit together in sentences.

14 . Question

Collocation is the idea that certain combinations of words are used a lot and other combinations are never used. Which of these sentences does not contain a correct collocation with the adjective ‘heavy’?

• What a heavy baby she is!
• There was heavy traffic this morning.
• They said there’ll be heavy rain later.
• I’ve got a heavy problem.

15 . Question

Connotation is the idea that words can have similar meanings, but one carries an additional idea that another doesn’t. This is why it’s a good idea to use them in meaningful sentences!

‘Skinny’ means ‘a bit too thin’. In which sentence is it used correctly?

• That dress looks great on you! It makes you look really skinny.
• You’re really skinny these days. Haven’t you been eating properly?

If you’re not sure, remember that ‘skinny’ means ‘too thin’ and if you put ‘too’ before an adjective, you are expressing a negative idea. So, the correct sentence here has a clear negative context.

16 . Question

Set phrases are ‘ready-made’ sentences that you can learn, but you still need to know when to use them. Match the contexts with the set phrases.

• Nice to meet you.
• I look forward to hearing from you.
• Great to see you.
• Looking forward to it.

17 . Question

In part four of the lesson, you saw a summary of our tips for learning words. Put the steps in the right order.

• Get feedback on your sentences.
• Decide if you want to understand the word or use it.
• Choose useful and meaningful words.
• Write relevant example sentences.
• Make your sentences into flashcards.
• Review your flashcards daily.

View Answers:

18 . Question

Can you remember the names of the two flashcard apps recommended in the lesson? Write them in the two gaps, starting with the shortest name.

The two popular flashcard apps are and .

Write a four-letter name starting with A in the first gap and a seven-letter name starting with Q in the second gap.

19 . Question

True or false: if you can’t use a flashcard app, you can use a pen and paper instead.

20 . Question

This wasn’t mentioned in the lesson, but what do you think?

How many new words should you try to learn in a typical hour-long English lesson?

• fewer than 10
• between 10 and 20
• between 20 and 50
• more than 50

Learn Only What Has Meaning To You

Here are some things we often hear from English learners:

“I couldn’t read it. There were too many new words and I didn’t have time to look them all up in the dictionary.”

“I wrote down all of these new words and I tried to learn them, but I can’t remember any of them now!”

Sound familiar?

Here’s a fact about your brain: your brain is very good at throwing away things it doesn’t need.

Vocabulary learning starts when you choose which words and phrases to learn or not learn.

This is where many English learners go wrong, by making one of these mistakes:

• Trying to learn too many words.
• Trying to learn big lists of words.
• Trying to learn words you don’t know how to use.

To avoid these mistakes, you need to choose the vocabulary you study carefully.

Most importantly, if you want to remember new words and new English vocabulary, you need to learn things which are useful or meaningful to you.

If you read a text, and you try to look up every word you don’t know, of course you’ll forget most of them. Most of the words you look up probably won’t be useful to you, and so your brain won’t hold onto them.

If you write down a list of 100 new words and try to learn them, the words won’t mean much to you. They’re just a list on a piece of paper—totally abstract, and also boring! Our brains don’t like boring. Boring gets forgotten, fast.

So, what’s the solution?

Only learn a word or phrase if it’s really useful or meaningful to you in some way.

For example:

Your teacher keeps using a word that you don’t know. You hear it several times, but you can’t work out what it means. Then, you hear other people use the same word. You’re curious: what is this word you keep hearing?

You’re reading a really interesting article. You don’t know every word, but you can understand the general ideas. In one paragraph, there’s a word which you don’t know, and which makes it difficult for you to understand the idea of the paragraph. You think the paragraph is important to the article, and you’re interested to know what it means.

You’re on holiday in a country where English is widely spoken. There’s one kind of food you really want to order, but you don’t know the word in English.

These are situations where a new word will have meaning to you. If you look up words in situations like these, you’re more likely to remember them.

Firstly, you’ll remember them because these are words you need to use.

Secondly, you’ll remember them because these are all situations which involve your feelings in some way. In the first example, you’re curious about something. In the second, you’re interested in the article you’re reading. In the third situation, you’re (hopefully) having fun on holiday.

So, this is the first and most important point. Learn words and phrases which are useful and meaningful for you. This gives you the best chance to remember and use what you learn.

Now, another important point: when you say, “I learned a new word,” you could mean one of two things.

You could mean that you learned to understand a new word, or you could mean that you learned to use a new word. Those two things are different.

Let’s talk about that!

2. Learning Active Vocabulary vs. Learning Passive Vocabulary

You might have heard the terms ‘passive vocabulary’ and ‘active vocabulary’.

Your passive vocabulary means words you can understand, but you don’t use.

Your active vocabulary means words you can use in your speech or writing.

It’s normal that your passive vocabulary is larger than your active vocabulary in any language, including your native language.

Many English learners say, “I can understand words but I can’t use them.” To some extent, this is normal. However, what can you do if you want to develop your active vocabulary in English?

There are two important points here.

First, you need to use different techniques to build passive or active vocabulary. Many English learners have problems building their active vocabulary because the techniques they use to learn vocabulary only increase their passive vocabulary.

Secondly, building active vocabulary takes a lot more time and work. If you want to build your active vocabulary, you need to spend a lot more time studying and practising each word or phrase you want to learn.

Let’s look at the first point. Here are some good techniques for building passive vocabulary:

• Looking up a translation of a word in your language.
• Guessing the meaning of a word from the context .
• Looking up a definition of a word in a monolingual dictionary.
• Finding example sentences.
• Reading and listening.

So, if your vocabulary learning consists of translating everything into your language, don’t be surprised if you can’t use what you learn. This is an okay technique for building your passive vocabulary, but it won’t help you to use the words and phrases you study.

What about building active vocabulary?

Here are some good techniques for building your active vocabulary:

• Writing stories or other things which are personal to you.
• Using a new word several times in several different conversations.
• Making example sentences which are personal to you.

You can see that these things are not necessarily complicated, but they do require more effort.

It’s much harder to write an example sentence which is personal to you than it is to read someone else’s example sentence.

It’s much harder to write a story which means something to you than it is to read something which someone else wrote.

But, if you want to build your active vocabulary, this is how!

Most English learners are more interested in developing their active vocabulary, so in the rest of this lesson, we’ll focus on specific techniques you can use to build your active vocabulary in English.

Let’s start with a very important and powerful idea.

3. Learn Vocabulary in Meaningful Phrases and Sentences

Here’s a question: what is vocabulary?

Did you say ‘words’?

Many people think that ‘vocabulary equals words’. Of course, words are part of vocabulary, but they’re only a part. Vocabulary also includes collocations, phrases, and even full sentences.

Even when you’re learning words, you rarely need single words when you’re speaking. You need to combine the words into phrases and sentences if you want to use them.

So, it makes sense to learn vocabulary in the same way: learn phrases, combinations and sentences, because this is what you need when you’re speaking and writing.

Let’s do an example.

Imagine that you see the word challenge and you want to know what it means. So, you look it up and find the meaning.

Next, your goal is to write five sentences using the word challenge. Each sentence should be different, and each sentence should mean something to you.

Try to write things which relate to your life, your feelings and your thoughts.

You can (and should) also try to use different forms of the word, like the adjective challenging.

You should also research other examples before you write yours. Look for common collocations—word combinations—with the word you want to learn. For example, what adjectives are commonly used with the word challenge?

Think about it. What phrases or sentences could you write with this word?

We’ll give you an example, but remember that you should make your own examples, because they should be personal to you.

Here are five possible sentences:

• I’m bored at work. I need a new challenge.
• Teaching teenagers is fun, but it can be very challenging.
• Running a full marathon was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced.
• I set myself a challenge last year: to learn German to a native-equivalent level.
• My sister is a really determined person; she’s not someone who’ll run away from a challenge.

We’ll say it again, because it’s the most important point here: whatever you write should be personal to you.

Don’t write a sentence about your sister if you don’t have a sister. Don’t say something about your sister which isn’t true. Make it true, and make it personal.

If it’s personal to you, you’ll remember it. If it isn’t, you’ll forget it. Simple, right?

At this point, there’s one more important thing you should do.

Ask a teacher, a native speaker or a friend who’s very good at English to check your sentences.

You want to make sure you’re learning your new vocabulary correctly, and you need feedback to do that.

You can also see that writing sentences like this lets you learn several useful phrases at one time.

For example, here you have the collocations a new challenge, to face a challenge, a big challenge, to set (yourself) a challenge, and run away from a challenge.

So, if you follow this strategy, you won’t just learn one word, like challenge. You’ll learn several words and phrases together, in a natural way.

Remember that this strategy is personal on both sides: you’re starting with words that are meaningful to you personally, and then you’re learning those words by writing examples which are also meaningful to you personally.

Yes, this needs work, and it might be very different from what you do now. However, if you want an effective way to learn and remember vocabulary, this is it.

If you do things this way, nothing is abstract and nothing is boring. Your brain will remember what you learn because it’s relevant to you, your life and your feelings.

However, if you’re trying to learn a lot of vocabulary, it’s also important to review what you’ve learned regularly. Regular review helps to keep vocabulary fresh in your mind, which will help you to remember the words and phrases you need when you’re speaking or writing in English.

Let’s look at the most effective ways to review your vocabulary.

How to Review and Remember English Vocabulary

If you have a lot of English vocabulary to review and remember, it’s a big, complex job.

But, we have good news! There are several free tools and apps which can make this easy.

You need a digital flashcard app. These apps are designed to help you memorise and review large amounts of information.

Two of the most popular are Anki and Quizlet . You can find links below the video. We aren’t recommending any particular product or company, but many students have used both of these with good results.

We hear that Quizlet is a little easier to use, while Anki is more powerful and has more options, but is also more complex. Try both, or find another program, and see what works for you.

All of these programs work in the same way: they allow you to set questions for yourself.

You create a card with a question and an answer. You can write whatever you want for the question and the answer.

After you see a question and the answer, you decide if the question was easy or difficult for you.

If the question is easy, the app will ask you again after a longer period.

If the question is difficult, the app will ask you the same question again after a shorter period, maybe even the same day.

This is very effective, because it allows you to focus more on the things you don’t know, and it doesn’t waste your time reviewing things you already know well.

You can often download packs of questions that other people have made, but you should make your own questions, using your own, personalised example sentences.

Let’s see how.

Look at the five sentences we wrote before to learn the word challenge:

Let’s make five questions from these five sentences.

• Question: I’m bored at work. I need ________.
• Answer: I’m bored at work. I need a new challenge.
• Question: Teaching teenagers is fun, but _________.
• Answer: Teaching teenagers is fun, but it can be very challenging.
• Question: I ________ last year: to learn German to a native-equivalent level.
• Answer: I set myself a challenge last year: to learn German to a native-equivalent level.
• Question: Running a full marathon was _________.
• Answer: Running a full marathon was one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced.
• Question: My sister is a really determined person; ________.
• Answer: My sister is a really determined person; she’s not someone who’ll run away from a challenge.

Can you see what’s going on here?

The questions are getting progressively more difficult. For the first question, you only have to remember three words: a new challenge. For the fifth question, you need to remember a whole clause.

After you’ve made your questions, what next?

Review your vocabulary cards or questions every day. We recommend you install Anki, Quizlet or whatever you use on your phone.

This way, you can review vocabulary when you have nothing else to do, for example on the subway or during your lunch break.

Try to use your app and review vocabulary every day, but don’t overload yourself. Limit the number of new questions or cards you see each day. Five new questions per day is a good target.

Again, this takes quite a lot of work. You might think, “Do I really have to do all this just to remember one word?”

Let me ask you some questions in return: do you want to really build your English vocabulary? Do you want to remember new English words that you study? Do you want to learn to use new English vocabulary?

If you answered ‘yes’, ‘yes’, and ‘yes’, then this is how. It takes time and effort, but it also works.

Let’s review the steps you need to take:

• Choose words which are useful and meaningful to you personally; don’t learn big lists of words, and don’t learn words which you won’t use.
• Decide if you want to just understand a word, or if you want to use it. Use different vocabulary-learning techniques depending on what you want.
• If you want to add words to your active vocabulary, then write 3-5 example sentences, using the new word. The sentences should be relevant to you, your life, your thoughts and your feelings.
• Get feedback on your example sentences, from a teacher or friend, to make sure you’re using your new vocabulary correctly.
• Add your example sentences to a digital flashcard app like Quizlet or Anki. Make questions of different difficulty, so that some questions are easier and some are harder.
• Use your digital flashcard app daily, or as often as you can!

Follow these steps and your English vocabulary will increase, you’ll remember new words in English, and you’ll be able to use the new English words you learn.

Next, learn how to use a vocabulary notebook to expand your vocabulary in this free video lesson from Oxford Online Engish!

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A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone

Style Through Vocabulary and Diction

Knowing a lot of words is important, but just as important is knowing how to use them. 

The body of words you know and understand is called “ vocabulary .” The practice of choosing how to use those words is called “ diction .” Both are important, but in different ways. Vocabulary is important as a body of knowledge. Diction is important as an activity you practice.

Of course, vocabulary is the foundation of writing. In order to write, you need a body of knowledge about words: a vocabulary. This large body of knowledge is the first sense in which vocabulary is important. 

However, vocabulary is important in a second sense, too. The word, “vocabulary” has a more specific use. Subjects and disciplines have words that are specific to them. When you write about a subject or participate in a discipline, these vocabularies are important to learn. They fall into two categories.

Sometimes subject and discipline-specific vocabularies consist of words you have never (or seldom) heard. They are not commonly used. We call these words “ jargon .”

Jargon can be off-putting, vague, or worse, pretentious. Although no discipline or subject is immune, some of the most frequently discussed examples come from business settings:

The word “synergize” is jargon for coordinating, working together, or combining efforts. However, one just as easily could use coordinate, cooperate, or collaborate. These words have the benefit of being commonly understood and precise.

The word “leverage” is a noun that signifies the act of moving something using a lever. In business settings, however, "leverage” is often used more broadly as a verb. “Let’s leverage our resources.” However, one just as accurately, and more accessibly, could say, “Let’s use our resources.”

There are times, however, when jargon is shorthand for people in a hurry. This can be true, for example, in medical settings. 

Writing or saying “atypical” substitutes for “That does not usually happen.” 

Writing or saying, “The patient has comorbidities,” substitutes for “The patient is suffering from two or more illnesses at the same time.” 

In these cases, jargon eliminates wordiness and gets right to the point.

UNIQUELY USED WORDS

Sometimes subject and discipline-specific vocabularies consist of words you have heard before. The difference is that these words have specific meanings within a particular subject or discipline. Sometimes these uniquely used words are shortened forms of longer words. Other times they are merely common words used with a slightly different meaning.

When most people use the word “script,” they usually mean writing or the written form of a play or movie. However, in a medical setting, "script” is short for a prescription.

When most people speak of an “engagement,” they usually mean a planned event or a commitment to marry another person. However, in tech settings, “engagement” signifies audience interaction with a creative product.

When you write, you make choices—about which words to use, about the order in which you will use them. We call these choices “diction.” These choices are consequential, especially for tone and voice. However, diction is also consequential for clear, nuanced, and complex exploration of ideas.

Consider the following two statements, both from a current college student:

The film was quite good.

The filmmakers superbly introduced their story and characters, and despite a three-hour runtime, the film never dragged on, which was in part due to stunning visuals, solid acting, and a soul-wrenching score.

Both statements communicate a positive opinion. Both are reasonably formal in tone. However, notice how vague the first statement is. “Quite good” could have any number of unstated meanings. The goodness of the film remains a mystery. Improved diction helped unpack “quite good” for the reader. 

Notice in contrast the precise language of the second example. We now know what the writer appreciated about the film. Notice also the vivid adjectives: “stunning,” “solid,” and “soul-wrenching.” These draw the reader into how the author feels about the film. Finally, notice how the author uses categories specific to popular film criticism: “dragged on” (i.e. pacing), “visuals,” “acting,” Competent diction provides complexity and clarity.

Vocabulary and Diction in the Classroom

EXAMPLE ONE:

Most defects are bad but some are worse than others. Software developers have to know how to identify the defects that will cause the biggest problems and correct these first. This is not rocket science—people just have to discipline themselves to look for errors as they occur. Technical managers also have to know how to keep track of the defects (through some of the ways we discussed in class). They also have to know how to make decisions based on their findings and tracings .

EXAMPLE TWO:

Not all defects in software products are created equal, and not all have the same effects on the shipment decisions that a technical manager must make. When a project manager or software development team tracks the severity levels of problems in the code, shipment decisions become easier. Severity levels can be established as part of the plan for testing the product, which generally includes function testing as well as integrated system testing. Severity levels may be set, for example, on a scale of 1 to 4, where Sev1 errors cause the program to abort, Sev2 errors impede user progress, Sev3 errors cause a particular function not to work, and Sev4 errors represent cosmetic changes that will make the software better but will not have any of the effects of the other three severity types. Using the severity system of classification and an automated tracking system, technical managers have the data they need to make important decisions about whether to ship a product. For example, a product with three Sev4 errors remaining in it will probably be shipped, whereas one with four Sev1 errors will not.

Note that even though the first writer understands some basic principles from the technical management course, Example 1 lacks the vocabulary to express knowledge from the course. The writer compensates by using vague terms to establish criteria, such as bad and worse, and falls back on clichés, such as rocket science. 

The second writer has mastered the special words needed to express the concepts taught in the course and to draw conclusions from what the professor has taught. The writing in Example 2 is clear, focused, and avoids clichés. The style and tone are also appropriate.

Key Takeaways

• Discipline-specific vocabularies are important to learn, and when you write a paper, your professor will be looking for you to demonstrate that you can, if necessary, put these words to use.

Ask yourself, “What precise words express what I want to communicate?”

Mailing Address: 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783 This work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . © 2022 UMGC. All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites.

Table of Contents: Online Guide to Writing

Chapter 1: College Writing

How Does College Writing Differ from Workplace Writing?

What Is College Writing?

Why So Much Emphasis on Writing?

Chapter 2: The Writing Process

Doing Exploratory Research

Getting from Notes to Your Draft

Introduction

Prewriting - Techniques to Get Started - Mining Your Intuition

Prewriting: Targeting Your Audience

Prewriting: Techniques to Get Started

Prewriting: Understanding Your Assignment

Rewriting: Being Your Own Critic

Rewriting: Creating a Revision Strategy

Rewriting: Getting Feedback

Rewriting: The Final Draft

Techniques to Get Started - Outlining

Techniques to Get Started - Using Systematic Techniques

Thesis Statement and Controlling Idea

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Freewriting

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Summarizing Your Ideas

Writing: Outlining What You Will Write

Chapter 3: Thinking Strategies

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone: Style Through Vocabulary and Diction

Critical Strategies and Writing

Critical Strategies and Writing: Analysis

Critical Strategies and Writing: Evaluation

Critical Strategies and Writing: Persuasion

Critical Strategies and Writing: Synthesis

Developing a Paper Using Strategies

Kinds of Assignments You Will Write

Patterns for Presenting Information

Patterns for Presenting Information: Critiques

Patterns for Presenting Information: Discussing Raw Data

Patterns for Presenting Information: General-to-Specific Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Specific-to-General Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Summaries and Abstracts

Supporting with Research and Examples

Writing Essay Examinations

Writing Essay Examinations: Make Your Answer Relevant and Complete

Writing Essay Examinations: Organize Thinking Before Writing

Writing Essay Examinations: Read and Understand the Question

Chapter 4: The Research Process

Planning and Writing a Research Paper

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Ask a Research Question

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Cite Sources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Collect Evidence

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Draw Conclusions

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Find a Topic and Get an Overview

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Manage Your Resources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Outline

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Survey the Literature

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Work Your Sources into Your Research Writing

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Human Resources

Research Resources: What Are Research Resources?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Electronic Resources

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Print Resources

Structuring the Research Paper: Formal Research Structure

Structuring the Research Paper: Informal Research Structure

The Nature of Research

The Research Assignment: How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated?

The Research Assignment: When Is Research Needed?

The Research Assignment: Why Perform Research?

Chapter 5: Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Giving Credit to Sources

Giving Credit to Sources: Copyright Laws

Giving Credit to Sources: Documentation

Giving Credit to Sources: Style Guides

Integrating Sources

Practicing Academic Integrity

Practicing Academic Integrity: Keeping Accurate Records

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Paraphrasing Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Quoting Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Summarizing Your Sources

Types of Documentation

Types of Documentation: Bibliographies and Source Lists

Types of Documentation: Citing World Wide Web Sources

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - APA Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - CSE/CBE Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - Chicago Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - MLA Style

Types of Documentation: Note Citations

Chapter 6: Using Library Resources

Finding Library Resources

Chapter 7: Assessing Your Writing

How Is Writing Graded?

How Is Writing Graded?: A General Assessment Tool

The Draft Stage

The Draft Stage: The First Draft

The Draft Stage: The Revision Process and the Final Draft

The Draft Stage: Using Feedback

The Research Stage

Using Assessment to Improve Your Writing

Chapter 8: Other Frequently Assigned Papers

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Reaction Papers

Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Adapting the Argument Structure

Writing Arguments: Purposes of Argument

Writing Arguments: References to Consult for Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Anticipate Active Opposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Determine Your Organization

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Develop Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Introduce Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - State Your Thesis or Proposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Write Your Conclusion

Writing Arguments: Types of Argument

Appendix A: Books to Help Improve Your Writing

Dictionaries

General Style Manuals

Researching on the Internet

Special Style Manuals

Writing Handbooks

Appendix B: Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing

Collaborative Writing: Assignments to Accompany the Group Project

Collaborative Writing: Informal Progress Report

Collaborative Writing: Issues to Resolve

Collaborative Writing: Methodology

Collaborative Writing: Peer Evaluation

Collaborative Writing: Tasks of Collaborative Writing Group Members

Collaborative Writing: Writing Plan

General Introduction

Peer Reviewing

Appendix C: Developing an Improvement Plan

Working with Your Instructor’s Comments and Grades

Appendix D: Writing Plan and Project Schedule

Devising a Writing Project Plan and Schedule

Reviewing Your Plan with Others

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Vocabulary Building: Learner’s Dictionaries

Learner’s dictionaries are monolingual (English-English) dictionaries with extended entries that provide information on word frequency, pronunciation, meaning, context, usage, collocations (words that often appear together), and synonyms. This guide highlights these features in various learner’s dictionaries and offers recommendations for using learner’s dictionaries when writing.

Note: There is no perfect learner’s dictionary for everyone. Use the one that you are most comfortable with and suits your needs.

Samples from various learner’s dictionaries

Click to view full image in a new window. Some (not all) features are circled in colors that match the features described below.

Pronunciation is transcribed using the International Phonetic Alphabet , which has a one-to-one correspondence between symbols and sounds. You can also listen to words or sentences using online dictionaries. However, be sure to note whether a British or American pronunciation is used since they can differ.

Frequency refers to how often a word appears in a dictionary’s database and can be used to determine whether or not to use a word in a certain context. Each dictionary determines frequency differently; some use a corpus, which searches word frequency in a collection of authentic texts, others use an aggregated word list that may also take a word’s usefulness into account. See our handout on using a corpus for more information.

Grammatical information can appear as word forms, word classes, and grammatical structures. This information should be read for each definition and used in combination with examples to gain a better understanding of what structures have which meanings. For example, “divide” has multiple meanings, but only reading the first definition or only one example leads to the possibility of generating a grammatical sentence with an unintended meaning.

Definitions are numbered and paired with grammatical information. This helps distinguish how grammatical structure can change the meaning of a sentence. Read all of the definitions to get a better sense of how the examples fit.

Examples use authentic language to show how the word is used in context for a specific definition. Sometimes these include useful word combinations. Example sentences can also be used to test whether a synonym has a similar meaning and structure.

Thesaurus info helps vocabulary development by providing synonyms and antonyms but should be used carefully. No two words have exactly the same meaning so synonyms should also be looked up. Even if the definitions of two words are similar, their word class or the context in which they appear may be different.

Collocations are natural sounding word combinations, such as verbs + prepositions or verbs + nouns. Learner’s dictionaries use corpora to list frequent collocations and match these with one of the definitions provided. This is one of the most useful features of learner’s dictionaries and makes writing in new contexts easier.

Idioms are sometimes provided and are important to distinguish from a word’s grammatical use, where meaning is predictable. Idioms are often cultural and cannot always be understood literally.

Context labels and other usage notes take advantage of a learner’s dictionary’s corpus to identify any genre (e.g., business, medicine, law), style (e.g., informal, technical), or English dialect/accent (British or American) that a word most frequently appears in. Some words have new definitions when in another context.

Usage tips when writing

Identify the part of speech of your word before consulting a learner’s dictionary. Scanning definitions for a particular part of speech will help avoid the problem of being overwhelmed when finding a word with many definitions and lengthy usage notes.

Skim all the word’s definitions before setting the dictionary aside. This is a good way to become aware of other collocations in a structured way (learner’s dictionaries often pair collocations with definitions). Quickly checking all the definitions also decreases the chance of unintentionally using a word incorrectly.

Compare your word’s usage with the dictionary’s grammatical structure. If the word does not appear as the same part of speech in a sentence or has unexpected collocates, readers may misinterpret the sentence. This is especially true of verbs; their meaning can change when paired with different prepositions.

Check the word’s context to make sure it has the appropriate meaning and collocates. Even with the same grammatical structure, technical jargon may differ across disciplines. For example, a word in Engineering may not have the same meaning in Medicine. Some grammatical structures are unique to British English, which may be indiscernible from American English in example sentences. If a content word (e.g., nouns and verbs) does not appear in a learner’s dictionary, it may be specialized or uncommon; consult resources specific to your field.

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The 108 Most Persuasive Words In The English Language

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THE 108 MOST PERSUASIVE WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

It’s a long known fact that the secret to persuasive writing isn’t in the adjectives, it’s in the verbs.

Copywriters know power verbs sell and convince.

Internally, we have a list of 108 verbs that we’ve been using for a good decade, and we recently thought we should share it with proper credit to the original author.

We found that although the list is being recirculated (and in many cases claimed as original by several different authors!), the original author is, in fact, nowhere to be found.

So, if anyone knows who wrote this, we’d love to know!

With or without the original author, it’s still a great list…here it is!

According to legendary advertising man, Leo Burnet, “Dull and exaggerated ad copy is due to the excess use of adjectives.”

To prove it, he asked his staff to compare the number of adjectives in 62 ads that failed to the number of adjectives in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and other age-old classics.

Here’s what he discovered:

Of the 12,758 words in the 62 failed ads, 24.1% were adjectives.

By direct comparison, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address contains only 35 adjectives out of 268 immortal words – only 13.1% adjective-to-total-word ratio.

Winston Churchill’s famous “Blood, Sweat and Tears” speech rates even lower and has a 12.1% adjective ratio (81 adjectives from 667 words).

Burnett found that similar ratios applied to great works such as The Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Conclusion: Use more verbs, not adjectives.

Verbs increase the pulling-power and believability of ad copy.

That’s why it makes sense to keep this 108-VERB “CHEAT-SHEET” close-by whenever you begin to draft your next space ad, sales letter, Website, or email campaign.

Still unsure how to incorporate these verbs into your marketing campaign? Or, perhaps, you just don’t have the time?

Then consider hiring a team of professional copywriters to do it for you! Talented advertising and marketing writers can take mediocre content and use power verbs to turn it into engaging copy that meets goals and produces results.

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3 thoughts on “ The 108 Most Persuasive Words In The English Language ”

It is remarkable, very amusing piece

Hi there, love your website. I am a teacher and my kids love using your amazing verbs you have provided us with in their writing. Email me and I could send you some drafts of their writing – you’ll be blown away!

Catch up soon 🙂

Thanks, Hope Brown

Hi Hope! We are so happy to hear that our blog has helped you and your students. We would love to see some of their writing!

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Which of these “Power Verbs” do you find most persuasive?

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Speaking, writing and reading are integral to everyday life, where language is the primary tool for expression and communication. Studying how people use language – what words and phrases they unconsciously choose and combine – can help us better understand ourselves and why we behave the way we do.

Linguistics scholars seek to determine what is unique and universal about the language we use, how it is acquired and the ways it changes over time. They consider language as a cultural, social and psychological phenomenon.

“Understanding why and how languages differ tells about the range of what is human,” said Dan Jurafsky , the Jackson Eli Reynolds Professor in Humanities and chair of the Department of Linguistics in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford . “Discovering what’s universal about languages can help us understand the core of our humanity.”

The stories below represent some of the ways linguists have investigated many aspects of language, including its semantics and syntax, phonetics and phonology, and its social, psychological and computational aspects.

Understanding stereotypes

Stanford linguists and psychologists study how language is interpreted by people. Even the slightest differences in language use can correspond with biased beliefs of the speakers, according to research.

One study showed that a relatively harmless sentence, such as “girls are as good as boys at math,” can subtly perpetuate sexist stereotypes. Because of the statement’s grammatical structure, it implies that being good at math is more common or natural for boys than girls, the researchers said.

Language can play a big role in how we and others perceive the world, and linguists work to discover what words and phrases can influence us, unknowingly.

How well-meaning statements can spread stereotypes unintentionally

New Stanford research shows that sentences that frame one gender as the standard for the other can unintentionally perpetuate biases.

Algorithms reveal changes in stereotypes

New Stanford research shows that, over the past century, linguistic changes in gender and ethnic stereotypes correlated with major social movements and demographic changes in the U.S. Census data.

Exploring what an interruption is in conversation

Stanford doctoral candidate Katherine Hilton found that people perceive interruptions in conversation differently, and those perceptions differ depending on the listener’s own conversational style as well as gender.

Cops speak less respectfully to black community members

Professors Jennifer Eberhardt and Dan Jurafsky, along with other Stanford researchers, detected racial disparities in police officers’ speech after analyzing more than 100 hours of body camera footage from Oakland Police.

How other languages inform our own

People speak roughly 7,000 languages worldwide. Although there is a lot in common among languages, each one is unique, both in its structure and in the way it reflects the culture of the people who speak it.

Jurafsky said it’s important to study languages other than our own and how they develop over time because it can help scholars understand what lies at the foundation of humans’ unique way of communicating with one another.

“All this research can help us discover what it means to be human,” Jurafsky said.

Stanford PhD student documents indigenous language of Papua New Guinea

Fifth-year PhD student Kate Lindsey recently returned to the United States after a year of documenting an obscure language indigenous to the South Pacific nation.

Students explore Esperanto across Europe

In a research project spanning eight countries, two Stanford students search for Esperanto, a constructed language, against the backdrop of European populism.

Chris Manning: How computers are learning to understand language​

A computer scientist discusses the evolution of computational linguistics and where it’s headed next.

Stanford research explores novel perspectives on the evolution of Spanish

Using digital tools and literature to explore the evolution of the Spanish language, Stanford researcher Cuauhtémoc García-García reveals a new historical perspective on linguistic changes in Latin America and Spain.

Language as a lens into behavior

Linguists analyze how certain speech patterns correspond to particular behaviors, including how language can impact people’s buying decisions or influence their social media use.

For example, in one research paper, a group of Stanford researchers examined the differences in how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online to better understand how a polarization of beliefs can occur on social media.

“We live in a very polarized time,” Jurafsky said. “Understanding what different groups of people say and why is the first step in determining how we can help bring people together.”

Analyzing the tweets of Republicans and Democrats

New research by Dora Demszky and colleagues examined how Republicans and Democrats express themselves online in an attempt to understand how polarization of beliefs occurs on social media.

Examining bilingual behavior of children at Texas preschool

A Stanford senior studied a group of bilingual children at a Spanish immersion preschool in Texas to understand how they distinguished between their two languages.

Predicting sales of online products from advertising language

Stanford linguist Dan Jurafsky and colleagues have found that products in Japan sell better if their advertising includes polite language and words that invoke cultural traditions or authority.

Language can help the elderly cope with the challenges of aging, says Stanford professor

By examining conversations of elderly Japanese women, linguist Yoshiko Matsumoto uncovers language techniques that help people move past traumatic events and regain a sense of normalcy.

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Literary Techniques for your Speech, with Examples Analyzed

March 2, 2021 - Dom Barnard

Planned use of language has a major impact on how your speech is received by the audience. Saying the right words at the right time, and in the right way, can achieve a specific impact.

Use language to achieve impact

Careful use of language has produced many powerful speeches over the years. Here are a few literary devices you can employ for your next speech.

Rhetorical Questions

Start your next presentation with an open question. It engages the audience and gets them thinking about your speech early on. Use questions throughout and leave pauses after, letting the audience think about an answer.

Pause at the Right Moment

This adds impact to sentence just before or after the pause. This is a good literary technique to use for the key message of your speech. Don’t be afraid to wait 3-5 seconds before speaking, adding maximum impact to your words.

Messages and words are remembered best in groups of three. The power of three is used in all aspects of speaking in public and by the media. Couple words in groups of three with alliteration for maximum impact, such as “They grew up with a long, lasting, love for each other.”

Repeat the Key Point

A technique used frequently by politicians, a word needs to be said on average 5 times before the audience begins to take in what is being said.

Dramatic Contrast

Contrasting two points, such as “Ten years ago we had a reputation for excellence. Today, we are in danger of losing that reputation.”

For additional literary techniques, check out these links:

• Stylistic Devices (Rhetorical Devices, Figures of Speech)
• BBC Literary Techniques

Spend time planning which of these language techniques you will use in your speech. You can add these in after your first draft of the speech has been written.

Two great speeches analyzed

1. martin luther king – i have a dream, transcript snippet.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”

Literary devices and techniques used

Anaphora  – Repetition of the “I have a dream” phrase at the beginning of each sentence.

Metonymy  – The phrase “The let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia… Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee… Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi“, King uses these well-known racist locations to enhance his point.

Hyperbole  – King uses the words ‘all’ and ‘every’ many times, exaggerating his point, “when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city”

Alliteration  – used throughout the speech, alliterations add a poetic quality to the speech, for example this sentence “judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Amplification  – King repeats many of his points a second time, with greater emphasis and explanation the second time, “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.”

Speeches which mastered literary techniques

• Martin Luther King, Jr. – I Have A Dream
• Winston Churchill – We shall fight on the beaches
• John F. Kennedy – Inaugural Address
• Margaret Thatcher – The Lady’s Not For Turning
• Barack Obama – The Audacity Of Hope
• Elizabeth Gilbert – Your Creative Genius
• J. K. Rowling – Harvard Commencement Address

For addition detail on these speeches, check out  this article  on speeches that changed the world.

2. Winston Churchill – We shall fight on the beaches

Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end.

We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

And if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

Anaphora  – The repetition of the phrase “we shall fight” can be seen in the transcript snippet. This adds dramatic emphases on the words he is saying in these paragraphs.

Alliteration  – Churchill uses repetition of letters to emphasize the dark time Europe was in, “I see also the dull, drilled, docile, brutish masses of the Hun soldiery plodding on like a swarm of crawling locusts” and “your grisly gang who work your wicked will.”

Antistrophe  – The repetition of words at the end of successive sentences, “the love of peace, the toil for peace, the strife for peace, the pursuit of peace“.

Hypophora  – Churchill asks various questions and then answers them himself, “You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air” and “You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word, it is victory”.

Rule of Three  – Churchill uses this literary technique in many of his speeches, “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning” and “Never before in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many, to so few”.

Easy to use literary techniques for your next speech

Rhetoric Question

Start your next speech with a rhetoric question – “Who here has used a virtual reality headset?”

Repetition of Phrase

Repeat a key phrase around 5 times throughout the speech, the phrase should be short – “Virtual reality is changing the world”.

Use the Rule of Three

Emphasize a product or service by describing it with three words – “Our software is faster, cheaper and easier to use”. For greatest impact on your audience, combine this with alliteration.

Ask a question then immediately answer it – “How many virtual reality headsets were sold last month? Over 2 million.”

60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles

Writers Write creates and shares writing resources. In this post, we give you 60 words to describe writing or speaking styles .

What Is Your Writing Or Speaking Style?

“Style, in its broadest sense, is a specific way in which we create, perform, or do something. Style in literature is the way an author uses words to tell a story. It is a writer’s way of showing his or her personality on paper.

Just as a person putting together items of clothing and jewellery, and applying make-up creates a personal style, the way a person puts together word choice, sentence structure, and figurative language describes his or her literary style.

When combined, the choices they make work together to establish mood , images, and meaning. This has an effect on their audience.”

From  7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s Style

• articulate – able to express your thoughts, arguments, and ideas clearly and effectively; writing or speech is clear and easy to understand
• chatty – a chatty writing style is friendly and informal
• circuitous – taking a long time to say what you really mean when you are talking or writing about something
• clean – clean language or humour does not offend people, especially because it does not involve sex
• conversational – a conversational style of writing or speaking is informal, like a private conversation
• crisp – crisp speech or writing is clear and effective
• declamatory – expressing feelings or opinions with great force
• diffuse – using too many words and not easy to understand
• discursive – including information that is not relevant to the main subject
• economical – an economical way of speaking or writing does not use more words than are necessary
• elliptical – suggesting what you mean rather than saying or writing it clearly
• eloquent – expressing what you mean using clear and effective language
• emphatic – making your meaning very clear because you have very strong feelings about a situation or subject
• emphatically – very firmly and clearly
• epigrammatic – expressing something such as a feeling or idea in a short and clever or funny way
• epistolary – relating to the writing of letters
• euphemistic – euphemistic expressions are used for talking about unpleasant or embarrassing subjects without mentioning the things themselves
• flowery – flowery language or writing uses many complicated words that are intended to make it more attractive
• fluent – expressing yourself in a clear and confident way, without seeming to make an effort
• formal – correct or conservative in style, and suitable for official or serious situations or occasions
• gossipy – a gossipy letter is lively and full of news about the writer of the letter and about other people
• grandiloquent – expressed in extremely formal language in order to impress people, and often sounding silly because of this
• idiomatic – expressing things in a way that sounds natural
• inarticulate – not able to express clearly what you want to say; not spoken or pronounced clearly
• incoherent – unable to express yourself clearly
• informal – used about language or behaviour that is suitable for using with friends but not in formal situations
• journalistic – similar in style to journalism
• learned – a learned piece of writing shows great knowledge about a subject, especially an academic subject
• literary – involving books or the activity of writing, reading, or studying books; relating to the kind of words that are used only in stories or poems, and not in normal writing or speech
• lyric – using words to express feelings in the way that a song would
• lyrical – having the qualities of music
• ornate – using unusual words and complicated sentences
• orotund – containing extremely formal and complicated language intended to impress people
• parenthetical – not directly connected with what you are saying or writing
• pejorative – a pejorative word, phrase etc expresses criticism or a bad opinion of someone or something
• picturesque – picturesque language is unusual and interesting
• pithy – a pithy statement or piece of writing is short and very effective
• poetic – expressing ideas in a very sensitive way and with great beauty or imagination
• polemical – using or supported by strong arguments
• ponderous – ponderous writing or speech is serious and boring
• portentous – trying to seem very serious and important, in order to impress people
• prolix – using too many words and therefore boring
• punchy – a punchy piece of writing such as a speech, report, or slogan is one that has a strong effect because it uses clear simple language and not many words
• rambling – a rambling speech or piece of writing is long and confusing
• readable – writing that is readable is clear and able to be read
• rhetorical – relating to a style of speaking or writing that is effective or intended to influence people; written or spoken in a way that is impressive but is not honest
• rhetorically – in a way that expects or wants no answer; using or relating to rhetoric
• rough – a rough drawing or piece of writing is not completely finished
• roundly – in a strong and clear way
• sententious – expressing opinions about right and wrong behaviour in a way that is intended to impress people
• sesquipedalian – using a lot of long words that most people do not understand
• Shakespearean – using words in the way that is typical of Shakespeare’s writing
• stylistic – relating to ways of creating effects, especially in language and literature
• succinct – expressed in a very short but clear way
• turgid – using language in a way that is complicated and difficult to understand
• unprintable – used for describing writing or words that you think are offensive
• vague – someone who is vague does not clearly or fully explain something
• verbose – using more words than necessary, and therefore long and boring
• well-turned – a well-turned phrase is one that is expressed well
• wordy – using more words than are necessary, especially long or formal words

Source for Words:  Macmillan Dictionary

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4 thoughts on “60 Words To Describe Writing Or Speaking Styles”

useful thank you …

useful thank you.

Very informative. Taught me slot

Thanks a lot. Very useful.

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• Literacy Based Therapy

• Speech Sounds

The Bookshelf

Resource library, how to pick vocabulary words for speech therapy.

How to Pick Vocabulary Words: What words?! Whenever I had a student who needed to work on vocabulary My mind started racing, ‘What words do I pick?’ ‘What are the right words to use? ‘. When writing a goal we need to know what we are tracking. You cannot simply write with ‘classroom vocabulary’, that ain’t gonna fly if your case brought to due process.

You must have a list of the words you are going to target and track progress.

Now, there are lots of resources out there. I have read books like Bridge to Vocabulary , Bringing Words to Life , Building Academic Vocabulary , and Teaching Vocabulary and found them so valuable. These have been wonderful resources and I highly encourage you to check them out. A common theme across them all is to make the vocabulary meaningful for the child.

Explain why these words are so important,

point them out in daily living, show their actual application! Choosing the words to target when it comes to working on vocabulary doesn’t have to be an ordeal either. One of the best and most practical places to find words is to look at their academic worksheets, read the directions, and focus on the verbs. Words like arranging, summarize, incorporate, detail, etc will pop up left and right.

These are examples of tier 2, functional vocabulary words. I do not assume that the students know these words despite having been surrounded for years. So, if you’re stumped on what words to choose, start here.

“Failure to understand instructional verbs and thus what a teacher or textbook is asking of a child has the potential of creating a rift in the child’s engagement with the learning process.” Lowman et al., 2018

Now, one of the most common questions after hearing this, ‘What verbs are the best to target then?’. So here is a list of instructional verbs, common for Kindergarten to 5th grade. Please keep in mind there are soooo many words available that our students are exposed to everyday, but if you need a jumping off point, then take a look at the list below.

I have also used these Vocabulary Kits with a lot of success too. I simply pick a word set and that is our focus for the year. The are research based so the vocabulary chosen aligns with the same academic practicality we need. This also includes scaffolded materials as well as a pretest/post-test. You can read more about this my Teaching Vocabulary in Speech Therapy post.

So when it comes to vocabulary, don’t stress. Words your kids need surround them all you have to do is to find the best fit for them.

Lowman, J., Stone, L. T., & Guo, J. (2018). Effects of interactive book reading for increasing children’s knowledge of instructional verbs. Communication Disorders Quarterly , 1-13. doi:10.1177/1525740117745639 .

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Hey there! I’m Maureen Wilson, a school-base SLP who is data driven and caffeine powered. My passion is supporting other pediatric SLPs by teaching them how to harness the power of literacy and data to help their students achieve their goals…without sacrificing time they don’t have.

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Awesome! Thank you so much for this information.

Thank you for sharing your expertise in this area. Your insights in this tiopic is very valuable and useful for SLPs like me who tries to squeeze out every precious minute out of their day for getting new ideas and ways of doing a well-used skill in fresh, new ways. The flashcards are certainly more than ready to retire, hahahahahaha!

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Seven ways to write a better speech.

I don't pretend to be a great public speaker; I think I had more nerve as a 14-year-old debater than I have now! But I was keenly motivated by the gleam of trophies in high school and I learned the tricks it takes to do reasonably well at speaking.

In later years, I also wrote speeches for industry leaders and CEOs. So when a friend emailed to request advice on how to write speeches, I decided to summarize the seven things I know.

1) Learn your time limit and calculate your word count. The average person speaks at somewhere between 125 and 150 words per minute. It's always better to speak more slowly than quickly. Thus, if you're speaking for 20 minutes, you want a total word count of about 2,500 words. Be careful! I once got the math wrong and saddled a good friend with a 48-minute speech when he was trying for 30!

2) If you have to speak for more than 30 minutes, be certain to work in some sort of interactive component. Invite questions or give the audience tasks to do. The TV and the Internet have ruined our ability to sit quietly and listen to a talking head for very long.

3) Divide the speech into five parts: an introduction, point 1, point 2, point 3 and a conclusion. Or, in other words, tell people what you're going to tell them, tell them your points and then wrap up by telling them what you just said. This format is adaptable to a speech of just about any length but I'd divide a 20-minute speech as follows:

Introduction: 2 minutes (250 words) Point 1: 5 minutes (625 words) Point 2: 5 minutes (625 words) Point 3: 5 minutes (625 words) Conclusion: 3 minutes (375 words)

If you're thin on ideas for the three points, consider using a mindmap to help you. (Anyone who subscribes to my free newsletter receives an ebook on mindmapping at no charge.)

4) Tell stories or give examples. If you have a story to illustrate each of your three points, so much the better. Stories are "sticky" — that is, people remember them. Unless you're a scientist, always prefer sticky stories to statistics.

5) Employ humor — but use it carefully and build it into the subject of your speech. I hate opening jokes that are unrelated to the actual speech topic — they feel so fake and tacked on. You want humor to be organic — that is, related to the topic you're covering. Also be sure to avoid any comments that could be considered even remotely vulgar, or sexist, racist, ageist, etc. But if you're one of those people who can't quite pull off a joke, don't try. No humor is better than lame humor or bad delivery.

6) Read the speech aloud. Make sure the language is easy to say — even if you're writing the speech for someone else. Say it out loud many times, so you can check to ensure there are no stumbling blocks. For example, the line "a lower-cost alternative to traditional plans" is harder to say than it looks (try it!). Change that kind of language, fast.

7) Be yourself. Barack Obama and Winston Churchill are/were both excellent speakers. They're also totally different. While you can gain pointers from observing great speakers, you need to be true to yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not! And if you are writing a speech for someone else, it's important you spend significant time interviewing them and learning their speech patterns — as well as their stories. Are there any expressions that they use regularly? Can you work them into the speech?

Finally, as a kind of a P.S., let me say that I never use PowerPoint in my speeches or presentations. I know not everyone agrees with this philosophy — but most will concur that if you use PowerPoint you need to be skilled and practiced with it. It's not a good tool for beginners.

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.

20 Vocabulary Words You Should Use More Often

• February 15, 2017
• Homeschool , Language Arts

Grow your vocabulary with this rich list of 20 of my favorite words. Use these words more often in writing and everyday life.

20+ Vocabulary Words You Should Use More Often

A rich vocabulary can strengthen your essay, advance your career, and give you a robust way to express yourself. Throughout college, grad school, and beyond: use these words to elevate your speech and your writing.

1. Archaic (adjective) Definition: very old or old-fashioned Example: Record players are archaic and are not commonly used.

2. Zephyr (noun) Definition: a brief gusty wind Example: There was a nice zephyr outside today.

3. Quiescent (adjective) Definition: peacefulness, dormant, inactive Example: It is nice to have a quiescent day to spend with friends and family.

5. Ersatz (adjective) Definition: used instead of something else, often because the alternative is expensive Example: Mary ate the ersatz chocolate because of the war rations, but it didn’t taste like real chocolate.

6. Poignant (adjective) Definition: touching and moving Example:  The Pursuit of Happyness is a memorable and poignant movie.

7. Abate (verb) Definition: to become smaller Example: It seemed that over time, the football team’s wins began to abate.

8. Sycophant (noun) Definition: a person who flatters to gain personal favors Example: We all become sycophants when a cop pulls us over for a speeding ticket!

9. Ravenous (adjective) Definition: extremely hungry Example: Goldilocks was ravenous, but she could not eat the first two bowls of porridge!

10. Defunct (adjective) Definition: no longer existing or functioning Example: Funky music, hair, and clothes from the 1970s are now defunct!

11. Munificence (noun) Definition: being extremely generous, the quality of being lavishly generous Example: The king’s munificence helped feed thousands of the poor, starving villagers.

12. Juxtaposition (noun) Definition: two different, contrasting things being compared side by side Example: Today, I juxtaposed the difference between Mac and Windows computers.

13. Alacritous (adjective) Definition: brisk or lively Example: The alacritous young boy jumped into a pile of leaves.

14. Exquisite (adjective) Definition: extremely beautiful and flawless, often delicate Example: The queen wore an exquisite ring that had been in the royal family for centuries.

15. Altercation (noun) Definition: a noisy argument or disagreement Example: Olivia and Alyssa had a loud altercation in the mall.

16. Obsolete (adjective) Definition: no longer used Example: New technology can quickly become obsolete as new technology comes out.

17. Polychromatic (adjective) Definition: multicolored, showing a variety or change of color Example: The beautiful painting was polychromatic.

18. Albeit (conjunction) Definition: although Example: Tom began painting the fence, albeit with a grumpy attitude.

19. Incandescent (adjective) Definition: giving off light after being heated, someone brilliant Example: The incandescent lightbulb shone brightly in the whole room.

20. Banal (adjective) Definition: boring and lacking in originality Example: That new pop song is so banal!

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19 comments

Thanks for the wonderful list of words.

Love it..I would love to learn more please

i love albeit,,it speaks

I’m using all of these on my freinds, I’m kinda good at literacy, and they have no idea what I’m saying;)

This is so good, maybe you can start a weekly 20 essential word rollout. It would help many people.

Very nice give some easy words for small kids

Wow… incredible vocabulary

Really useful, even while speaking to your colleagues.

Really fascinated with the words : there description: their sentence formation My heartfelt gratitude for this generous way of making us learn ….

so amazing, it is important to every one who wants to improve in engilish.

That’s some stuff!!

Excellent words

I mam I am RIDHIMA Thankyou for the amazing word

It will be more better having the meaning in english as well as in hindi

It was really helpful

i guess it helps but there could be improvements like adding in more words and explaining it i a more kid friendly way

Thanks a lot… it helped me so much for gaining vocabulary

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Trump keeps losing his train of thought. Cognitive experts have theories about why

By Olivia Goldhill Aug. 7, 2024

I n a speech earlier this year, former President Trump was mocking President Biden’s ability to walk through sand when he suddenly switched to talking about the old Hollywood icon Cary Grant.

“Somebody said he [Biden] looks great in a bathing suit, right? When he was in the sand and he was having a hard time lifting his feet through the sand, because you know, sand is heavy. They figure three solid ounces per foot. But sand is a little heavy. And he’s sitting in a bathing suit. Look, at 81, do you remember Cary Grant? How good was Cary Grant, right? I don’t think Cary Grant — he was good. I don’t know what happened to movie stars today,” he said at a March rally in Georgia. Trump went on to talk about contemporary actors, Michael Jackson, and border policies before returning to the theme of how Biden looks on the beach.

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This shifting from topic to topic, with few connections — a pattern of speech called tangentiality — is one of several disjointed and occasionally incoherent verbal habits that seem to have increased in Trump’s speech in recent years, according to interviews with experts in memory, psychology, and linguistics.

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