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English vocabulary! What is vocabulary? Learn why you should keep learning new vocabulary words and how to master vocabulary in English with our useful tips and ESL vocabulary lessons.
English Vocabulary
What Is Vocabulary?
Briefly speaking, vocabulary is a selection of words within a certain language. Sometimes, the word vocabulary refers to the words that a person knows. For instance, an average English speaker should have an active vocabulary of about 20,000 words.
But it is worth noting that vocabulary extends beyond recognizing a word, you also have to learn how to use it. That is why, despite having an active vocabulary of 20,000 words, the average passive vocabulary of an English speaker is about 40,000 words.
In order to effectively master a new language, it is essential to master its basic vocabulary. Usually, a person’s vocabulary grows with time. But for people who are learning a new language, it is essential to master vocabulary in a shorter amount of time, and that can be a little of a challenge. This is why learning new vocabulary is usually the greatest challenge to mastering a second language.
List of 1000 common words in English.
Vocabulary List
Vocabulary words and phrases
- Phrasal verbs: 2000+ common phrasal verbs list from A to Z with examples and ESL worksheets.
- Collocations: 2500+ collocations list from A to Z with example sentences.
- Idioms: 1500+ English idioms and sayings from A to Z with examples.
- Slang words: thousands of popular slang words with different types.
- Abbreviations: a big list of abbreviations with meaning.
- Acronyms: list of 3000+ acronyms from A-Z.
- Synonyms: list of 250+ synonym words from A to Z with example sentences.
- Antonyms: list of 300+ opposite words from A to Z with ESL pictures.
- Formal and informal words: 400+ useful formal and informal words in English.
- Text abbreviations: 270+ popular text acronyms in English.
- Internet slang: 200 trendy internet slang words you need to know.
- Girl names and Boy names: list of most popular first names and surnames.
- American words vs British words differences illustrated with pictures.
- List of homonyms, homophones and homographs in English.
Vocabulary Words Image: Informal vs. Formal English Words
Word Classes
List of common vocabulary words in English based on different word classes (parts of speech).
- List of adjectives in English with examples.
- Useful list of adverbs.
- Conjunctions list in English.
- List of verbs with example sentences.
- List of nouns in English.
- Full list of prepositions in English with pictures.
- Interjections list in English.
- List of pronouns with examples.
Word Forms
Useful English vocabulary words list organized by different word forms.
- List of suffixes in English.
- Prefixes List in English.
- Contractions list with ESL picture.
- Informal contractions in English.
Picture Dictionary
Learn English vocabulary words with pictures by 150+ different vocabulary topics from our visual dictionary, such as animals, birds, insects, sea animals, farm animals, wild animals, fruits, vegetables, food, flowers, plants, shapes, colors, jobs, body parts, Math symbols, number chart, hundreds chart, African countries, European countries, Asian countries, South American countries, …
The Importance of Vocabulary Words
Learning vocabulary has many benefits, and that is why you should never stop learning vocabulary, despite how much of it you think you know.
Understanding Other People
Without proper vocabulary, you cannot understand what other people are saying. Additionally, you cannot express yourself properly if you don’t have an adequate vocabulary.
Understanding Other Disciplines
Besides, in order to learn other disciplines such as sciences and arts, you need proper vocabulary. There are also strong connections between vocabulary and reading and writing skills. Therefore, if you want to be a better writer, and also read better, you need a greater vocabulary.
Improving Logical Thinking
A good vocabulary also improves logical thinking in the context of a certain language. Learning new words and what they mean makes it easier to explore new ideas and understand concepts that you would not otherwise understand without adequate vocabulary. Quite simply, vocabulary really opens your mind to new ideas.
Improves Chances of Success
Additionally, a good vocabulary helps you make a good impression among other speakers. Therefore, it improves your chances of success as you will seem like someone who understands a certain topic better, as well as someone who knows how to express themselves properly and interact easily with others. In fact, studies have discovered that there is a link between vocabulary and success in some occupations.
In this study, it was found that vocabulary could predict success as a president and VP 87% of the time, but only 32% of the time for the floor bosses. Therefore, a greater vocabulary was necessary for greater occupational success.
So, learning vocabulary is not just for second speakers. Even native speakers can grow their vocabulary, and witness an improvement in their occupational achievements over time. Fortunately, for the most part, vocabulary is learned. It does not depend on natural abilities as much as people think it is.
Makes it Easier to Master New Words
Vocabulary also makes it easier to master new words, which is one of the most challenging aspects of language learning. With a large vocabulary, you can understand what new words mean without having to take a closer look at what they mean.
For instance, if you see a picture of a beach and then a statement mentions “turquoise sea against a clear blue sky”, you will easily understand that “turquoise” refers to a color even though you might never have heard the word before.
How to Learn Vocabulary
Learn 50 simple tips to improve your vocabulary in English.
Vocabulary Lessons
Learning vocabulary takes some effort. You have to hear a word a couple of times before it is committed to long-term memory, and there are ways to ensure that these words are remembered more easily. For instance, pictures and even sounds can make learning vocabulary even easier.
Following is a big list of vocabulary lessons classified by different categories.
Vocabulary Words and Phrases
Slang Words
Picture Dictionary
Learn English vocabulary words with pictures organized by 150+ different topics.