Learn English Language Words That Are Their Own Opposites

The vocabulary of English is vast, and counting exactly how many words English (or any language) has is impossible. The two largest dictionaries of the English language overlap with each other very little, so the vocabulary of English must be even larger than the count of words in the most complete available English dictionary.

Early studies of English vocabulary by lexicographers, the scholars who formally study vocabulary, compile dictionaries, or both, were impeded by a lack of comprehensive data on actual vocabulary in use from good-quality linguistic corpora, collections of actual written texts and spoken passages.

Many statements published before the end of the 20th century about the growth of English vocabulary over time, the dates of first use of various words in English, and the sources of English vocabulary will have to be corrected as new computerized analysis of linguistic corpus data becomes available.

Many people dread the prospect of learning new vocabulary because they assume it can only involve rote memorization. Fortunately, that’s far from the case--whether you’re learning a new language or improving your current one, there are a variety of tools you can use to help you really absorb, not just memorize, new words. Take advantage of the many tools available to you and practice with them often!

Create word associations. Whether you're learning vocabulary in your native language or a foreign language, associations can help you memorize new words. Absurd, vivid, or ridiculous associations are the most likely to help you retain your new vocabulary.

If you’re learning a foreign language, associate new words with words in your native language. If a new word resembles a word in your native tongue, create a mental image association between the native word and the new word. For example, the French word “vin,” or wine, sounds similar to the English word “van,” so you might make a visual association of a van full of wine to help you remember.

Word associations are also helpful if you’re learning a new word in your own language. For example, the beginning of the word “curtail,” which means to cut short, resembles the beginning of the word “curtain,” so you can make a mental association of curtains cut too short to help you remember “curtail.”
When creating word associations, be sure to visualize the image vividly and to review it in your head several times a day so the association will become hardwired into your memory.

Use mnemonics. A variation on the “similar word association” technique, mnemonic devices use patterns to assist your memory.
For example, the word “abrogate,” which means to deny or cancel, can be broken down into a pattern of images based on the series of letters that make up the word. So, you might break “abrogate” down into “a”+”bro”+”gate” and then visualize a bro standing at your gate while you "deny" him entrance.
Like word associations, mnemonic techniques work best when they relate new concepts to concepts already in your knowledge base.


Practice with flashcards. One of the most time-honored techniques, flashcards remain a simple but powerful tool for vocabulary practice.
Write down each new word you learn on the front of a small note card or piece of paper, then write its definition on the back.
Run through the flashcards several times each day, trying to remember the word’s definition before checking on the back.
There are a variety of flashcard apps available for tablets and smartphones that can make using flashcards even more portable and accessible. Go here for a short list of Android apps or here for a list of Apple apps.


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