Here at Ultimate Vocabulary, we’re usually focused on ways to help you increase your vocabulary and improve your conversational skills by using those new and interesting vocabulary words. Sometimes, though, we need to talk about just exactly how you use those words. Your expanded vocabulary and facility (facility means “skill, ability”) with words won’t impress people nearly as much as they should if you have problems communicating clearly, especially on a professional level.

When you’re preparing for a presentation – unless you’re an excellent extemporaneous speaker (extemporaneous means “impromptu, without prior planning or preparation”) with a rock-solid knowledge of your topic and the likely questions you’ll get from the audience – you’ll benefit from taking the time to write at least an outline of your presentation. You might even want to write out key phrases and detailed points you’ll be covering, then review what you’ve written to make sure that you’re stating things clearly and concisely.

Write down important points, along with a general outline of your presentation, on note cards that you can refer to discreetly (discreetly means “quietly, inconspiciously”) to keep on track, and to ensure that you don’t forget anything. Even if you have visual aids such as a Powerpoint slideshow, it looks better to the audience if you’re facing them, rather than constantly turning your back on them to look at the overhead projection.

Spend some time practicing your presentation so that you have much of what you want to say memorized. If you rely too much on your notes, the audience may suspect that you aren’t comfortable with your topic, or that you don’t have the knowledge they expect from the speaker.

Prepare for questions from your audience by reviewing your planned presentation and thinking about what you might ask, if you were in the audience. If you have time, practice your presentation in front of friends or co-workers, and ask them for feedback. If you can find a group of people who match your prospective audience (prospective means “expected, future”) then you’ll be getting the type of feedback and questions that you can anticipate on the day of your presentation. These practice sessions will also help you overcome any nervousness you might have about your upcoming speech.

Are you afraid of public speaking? What has helped you give better presentations? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Yesterday we gave you an analogy that vocabulary-building was like constructing an office building, with a need for separate functions and outside connections and a solid foundation in the fundamentals of etymology (the history of words). One thing we didn’t mention yesterday is that it’s important to know the vocabulary of your field or profession – or the field or profession you want to join or advance in. Continuing in the theme of “building” today, here’s a list of words that will be useful to you if you’re interested in pursuing a career in architecture or construction, or if you just want to add some polish to your conversation in general. To see an image of what the word describes, click on the link.

balustrade: A row of short pillars with a railing along the top, used as a barricade across the edge of a balcony, ledge, or staircase.

cantilever: A horizontal projection that is supported at one end but not the other. This word can be either a noun or a verb.

escutcheon: A decorative flat plate or shield, often with a coat of arms, attached to a wall.

bollard: A short thick post that prevents vehicles from driving into a specific location.

girder: A long beam of metal or wood that is used as a horizontal support (for a roof or a floor, for example).

lintel: A horizontal flat or arched beam or block placed on top of two vertical columns such as door posts, which may be either load-bearing or decorative.

pilaster: A column that is not freestanding but rather embedded into a wall. While most often decorative, they can also support some of the structure.

batten: A thin strip of wood or metal used to hold objects together. The nautical phrase “batten down the hatches” means to secure the edges of a tarpaulin covering in this manner. Because this is something sailors would do before a storm, the expression is often used idiomatically to mean “look out for bad times ahead.” This word can be either a noun or a verb.

If we told you that vocabulary study is absolutely the bee’s knees, you might think we were ossified, but really everything’s copacetic – we’re just using expressions that were current in the United States in the 1920s (the bee’s knees = the best, tops; ossified = tipsy, drunk; copacetic = good, fine). This bit of linguistic time travel shows how words evolve, and how they become extinct. Many words that were commonly used fifty or five hundred years ago are no longer part of everyday speech, or if they are, their meanings may have changed significantly.

The word anachronism (ah-NACK-roh-nihzm) comes from the Greek roots ana- (against, apart from) and chronos (time). An anachronism is something that is out of place for the time it’s in, like a cell phone in Victorian England, or a dinosaur chasing a group of Neanderthals. Anachronism is a noun; its adjectival form is anachronistic. Some synonyms for anachronistic are obsolete and archaic.

You might be focused on new words in your vocabulary study, but it’s worthwhile to look at some of the older words as well. For one thing, it will help you if you’re required to read any English literature written before you were born – the authors will generally use the vocabulary that’s in use in their lifetime or earlier. In addition, not all words that are out of common use deserve to be forgotten. The phrase the bee’s knees is slang, and slang changes as quickly as societies evolve, having value often only for a year or two. However, many useful words are still part of the English language, and are worth remembering. Here are a few words that are not frequently heard in conversation that you might enjoy:

chalcedony (kal-SED-oh-nee): a class of silicate minerals that includes agate, onyx, and carnelian

exuviate (ex-OO-vee-ate): to shed or cast off (hair, skin, fur)

fubsy (FUB-zee): short, stout, and wide

griseous (GRIH-zee-us): mottled grey in color

Like an old cameo pendant of your grandmother’s, or the silver tie clip your grandfather wore every Sunday, old words can be polished and added to your new verbal wardrobe to add a bit of color and interest.

What words would you like to see used more often?

Knowing when and how to use your new vocabulary words is important. There will be times when bringing out all of your best and most descriptive words is helpful, such as when you’re creating a presentation or proposal that needs to catch someone’s eye – a potential employer, perhaps, or a group of clients or investors. Of course, there are also times when you’ll need to strip your speech to its bare essentials, such as when you’re writing instructions or task lists for a diverse set of readers and want to make sure everyone understands what you mean. In this case, you’ll want to pick the words that will convey your ideas clearly, using terms with precise meanings.

The English language also has many ways to use words in an imprecise manner. Idiom, metaphor, and euphemism are all ways to say things indirectly. In previous posts, we’ve talked about idiom (example: “it’s raining cats and dogs”) and metaphor (example: “her eyes were stars glimmering behind the dark veil of her long hair”). A euphemism is another way to refer to something without naming it directly. The word comes from the Greek roots eu (“good”) and pheme (“speaking”) and means the act of referring to something that might cause discomfort or distress to the listener in such a way that you do not say the name of that thing out loud. For example, people have long been uncomfortable with the thought of death, which is why we use euphemisms like passed away, departed, gave up the ghost, or (more casually) kicked the bucket, instead of saying “died.” Other topics that generate many euphemisms are sex and pregnancy – quite a few not suitable for this family website, as you can imagine! When we teach children about the facts of life, we talk to them about the birds and the bees. Teenagers fool around and a boy might get to second base, but if he scores, there’s a risk that the girl might soon be in the family way, expecting, with a bun in the oven.

You’ll find euphemisms in business and government as well. You can buy a pre-owned car (it’s not a “used” car, please!) or get a job as a sanitation engineer (no one is a “janitor” any more). But stay out of trouble, or the authorities might bring you in and try some enhanced interrogation techniques (formerly known as “torture”)!

Many English words have similar spelling and/or pronunciation, but very different meanings. It’s useful to look at these often-confusing word pairs, to make sure that you’ve learned which ones to use where, and the correct way to pronounce each word. Whether you’re communicating in person or in writing, it’s important to use the right word, so that your audience understands your meaning.

For each of these word pairs, do the following:

• say the words out loud, using the correct pronunciation
• write the words down several times, noting the different spellings
• create three or four example sentences for each word in context

allusion (ah-LOO-zhun) v. illusion (ih-LOO-zhun)

An allusion is a reference to or indirect mention of something. An illusion is a misperception.

foreword (FOR-wurd) v. forward (FOR-ward)

A foreword is an introduction or preface to a longer written work, such as an essay or treatise. To move forward means to go ahead.

perpetrate (PER-peh-trate) v. perpetuate (per-PEH-tyoo-ate)

Perpetrate means to commit a crime; perpetuate means to continue or prolong.

perquisite (PER-kwih-zit) v. prerequisite (pre-REH-kwih-zit)

A perquisite is a fringe benefit or prerogative. A prerequisite is something that must exist or occur before something else can happen.

These next five word pairs are even more confusing, because they’re spelled exactly the same, but have different pronunciation and meanings:

excuse noun (ex-KYOOS) v. excuse verb (ex-KYOOZ)

As a noun, excuse means “reason” but as a verb it means “to pardon.”

produce noun (PRO-doos) v. produce verb (pro-DOOS)

The noun produce refers to fruits and vegetables. The verb produce means to raise, create, or generate.

record noun (REH-kord) v. record verb (ree-KORD)

The noun record can refer to a vinyl recording of music, documentation of facts or figures, or the best performance (usually in an athletic event), among other things. As a verb, record means to create such a recording or documentation.

perfect adjective (PER-fekt) v. perfect verb (per-FEKT)

Something that is perfect is without flaw; used as a verb, perfect means to make without flaw.

content adjective (con-TENT) v. content noun (CON-tent)

To be content means to be happy or pleased. The noun content means “what is included or contained inside.”

What word pairs cause you the most trouble?

Are you in a mid-month slump? Running out of ideas about how to improve your vocabulary study methods? Don’t worry – that’s why we started this Vocabulary Builder’s Blog. We give you tips on study techniques, news about research and findings in educational practices, and links to helpful resources in print and on line. In fact, there’s a plethora of tools we provide to our readers, like helpful hints on how to get the most out of your study time, as well as definitions and examples of powerful and useful vocabulary words you can use to improve your communication and presentations.

Today’s word is plethora (PLEH-ther-uh), a noun meaning “an abundance of [something]” which comes from the Greek root plethore (“fullness”). This word is usually used to describe a situation where there is almost too much of something – for example, so many choices on a restaurant menu that you can’t make up your mind what to get. Some synonyms for plethora include myriad, plenitude, and profusion.

Example: The decorator provided a plethora of options for the paint he could use inside the house, and seemed disappointed when I decided to have all of the rooms painted a glossy eggshell white.

If you’ve been looking on line for vocabulary study tools, you may have been overwhelmed by the plethora of sites available to you. Here are a few sites that we like:

Vocabulary Building Games (http://www.vocabulary.co.il/)

Geared more towards younger children, but this site also has games, quizzes, and word puzzles for learning levels up through secondary school.

Activities For ESL Students (http://a4esl.org/)

This is an excellent site for people who are learning English as their second language, and has both English-only and bilingual quizzes.

Ohio University Department of Linguistics (http://www.ohio.edu/linguistics/esl/)

This site, run by Ohio University, has a wide range of materials related to vocabulary study and education. If you live near a college or university, be sure to check out their web site for additional resources, and to find out if they offer free or low-cost vocabulary study programs on campus or on line.

World Wide Words (http://www.worldwidewords.org/)

A fun resource that explores the wide range of interesting and useful words in the English language, including etymology, usage, and word-related trivia.

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Learning one word doesn’t just increase your vocabulary by one, but usually by two or more, because you’ll also learn related words as part of your vocabulary study. Adjectives have associated adverbs, nouns can be turned into adjectives, some words are related through their word roots, and most words have synonyms and/or antonyms that you can – and should – memorize as part of the study process for a particular word. In yesterday’s post, we looked at the words dubious, mitigate, ambient, chronic, and utopia. When you create your flash cards for vocabulary review, you can add these words as well:

dubiously (adverb meaning “with doubt or suspicion”)
ambiance (noun meaning “surroundings, atmosphere”)
aggravate (an antonym of mitigate meaning “to make worse”)
habitual (a synonym of chronic meaning “recurring”)
utopian (adjective meaning “idyllic, perfect”)

When you’re studying today’s five words for success, keep in mind all of the related words that go along with them, and you’ll find that your efforts will bring you even more results.

incessant (in-SESS-ant) adjective
Definition: Unending, continuing without a break.
Example: I can’t concentrate on my reading because of my roommate’s incessant chatter on her cell phone.

proliferate (pro-LIFF-er-ate) verb
Definition: To increase in number.
Example: The wildflowers she planted when she was a child continue to proliferate, and now the whole meadow is covered in colorful blossoms each spring.

vindicate (VIN-dih-kate) verb
Definition: To prove the rightness of something, to justify.
Example: Alan had evidence that the shopkeeper had cheated him, but the judge said that did not vindicate his actions, and fined him for damages to pay for the door that he had kicked in.

admonish (ad-MON-ish) verb
Definition: To reprimand, to chastise.
Example: Ellen’s dog learned quickly – she only had to admonish him once after he chewed up the newspaper, and he never did it again.

truculent (TRUCK-you-lent) adjective
Definition: Fierce, combative, angry.
Example: The police were out in force to control the truculent crowds who came to protest the new city taxes on gasoline and cigarettes.

How do people perceive you? What sort of impression do you make on the people you meet? Whether it’s friends or strangers, co-workers or managers, you’re judged every day – sometimes more kindly than others! – by what you wear, what your attitude is, and what you say. Just as you pick your outfit according to the event you’re attending, and alter your mood to match your companions and your circumstances, you’ll need to select the right words for each occasion. The more words you know, the easier this will be. Here are ten useful words to learn and practice to help you adapt to any situation:

chronic (KRON-ick) adjective
Definition: Persistent or present over a long period of time, either continually or recurring.
Example: Stuart was unable to save enough money for a new car due to his chronic betting (and losing) at the racetrack.

ambient (AM-bee-ent) adjective
Definition: Enveloping, surrounding, present everywhere.
Example: It’s difficult to make a good-quality recording of a live outdoor performance in a city park because the ambient noise level is so high.

mitigate (MIH-tih-gate) verb
Definition: To make less, to decrease, to make better
Example: That naturopath suggests taking a double dose of vitamin B6 or chewing on fresh ginger to mitigate the motion sickness many people feel on long sea voyages.

utopia (you-TOH-pee-ah) noun
Definition: A perfect situation or state of affairs.
Example: We all dream of a utopia where everyone has everything they need to live a good life, but not all of us are willing to sacrifice what we have to help others.

dubious (DOO-bee-us) adjective
Definition: Doubtful, open to question, uncertain.
Example: The ambient temperature at the poles during the winter is so high, scientists are dubious as to whether or not we will be able to do anything to mitigate the speed at which the ice caps are melting.

Come back tomorrow for five more words that you’ll find useful in any future scenario, whether utopian or post-apocalyptic!

English is full of specific, descriptive words that you can use to enrich your conversation or add interest to a presentation at work or at school. The more words you know, the more confident you’ll feel having a conversation with anyone, from a chance meeting with a stranger in a shop or at a show, to a high-level company meeting where you have a chance to impress your employers with your capability and insight. However, you don’t have to use all of your fanciest words all of the time. Think about how you might be dressed in each of the scenarios above – would you be wearing the same clothes to get the groceries, go to work, and attend the opera? You’d probably have different outfits depending on the situation. In the same fashion, you can use your beautifully elaborate words when they’ll fit in the setting you’re in, and enjoy the practicality of the more utilitarian words in your day-to-day life.

The adjective utilitarian means useful, practical, and functional. It shares the Latin root word utilitas (service, benefit, profit) with other words with similar meanings or nuances, including utilize and utility. In general, the word carries the sense that the thing being described consists of only the basic essentials necessary for it to perform its function, without anything that is only there for looks or show.

Example 1: Robert is always dressed in the finest Italian suits, with highly-polished shoes, but when we had a work day at the office to move all of the client files, he showed up in a utilitarian outfit of a flannel shirt and well-worn jeans, ready to haul boxes with the rest of us.

Example 2: Emily likes the carved Chinese-style cabinets with drawer pulls shaped like dragons and phoenixes, but I prefer the utilitarian Swedish style, with open shelves and plain wooden knobs.

Whether plain or fancy, the right words make a difference. A large and flexible vocabulary will help you adapt to, and effectively communicate in, any situation.

English is a rich language that has an abundance of words that you can use to add interest and spice to your conversations and presentations. As in many languages, it’s not uncommon for one word to have several meanings, depending on how it’s used in a sentence. Learning how to use these idiomatic expressions will give you an edge when corresponding with native English speakers, and will help you hold the attention of your listeners. Here are four words that you’ll probably see in many cookbooks, whose idiomatic meanings can often be traced back to the culinary world, but which you can also use to describe feelings and actions unrelated to food.

waffle (verb)
Definition: To vacillate, act indecisively, change opinion or position, equivocate.
Example: The politician ran for office saying that he supported new immigration legislation, but once elected, he began to waffle from his previous position, and now seems to agree with the opposing party half the time.

roast (verb)
Definition: To poke fun at, denigrate in a mocking or tongue-in-cheek manner, ridicule.
Example: A tradition at many modern weddings is for the groom’s best friend to roast the newlyweds, bringing up embarrassing moments from their past, rather than giving a sweet and flowery speech about future happiness and wedded bliss.

zest (noun)
Definition: Enthusiasm, passion, excitement.
Example: The 1957 Broadway show Auntie Mame tells the story of a young orphan boy sent to live with his rich and eccentric aunt, whose zest for living inspires and entertains him.

stew (verb)
Definition: To fret, worry about something.
Example: He’s difficult to work with, always stewing over minor glitches in the timeline, and making everyone else nervous about whether or not we can complete the project successfully.