Ultimate Vocabulary – Vocabulary Building Software

How to Perfect Your English Language Skills

August 12, 2011

There are many aspects to the English language, all of which you need to work on in order to reach the highest levels of ability in reading, writing, and speaking. You’ll have to spend time learning how to correctly spell words (check out this blog for useful spelling tips) and also know how to define the words and use them correctly. The matter of proper pronunciation is especially important when you’re speaking English, because some words can be pronounced several ways with a change in meaning, if not in spelling. The word perfect is a good example of this. When you read the title to this post, did you pronounce the word PURR-feckt or purr-FECKT? As an adjective, the word has the first pronunciation, but when you’re using it as a verb (“to perfect [a skill, a presentation, etc.]”) you need to use the second form. In the title above, you would say purr-FECKT.

Another word that changes pronunciation and meaning depending on its use as a part of speech is consummate. This word comes from the Latin verb consummare (“to sum up, to complete”). As an adjective, the word is pronounced KAHN-sum-muht, and means “a perfect example of” or “having perfect mastery of.” For example, if someone is a consummate gentleman that means he is always polite and courteous no matter the situation, and is a perfect example of what we think of when we think of “gentleman.”

Prostrating myself mentally before my Guide, I cried, “How is it, O divine ideal of consummate loveliness and wisdom that I see thy inside, and yet cannot discern thy heart, thy lungs, thy arteries, thy liver?” – Edwin A. Abbott, Flatland (1884)

Michael was for the offensive. He, as a consummate soldier, said it was the supreme law. Attack, or be attacked; there was no middle course. – Anatole France, The Revolt of the Angels (1914)

When you use this word as a verb, it is pronounced KAHN-soo-mate. In this sense, the word means “to bring to completion.” A traditional use of this word – though it’s becoming archaic as society changes – is to refer to the first time a newly-married couple sleep together. Back in the 16th century, when this word was brought into the English language, it was important for young women to be virgins at marriage, and the consummation of the marriage was what made it a final legal and binding contract between the two families.

Perfect your pronunciation and you’ll soon be a consummate English expert!

Vocabulary, Terminology, Jargon: How Many Words Do You Need?

August 8, 2011

There are hundreds of thousands of words in the English language, but not all of them are useful to everyone in everyday life. Many words are specific to a certain area of study or field of work; for example, if you’re not a geologist, you probably couldn’t define (and would never use) the words laccolith, horst, or oolite. We generally use the word terminology to describe words that are particular to any one field or study and which aren’t often used outside of that field. The word jargon means much the same thing, but more often refers to terminology that is confusing to outsiders, usually because it consists of acronyms, or words that are normal English words but used in a different way. A good example of this is in the area of computers, where an office worker might have no idea why the IT support person advised him to type in a URL where he could find a patch to fix the problem with his OCR.

Some words start out as jargon and later become part of the general language. As an example, look at the word tangential. The noun tangent was invented by a mathematician in the late 16th century to describe the point at which one line touches, but does not intersect (go through), another line. Today, we use these words in English conversation to refer to something that is only superficially or indirectly related to something else.

Example 1: According to the schedule, we were supposed to talk about the school lunch program this morning, but the vice-principal went off on a tangent about summer camps, and we didn’t reach any decisions.

Example 2: The railroad track is tangential to the curve of the river at the Cross Creek bridge.

Here are some other English words that started out as mathematical terms, but came to have different meanings over the centuries:

average
Math: The result of dividing the sum of a set of values by their number.
English: What is most common or usually expected.
Idiomatic: Ordinary; nothing special.

square
Math: The shape formed by four straight lines of equal length meeting at right angles.
English: An open space in the middle of a town used for public functions.
Idiomatic: To repay a debt or obligation.

circular
Math: In the shape of a circle.
English: Roundabout, avoiding the main issue, coming to no conclusion.
Idiomatic: A flyer or pamphlet (something that is “circulated” to many people).

Vocabulary on the SAT and GRE Exams

August 5, 2011

University entrance examinations, like many other standardized tests, leave very little room for error, particularly on the vocabulary and math testing sections. Either your answer is right – you’ve defined a word correctly, or solved an algebra problem – or it’s not. There’s no system that will look at your answers and say “oh, she picked the answer that was almost right, so we’ll give her a half credit for that one.” The computer-based scoring system does not have sympathy built into its circuits, and continues its implacable analysis of the choices you’ve made and the answers you’ve submitted.

How can you improve your chances of getting a high score in the vocabulary section of these tests? By improving your vocabulary, naturally. Pick at least one new word to learn each day, and you’ll gradually gain a comprehensive knowledge of the most useful and interesting parts of the English language. For today, let’s look at the word implacable (pronounced ihm-PLAH-kuh-buhl, with the second syllable rhyming with the word CAT). This adjective comes from the Latin root word placare (“to calm, to appease”) with the prefix im- (with the same meaning as the prefix in-, “not”). There are three definitions of implacable: (1) unable to be calmed / pleased / placated; (2) unstoppable or relentless; and (3) unmoving, adamant. All are similar in the sense of “being unchangeable” but have somewhat different uses.

Example 1: The media often portrayed the Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian residents of the former Yugoslavia as implacable enemies, but in reality many members of the three communities had lived in mutual harmony for generations.

Example 2: Her children were very upset when their sand castle was swept away by the implacable advance of the incoming tide.

Example 3: We begged him to give us another month to find the rent money but our landlord was implacable in his demands and evicted us last week.

Add one or more new words to your vocabulary every day, and you’ll be unstoppable!

Reviewing Definitions: Advanced English Vocabulary Practice

August 4, 2011

In a previous post, we used a quote from the Scottish philosopher David Hume to illustrate the vocabulary word disingenuous. However, there were other advanced vocabulary words in that quote that we didn’t define, and we received some reader feedback with questions about those words. To refresh your memory, we’ve reprinted the quote with the words in question highlighted, followed by their definitions. Be sure to let us know if there are any other words you’d like to have defined!

Disputes with men, pertinaciously obstinate in their principles, are, of all others, the most irksome; except, perhaps, those with persons, entirely disingenuous, who really do not believe the opinions they defend, but engage in the controversy, from affectation, from a spirit of opposition, or from a desire of showing wit and ingenuity, superior to the rest of mankind.

pertinacious (per-tin-AY-shuss) adjective
Definition: Stubbornly refusing to change one’s position; persistent, determined.
Example: Through its pertinacious harassing of the adult robins on the nest, the crow was able to drive them away so it could make a meal out of their eggs.

irksome (URK-sum) adjective
Definition: Tedious and/or annoying.
Example: Although Emily found writing the required weekly reports irksome, she admitted that her department’s records benefited from the regular review.

controversy (KON-truh-vur-see)* noun
Definition: A dispute or disagreement that generally happens in the public sphere and that often goes on for a long time.
Example: Despite the accumulation of verifiable scientific data, the debate over climate change continues to be a point of controversy in many peoples’ minds.

affectation (ah-feck-TAY-shun) noun
Note: The first syllable rhymes with the word CAT.
Definition: A display of emotion or a behavior that is done only for show or effect.
Example: His ritual of sniffing the cork of the wine bottle, swirling the wine, and inhaling deeply is only an affectation – I know for a fact that he can’t tell the difference between Beaujolais and beer!

ingenuity (ihn-jeh-NOO-ih-tee) noun
Definition: Inventiveness; being clever, creative, and original.
Example: The hero of that television show usually escapes from a bad situation through some unlikely plot device, such as by using his ingenuity to fashion a radio out of paper clips and string.

* The UK pronunciation is usually kuhn-TRAH-vur-see.

Word of the Day: Assuage

July 29, 2011

Many people have told us that one of the things they find hardest about learning new vocabulary words is learning how to pronounce them correctly. It’s often difficult to simply look at a word and know immediately what the proper pronunciation is. For example, if you don’t know today’s word, how would you think it’s pronounced?

ASS-wahj
uh-SOO-uhj
AH-soo-AGE
uh-SOO-ay-gee

Frankly, any of these are possible, if you’re only looking at the letters and using some of the different ways those letters are pronounced in combinations that you’ve already seen in other English words. However, the correct pronunciation is uh-SWAYJ. This verb means “to soothe” or “to relieve” – something that’s obvious once you look at the word’s etymology, and see that it comes from the Latin prefix ad- (“toward”) plus the Latin root word suavis (“sweet, agreeable”). When you assuage someone’s fears, for example, you are moving their emotional state towards a more pleasant level.

If you have a good dictionary, whether on-line or paper, you’ll have the tools you need to look up a word’s pronunciation before you try to use it in conversation. If you’re using an on-line dictionary (or a vocabulary-improvement system like Ultimate Vocabulary) then you’ll also have an icon somewhere on the screen that you can click to hear how the word is pronounced by a native speaker. Without this helpful audio assistance, you’ll need to know how to interpret the pronunciation guide for the word, which will be written in symbols that are part of the International Phonetic Alphabet, or “IPA” for short. Here’s how the word assuage looks when written using IPA symbols:

It might seem like a lot of work to learn what is essentially another alphabet in order to understand how to pronounce English words, but the advantage is that because this is an international system, you’ll be able to use this guide to help you pronounce words in nearly any language. For more information on the IPA, check out this resource.

English Words With Repeated Letters

July 27, 2011

Repetition is key when it comes to learning new English vocabulary words. We suggest that you practice your new words by: (1) writing them out by hand several times, which will lock the spelling of the word in your muscles as well as your mind; (2) saying the words out loud several times as well, to get your mouth used to the shape of the word and your ears to its correct pronunciation; and (3) practicing using the words in context by thinking of at least three different sentences containing each word.

That might sound like a lot of work, and we’re the first to admit that in order to get steady improvement in your English vocabulary skills you’ll have to devote some time and effort to the practice. However, vocabulary improvement can be fun as well! Here are five words that make the most of repetition, by using one or several letters more than once.

flibbertigibbet (FLIH-bur-tee-JIH-biht) noun
Definition: Someone who is flighty, careless, and frivolous, and/or who talks a lot.
Example: I can’t believe they hired Susan as a secretary – she’s such a flibbertigibbet she’ll drive the clients mad, and she’ll have the accounts in a shambles within a week.

giggling (GIH-gull-ing) verb (present participle)
Definition: Laughing in a muted but high-pitched way, often due to being nervous; laughing in a silly or foolish fashion.
Example: Angela’s surprise party wasn’t a surprise, because she could hear the guests giggling even before she opened the door.

effervescence (EFF-er-VEH-sense) noun
Definition: Fizz or bubbles in a liquid; in a metaphorical sense, an attitude that is extremely upbeat and cheerful.
Example: Serve champagne in tall narrow glasses to retain as much of the effervescence as possible.

inconveniencing (ihn-cuhn-VEEN-yun-sing) verb (present participle)
Definition: Causing bother, fuss, or trouble to someone.
Example: Each new airline passenger regulation seems to accomplish little except inconveniencing the people who need to travel by airplane.

senselessness (SENS-less-ness) noun
Definition: A complete lack of meaning or reason; total randomness.
Example: Many articles have been written by the heads of various churches around the world preaching against the senselessness of war.

English Vocabulary For Success: Disingenuous

July 25, 2011

“Disputes with men, pertinaciously obstinate in their principles, are, of all others, the most irksome; except, perhaps, those with persons, entirely disingenuous, who really do not believe the opinions they defend, but engage in the controversy, from affectation, from a spirit of opposition, or from a desire of showing wit and ingenuity, superior to the rest of mankind.” – from An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals (1751) by Scottish philosopher David Hume

Approximately 100 years before Hume wrote this essay, the word disingenuous entered the English language. You’ve probably already made a guess as to part of the meaning of this word after you identified the common prefix dis-, which generally indicates “not” or “the opposite” of something. The root of the word comes from the Latin generis, which has the general translation “arise, produce, give birth.” In this case, we add both the prefix in- (“in, from”) and the prefix dis- (“not”) to get a word that means essentially “not arising from, not native to” with the common meaning of “false.” Someone who is acting in a disingenuous manner is acting falsely, often pretending ignorance about something in order to fool someone else. In the quote above, Hume is referring to people who pretend to believe in something just so that they can cause arguments with or problems for other people.

When this act of pretending is done openly and honestly – that is, when a person admits this is what they’re doing – such a strategy is often called playing devil’s advocate. This often happens during a discussion where people are trying to figure something out, solve a problem, or develop a strategy. In this case, when one person “pretends” to not know something and asks questions or argues, it may cause the other people involved to think more deeply about the issue, or come up with new ideas.

One final note on this word: don’t confuse it with the word ingenious, which means “brilliant, innovative” or “inherently clever.” Although both of these words started with the same Latin root, they ended up as very different characteristics!

English Words With No Vowels

July 22, 2011

In a previous post we talked about words in the English language that have an unusual number of vowels. In today’s post, we’ll look at English words that have no vowels at all, unless you include the “sometimes vowel” y. Work these words into your next conversation and you’ll improve your reputation as an expert to the nth degree!

pygmy (PIG-mee) adjective
Definition: Very much smaller or shorter than average.
Example: For would-be farmers without much land, the pygmy goat is a good choice for a steady supply of fresh milk.

myrrh (MURR) noun
Definition: A fragrant resin produced from the bark of several types of thorny trees.
Example: During high church ceremonies, the altar is blessed by burning pieces of myrrh in a swinging censer.

syzygy (SIH-sih-jee) noun
Definition: Alignment.
Example: During an eclipse, the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon are in syzygy.

rhythm (RIH-thum) noun
Definition: A repeated pattern of sound or movement.
Example: Many CDs designed to be played to babies follow the rhythm of a heartbeat, which recalls the sounds they heard inside the womb.

spryly (SPRI-lee) adverb
(Note: the first syllable rhymes with “eye.”)
Definition: In a nimble manner.
Example: Although she was 86 years old, she jumped spryly over the fence and managed to catch the runaway sheep.

crypt (KRIHPT) noun
Definition: A tomb or underground vault.
Example: The teenagers dared each other to spend the night in the crypt on Halloween.

glyph (GLIHFF) noun
Definition: A symbol or picture representing a word or words.
Example: By translating the Greek text on the Rosetta stone, researchers and linguists were able to begin to decipher the ancient Egyptian glyphs.

tryst (TRIHST) noun
Definition: A private meeting, usually of a romantic nature.
Example: The rose garden behind the library is a popular spot for a tryst on warm summer evenings.

How to Keep Your Study Sessions Stress-Free

July 20, 2011

How busy are you these days? You might be enjoying a summer vacation or winter holidays and have plenty of time for your vocabulary study (because you did take your flash cards to the beach, didn’t you?). On the other hand, you might be juggling a full-time job, meetings for your church or community groups, school events and homework for your children – or yourself! – and the pressure of having a to-do list that gets longer every time you look at it. In this situation, it’s often very tempting to put your English vocabulary improvement at the bottom of the list in the hopes that will reduce the stress and anxiety. However, if you can find another way to regain your equanimity, you’ll be able to keep working on your vocabulary skills even in the middle of your most hectic days.

The word equanimity comes from from the Latin root words aequus (“equal”) and animus (“spirit”). With a spirit of equanimity, you are even-tempered, and able to handle anything that comes your way whether positive or negative. Equanimity means being calm and stable, especially under stress. If you can gain equanimity you will find it easier to balance all of the tasks of the day, and you won’t lose time fretting about things that seem like they’re going wrong.

Gaining even a little bit of spare time can relieve your mental pressure, so why not build that in to your study routine? Remember, what’s important is that you’re committed to daily vocabulary study. If you have to shorten your recommended 15-minute minimum study time to incorporate a 5-minute meditation break, we encourage you to do so. With a calm mind, you’ll be in much better shape to learn, and you won’t be as distracted by the other things you may be worrying about.

You can use this 5-minute break to clear your head of all its clutter. Sit or lie down, close your eyes, and breath deeply. If you find it hard to shut out all of the worries and the to-do lists, pick a peaceful word or image to focus on. We like the words ineffable and harmony and alabaster as meditation words – they’re easy to repeat, and bring up images of light and music, poetry and purity.

Return refreshed to your study, your equanimity restored, and with the confidence that the ten minutes you’ve just spent on your vocabulary study will contribute to your success at work and at home, which is guaranteed to reduce your stress for good!

New Words From Around the World

July 18, 2011

With the June 2011 update to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English language officially added words for strange creatures too small to be seen without a microscope, and amazing rock sculptures too large to be seen without a telescope. Focus your attention on these new words, and travel the world in your imagination!

babaco (BAH-BAH-koh)
An Ecuadoran fruit related to the papaya, often sold for its juice. Though the plant originated in South America, babaco is grown in Australia, Italy, California, and other locations with a warm climate.

babakoto (buh-buh-KOHT)
This is another Malagasy name for the indri, a large lemur native to Madagascar, an island off the coast of Africa. The babakoto is one of the largest lemur species on the island, but like all other lemurs – which are only found on this island – it is endangered.

geoglyph (GEE-oh-gliff)
From the Greek words for “earth” and “picture” we get this word for a large design created by placing rocks on the ground or by removing the top layer of the soil to reveal rock of a different color. Although we know of many geoglyphs that were created tens of thousands of years ago, the OED only officially added this word to the English language in June. Some of the most famous geoglyphs are the Nasca lines found in Peru and White Horse Hill in Oxfordshire, England (both made by scraping lines in the top layer of earth to let the lighter colored soil appear). These shapes are so large that they can usually only be fully seen from the air. The installation known as “Spiral Jetty” by the artist Robert Smithson is an example of a modern geoglyph, having been built in 1970 in the state of Utah.

sarcodine (SAR-koh-deen)
A protozoan, or a small one- or many-celled organism, often generally referred to as amoeba. These tiny creatures use pseudopods (from the Greek words meaning “false” and “foot”) to move around and to absorb their food.

What unusual words from the natural world have caught your attention lately?