Ultimate Vocabulary – Vocabulary Building Software

English Vocabulary For Success: Knowledge v. Acknowledge

May 4, 2011

A good English vocabulary study program (whether it’s one you’ve created for yourself, or Ultimate Vocabulary’s software program, or a combination of the two) will increase your knowledge about many aspects of the words in the English language. The word knowledge traces its etymology back to the Latin word gnoscere and the Greek word gnosis, both meaning “knowledge” (it’s may seem as if we’re going in circles, defining a word as itself, but that happens sometimes with word roots). You’ll recognize gnosis as the suffix meaning “with knowledge or understanding of” in the words prognosis (pro- means “future,” so “knowledge of the future”) and diagnosis (dia- means “completely,” so “thorough understanding of something”). For more information on this word, read this post.

We use the English word knowledge to mean one of several levels of understanding. At the most superficial level, we use the word merely to mean “awareness of something.” A synonym for the word in this context is cognizant. We can also be describing a deeper level of understanding or familiarity with a topic; in this case synonyms might be information or data. Finally, we can use the word to mean complete and thorough comprehension of a situation or topic. In this last case, we can also use the synonym erudition.

Example 1 (shallow): Alex indicated her knowledge that the train was arriving with a wave of her hand, but continued to talk to her friend at the gate.
Example 2 (medium): Alex has no more knowledge of the way train engines work than I do, but she acts as if she could take over from the engineer.
Example 3 (deep): Alex studied engineering at university, and her knowledge of steam locomotive mechanisms helped her get a summer job at the Danish Railway Museum in Odense.

Knowledge refers to something within a person, but acknowledge is often used to refer to something external. To acknowledge someone’s words is to accept that they’ve said those words, or to show that you accept the truth of those words. You can acknowledge things you have received from someone else, whether tangible (gifts) or intangible (advice). Acknowledge can also mean admitting to the existence or truth of an action or belief of your own. Here are some examples:

Example 1: The queen acknowledged the cheers of her subjects by nodding her head to either side as the carriage progressed along the pathway.
Example 2: After seeing the evidence in the charts of temperatures recorded around the world over the past decade, even the skeptics had to acknowledge that global weather patterns are changing.
Example 3: Henry will acknowledge that he stole the money if the lab results come back showing his fingerprints on the door of the bank vault.

If you continue to increase your knowledge of English vocabulary, people will definitely acknowledge your expertise with words.

How Silent Letters Cause Spelling Difficulties

May 2, 2011

Many people find English vocabulary confusing, and for a variety of reasons. Some find that the quirks in pronunciation make it difficult to use new words in conversation, especially when going between British English and American English. For example, a British army lieutenant (LEFF-ten-ent) might use his mobile (MOH-BILE) to call the garage (GAIR-ridge) when his car breaks down, but a lieutenant (loo-TEN-ent) in the US Army would reach for his mobile (MOH-bull) phone to call the corner garage (guh-RAHJ) in the same situation. And frankly, there’s no clue in the word lieutenant or the word garage as to why they’re pronounced the way they are in either version. Students of the English language have to pick up these subtleties as they learn.

Silent letters – such as the “e” at the end of garage – are letters that are not pronounced when saying the word out loud, although they may affect the pronunciation of the word. In this example, if the word were spelled garag it would most likely be pronounced just as it’s spelled, GAH-RAG. If you know the ways a final “e” can change the pronunciation, you’ll get a clue about the spelling of the word (see this post for more information). Silent letters can be either vowels or consonants (some other examples are here).

Sometimes knowing two forms of a word will help you learn how to spell both correctly. There is a silent “n” at the end of the verb condemn (kun-DEHM), but that same “n” is pronounced in the noun condemnation (kahn-dehm-NAY-shun). The same pattern occurs with the noun autumn (AW-tuhm) and its adjective autumnal (aw-TUHM-nahl). Here at the Vocabulary Builder’s Blog, we frequently encourage you to explore the relationships between words, and this is an excellent example of how a little research can not only add still more words to your vocabulary, but also help you learn how to spell and pronounce them correctly.

Cross-posted at the Ultimate Spelling blog.

What is a Palindrome?

April 29, 2011

A palindrome is a word or phrase that reads (is spelled) the same forward as backward. This style of clever writing has been around for thousands of years, in all cultures with a written language. The English word was only recently invented in the 17th century, by the famous wordsmith Ben Jonson, who formed the word out of the Greek roots palin (“again”) and dromos (“movement, direction”). People who enjoy playing with words frequently entertain themselves and others with palindromic phrases, but most of the longer ones tend to be somewhat nonsensical, as the authors are using words mainly for their spelling rather than their meaning. Two of the most famous English palindromes are “Able was I ere I saw Elba” (incorrectly attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte) and “A man, a plan, a canal: Panama” (referring to the building of the Panama Canal between 1904-1914).

Many English words are palindromes, but most are only three or four letters long (noon, tat, bob, deed, eye) Here are some of the longer English single-word palindromes:

deified (DAY-ih-fide)
This is the past tense of the verb deify, which means “to treat [someone or something] like a god.”

rotator (ROH-tay-tor)
Generically this word means “something that rotates” but you’ll rarely see it used in that manner. However, it’s a common word in anatomy, and you may have heard of (or had problems with) your rotator cuff, which is the set of muscles and tendons in your shoulder that help control the movement of your arm.

redivider (REE-dih-VI-der)
When you redivide something, you “divide it again.” A redivider is a person or other acting agent that performs this double division. This is not a common word, but it is one of the longest true palindromes in the English language.

kayak (KI-ack)
For thousands of years, the nomadic Inuit and Eskimo hunted fish, seal, and even whale in the northern oceans in enclosed skin-covered boats just big enough for one or two people. We get our English word kayak from the Inuktituk word qajak, though these days most kayaks are made out of plastic, rubber, or fiberglass.

What’s the longest palindromic phrase you can create?

Sound Spelling Principles

April 25, 2011

Spoken English has one advantage over written English: you don’t have to worry about how a word is spelled when you’re saying it out loud. However, there are words that sound exactly the same when they’re pronounced, and that can be confusing for the listener if they’re not sure of the context. These words are called homophones (for more information on homophones, check out this post). What’s worse, when you’re not careful about learning the correct spelling for each word, you’ll confuse your readers as well when you use the words in written communication. Because words that sound similar are often confused, once you get rid of that confusion you’ll be able to both use and spell the words correctly. Here are four sets of words that are frequently misspelled in written documents:

peak and pique
Pronunciation guide: PEEK
A peak is the top of a mountain, or the top of anything that achieves metaphorical height, such as fame or talent. You might hear an athlete described as being “in peak condition” when she is at her most fit. If that athlete loses a race she expected to win, she might feel some pique at her defeat. Pique refers to a feeling of irritation or resentment. Don’t confuse this with the word piqué, which is pronounced PEE-KAY and is the name of a type of fabric similar to corduroy. And as you’ve probably noticed, the pronunciation of these words gives you another homophone, peek (“to peer, glance at”).

rapt and wrapped
Pronunciation guide: RAPT
In this case, one homophone is spelled exactly as it sounds. Rapt means mesmerized or enthralled – in a way, you’re wrapped up in something that’s occupying all of your attention.

bridal and bridle
Pronunciation guide: BRI-dull
Believe it or not, we’ve actually seen a shop display stand advertising the newest copy of a “bridle magazine” featuring the latest fashions – but in long white dresses, not saddles and harnesses! While some people might still call marriage “getting hitched,” it’s best if you don’t confuse these words for “relating to a bride” (bridal) and “a harness for a horse’s head” (bridle).

wretch and retch
Pronunciation guide: RETCH
Silent consonants cause a lot of trouble for people who are learning English as a second language, especially if their first language requires all letters to be pronounced. Technically, as linguists would tell you, there should be a slight difference in pronunciation between wretch-with-a-w and retch-without-a-w because your lips should close slightly to form the “w” sound – but in practice, no one really does that. However, you should make a big difference in how you use and spell these two words! A wretch is someone who is unhappy and oppressed. Retch is what you might do if you eat something that makes you sick.

Cross-posted at the Ultimate Spelling Blog.

How to Get Closer to a Word’s Core Meaning

April 22, 2011

Etymology is the study of the origins and meanings of words. Many words in the English language have been formed by combining root words, which can be traced back to the early languages where those words and concepts first appeared. These early languages are usually Latin and Greek, though some common words have come into the English language from the early Germanic languages, or from the Middle East. If you know how to look at a word and identify the roots contained in it, you’ll have a good idea of what that word means, and what other words might be related in meaning.

An example of a Greek root found in several English words is epi, meaning “near, close to” or “upon.” This Greek root is often found at the beginning of words, as a prefix. Once you see the sequence epi- at the start of a word, you can look at the rest of the word to find out exactly what is “near or close by.” Here are some useful English vocabulary words with this prefix:

episode (EH-pih-sohd) noun
An episode is a discrete event or happening, but one that is connected to other events in a series which occur or recur regularly. The adverbial form of this noun is episodic.
Example 1: Alan takes medication to help control his episodes of tinnitus.
Example 2: The next episode of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” is expected to draw nine million viewers.

epitaph (EH-pih-taff) noun
Adding the Greek word taphos (“tomb”) to our prefix, we get the English word for an inscription on a grave marker or tombstone. In the past, an epitaph was also the name for a poem eulogizing the deceased, often hung on the entrance to the crypt where they were buried.
Example: I cannot bid you bid my daughter live; that were impossible; but, I pray you both, possess the people in Messina here how innocent she died; and if your love can labour aught in sad invention, hang her an epitaph upon her tomb, and sing it to her bones: sing it to-night. – from “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare

epicenter (EH-pih-sehn-tur) noun
Unfortunately, this word has been in the news quite often lately; the focal point of an earthquake is referred to as the epicenter. In a more metaphorical sense, the word is often used to mean something or someone that is in the center of (often the cause of) an eventful, chaotic, or complicated situation.
Example: In the 1990s, bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam made Seattle the epicenter of the grunge movement.

We’ll just add this as a brief epilogue: to quickly increase your ability to learn and memorize new English vocabulary words, make etymology the centerpiece of your study program!

New Words in the OED: March 2011

April 20, 2011

The editors at the Oxford English Dictionary are completely out to lunch!* Or at least they must have been hungry when they put together the latest list of words to add to the official roster of the English language, the OED. Here are six of the newest, tastiest words to add to your English vocabulary, hot off the grill:

banh mi
A Vietnamese sandwich with French roots, this usually refers to a baguette that has been sliced lengthwise and filled with pickled and fresh vegetables, a slice of pork liver pâté or roasted pork (or both), mayonnaise, chili sauce, and cilantro.

gremolata
This Italian mixture of finely chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest often is found sprinkled on veal dishes such as osso bucco.

kleftiko
In Greece, they marinate whole lamb legs and shoulders in garlic and lemon juice, and then bake them slowly in a covered dish until the meat is falling off the bone. Stinygiasou!

rugelach
A sweet treat from the European Jewish tradition, this pastry consists of a rich dough rolled around a filling of chopped fruit, nuts, or jam, and shaped into a crescent form.

rumble-de-thumps (or rumbledethumps)
Similar to the British bubble and squeak, or the Irish champ or colcannon, this is a dish of cabbage, onion, and mashed potatoes baked in the oven and topped with cheese (usually cheddar).

taquito
Put some banda or musica Tejana on the radio while you’re enjoying these crisp-fried corn tortillas rolled around a shredded meat filling (they’re also known as flautas).

We hope you’ve worked up an appetite to explore more words from around the world! We’ll have more new words from the OED in future posts.

* “out to lunch” is a phrase that can mean “daydreaming, preoccupied”

Vocabulary For Success: Ephemeral

April 18, 2011

I know that I am mortal by nature and ephemeral, but when I trace at my pleasure the windings to and fro of the heavenly bodies, I no longer touch earth with my feet. I stand in the presence of Zeus himself and take my fill of ambrosia. – Ptolemy (c. 150 CE)

A comprehensive knowledge of English vocabulary will help you reach for the stars in your professional and academic careers. Each word you learn, each definition you memorize, each trick of spelling you conquer and pronunciation you master will raise you up a little higher towards your goals. We hope you’re taking the opportunity every day to pick one or more powerful English vocabulary words to learn, but if you haven’t decided on which word to learn today, we’d like to suggest the word ephemeral.

Ephemeral is the adjectival form of the plural noun ephemera, which comes from the Greek roots epi- (“in” or “on”) and hemera (“day”). Ephemera are things that exist “in a day” – such as mayflies, the insects that hatch in the morning, breed in the afternoon, and die at nightfall. While the eggs and larvae of these and similar insects develop over a period of time, the ephemeral lives of the adults last only a day, if that long. In general, ephemeral means “short-lived, fleeting, transitory.”

Example: The desert flowers bloom for two weeks each year, an ephemeral wash of color across the landscape before the dust-brown days of summer begin again.

Spend time each day on your English vocabulary study, and you’ll receive a long-lasting benefit from your improved ability to communicate at work and at home.

English Vocabulary Study: Practical vs. Practicable

April 15, 2011

Sometimes there are very subtle differences between two English words that you might think are interchangeable. For example, the words practical and practicable are quite similar. They come from the same root word, and many people don’t bother to consider which one they’ll use in any given situation, believing that they mean the same thing. While these words can, in some cases, be used interchangeably, knowing the slight differences – the nuances – in their meanings will allow you to use them precisely as they were meant to be used, and prove your mastery of the English vocabulary.

Both of these words come from the Greek word praktikos, which means “related to action.” The first adjective, practical, has the meaning of “useful, effective” when describing an object or an indefinite noun, or “able to act in an effective fashion” when describing a person.

Example 1: Shutting off the lights when you leave a room is a practical way to save electricity.
Example 2: An umbrella is a practical accessory to carry in rainy climates.
Example 3: Angela is too practical to plan her retirement around the lottery tickets she occasionally buys.

The second adjective, practicable, adds the root -able and therefore the extended meaning “able to be …” In this case, the root praktikos has the more direct sense of “action,” so that this word is defined as “feasible, able to be done realistically.” Use this adjective only to describe indefinite nouns, since it’s talking about an action, or something that is accomplished.

Example: Given the shortfall in tax revenues, cutting spending is the only practicable solution.

Synonyms and antonyms are useful things to add in to your vocabulary study, because they help you gain a better understanding of the word you’re focused on, and they increase your vocabulary by that much more at the same time. Two of the obvious antonyms for these two adjectives are gained by adding the prefix im- (“not”). Impractical indicates something that is not useful or that creates the most waste in resources and/or energy, or someone who acts in a way that results in such an outcome. Impracticable describes an action or plan that is not feasible or realistic.

The word practically is another interesting word from the same root, because it can be used to mean two different things. See if you can identify the subtle difference in the use of the word in these two examples:

Example 1: Betty saves all of her coins in a big jar, and it’s practically full.
Example 2: Ann’s been living in France for so long she’s practically a native speaker.

In the first sentence, practically has the meaning of “almost” in the sense of “not quite” – that is, the jar is not quite full. There’s a slight negative connotation in the use of the word this way; obviously in this case it would be even better if the jar were completely full.

In the second sentence, we’re using practically to mean “in effect” or “almost the same as.” In this case, there’s no negativity in our admiring observation that Ann’s skills in the French language are so good.

Study the tricks and quirks of the English language, and your vocabulary skills will bring you the admiration of others, and give you the ability to easily communicate in practically any situation.

Recommended English Vocabulary Books for Children

April 13, 2011

In the last post, we talked about the importance of encouraging children to study vocabulary, and how you can help students develop good study practices and a love of reading. To follow up on that idea, we found some books that are ideal for use by parents or mentors with younger children, whether you’re reading them out loud together or talking about them afterwards.

Giveaways: An ABC Book of Loanwords from the Americas (Linda Boyden)
If you’ve been reading The Vocabulary Builder’s Blog for a while, you’ll know that we’re fascinated by etymology, the history of words. This is a wonderful book to encourage that same interest in children ages 4 to 8, and combines vocabulary building with short explanations of where and when English acquired words such as abalone and raccoon, along with more details about the native peoples whose languages those words came from and informative paragraphs about the things themselves (such as a discussion about the current problem of over-fishing abalone in some areas).

Ounce, Dice, Trice (Alastair Reid)
Originally published in 1953, this book was recently reissued as part of the New York Review Children’s Collection. It’s less of a vocabulary “study” book and more of a vocabulary “play” book – with words such as sibilant and galoshes, plus anagrams and palindromes and words that are just a lot of fun to say out loud, this charmingly-illustrated book is perfect for children ages 9-14 who already enjoy the beauty and creativity of the English language (and an excellent way to encourage that attitude in others!).

L is for Lollygag: Quirky Words for a Clever Tongue (Chronicle Books)
With clever illustrations and memorable phrases, this dictionary of under-appreciated words will delight children ages 9 and older as it teaches them the meaning of words like discombobulated and vigilante. It’s a book that they’ll enjoy reading, since every page has interesting and useful words to learn about, but it’s also helpful as a reference guide like any other dictionary.

The World Almanac Puzzler Deck: Vocabulary and Wordplay (Lynn Brunelle)
Sometimes the easiest way to get kids to learn is to present them with a game, and if you know children who would rather work out a puzzle, no matter how difficult, than review a list of spelling words, this deck of puzzle cards would make a perfect gift. Unscrambling words, adding and subtracting letters, and reading through puns and riddles will sharpen reading and spelling skills. The easy-to-carry card format allows children to take a handful or an entire box with them on road trips or voyages by airplane, and are good tools for interactive study sessions with parents or friends.

How to Improve Your Child’s Vocabulary

April 12, 2011

While students do get English classes at school, young children still need encouragement to keep up with their schoolwork at home, and the adults in their lives play an important role in helping them develop a love of words while practicing the skills they’ll need to succeed in their education and future careers. Here’s how you can help the students get the most out of their vocabulary study:

Encourage children to read. Studies have shown that children whose parents read out loud to them have better vocabulary skills and reading abilities later in life.¹ It’s never too early to start reading to children, and more importantly, it’s never too late. You can also teach by example; if your children see you reading, rather than watching television or playing computer games (not that there’s anything wrong with either of those pastimes, of course), they’ll have more of a tendency to follow suit. Libraries have books for all age levels, from simple picture storybooks to the latest teen thrillers. In fact, so many teen movies are based on books these days that it’s easier now to get children to read the books, either before or after watching the movies.

Show children how to find answers. Children, like adults, benefit from deeper knowledge of the words they learn, and teaching them how to do their own research and vocabulary practice will both help them memorize the words and give them the tools they can use in their own study, all the way up to the university level.² While young children don’t necessarily need to focus on etymology, older students will quickly recognize the value of being able to identify prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Because spelling is also an important component of vocabulary study, learning how to use a dictionary (whether on-line or paper-bound) will allow students to look up words on their own. While the internet is a valuable resource (The Vocabulary Builder’s Blog included, naturally!), making sure that children can take responsibility for their own knowledge will help ensure that they don’t fall into the trap of relying on spellcheck programs in the future.

Help children get organized. We’ve talked before about how useful vocabulary study journals can be. They provide a place to write down words there’s not time to look up at the moment, and give students a place to collect information they can refer to later. When you’re reading out loud together and come across a word that’s unfamiliar to the child, rather than explaining it in detail right at that point, make a note in the journal and do the research later. If the meaning of the word is essential to the story, ask the child if they can guess at the meaning given the context of the phrase. Use the journal to write down definitions, synonyms, and practice sentences. Once this practice is started, older children can do this for themselves, thereby getting even more value out of their reading.³

How do you encourage the children you know to read and enjoy vocabulary study?

¹ Nagy, W.E. and Anderson, R.C. 1984. How many words are there in printed school English? Reading Research Quarterly 19, 304-330.

² Bear, D.R., Ivernizzi, M., Templeton, S., and Johnston, F. (2004). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

³ Teaching and Developing Vocabulary: Key to Long-Term Reading Success. John J. Pikulski and Shane Templeton, Houghton Mifflin Reading (2004).