Developing Your Vocabulary

• Notice and write down unfamiliar terms while you preview a text. Consider making a flash card for each term or making a list of terms.
• Think about the context when you come across challenging words. See whether you can guess the meaning of an unfamiliar term by using the words around it.
• Consider a word’s parts. If context by itself is not enough to help you guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word, try analyzing the term to discover its root (or base part) and any prefixes (parts that come before the root) or suffixes (parts that follow the root). For example, transport has the root port, which means “carry,” and the prefix trans, which means “across.” Together the word means “carry across” or “carry from one place to another.” Knowing the meaning of prefixes and suffixes can be very helpful. For example, anti means “against,” and pro means “for.”
• Use the glossary of the text or a dictionary. Textbook publishers carefully compile glossaries to help students learn the vocabulary of a given discipline. If the text has no glossary, have a dictionary on hand. If a given word has more than one definition, search for the meaning that fits your text. The online Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary (merriam-webster.com) is especially helpful for college students.
• Use new words in your writing and speaking. If you use a new word a few times, you’ll soon know it. In addition, any flash cards you have created will come in handy for reviewing the definitions of new words at exam time.