How to learn English vocabulary effectively?

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15 November 2024

English-learners

Oleksandra Kulish

Book expert

Learning vocabulary is the foundation of any language. Even without proper knowledge of grammar, it will allow you to understand at least the general meaning of what is written. Especially nowadays, especially when communicating between people who are not native speakers, various language norms are slightly lowered and the ability to accurately convey your thoughts comes to the forefront, and it is a rich vocabulary that helps to do this. And the more words you know and understand their meaning without a dictionary, the more educational and entertaining resources you have access to. This is why learning English vocabulary is a priority today, unless you have specific language requirements.

How many words do you need to know?

Many online courses actively manipulate data on how to learn English vocabulary and how many words you need to speak English at a basic level/comfortable/ fluent. It is sometimes claimed that even 100-200 basic words are enough to make sense of most conversations and correspondence. There is some truth to this, but only a small amount. Such volumes of vocabulary cannot be called any level of knowledge. They will allow you to navigate when shopping or travelling, but no more. A person who knows a couple of hundred words will not be able to support even the simplest conversation with minimal meaning.

To be able to communicate in English, you need to know between 1000 and 2000 of the most commonly used words. This will enable you to have a conversation with someone in a shop, café, bank or other public place. However, you should realise that just knowing the words yourself does not do much. You need to understand how these words are used in context and do this on a regular basis.

As for the level at which you can read literature, especially specialised literature, and conduct business negotiations fluently, you will need about 10,000 words. This includes all basic words and their forms, prepositions, pronouns, etc. In fact, it is not so much: analysts of the organisation Global Language Monitor believe that in 2022 the English language contains about a million words and their number is constantly growing. That is, roughly speaking, you need to learn about 1% of the total number. To be fair, it should be noted that most of these words do not know even the native speakers themselves, and linguistic scientists note that the active vocabulary of a native speaker of English is about 25 thousand. Therefore, half of this value is still a weighty figure.

What is the right way to learn words in English?

The most correct techniques on how to learn English words are based on memorising them. To do this effectively, it is often not enough just to see a word and memorise its translation - this information will fly out of your memory quite quickly. So apply the following principles when learning them:

Learn the words in context.

The best way to remember the meaning of a word correctly is to do it in context. Learn solid but simple sentences in which it is used. Example: "They had covered me up and folded my jacket as a pillow" - they covered me up and put my jacket under my head as a pillow. Here it is much easier to remember the meaning of the word pillow because it was used for its intended purpose in the sentence and the brain is better able to make logical connections.

Study the words carefully.

Many words in English have more than one meaning. For example, the word bank means both "bank" and "bank" of a river. It is therefore a bit of a waste of time to memorise a word with only one meaning - it is better to learn all of them at once, while you are at it.

Regular repetition.

In order for the brain to remember a word, it is necessary to repeat it about 10 times. And it is not necessary to do it here and now. Follow this sequence:

Find a new word, memorise its meaning.
Use it in context.
Repeat the same activity half an hour later (roughly speaking at the end of the lesson).
Repeat the same action at the end of the day.
The next day, remember what you learnt yesterday.
At the end of the week, recall what you have learnt and do some exercises to consolidate it.
Recall the material you have learnt regularly over a period of several months.

Simple Biochemistry - this will transfer vocabulary from short-term memory to long-term memory and is an extremely effective way to learn English words.

Learn vocabulary by topic.

Some people try to learn random sets of words from lyrics, songs, etc. This is not a very effective approach. It is better to learn words that are organised into thematic groups. This way they are easier to remember, as they are linked by a common meaning, and it is much easier to use them all together in context. For example, words on the topic of "food" or "work" are easy to combine, and this will help to structure knowledge. And if you learn words that are not connected by context, it will be much more difficult to combine them in one sentence. For example, it is much easier to logically fit together the words "bacon" and "plate" than "fridge" and "screwdriver".

How to learn and memorise English words quickly?

To learn and memorise English words quickly, there are a few interesting life hacks. They will probably work for you too - you should try them.

Make associative chains.

Associations are a powerful tool for learning anything at all, as they are quite personal. Everyone comes up with associations that will be convenient for them to remember. But for a word to really stick in your memory, you need to create, let's say, absurd associative chains. For example, how to remember the word "mop" - mop? Imagine a mop, which is used to mop the floor and on which a pug (a consonant word) sits and howls loudly. This picture your brain will surely not forget and will play in your memory when you need the word. Or the word "hammer" - hammer. Picture a situation in which a man is hammering a nail into a wall with a toy Hummer jeep. This is one way, if not the best way to learn words in English.

Memorise sustained phrases in which the word appears.

As strange as it may sound, sometimes it is much easier to learn a whole sentence than a single word. It can be a saying, a line from a song, a phrase from a film. The trick here is that it's much easier to remember a whole sentence - there are lots of words to latch on to. Also, this way you will remember how the word sounds in context.

Write the word down several times.

Today, it is rare to use a piece of paper, pen and pencil, and these are very useful tools. When you write down words, your brain is much better at remembering the structure of the word. You can also write down all the forms of a word, if any, including its antonyms.

Effective ways to learn English words

In addition, there are quite a few pedagogical ways of how to learn words in English. All of them will help to make the memorisation process interesting and productive. Let's consider the most popular ones:

Flash cards. You can buy flashcards or make them yourself, and the second option is better, as you will learn the words while writing them and looking for the transcription. On one side of the card write the word in English, on the other - its translation. It is important to work with the cards actively: repeat them in random order and add example sentences.

Reading and listening. Today you can find a lot of good services that allow you to watch and listen to films, songs and podcasts with subtitles. This is not only useful, but also enjoyable and allows you to learn words in context and in the pronunciation of native speakers.

Use language learning apps. There are many of them online and they all make it fun and easy to learn words every day. The most advanced ones also offer the possibility of repeating already learnt words, which is also extremely useful.

And don't forget the classics. Write down new words in a personal dictionary where you record the translation, examples of usage and your associations. This approach helps you to structure your knowledge and quickly find the right words to repeat.

Tips and advice

The most important thing in education is to approach the process in a measured and unhurried manner. Do not try to learn everything at once: it is impossible to do this effectively. For example, choose 10-15 words a day and then repeat them for a week. It is better to learn a few words well than a hundred words badly and then try to remember them at the right moment.

Learn the words when it is convenient for you. Let it be at breakfast time, before bedtime, while travelling to work. Remember that even 20 minutes a day is enough, if you allocate them regularly. It is better to learn little than not at all.

Be persistent. Learning English requires patience and diligence. Remember that each new word brings you closer to fluent communication and improves your skills.