There are a lot of small, often annoying vocabulary mistakes that every student makes, but the most common and fatal mistake is simply neglecting to use a dictionary or with a crunch word whizzle. There is one thing you must remember when starting off: A dictionary gives you nothing more than translations and doesn’t provide any context or meaning. As such, it’s your job to (1) read critically and (2) use Google to make sure you understand what words mean.
Mistake 1: Using an unfamiliar word
Many people make the mistake of using a word they don’t know because they think it’s similar enough to the one that they do know. For example, if you don’t know “abecedarian” but you do know “alphabetical,” that is probably not a good substitute.
Mistake 2: Thinking too hard when learning new words
If you’re having trouble remembering a word or figuring out how to use it, try not to overthink what’s involved and just take a stab at it. It may seem counterintuitive, but this strategy tends to work for most people. For example, if you don’t know how to use the word “erroneous” and are afraid to risk using it in a sentence, try to just guess at how you might use it. Then, once you realize that it’s not even appropriate for the situation, eliminate it from your vocabulary forever. Once these words are gone, they’re gone!
Mistake 3: Ignoring spelling while learning new words
When learning a new word, most people spend all their time reading the definition and trying to memorize the word itself. Although this is a good strategy, it’s important to remember that it’s also important to practice spelling new words. As such, if you don’t know how to spell a certain word, try saying it out loud to yourself and then writing it down.
Mistake 4: Being too critical for the wrong reasons
When learning new words, most people make the mistake of being way too critical about whether or not they actually need the word or not. For example, if you don’t know how to use the word “plausible,” but you think that it sounds silly, don’t try to use it. Instead, just leave it out of your vocabulary. This is someone who isn’t trying hard enough and is not focused on good learning habits.
Mistake 5: Using an incorrect word in a sentence
There are a lot of common words that have multiple definitions. For example, “to be” is used to form questions and statements, but is also used in the sense of being in a relationship with someone. This one’s simple: If you’re going to use a new word in a sentence, make sure you’re using the correct one. For example, if the definition of “catacombs” includes the idea of being deeply underground, and your new friend uses this word in their sentence about something that’s only half-way underground, that would be confusing.
Mistake 6: Passing up seemingly good opportunities to learn new words
This one is simple, but many people make the mistake of passing up on the chance to learn a new word by using it in a sentence because they aren’t sure if it’s the right context for that word. It’s best to use a new word whenever you’re comfortable and confident in doing so, even if it feels like you’re using it incorrectly. This will make sure that you’re always getting as much out of your vocabulary-learning efforts as possible.
Mistake 7: Unnecessary over-researching
It’s a common myth that you should use the internet to look up every single word you come across, even if they’re very easy or very common words. Although this is something many students think they need to do, it’s actually unnecessary and will end up wasting your time. When learning new words, some people spend way too much time reading every definition they can find online. Instead, it’s usually just as helpful to spend a few minutes reading the definitions for the most common words and then searching for those instead of over-researching. The fancy word for this kind of information is “prioritization.”
Mistake 8: Using new words in ways that are difficult to understand
This mistake is actually important, because when you don’t know how to use a certain word but everyone else seems to be using it correctly all the time, it makes you uncomfortable and confused. Sometimes, people try too hard to use a new word in place of an easier one. For example, if a person tries to use the word “antidisestablishmentarianism” instead of “opposition,” they may sound very sophisticated, but if their definition and context don’t support their meaning enough, it will just be confusing.
Conclusion of the article:
In the end, it’s important to remember to use new words in ways that are clear and easy to understand. If a person is too complicated or pretentious, they will almost always confuse their audience. Instead, people should focus on clarity of meaning and simplicity in everything they do when learning new words.
