Building a Solid Vocabulary: Long-Term
Strategies
You have officially made it through SAT Power Vocab! You’ve learned common Latin and Greek
word roots that will help you figure out the meaning of tons of vocabulary words, including those
likely to appear on the SAT. You have also learned effective strategies for remembering the
meaning of those words, like visual mnemonic devices and word associations. On top of that,
you have had the opportunity to put this knowledge to the test with a wide variety of practice
exercises, puzzles, and SAT-style quizzes. But now it’s time to think about how to take this
newfound knowledge beyond this book. So, before we leave you, here’s some final advice for
building your vocabulary for the SAT, the classroom, and your everyday life.
Read, Read, Read
In addition to reading this book, an excellent way to build a solid, sophisticated vocabulary in
the long term is to read voraciously. Reading not only brings you into contact with new words,
but also forces you to figure out what those new words mean. If you read widely enough, you
will find that your vocabulary will build itself. New words are contagious if you give yourself
enough exposure to them.
Use a Dictionary
The natural way to learn new vocabulary is by paying attention to how other people use them—
that is, to see or hear the word in context. However, while context may give you a clue as to
how to use the word, relying on context alone has its pitfalls, which is why we recommend
always recommend consulting a dictionary. Here’s why.
When you encounter a new word, you can’t be certain how to pronounce it unless you hear it
spoken by someone whose pronunciation is authoritative. You also can’t be sure that the word
is being used correctly. Even skillful writers and speakers occasionally misuse language. A
writer or speaker may even misuse a word intentionally, perhaps for dramatic or comedic
effect.
Even more important, most words have multiple meanings. Sometimes the difference between
one meaning and another is slight; sometimes it’s enormous. Even if you deduce the meaning
from the context, you have no way of knowing whether the meaning you’ve deduced will apply
in other cases.
Finally, context can be misleading, as shown in the example below. The following conversation
is a dialogue teachers may find themselves having over and over again with their students. The
dialogue concerns the meaning of the word formidable, although you can substitute just about
any medium-difficult word.
Teacher: Do you know what formidable means?