Creative and Fun Ways to Increase and Strengthen Your Vocabulary Daily

How many times have you found yourself with writer’s block because you can’t think of the right word to use? You’re not alone! It happens to the best of writers. Vocabulary is your best friend when it comes to diversifying your writing. Learning new vocabulary requires a good memory, and if you’re someone who has trouble remembering things, it can seem impossible to increase and strength your vocabulary.

Strengthening and increasing your vocabulary is easier than you think if you get creative with it. These fun activities are sure to help you remember new words to use the next time you sit down to write.

Learn a New Word Every Day

Learning a new word daily is a great start to strengthen your vocabulary. You have options about how to learn a new word every day. For inspiration, get a word of the day calendar or open the thesaurus up to a random page and pick a word. You can also signup for Merriam-Webster’s email list where they’ll send you a new word every day. Whatever word you choose, make it your mission to use that word throughout the day.

Word Puzzles

Pick up a crossword puzzle book the next time you are at the grocery store to spend your free time with. It may be old school, but a crossword puzzle can challenge you to learn new words. They get your brain working hard to figure out new words, and can also help with memorization of new words. Keep your puzzle book handy the next time you sit down to write for ideas on new words to use.

Apps

While you’re standing in line at the coffee shop, work on increasing your vocabulary instead of scrolling through social media. A quick search of “vocabulary” in the Play Store reveals hundreds of apps to choose from to improve your vocabulary. Words With Friends is one of the more popular apps. Other fun apps to try out are PowerVocab, Word to Word, and 7 Little Words.

Associations

Makeup associations of commonly used words to diversify your everyday vocabulary. If you find your self describing items as “huge,” find a word in the thesaurus that is different. Then say a sequence of words out loud like, “small, medium, and large.” This will help you remember the word to have in your back pocket to use in future conversations and in your writing.

Write

Sign up for a writing course that will challenge you to diversify your writing. Taking a class that assigns you homework and quizzes will engrain new vocabulary in you. A creative writing course is another fun way to expose you to new vocabulary and improve your work. Have a classmate review your writing and ask them to give you ideas on other words that will make your story, essay, or poem more compelling.

Read, and read often

The more you read, the more vocabulary you’ll be exposed to. Your best bet at coming in contact with new vocabulary while reading is to mix things up. If you’re a sci-fi fanatic, try reading a mystery novel. Magazines and newspapers are another way to change things up and expose yourself to new words and vocabulary.

Memory plays a huge role when you learn a new word every day. Iris Reading has courses that can strengthen your mind. Learn how to maximize your memory with our video course that teaches you practical techniques to help you remember what you read and memorize essential information.

Click to find out more about our Maximizing Memory course. It’s ideal for both students and professionals!