to think there must be a way to add 100 words to my vocabulary

[MariaWaria]

I'd like to expand my vocabulary - this is very much for me and not out of any desire to impress or fit in. But how do I do this?

Have previously signed up for sites where you're emailed a word a day but the words were too obsure; just want to get more words into my vocabulary that I can draw on in general conversation but struggling to do this.

Would like to add 100 words, yet it's not as simple as picking 100 words from the dictionary.

AIBU to ask if there's a technique for doing this or if anyone has ideas?

Just wanted to say thanks for the link to the Guardian article - I teach literature and I recognise the issue with difficulty and non-reading but we get through it!
Also can strongly recommend The Guardian quick crossword - do it every day as suggested and you will definitely feel the benefit!

Play scrabble or some other type of word game or puzzle

I think one of the best ways to learn new words is to listen to someone talking, pay attention to the words they use and in what context.
That way you get the meaning and the correct way to say it . this can be with friends , a film , or in my opinion the radio is the best way as you are not distracted by whats going on around you at the time but it is important to really listen , not just have it on in the back ground .
Good luck with the learning

AdaColeman what a great idea to start a "Word of the Day" thread. I shall start one on 1st January.

Is Talk the place to put it?

It will keep me, and hopefully others, motivated to expand our vocabularies.

Reading. It’s the only way to continually increase vocabularly

MariaWaria Why not start your thread in Chat as it gets plenty of traffic?

Hi MariaWaria, here’s some ideas of short story collections for you to explore. Firstly, a few contemporary women writers, the first two would be an easy start -
No One Belongs Here More Than You. Miranda July.
The Collected Stories of Lorrie Moore.
Interpreter of Maladies. Jhumpa Lahiri.
The Redemption of Galen Pike: and Other Stories. Carys Davies.
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis.
Sunstroke and Other Stories. Tessa Hadley.
Bluebeard's Egg and Other Stories. Margaret Atwood.
Dancing Girls and Other Stories. Margaret Atwood.
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. Hilary Mantel.

A couple of good anthologies -
That Glimpse of Truth: The 100 Finest Short Stories Ever Written, chosen by David Miller.
The Story: Love, Loss & The Lives of Women: 100 Great Short Stories, edited by Victoria Hislop.

Finally, three of the greatest short story writers ever, Katherine Mansfield is now quite old fashioned but recognised as a great, the other two are both deceased but more modern and accessible, Carver is American and Trevor is Irish, and also a fine novelist.

Where I'm Calling From: Selected Stories. Raymond Carver.
The Collected Stories. William Trevor.
The Collected Short Stories of Katherine Mansfield.

Most of these you can find cheap second hand copies and some of them are inexpensive for Kindle, if you get yourself one.
I'll join a 'Word of the Day' thread for sure!

If you're not so keen on reading, try listening to Radio 4 if you don't already. On programmes such as 'In our time' or 'The long view' they get experts on discussing things and use interesting language. I learned diaspora from that. A whole programme of using that word and I didn't have a clue what it meant.

read lots of books and buy a dictionary.

Read Nick Clegg's books. He has a wide vocab and useful words for modern times throughout them.

Im a huge reader, but come from a family riddled with dyslexia, so I totally get that you might not be into reading, however baffling that is to me personally.

Radio 4, audiobooks, Youtube (but be discerning, obviously there's some good TED talks) even music, by songwriters who favour complexity. Apps like Tinycards also. You can find a set or make your own. If you watch a film, Chose the more intellectual movie.

Im learning a Second Language and those sorts of things are what I'm using to expand vocabulary, speech radio and audiobooks are fab for making use of dead time like driving. You can get a free book on Audible if you subscribe (then unsubscribe if you only want the one)

I think it might be easier if you have some kind of goal or 'reason' to work towards.

Ps I also forgot to say, good luck with it, and have fun.

Ooooh, I love that freerice.com, Kochicoo, just donated a kilo!

www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/calendar

read on a kindle - you can look up the meaning of a word within the app.

hottest tip though: do crosswords.

AdaColeman Chat it is, in the new year, for Word of the Day.

onalongsabbatical Wow! Now I have some guidance on what to read, I shall read; hope others will too.Thank you so much and look forward to seeing on Word of the Day.

I'll look out for you Maria!

I second/third doing crosswords. I thought I had an excellent vocabulary until I tried to infiltrate the Times crossword gang at work

So I downloaded a crossword app and when I really can’t figure out a word it has a “reveal” option

Ooohh if you definitely start a thread, please put your link in here. I'm interested in tagging along. Any thoughts for your very first word??

@MariaWaria would also like to recommend the independent's (i) concise crossword. it's much easier than guardian's for beginners (the guardian's also contains literary references!) and is a straightforward synonyms type crossword (with a pun across the top row, don't forget the pun!)

today's WOTD: aberration; a departure from what is normal

Read.
I have a huge vocabulary and it just comes from reading loads and absorbing.

Have you thought about following foreign news outlets on social media as well? Obviously written in English.

I follow some from a couple of different countries, just for interest, and they might be of use to you.

MariaWaria my ex didn't like reading books. I said "I don't believe you - I reckon you've just not found the ones you like - there are so many out there".

I have him Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - he loved it and never looked back - sci fi comedy was his route into reading and he totally got the reading bug.

You need to find the genres you like.

Pop over to Chat to see the new thread:

Word of the Day - let's add 100 words to our vocabulary.

If you want to learn more words, you need to use language,either by speech or reading.But mostly there's nothing quite like seeing words on a page to get the right construction.
There's a post tonight that refers to a kitchen "draw".Spelled that way because that's what the word sounds like when most of us speak lazily.The poster actually means "drawer"
(drawer:used as a noun :a box-like storage compartment without a lid, made to slide horizontally in and out of a desk, chest, or other piece of furniture
draw used as a verb verb : to attract attention or interest.
draw used as a noun can also be : to make a picture of something or someone with a pencil or pen.)
I suggest don't read the classics if you've never been keen on reading,but read things that interest you, in magazines,cheerful books and corn flake packages.Just read.Have a magazine in the bathroom, read in the bath.Read on the bus,on the train,wherever you have down time,books are fabulous,there's a world out there ready for you to see inside your head.Enjoy!