ameliorate AIBU?

[LightTheFlameThrower]

Is this really a standard word that most people know? (I thought it was a typo)

Apparently I know 97% of the words in English. I don't believe that for a moment, but the test was quite enjoyable.

@Ontopofthesunset

Apparently I know 97% of the words in English. I don't believe that for a moment, but the test was quite enjoyable.

Wow!

I wouldn’t use it if I were writing something in ‘plain English’ for work. But then I tend to also avoid words like ‘because’ in that context in order to split everything into nice simple sentences. I was once advised that when writing a text that needs to be accessible to the general public, it should be at the reading age of an average 10 year old. I guess this ties in to what someone else said about the average reading age in the UK being 9.

I still use it in professional writing, reading newspapers, talking to colleagues or friends, etc.

I do speak French but I definitely knew ameliorate before that. I remember that my GCSE French teacher was impressed that I understood the word améliorer and I thought ‘it’s obvious — it’s just like ameliorate’. Until this thread I would have assumed that most people who are vaguely well read (read broadsheets or books, maybe have a degree or job that involves writing) would have known it.

Got 84% because I thought drosser was a real word. Oops

"I do speak French but I definitely knew ameliorate before that. I remember that my GCSE French teacher was impressed that I understood the word améliorer and I thought ‘it’s obvious — it’s just like ameliorate’. Until this thread I would have assumed that most people who are vaguely well read (read broadsheets or books, maybe have a degree or job that involves writing) would have known it."

But you knew it at 14, 15 or 16 without a degree or a job that involves writing. I'm quite shocked by that.
Amerliorer is an everyday word in French, a much 'simpler' word than ameliorate in English.

*Ameliorer

I know the meaning but wouldn’t use it in every day speech.

Well my score's gone down to 80%. Here's a list of the words I didn't know - just waiting for people to say these are words they use regularly. (I know about dadaism, but thought dada on its own was a nonsense name for a father).

Oooh 86%

I find it interesting that people say that it isn't a common word, just because they don't know it. Or, conversely, it is common for those of us who do know it.

How can you prove it one way or the other?

@Nanny0gg

I find it interesting that people say that it isn't a common word, just because they don't know it. Or, conversely, it is common for those of us who do know it.

How can you prove it one way or the other?

I know it but I don't think it's a common word.

I thought it was part of an average person's vocabulary but after reading this thread, obviously not.

But you knew it at 14, 15 or 16 without a degree or a job that involves writing. I'm quite shocked by that.
Amerliorer is an everyday word in French, a much 'simpler' word than ameliorate in English.

Yes, but English is my first language so I knew relatively complex words in English before I started learning French. I was always an avid reader as a child so probably had quite a wide vocab for my age (although I often had no idea how to pronounce them) but I would be surprised if my vocabulary now is much wider than any other fairly educated adult's.

Another English graduate here and I didn't know what it meant. I think I may have seen it before but I'm not certain.

It's definitely not a common word.

@Nanny0gg

I find it interesting that people say that it isn't a common word, just because they don't know it. Or, conversely, it is common for those of us who do know it.

How can you prove it one way or the other?

Well apparently ameliorate ranks 10303rd on frequency of use whereas banana is 7128th, so not that far apart according to one website i found. Cat ranks 2051st if you're curious. The more frequent the word the higher the rank.

The mind boggling stuff you find on google.

That's on an American website by the way, cant find any Uk ones.

Really curious what ranks first.

I've worked as a copywriter for years and I'm a big reader. I recognise ameliorate and probably would have understood it in context but I couldn't have defined it before now. It's not a commonly used word. I like it though. People are so grandiloquent about language.

I think it’s a common, normal word definitely. I’m an English graduate. It’s the sort of thing you would see in newspapers or fiction, as well as non fiction or reports, not just scientific writing. I’m astonished that people don’t know it, or at least recognise it as a word.

Eg: listening to the news today on Kent and lorry parks, I googled and straight away found this article:

“operation of the lorry area requires detailed consideration to ameliorate potential negative impacts upon the landscape”

I keep trying to say it but find it a tongue twister. No one else?

I was interested to see a definition upthread which said it has four syllables.

I'd say am-ee-lee-or-ate which is five. Are people pronouncing it am-eel-your-ate? That's the only way I can come up with to make it four.

"Are people pronouncing it am-eel-your-ate? "

Yes, am-eel yer-ate.

I think it has 5 syllables.

Apparently it's 4, or that might just be americans again.

a-mel-io-rate
How many syllables has ameliorate? 4 syllables

I was getting 5 too.

A-me-li-o-rate
And pronounce it like this:

Ah-mee-lee-oh-rate

I knew it, DH didn’t. We’re as educated as each other but I read a lot more. I did a search on my computer for company work going out this year with the word ameliorate in and we’d used it in six separate reports, often in connection with Covid. I’ve now challenged DH to get it into some management meeting at work ! Ameliorate bingo!