How many words do you know?
Experts say the average adult knows between 20,000 and 35,000 words. Some people even know 50,000-65,000 words! There are many words in the languages we speak. We learn how to speak when we are young. So we learn the words naturally. We do not think about how many words we know. They are our native language.
Learning a new language means learning new grammar. It also means learning thousands of new words to communicate in the new language! But, it can be really difficult to memorize words in a new language.
How Do We Memorize Words?
But there is a secret to memorizing vocabulary words! The trick is using your memory in a smart way. Our brains have two different kinds of memory: short-term, and long-term memory.
When you first learn a new word, that word is stored in your short-term memory. But your short-term memory is small. It does not have much room for information. That is because it always must be learning new things!
So, to make sure you remember a new word long after you learn it, you must move that information from short-term to long-term memory. Long-term memory has much more room – maybe even an unlimited amount of room! It can store many things.
Here are some ways to move new words into long-term memory. When you use these methods, you will know the words long after you learn them.
4 Tips to Help You Memorize New Words
1. Put the new word in a phrase or sentence
It can be difficult to remember a single word. You must know the context for it! That is, you must know where the word belongs or fits with other words. Find, or make up a sentence or a phrase that has that new word in it, and your brain will be able to remember it easier, because it fits in a larger context. For example, you can learn new vocabulary from idioms, or phrases, or quotes!
Example:
“Play the devil’s advocate” – English idiom
“Life is a long lesson in humility.” – James M. Barrie
2. Group similar words together in lists
Make vocabulary lists of words with similar meanings. Your brain will connect similar words to each other when you study the whole list!
3. Write your own definition
Don’t just memorize the definition you find in the dictionary for a new word. Make sure you understand the definition, and then write that definition in your own words. You will remember it better!
4. Practice with a pattern: Practice every day, then once a week, then once a month
At the beginning, review your vocabulary list every day. Then, do not study it for a whole week, and see what you remember! If you spread out the times when you study, you will help your brain find the new words from your long-term memory.
Want to find some new vocabulary to learn? See Spotlight’s YouTube playlists for videos that might interest you. You can learn one new word a day with our Word of the Day playlist. Or find a program about a subject that interests you like games, English for Work, the weather, first aid, or more! Write down new words you hear. Then look them up in a dictionary and add them to your vocabulary list.
Do you have any other tips for memorizing new words? What interesting vocabulary words you have learned? Let us know below!
When I came to the United state .I visited the store to shopping.I was know two words for baking (baking soda and baking bowder)but I was need the third one to make bread. Therefore I asked the costumer service about it.It was yeast I didn’t forget it.
Hi ….I have daily ritual I wake up around 7 am get up 7;15 wash my face brush my teeth then have a shore and drink 4 glasses of water eat an apple and a banana then drink my coffee. then go walking about on hour or less then go to my job and go back 3 pm take a nap after lunch then I study English about 2 hours so I study slowly but I do to speak English fluently like a native speaker but I don’t study words but in text like yours so I am happy with your videos ….thanks much
Hi Azza,
You are do right things, and I do same as you as a habbit,but I couldn’t speak as a native.
I hope do it
From: ssramossilva@gmail.com
To: spotlight program
Subject: to answer to the questions below
Date: Saturday 24, October 2020
Location: São Paulo city – São Paulo Brazil South America
Dear spotlight team
First, I want to thank you for bringing us more one great article. Thank you.
Question 1 – Do you have any other tips for memorizing new words?
Answer 1 – Yes, I do. Besides the whole tips how to memorize new words that you gave us, I have a new tip to tell you it.
The new tip how to memorizing a new word is to look for the word and to look for the picture of the word.
Example: cat in the photograph and the word cat written in a sheet of paper to memorize it.
Thank you very much for the whole tips that you gave us in this article.
God bless you
Severino Ramos
Hi everyone!
My way is write diary everyday.
Before I go to bed, I write diary for a long day living.
I try to write all matters what happened to me in day by the helping from dictionary for the new or difficult words.
Then I underline those new words and review it in next day writing.
If I want to remember the word I can draw it as picture.It’s more helpful for the memories
Hi May!
Would you please to explain more clearly for your way.
I feel exciting with your way that you name it.
Please teach me more.
Thanks a lot!
Hiii
There is anyone want to communicate with me and speak English together cuz I can’t do that with anyone here cuz we speak arabic
Hi
Yes, I can because I also speak Arabic and I want to talk to someone to improve my English, If you wish, I will leave you my email address. Thank you
Mohammedjassem39@yahoo.com
Yes I can l am from lraq
Hi,my tips for memorizing a new words is drawing it.It’s a great way like emoji
when someone corrects you, that word is never forgotten
A great lesson again thank you very much. I have this problem when I study English, I forget what I am studying because I am slow in memorizing and I ask the teacher many times how to remember and develop my level and he encourages me to practice more.
I had learned new words by the way is write down notebook and learn by rate. In short times, I completely forget new words which I know. Whenever, I accidentially meet that words but I can’t remember the exact definition of words or misunderstand between many new words. I feel confused when I write English quotes on Facebook or comment any pages because I scared that I actually wrote this correct vocabulary.
I think the anther tips is to used the new words in you home and your work
thanks for sharing ^^
Good tips, This is education programs interesting for me and many people.
I will study pattern: save new words and put it in phrases and sentences, and I practice with Cambly, another one and not lastly, I have a dictionary and if I knew some words I put them in this dictionary.
There is a step: listen tips on spotlight.com programs for half an hour.
Listen with reading and if don’t know any word translate it.
I’m still studying English and I thank you for this method shown here. I think adding a picture next to the new word in the sentence, would possibly help to memorize that word better especially if both the word and the picture are relatives.
Thank you for the article! Those tips are great. May I suggest an app that I use for memorizing words? It`s MemoWord and it`s amazingly easy to use. You can create your own folders of words and idioms, sort them in any way you like. You can also learn by ear. And first month of premium access would cost you nothing with the promo code “Studyland”. That way you can try it and see whether this method works for you or not.
Thanks for your suggestion!
If there is a word about something unknown you,Search the picture of that word.it will help you to understand and memorize that word.
you must move that information from short-term to long-term memory. Put the new word in a phrase or sentence. Make vocabulary lists of words with similar meanings. Write your own definition. learning English by spaced learning.
It’s amazing things to read ❤️
Great. Thanks for your method. I have seen many videos on YouTube recommending expressions to learn the language. Like, a catalog of expressions, but it doesn’t seem like a practical method to me. This is why I think your recommendation to adapt the vocabulary to specific needs is great. I’m going to use it. I’m sure it will work for me. better. I’ll tell you about it.