Introduction
Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog where I share tips and tricks on how to learn English faster and easier. Today I’m going to answer a question that many of you have asked me: How can I memorise English vocabulary quickly? Can you tell me the best way?
I know how frustrating it can be to forget words that you have learned or to struggle to find the right word in a conversation. That’s why I have compiled a list of 7 effective strategies that will help you memorise English vocabulary quickly and permanently. Let’s get started!
Strategy 1: Use flashcards
Flashcards are a great way to review and recall words that you have learned. You can make your own flashcards with paper or use an app like Anki or Quizlet. The key is to review them regularly and use both sides of the card: write the word on one side and the definition, example sentence, or picture on the other side. This way, you can test yourself on both recognition and production of the word.
Example: If you want to learn the word “abandon”, which means to leave someone or something behind, you can write it on one side of the card and write “She abandoned her car in the middle of the road.” on the other side. You can also draw a picture of a car with no driver on the other side.
Strategy 2: Learn words in context
Instead of memorising isolated words, try to learn them in sentences or phrases that show how they are used. This will help you remember their meaning, spelling, pronunciation, and grammar. You can find examples of words in context by reading books, articles, blogs, or watching videos or podcasts in English. You can also create your own sentences with the words that you want to learn and say them out loud or write them down.
Example: If you want to learn the word “courage”, which means the ability to face danger or fear, you can read this sentence from a book: “It took a lot of courage for him to stand up to the bully.” You can also make your own sentence with the word, such as “She showed great courage when she rescued the kitten from the tree.”
Strategy 3: Use mnemonics
Mnemonics are memory aids that help you associate words with something else, such as an image, a sound, a rhyme, or an acronym. For example, if you want to remember the word “bizarre”, which means strange or unusual, you can think of a picture of a bazaar (a market) with weird things for sale. Or if you want to remember the word “rhythm”, which means a regular pattern of sounds or movements, you can think of the phrase “Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move” and use the first letter of each word as a reminder.
Example: If you want to learn the word “diligent”, which means hard-working or careful, you can think of a rhyme like “A diligent student is always prudent.” Or if you want to learn the word “famine”, which means a severe shortage of food, you can think of an acronym like “FAMINE: Food And Money Is Not Enough.”
Strategy 4: Repeat, repeat, repeat
Repetition is essential for memorising anything, especially vocabulary. The more you repeat a word, the more likely it is to stick in your long-term memory. You can repeat words by saying them out loud, writing them down, listening to them, or reading them. You can also use spaced repetition, which means reviewing words at increasing intervals of time, such as after one day, one week, one month, etc.
Example: If you want to learn the word “elegant”, which means graceful or stylish, you can say it out loud 10 times in a row. Then you can write it down 10 times in your notebook. Then you can listen to a podcast or watch a video where someone uses the word elegant. Then you can read an article or a book where the word elegant appears. Then you can review it again after one day, one week, one month, etc.
How to Memorise English Vocabulary Quickly: 7 Effective Strategies
I know how frustrating it can be to forget words that you have learned or to struggle to find the right word in a conversation. That’s why I have compiled a list of 7 effective strategies that will help you memorise English vocabulary quickly and permanently. Let’s get started!
How can I use these strategies for grammar rules?
These strategies can also be applied to grammar rules, with some modifications. For example:
- You can use flashcards to write down grammar rules or formulas on one side and examples or exercises on the other side.
- You can learn grammar rules in context by finding sentences that illustrate them in books, articles, blogs, or videos. You can also make your own sentences with the grammar rules and check them with a teacher or a native speaker.
- You can use mnemonics to remember grammar rules or exceptions by creating images, sounds, rhymes, or acronyms that relate to them. For example, if you want to remember the order of adjectives in English, you can think of the acronym “OSASCOMP”, which stands for Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose. Or if you want to remember the irregular past tense of “go”, you can think of a rhyme like “Go went gone, it’s easy as one two three.”
- You can repeat grammar rules by saying them out loud, writing them down, listening to them, or reading them. You can also use spaced repetition to review them at increasing intervals of time.
These strategies can also be applied to grammar rules, with some modifications. For example: – You can use flashcards to write down grammar rules or formulas on one side and examples or exercises on the other side.
– You can learn grammar rules in context by finding sentences that illustrate them in books, articles, blogs, or videos. You can also make your own sentences with the grammar rules and check them with a teacher or a native speaker.
– You can use mnemonics to remember grammar rules or exceptions by creating images, sounds, rhymes, or acronyms that relate to them. For example, if you want to remember the order of adjectives in English, you can think of the acronym “OSASCOMP”, which stands for Opinion, Size, Age, Shape, Color, Origin, Material, Purpose.
Or if you want to remember the irregular past tense of “go”, you can think of a rhyme like “Go went gone, it’s easy as one two three.”
– You can repeat grammar rules by saying them out loud, writing them down, listening to them, or reading them. You can also use spaced repetition to review them at increasing intervals of time.
Can you give me an example of a mnemonic for prepositions?
Here is one possible mnemonic for prepositions:
- To remember the prepositions of time (in, on, at), you can think of the phrase “In an onion, at the center.”
- In this phrase, the word “in” is used for large periods of time, such as months, years, seasons, or parts of the day. For example, “I was born in June”, “She graduated in 2020”, “He likes to ski in winter”, “They usually study in the morning.”
- The word “on” is used for specific days or dates, such as weekdays, holidays, or birthdays. For example, “She has a meeting on Monday”, “We celebrate Christmas on December 25th”, “He was born on July 4th.”
- The word “at” is used for precise times, such as hours, minutes, or seconds. For example, “The train leaves at 10:15”, “She arrived at noon”, “He finished the race at 9:37:42.”
Here is one possible mnemonic for prepositions:
– To remember the prepositions of time (in, on, at), you can think of the phrase “In an onion, at the center.”
– In this phrase, the word “in” is used for large periods of time, such as months, years, seasons, or parts of the day. For example, “I was born in June”, “She graduated in 2020”, “He likes to ski in winter”, “They usually study in the morning.”
– The word “on” is used for specific days or dates, such as weekdays, holidays, or birthdays. For example, “She has a meeting on Monday”, “We celebrate Christmas on December 25th”, “He was born on July 4th.”
– The word “at” is used for precise times, such as hours, minutes, or seconds. For example, “The train leaves at 10:15”, “She arrived at noon”, “He finished the race at 9:37:42.”
