Many a times we come across instances where we are unable to comprehend a long piece of text. We might have to read and re-read to understand its essence. The most probable reason could be that our knowledge of words is limited and we are seeing many of those for the first time.
That brings us to the need of why it is important to have a good vocabulary. We often tend to believe that learning new words is only for writers and speakers. But sometimes it is one of the most overlooked ways of improving our lives personally and professionally.
Vocabulary is not about flaunting or using flowery, complicated words. It in fact improves your communication in being able to choose the right words with greater precision. This makes communication a lot simpler.
Having a good vocabulary opens up your mind. Do not consider them as just words. Each new word corresponds to a new idea. So a large pool of words opens you to new insights and lines of reasoning.
Norman Lewis in his best-selling vocabulary improving books has mentioned the following.
“Educational research has discovered that your I.Q is intimately related to your vocabulary. Take a standard vocabulary test and then an intelligence test- the results in both will be substantially the same”.
And lastly, in case you already didn’t know this, the more extensive your vocabulary is, the better are your chances of success. Success in attaining educational goals, in moving ahead in professional career and in achieving your intellectual potential.
So now that we have understood how having a good vocabulary pays rich dividends, let’s get started with ways of improving it. These are some of the best Vocabulary building Apps & Games.
In the tech-savvy and mobile apps age we are in right now, you don’t even need to carry a pocket dictionary around. Technology is always at your helm and this article gives all the necessary and useful resources to help build your vocabulary.
The first one is installing a dictionary app.
WordWeb is one of the most popular dictionary apps available on android store with over 5 million downloads. It is a free offline English dictionary and thesaurus with synonyms, related words and great search – and no adverts. Audio pronunciations are available with the separate Audio Edition app. It is also available for iOS at wordweb-dictionary
Dictionary app on android.
Dictionary.com is the leading free English dictionary app for Android – with over 2,000,000 definitions and synonyms. This app works offline – you do not need an internet connection.
Oxford Dictionary App : Available for Android, Windows and iOS platforms.
The Oxford Dictionary of English is the foremost authority on current English usage. Offers the most comprehensive coverage of English from around the world. It’s completely revised and updated to include the very latest vocabulary. It also has a search tool and learning tool to further enhance your vocabulary.
Merriam-webster app for android and iOS.
It’s yet another popular app. In addition to all the definitions from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, this app offers voice search – to let you look up a word without having to spell it – along with synonyms, antonyms, example sentences, Word of the Day, and more. It’s a great tool for reference, education, and vocabulary building.
This Thesaurus app helps you to better understand the word meanings, facilitates the quick finding of the correct meaning and allows you to quickly memorize words.
Game apps to Improve Vocabulary
To make learning more fun there are also some cool vocab based games available. Here are some of them.
PowerVocab Word game on android
Challenge yourself and others with this game. Every time you go through Word Challenges, you not only test your understanding of a word but unlock more words. Hit Review if you want to check the words that you got wrong. Hit the Learn Words option and the app will give you a random word.
Build your vocabulary with Magoosh’s free vocabulary game for your Android phone or tablet. Quiz yourself every day to learn the 1200 most important words! Each level you beat unlocks a harder one: more words and more advanced vocabulary.
This app gives you free access to all of Magoosh’s general, GRE, SAT, and TOEFL vocab quizzes.
uVocab app for android
This is a useful English vocabulary learning tool to prepare for competitive exams like SAT/GRE/GMAT or simply enhance your words repertoire. uVocab contains a comprehensive database of nearly 5000 quality, hand-picked words, considered ‘high-frequency’ in various competitive tests and essential for every advanced vocabulary learner. Take realistic tests to evaluate your vocabulary strength.
This is an easy and fun way to learn English – whether you like listening music from other countries, travelling abroad, working for an international company, or chatting with foreign friends.
It helps you learn 6,000 words with images to illustrate words, phonetic transcriptions and English pronunciation recordings by native speakers.
Mind games app available for android, iPhone/iPad, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.
Exercise Your Brain! Mind Games is a great collection of games based in part on principles of cognitive psychology to help you practice different mental skills. This game helps you exercise your ability to quickly differentiate between words with a concrete vs. abstract meaning.
Playing scrabble: This age old games also helps to put your knowledge of words into use. Hers is a popular app Classic words solo.
It’s a word game to play against your Android phone or tablet (solitaire mode). Enrich your vocabulary thanks to the built-in word definitions!
Vocabulary crosswords for windows phones
With 500 puzzles, zero repeating words and ability to play offline at your own pace, vocabulary crosswords will keep you busy for long time.
So use these apps for a great vocabulary database in your mind and make learning fun.
