Grow Your Vocabulary While You Read: A Smarter Approach

If you’re an advanced English student, you probably already know that reading is one of the best ways to expand your vocabulary. But here’s the catch: simply reading more doesn’t guarantee that you’ll remember or understand the new words you encounter. How often have you come across a tricky word, skipped it, and moved on? Or looked it up, only to forget it moments later?

Here’s the secret: building vocabulary while reading isn’t about how much you read—it’s about how you engage with the text. With the right strategies, you can turn every story into a vocabulary goldmine.

The Problem: Passive Reading Doesn’t Build Vocabulary

When we encounter unfamiliar words while reading, it’s tempting to ignore them or look them up quickly so we can keep reading. This passive approach often means that you recognize words when you see them but struggle to use them confidently.

To truly master vocabulary, you need to go beyond recognition. You need tools and techniques that help you understand, practice, and remember new words.

The Solution: Active Reading with Vocabulary in Mind

Here’s how to make the most of your reading time:

1. Choose the Right Material
   Not all reading materials are created equal when it comes to vocabulary building. To maximize your learning, look for texts designed with language learners in mind.

   Our short story series are perfect for this! These adventure and mystery stories are fun and engaging, but here’s the best part: they’re annotated with plain English definitions and example sentences throughout the text. When you come across a challenging word, you’ll see exactly what it means and how it’s used—all without having to pick up a dictionary or wade through the Internet.

2. Pause to Notice New Words
   When you encounter a new word, don’t skip it! Instead, take a moment to:

   • Read the definition

   • Look at the example sentence to see the word in context. Notice what words are attached to it. For example “deviate” is often paired with “from.” “Correlate” is often followed by “with.” These matches are called “collocations” and are important to learn to make sure you’re comfortable using them. Learning these collocations in context, like in phrases or sentences, is one of the best ways to remember them and use them correctly.

   • Notice its part of speech (e.g., is it a noun, verb, or adjective?)

   • Notice whether it has a prefix, suffix, or root word that you can recognize. See our blog post about suffixes and prefixes for more on this :)

3. Keep a Vocabulary Journal
   When a word grabs your attention, write it down in a notebook or digital note app. Include:

   • The word and its definition.

   • An example sentence using the word. You can use the one from the text you’re reading, but you’ll get more out of it if you write your own example sentence.

   • A mnemonic if you can think of one. A mnemonic is an association between the word and something memorable, like an image, rhyme, or pattern. See our blog post on mnemonics and how to use them!

   Writing down new words reinforces them in your memory and gives you a place you can go to review the words you’ve learned.

4. Review and Practice
   After you finish reading, revisit the new words you’ve noted. Try to:

   • Use them in a conversation or piece of writing.

   • Group related words together (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, or similar themes).

   • Test yourself by covering the definitions and guessing their meanings, or create flashcards with our free flashcard template.

5. Make It Fun!
   Vocabulary building doesn’t have to be a chore. With Vocab Adventures, the definitions and examples are woven right into the story, making it easy and enjoyable to learn as you go. You’ll be so immersed in the plot that learning new words feels effortless.

Why This Works

By actively engaging with new words while reading, you ensure you notice their important features. Seeing definitions and examples in context makes it easier to remember them and understand how to use them in real life.

And because the words in Vocab Adventures are carefully chosen to build functional vocabulary, you’ll be focusing on practical, high-value vocabulary that you’ll actually use in conversations, tests, and beyond.

Ready to Build Your Vocabulary?

Reading isn’t just about entertainment—it’s a powerful way to grow your language skills. With the right tools, like Vocab Adventures, and strategies for active reading, you’ll unlock new words faster than ever before.

Start your next adventure today and see how many new words you can master!

Explore Vocab Adventures Now!