The process of vocabulary improvement is something that started when you were an infant, as you heard words and learned to attach them to people and objects around you. Later, you began connecting the sounds of words to their visual appearance and started acquiring new words each time your parents read a story to you as you followed along. Finally, you learned how to add words to your vocabulary both consciously as you were taught new words in school, and unconsciously by simply seeing a word enough times that it became part of your vocabulary automatically. As an adult, most of your vocabulary-building happens in this almost subconscious way. You learn new words by reading them in context; perhaps you look the word up, or just make your best guess at its meaning, but you probably don’t stop and say to yourself, “I must remember this word and make sure it’s part of my vocabulary.”

While rapid vocabulary improvement is best done by a focused study program, simply reading as much as possible will also gradually increase vocabulary. Obviously, the faster you read the more word’s you’ll see. In addition, the more words you know, the faster you’ll read, because you won’t have to slow down or stop to look up a definition. It’s best to develop an eclectic reading style so that you get the broadest possible range of words and see more than one way of using them.

The adjective eclectic (pronounced eh-KLEK-tik) means “drawing from a wide variety of sources and styles” and comes from the Greek verb eklegein (“to select”). Applied to reading, it means that you should avoid just reading things you’re familiar with; for example, if you normally only read spy thrillers, pick up a book on travel instead. It’s important to read many different things not only for the vocabulary, but also to see how different authors use the words. You can learn how to emphasize the beauty of words through poetry, and how to craft descriptive but to-the-point explanations by reading books on science or engineering that have been written for the general public. You’ll see examples of metaphor and simile, of conversational styles and narrative flow, and absorb new ideas along with the new words.

Cross-posted at The Vocabulary Builder’s Blog.