Pronunciation 1

In order for you to confidently use new words you should be able to pronounce them properly. The best way to learn how to pronounce new words is by using the dictionary because it has a pronunciation key to guide you. To help you learn faster we've added a pronunciation key in this blog. It is the goal of this blog to enable you to immediately start using big words you've just learned.

Before we start, take time to familiarize yourself with the pronunciation key:

The symbols of on the left side of the words will be our guide in learning how to pronounce. Be sure that you have already mastered the pronunciations of the simple words listed above, because it would show you the pronunciation the symbols represent.

ASSESS YOURSELF

Take the following quiz to identify how you measure up to other people. That way you'll be able to gauge just how much effort you need to exert.

In each of the 25 phrases below there is a word italicized, from the choices given choose the synonym. Put a mark on those words you don't know the answer to and just get back to them once you're done.
1. a lenient supervisor
a. short  b. not strict  c. inflexible  d. shrewd

2. an audacious endeavor
a. foolish  b. serious  c. expensive  d. bold

3. A latent talent
a. apparent  b. valuable  c. present but not apparent  d. useless

4. a gaudy dress
a. expensive  b. deep green  c. flattering  d. showy

5. a disheveled person
a. useless  b. untidy  c. miserable  d. vicious

6. feign illness
a. suffer  b. pretend  c. die from  d. enjoy

7. an agile child
a. intelligent  b. nimble  c. neglected  d. annoying

8. a somber night
a. disal  b. expensive  c. lively  d. disastrous

9. a prosaic event
a. extraordinary  b.irregular  c. commonplace  d. pretty

10. a vivacious person
a. annoying  b. dismal  c. vicious  d. spirited

11. a baffling situation
a. puzzling  b. obvious  c. easy  d. old

12. a hiatus in the event
a. continuation  b. uniformity  c. gap  d. beginning

13. a lackluster report
a. enthusiastic  b. praiseworthy  c. dull  d. wordy

14. a prevalent condition
a. adult  b. widespread  c. previous  d. fatal

15. a loquacious person
a. talkative  b. cutthroat  c. laconic d. enthusiastic

16. an anonymous victim
a. willing  b. known  c. not known or named  d. foreign

17. a vicarious thrill
a. incomplete  b. triumphant  c. spoiled  d. indirect

18. a languid feeling
a. nervous  b. energetic  c. fatigued  d. robust

19. vernacular language
a. ordinary  b. elevated  c. formal  d. informal

20. a religious icon
a. gesture  b. picture  c. ritual  d. structure

21. inclement weather
a. fair  b. unexpected  c. foul  d. disturbing

22. a cavalier attitude
a. pleasant  b. dramatic  c. considerate  d. arrogant

23. a caustic remark
a. wise  b. biting  c. prudent  d. complimentary

24. a timely caveat
a. bargain  b. purchase  c. warning  d. movement

25. an ominous situation
a. pleasant  b. rigid  c. obvious d. threatening

To evaluate your score refer to this:
0-6 correct answers Below average
7- 13 correct Average
14-20 correct Above average
21-25 correct Superior
Note: This test has been constructed using survey data in English speaking countries. So if you're in a non-English speaking country don't be too hard on yourself just continue.



The answers are:

1.b  2.d 3.c 4.d 5.b 6.b 7.b 8.a 9.c 10.d 11.a 12.c 13.c 14.b 15.a 16.c 17.d 18.c 19.a 20.b 21.c 22.d 23.b 24.c 25.d

HOW YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS BLOG

Did you know that by the time you started to talk until you were 10 years old your vocabulary was increasing in an average of 50 words daily. Then from there it started to decline mostly because you've learned all the words you need to function and be able to relay what you need. Upon reaching adulthood, it becomes worse and for some their vocabulary just stopped expanding.

If you're an adult do this: could you think of a new word you've learned yesterday? last week? last month?
 
If your answer is all no to the questions above, you might be thinking "I'm too old for that, my memory wasn't as sharp as it used to, besides I already know all the words I need."

However for some you might recall feeling or thinking "Gosh, I didn't understand parts of the English movie I just saw, how come they were all laughing?" or
"What did the new-hire mean in his email? What a show off!" or
"My email seems too long, they might never read through all of this, how can I  make it concise? if only there is one word that can replace this phrase!" or
"To understand the newspaper articles I had to check the dictionary three times!" or
"It took me a month to finish reading this book if only I didn't have to look up some of the words."


Okay, you get the idea. There are benefits to having a wide vocabulary. If you have felt something similar to those enumerated above, felt ashamed of it and want to take ACTION, this blog will help you create and maintain a wide word bank in your head where you can easily recall the right words when you need them. 

Go through the posts in the order they were created, you need to learn the old lessons first to fully maximize learning from the new ones.

Schedule a daily time period for you to take the lessons, do it everyday and never miss out, make it FIXED. Look for a place where you can learn the lessons without any disturbance and make that place fixed also, always do your lessons in the same place. Why? This will make you comfortable with it, in time your mind will be hard wired to start learning every time you go into that place, your brain will automatically set to a learning mode.