Building a Better Vocabulary part 5

Five Principles for Learning Vocabulary. 1. Definitions 2. Context 3. Connections 4. Morphology/etymology 5. Sematic chunking

How can word parts help me understand new vocabulary? There are many ways to learn new vocabulary. One way is to know about the different parts of words. Sometimes they can help you guess the meaning of new words. Sometimes they can help you guess how the new words are used. Knowing more things about new words can also help you remember them.

Prefixes Some words have prefixes at the beginning. These have their own meanings. They can help you guess the meaning of the new word. They can sometimes even help you make new words form the words you already know. It’s a good idea to know common prefixes. Here are a few examples:

the Prefix co- means together cooperate- work jointly toward the same end. colleague-an associate or coworker typically in a profession or in a civil or ecclesiastical office and often of similar rank or status codependent-characterized by excessive emotional or psychological reliance on a partner, typically one who requires support on account of an illness or addiction. coagulate-If liquid coagulates, it becomes thick and solid.

coalition-A coalition is a temporary union of different political or social groups that agrees to work together to achieve a shared aim. coalesce-If two or more things coalesce, they come together to form a single larger unit. cohesive-A cohesive argument sticks together, working as a consistent, unified whole. correlate-When you correlate two things, you compare, associate, or equate them together in some way. incoherent-Someone who is speaking in an incoherent fashion cannot be understood or is very hard to understand.

coordinate-When you coordinate a large event, you organize or bring all the many parts of it together so that the event can occur. coincide-When two things coincide, they go along with each other, match, or happen at the same time. coexisting-existing at the same time coherent-marked by an orderly, logical, and aesthetically consistent relation of parts cohort-a company of companions or supporters

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. The prefix re-, which means “back” or “again,” appears in hundreds of English vocabulary words, for example: reject, regenerate, and revert. You can remember that the prefix re- means “back” via the word return, or turn “back;” to remember that re- means “again” consider rearrange, or arrange “again.”

reject: throw ‘back’ recede: move ‘back’ reduce: lead ‘back’ reflect: bend ‘back’ return: turn ‘back’ revert: turn ‘back’ rearrange: arrange ‘again’ rejuvenate: make young ‘again’ recapitulate: say ‘again’, going ‘back’ to the head of what you’re saying reincarnate: return into a body ‘again’ redeem: buy ‘back’ redundant: flow ‘again’ unnecessarily

redoubtable-If you describe someone as redoubtable, you have great respect for their power and strength; you may be afraid of them as well. re-juvenate-To rejuvenate someone is to make that person feel young and strong again; to rejuvenate something is to make it like new once more. repute-A person's repute is what others think of them; repute can also refer to someone's standing in society. renege-If you renege on a deal, agreement, or promise, you do not do what you promised or agreed to do. reprobate-A reprobate has a bad character and behaves in an immoral or improper way. requisite-If something is requisite for a purpose, it is needed, appropriate, or necessary for that specific purpose.

recapitulate-When someone recapitulates, they summarize material or content of some kind by repeating the most important points. reprehensible-If you think a type of behavior or idea is reprehensible, you think that it is very bad, morally wrong, and deserves to be strongly criticized. irrefutable-An irrefutable argument or statement cannot be proven wrong; therefore, it must be accepted because it is certain. refrain-If you refrain from doing something, you do not do it—even though you want to. revile-If something is reviled, it is intensely hated and criticized.

recant-If you recant, you publicly announce that your once firmly held beliefs or statements were wrong and that you no longer agree with them. refractory-Refractory people deliberately don't obey someone in authority and so are difficult to deal with or control. remuneration-Someone's remuneration is the payment or other rewards they receive for work completed, goods provided, or services rendered. remonstrate-To remonstrate with someone is to tell that person that you strongly disapprove of something they have said or done. relegate-You relegate someone or something if you give that person or thing a less important position than before. irreproachable-An irreproachable person is very honest and so morally upright that their behavior cannot be criticized.

reductive-If you describe something as reductive, such as an explanation or a theory, you disapprove of it because it describes or explains something in such a simple way that it misses important details. reprisal-A reprisal is something violent or harmful that you do to punish someone for something bad or unpleasant that they did to you. recalcitrant-A recalcitrant animal or person is difficult to control and refuses to obey orders—even after stiff punishment. retribution-Retribution is severe punishment that someone deserves because they have done something very wrong; it especially refers to punishment or revenge that is carried out by someone other than official authorities. irrevocable-An irrevocable action or decision is impossible to change, reverse, or stop.

resounding-A resounding success, victory, or defeat is very great or complete, whereas a noise of this kind is loud, powerful, and ringing. revelry-Revelry is a festive celebration that includes wild, noisy, and happy dancing, eating, and drinking. respite-A respite is a short period of rest from work or something troubling. recognizance-A recognizance is a promise or formal bond made to a court that someone will attend all court hearings and will not engage in further illegal activity. rapprochement-Rapprochement is the development of greater understanding and friendliness between two countries or groups of people after a period of unfriendly relations. irreconcilable-Two irreconcilable opinions or points of view are so opposed to each other that it is not possible to accept both of them or reach a settlement between them.

redress-If you redress a complaint or a bad situation, you correct or improve it for the person who has been wronged, usually by paying them money or offering an apology. regale-If someone regales you, they tell you stories and jokes to entertain you— and they could also serve you a wonderful feast. unremitting-A thing or person that is unremitting is persistent and enduring in what is being done. restitution-Restitution is the formal act of giving something that was taken away back to the rightful owner—or paying them money for the loss of the object. unrequited-If you feel unrequited love for another, you love that person, but they don't love you in return. recoup-To recoup is to get back an amount of money you have lost or spent. resonate-If you say that something, such as an event or a message, resonates with you, you mean that it has an emotional effect or a special meaning for you that is significant.

pre- before preview, prepaid trans– across transport mis- badly/incorrect mistake, misunderstand inter- between international, interpret over- too much/more oversleep, overpay