How do I improve my vocabulary?

Vocabulary isn't a fixed trait that some writers are born with. Like any skill, it’s one that you need to nurture and practice in order to improve. The more you read, write, and pay attention to the words around you, the more your vocabulary will improve. 

Just as a painter uses colour, a writer with a bigger vocabulary has more colour and texture choose from. But just like a painter, access to colour isn’t everything. Artists can create the most beautiful art using only a single colour, and the same goes for writers. A limited vocabulary doesn’t have to be a negative, as long as you use what you have in a way that is intentional. 

Like all creation, however, it’s often better to know more, and use less. Because you want to be able to choose your limitations for greatest effect, rather than be forced to limit yourself because you lack the knowledge. So here are some habits I’d start with when it comes to improving your vocabulary.

Read a lot

Reading is the best way to improve your vocabulary. It’s hands down, no argument the most effective way.

When you read, you see words in context. You see what a word means, what tone it carries, and how it sits in a sentence all at once. Combine this with a dictionary to look up any words you don’t immediately understand, and you’ll quickly start to internalise a lot of words that you wouldn’t have been exposed to any other way. 

Make it a habit to read as often as you can, and don't limit yourself to one genre, age range, or style. Fiction, non-fiction, articles, and even picture books draw on different stocks of words, and the more varied your reading, the more of them you'll pick up for day-to-day use.

When a word stops you, resist the urge to skim past it. Look it up, even if you think you can guess the meaning, because a guess is often close without being quite right. Really knowing a word isn’t just knowing it, but being able to use it correctly.  It's also worth reading plenty in the genre you write in, since that's where you'll find the words your own readers will expect.

Write a lot

As with anything, practice is fundamental to growth. Regular writing gives you constant chances to reach for a better word, and over time that reaching will become instinctive and fluid.

There's a difference between recognising a word when you read it and being able to use it when you write. Linguists even treat them as separate skills; receptive and productive vocabulary. Using words when writing pushes words you learn from receptive to productive, meaning it becomes something you can draw on and use correctly when you need to.

Use a thesaurus

A thesaurus introduces you to synonyms that can add flair to your writing, but it comes with a caveat: avoid using complex words just for the sake of sounding more sophisticated. Choose the word that fits the context and what you're trying to say.

Synonyms are rarely exact swaps. They carry distinct tones and shades of meaning, so before you use one, check what it means and see it in an example sentence for context. A slender person and a scrawny person are both mean the person is thin, but the contextual meaning differs hugely.

Join a writing group

Beyond being a place to talk about words, writing groups let you test your understanding of words in real time. If you've used a word in a way that doesn't quite land, another writer will tell you. But you have to be open to that feedback.

You'll also see how other writers use their own vocabulary to express their own meanings, which is a good reminder that there's more than one way to say a thing. Whether you find a group in person or online, it's a low-pressure place to see where the gaps in your vocabulary might be. The point of writing groups is to help each other improve.

Play word games

Playing word games is a fun way to practise without feeling like you're practising. Scrabble challenges you to form different words from a set of letters, crosswords build your recall, and Boggle sharpens quick thinking and word formation. All of them ask you to pull words out of your memory under a little fun-sized pressure, which is exactly what you do when you're writing.

That said, if word games aren't your thing, you don't need to force them. They're just a little thing I do to test my own vocabulary while having a bit of fun.

Keep a word journal

Every time you come across a new word, jot it down. Then follow it up by looking at its meaning, its synonyms, how it's used, and note the sentence you found it in, because the context is what tells you its tone. A notebook or a notes app is fine; use whichever one you'll actually open.

The most important part is to go back to it. A list you never revisit is just a list, so look over your entries now and then and practise using the words. Over time, you'll notice these new words naturally creeping into your writing without you having to think about them.

Sometimes simple is best

While having a broad vocabulary is an asset, not every situation calls for intricate or sophisticated language. A plain word will often do a better job of focusing your writing, instead of forcing a reader to stop and look something up.

This matters for imagery in particular. Vivid writing usually comes from precise word choice, so a few well-chosen words can do more for a scene than overwriting to show off your vocabulary. What counts as the right word also depends on who you're writing for; a literary novel and a middle-grade adventure will ask for different vocabularies.

More important than a wide vocabulary is an understanding of your readers and the message you want to convey. As I always say, clarity is more important than anything else.