VOCABULARY TIPS AND TRICKS


CONTEXT

If the given word is not used in a sentence, try to recall where you encountered (read or heard) the word before. If the given word is used in a sentence, look for helpful context clues.
Examples:
debilitating(illness) - incapacitating
insurgent(a faction in a sci-fi novel turned movie) - rebel
potable(water) - drinkable

PARTS OF SPEECH

If the given word is not familiar to you, try to associate it with another word in a different part of speech.
Examples:
sophomoric(adjective) - sophomore(noun)
notoriety(noun) - notorious(adjective)
skepticism(noun) - skeptical(adjective)

ROOT WORDS AND PREFIXES

Learning to recognize the common root words and prefixes can help you make educated guesses when confronted with unfamiliar words.

Words which start with negative prefixes ofteb have negative meanings,while words which start with positive prefixes often have positive meanings.

Negative Prefixes: a,ab, an, anti, contra, contro, counter, de, dis, dys, im, in, ir, mal, male, mis, non, un
Examples:
disparage - ridicule
incorrigible - delinquent
maleficent - wicked


Positive Prefixes: ben, bene, bon, co, col, com, con, mag, magni, omni, pro, super
Examples:
benevolent - kind
compassionate - caring
magnificient - wonderful

ROOT WORDS/PREFIXES
MEANING
ROOT WORDS/PREFIXES
MEANING
a, an
not, without
micro
small
ab, abs
away, from, separated
mis
bad, improper, hatred
alter
other
mono
one
ambi
both
mori, mort
death
ante
before
morph
form, structure
anti
againts, opposite
multi
many
arch
first, chief
neg
deny
aud, audit
hear
neo
new
bene
good
nov
new
bi
two
non
not
biblio
book
ob, oc, of, op
againts, in the way of
bio
life
omni
everywhere
capit, capt
head
pan
all, every
carn
flesh
patr
father
cata
down
pater
father
chron
time
path
feeling, emotion
circum
around
oara
beyond
co, col, con, com
with, together
phil
love
cor
with, together
poly
many
contra, contro
againts
post
after
cred
believe
pre
before, earlier than
de
down, away
prim, primo, proto
first
demi
half, partly
pro
forward, supporting
di, dif, dis
apart, separation
pseudo
FALSE
di
two
pysch
mind
dic, dict
speak
re
again, back
dis, dys
abnormal, bad, difficult
retro
backward
e,ex, extra, extro
away, out, beyond
sacer, sacr
holy
ego
self
se
apart, away
ex
out of from
semi
partly
fal, fals
deceive
somn
sleep
gam
marriage
sub
under, below
graph
write
super, supra, sur
above, over
hyper
above, excessive
syn, sy, syl, sys
with together
ig, il, im, in
not
tele
from afar, distance
ir
not
therm
heat
inter
between, among
trans
across
intra, intro
within
ultra
beyond, excessive
jur
swear
un
not
macro
large, long
under
below
mal, male
bad, ill, wrong
uni
one
mega
great, million



CONNOTION

Pay attention to the emotion that the given word stirs up. Some words sound positve, while others sound negative.

Examples:
malediction(negative) - curse                                                     acrosanct (positive) - holy
nefarious(negative) - villainous                                                  jubilant(positive) - euphoric

If a word is used in a phrase or sentence, then it is relatively easy to uncover its meaning by using context clues.
Example:
Rebecca was convinced that the fortunate teller was truly PRESCIENT because the latter was able to predict who the president of the country would be.

(1)vociferous (2) scrupulous (3) clairvoyant (4) recalcitrant (5) enigmatic

The correct answer is (3). Clairvoyant is synonymous with prescient. They both mean having the power to tell the future.


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