The Oxford English dictionary lists over 250,000 words. That figure does not include slang or technical words. Of course you don’t have to be familiar with all of these words although it would be quite a feat if you manage to learn all of them. A good speaker knows around 15,000 to 20,000 words. If your vocabulary is weak, you can improve it without much difficulty. Here are a few tips to improve your English vocabulary.

Read extensively

People who possess excellent vocabulary read extensively. If you are not really into fiction, you must consider reading the newspaper. Make it a daily ritual. Don’t read just one section of the paper. Read different articles on every page. Before you know it, your vocabulary will improve.

Start using the new words you have learned in your day-to-day speech and writing. By doing so you can ensure that you will never forget those words.

Use vocabulary cards

Make vocabulary cards. They are quite useful if you want to learn a large number of words in a short period of time. It is easy to create vocabulary cards. Take some square pieces of paper. On one side write the word and on the other side write its meaning.

Make use of online resources

Make good use of the reading materials available on the internet. The internet is an unlimited source of information. Pick up a topic of your interest and search for articles about it. Read the articles that show up in the search results. If you come across unfamiliar words look them up.

Make use of online dictionaries. Plenty of dictionaries are now available online. Use them to find the meaning of unfamiliar words.