The relationship between vocabulary and reading is as widely accepted as that between reading and writing. Indeed, a strong reader is more likely to have a rich vocabulary, which translates into a greater ease in the process of writing. When paired with a strong foundation in the mechanics of writing, a broad vocabulary base can [...]

VocabularySpellingCity has just added a digital and printable flashcards. The flashcards are customizable: choose what information you want to see about each word: definition, sentence, part of speech, synonym, antonym (any or all of the above) choose how you want the information displayed: see the word first, see the information first, order the words alphabetically [...]

Developing vocabulary is essential in helping people better understand their language. Idioms and slang are such a big part of American culture that it’s essential that Americans as well as people of all ages learning English as a Second Language (ESL) should study idiomatic expressions and slang. These expressions can be understood easily on a [...]

One of the most interesting trends in the social networking scene today is the growth of using the networks for building English vocabulary!  Not a day goes by that I don’t come across someone Tweeting that they are looking for an English practice partner.  I’m thinking this is a truly clever way to make learning [...]

A synonym is a word or expression that has nearly the same meaning as another word or expression. Synonyms tend to be adjectives, adverbs and verbs, with relatively few nouns qualifying as true synonyms. For example “big” (an adjective), “slowly” (an adverb) and “talk” (a verb) all have synonyms, while “sock” (a noun) does not. [...]

Students today are rarely “disconnected.”  From Smartphones to netbooks, iPads to BlueTooth, they have less and less need to be chained down to a stationary personal computer.  Which leads those of us with traditional flash-based educational websites scrambling to catch up with the mobile trend.  At Vocabulary.co.il, we’re interested in how YOU use our games.  [...]

A prefix is a group of letters attached to the beginning of a root or word (or even group of words) serving to modify and/or extend meaning. Prefixes generally have an easily understood meaning in and of themselves, which they apply to the root word to which they are affixed. For example, “un” is a [...]

One of the most fun parts of teaching English to students is by letting them discover figurative language.  Figurative language is any speech that is not meant to be taken literally.  Students in traditional classrooms and ESL classrooms will enjoy learning about three of the most interesting types of figurative language in English: idioms, oxymorons, [...]

Who doesn’t like a riddle, right??  Riddles stretch our brain muscles and make us think in “outside-the-box” kind of ways.  One of many children’s favorite kinds of riddles are the ones that lead to rhyming pairs of words.  Often called “Hink Pink” (one syllable) or “Hinky Pinky” (two syllables), or “Hinkety Pinkety” (three syllables) these [...]

Americans love their slang. It is unusual to get through even one normal conversation without at least one idiom or slang phrase coming up.  Idioms, or slang expressions, are words or phrases that you cannot figure out from the actual word choice. They often mean something completely different from the normal use of the words, [...]