Homophones are words or phrases that sound the same, but have different meanings. One example is the words peace and piece. These words sound the same, but they have very different meanings. Homophones often get mixed up when we are writing a story, letter, or email. The best way to protect yourself from homophone hiccups [...]

Do you remember when taking a foreign language class in school was an elective? The word “elective” implies that students have a choice to either learn a foreign language or not. In today’s society, we are expanding our need to communicate with other countries and cultures. This expansion may lead to a requirement for foreign [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

I have been blessed to know some amazing ESL teachers over the last several years.  Thanks to our ever-shrinking world, teaching English as a Second Language is crucial for the millions of students in American schools who need to operate bilingually every day.  The English language is the second most widely used language in the [...]

Do you have a particular homophone weakness?  You know…a pair of words that you can’t ever seem to remember which one to use when??  Mine is most definitely the homophone pair hangar and hanger.  I am NEVER sure which one holds clothes and which one holds airplanes.  Maybe you have more than one set that [...]

One of the favorite vocabulary games of the youngest visitors to Vocabulary.co.il is Match Game.  Match Game is a simple flashcard-style game that can be played in learning mode or game mode.  When you first click on the Match Game icon, it will take you to the mode choice screen: If you choose “LEARN” mode, [...]

I have this weird thing with song lyrics.  I can hear music I haven’t heard in 20 years or more, and suddenly I will realize that I STILL remember the words!!  It’s kind of freaky, actually.  It’s like there is this little “compartment” up in my brain that stores song lyrics without my knowledge! But [...]

Here is a little quiz for you:  which word could be described by the following two meanings?? 1. A piece of open land used for recreational purposes 2. To maneuver a vehicle into a particular space If you guessed “PARK”, you would be correct! A word with two or more meanings is called a homograph.  [...]