How to Find Out What Words Mean
The University of Alabama
Center for Academic Success
Learn to use the context, that is, the surrounding words,
phrases, and sentences. Hints provided by the context sometime give us clues to what an unknown word
means. Such hints include:
words and phrases such as "for example," "that
is," "which means"
sentence that tells the opposite of the unfamiliar word
following or preceding sentence that explains the new word
sentence written expressly to define the strange word
a list of examples and known words used to
define unknown words
In an unknown word, look for parts of the word
whose meaning you already know. New words are coined, made up, from
parts of known words; for example, homework, midterm, and freshman.
Other words contain groups of letters that have meanings of their own.
These groups of letters change the meaning of a known word and are
classified in two types: prefixes, which appear at the beginning of
the word; and suffixes, which appear at the end of the word. The word
that has a prefix or suffix attached is called a root word.
A wordís meaning is made up of both
denotation and connotation. DENOTATION is the literal
(dictionary) meaning of the word. CONNOTATION is the emotional
impact of the word, the reaction to the word that a reader or hearer
has. Skillful writers choose words for their connotations.
Learn to differentiate between the shades of
meaning of similar words. Such words can express quite distinct
things; for example, boat, a small craft usually open at the top, and
ship, a large seagoing craft. The best place to find the shades of
meaning of words is in a dictionary.
Applying these dictionary pointers will help
you find meanings easily:
and use proper alphabetical order.
guide words to save time.
all abbreviations and symbols in the special sections.
at first you donít succeed in finding the word, donít give up. You
might need to check several possible spellings before finding the
the meaning you find for the word in the sentence. Be sure you select
the most appropriate meaning, not merely the first one you come to.
saying the word aloud after you look at the pronunciation key.