English Vocabulary: Words, Meaning, Uses, Examples & Worksheet with Answers

Vocabulary, a noun word, is referred to as the collection of words known by a particular person. English Vocabulary also indicates the body of specific terms in a field of study, subject, activity or art, such as the vocabulary of dance. Here, vocabulary refers to the set of expressions and formations used in the dance art. Another example of the same is the vocabulary of Mathematics, which is all the words that are particularly used when discussing it.

Moreover, vocabulary as a subject comes in various competitive exams such as TET exams, SSC exams, UPSC exams, RRB exam and others.

Vocabulary Definition according to Collins Dictionary

• “a listing, either selective or exhaustive, containing the words and phrases of a language, with meanings or translations into another language; glossary”
• “the aggregate of words in the use or comprehension of a specified person, class, profession, etc.”
• “all the words contained in a language.”
• “a range or system of symbols, qualities, or techniques constituting a means of communication or expression, as any of the arts or crafts a wide vocabulary of textures and colours.”

Vocabulary Definition according to the Cambridge Dictionary

As per the Cambridge Dictionary, Vocabulary is defined as “all the words used by a particular person, or all the words that exist in a particular language or subject”.

Pronunciation: /vəˈkæb.jə.lər.i/ (vo·​cab·​u·​lary)

Synonym: Lexicon

Abbreviation: Vocab

Plural: Vocabularies

Origin of Vocabulary word: It originated from the Medieval Latin word vocābulārium, which is from vocābulārius, concerning words.

Also Read: Types of Tenses

Vocabulary is an essential component of the English language and communication. It helps to express information, thoughts, emotions and ideas. It can be spoken, written, verbal or signed. It is largely categorised into two types: Active Vocabulary and Passive Vocabulary. Have a look at the details of these two categories of English Vocabulary with examples below.

Also Read: Verbs in English Grammar

Vocabulary words can be verbal, written, read, or listened to. There are four types of Vocabularies in the English Language – Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Go through the details of these Vocabulary types in English below, along with the nicely explained Vocabulary examples.

Listening Vocabulary

The words a person needs to understand when someone is speaking fall under the Listening Vocabulary. For example:

The teacher asked students, “Prepare well for the Science test tomorrow.”

Here in the example stated above, students present in the class easily understood what teacher meant and what they need to do. These words in the sentence shared above are the Listening Vocabulary.

Speaking Vocabulary

The words used by people when they speak are the Speaking Vocabulary. For example:

While sitting among a group of friends, I said, “I am feeling famished.”

Here I being the speaker know what the English Vocabulary word famished means. However, the listeners might not relate with what the speaker said. In this case, feeling famished becomes Speaking Vocabulary for me.

Also Read: Synonym Words

Reading Vocabulary

Reading Vocabulary is the set of words one needs to understand when reading anything, such as books, newspapers, notes, etc. For example:

While reading the newspaper, I could not understand the sentence, “The ambiguity in the policy led to the confusion."

Here, the words ambiguity, policy, and confusion together make it impossible for me to understand what I read. Therefore, these words will not fall into my Reading Vocabulary as I failed to understand them. However, to improve my reading vocabulary, the reader may look up the dictionary for these words to know their meanings. This will not only improve the Vocabulary but will also improve the Reading Vocabulary.

Note: Reading Vocabulary is a very important part of the school curriculum, as well as often comes in various competitive exams in the form of ‘Reading Comprehension’. Questions on reading comprehension are not only asked in CBSE Class 10, CBSE Class 11 and CBSE Class 12, they also come in the following exams:

• SSC GD Constable exam
• CTET exam
• UPSC CAPF, CDS, NDA
• IBPS PO, Clerk
• SSC Exams
• SBI exams
• RRB Exams

Writing Vocabulary

Writing Vocabulary is the set of words one uses when writing something.  For example, a person writing a letter to the MCD knows all the words he or she is writing and their meaning. All the words in that letter-writing fall under his or her Writing Vocabulary.

Note: The vocabulary words that fall in types such as reading, writing, listening and speaking and categories such as Active and Passive vary from person to person.

In English, majorly all the commonly used words have their synonyms, which are just advanced words with the same meaning. The table below contains the common words and their advanced versions, along with the meaning and examples. Look at the examples of Vocabulary words with their meaning and know the usage of vocabulary in a sentence below:

Common Word	Advanced Word	Meaning	Example in a Sentence Form
Walk	Stroll	to move or go by putting one foot in front of the other on the ground	He went for a walk/ stroll in the park.
Run	Sprint	to move or go somewhere using your legs, faster than walking	I had to run faster to finish first in the race./ I had to sprint harder to finish first in the race.
See	Perceive	to look at something using your eyes through the power of sight	Babies can see objects from birth./ Babies can perceive objects from birth.
Look	Glance	to turn your eyes in a particular way to pay attention to something or somebody	He glanced at his watch./ He looked at his watch.
Think	Ponder	To use the mind to have an idea or an opinion about something	After reading the essay, I found myself pondering over/ thinking about the writer’s mindset.
Feel	Sense	to be in the state that is stated when you touch, see, smell or experience something	I could feel/ sense something was wrong.
Go	Proceed	to travel from one place to another	The teacher asked us to go to the playground./ The teacher told us to proceed to the playground.
Stop	Halt	to some to an end or to finish something	An accident stopped/ halted the traffic on this lane.
Live	Exist	To have life or to stay alive	Anaconda is one of the largest snakes that has ever lived/ existed.
Die	Expire	To stop living or existing	He died/ expired at the age of 89.
Sleep	Nap	state of rest of the body when eyes are closed and the mind and body are unconscious or not active	After lunch, I need a sleep/nap of 15 minutes to refresh.

Apart from these, there are millions of words with similar meaning or Synonyms in English that one can know by simply referring to the dictionary or online platforms like Google or Chatgpt. Have a look at an example below:

Also Read: Rules of English Articles

There are different Vocabulary words in spoken and written English. The words that we speak or hear in communication or conversations are Spoken Vocabulary, and the words we use while writing texts, such as essays, messages, books, sentences, etc., fall under Written Vocabulary. Have a look at the difference between the two below:

Knowing and understanding the differences between spoken and written language, one can improve his or her communication skills in both forms. 

Also Read: What is Precis Writing?

Anyone can enrich their Vocabulary in English at any point in their life. There are several ways to improve the English Vocabulary, such as by reading more, writing practice, keeping notes and others. Have a look at some of the best ways to improve vocabulary below:

• Read Extensively: Reading, in general, is a one-person activity to progress in word power. One can easily improve his or her word knowledge by reading widely. The medium can be anything that you enjoy, such as reading literature, fictional books, non-fictional books, newspapers, journals, research projects, textbooks, blog posts, etc.
• Maintain a Vocabulary Journal: One of the best ways to memorise the new words or vocabulary is by keeping a note of them. Write down every new word you come across, along with its meaning and examples, so that you retain it in your memory.
• Implementation in Conversation: Practice the new words or vocabulary in day-to-day conversations with people around you. This will make you familiar with the usage of these words and boost your confidence as a good speaker.
• Watch English Movies & TV Shows: The most immersive experience to learn new words is by watching something that entertains you. One can easily resort to watching English movies and TV shows, listening to podcasts and interviews to become more familiar with the language.
• Play Word Games: Playtime is a fun way to expand the English Vocabulary. There are several games that strengthen the English word power such as scrabble, crossword puzzles, Boggle, etc.
• Use Writing as a Practice Tool: Use the new vocabulary words by making new sentences or writing paragraphs. You can improve your writing skills by simply penning down your thoughts, writing an essay, practising letter-writing or composing new sentences using the new words. 

Also Read: Active and Passive Voice Rules