When Joshua and I teach vocabulary, we try to do a few things:

1. Relate the word to anything we think the students might already know. (“Aquaduct? Well, you know what aquatic means, don’t you?”)

Of course, this is where we say, “You know more than you think you know!”

2. We ask the students if they can tell us anything about the word based on the context. Is it happy or sad? Is there a word near that word that helps you?

3. We help them examine the type of word it is. We say over and over to them that OUS words are often adjectives (delicious) and ATE words can often be verbs.

4. We help the students examine roots and affixes.
    a. Prefix–an affix (“stuck on”) to the beginning of a word
    b. Suffix–affix added to the end of a word

We also give the students tools all the time. Below is a list of prefixes and suffixes that we give to our students and discuss with them, along with their meanings.

Be a lifelong student! If you are an adult, these vocabulary tips will still help you every day.

generous, generate, generation, geneology, gender

dictate, verdict, edict, contradict, predict, diction, indict

perspective, aspect, spectator, spectacle, suspect   
        

surpass, summit, supersede, superstition

tension, extend, tendency, tendon, tent, distend

transfer, transient, transitory, transgress, transport

conduct, document, doctrine, induce, indoctrinate

company, collaborate, comply, congruent,

convert, revert, subvert, divert, diverse, extrovert, versatile

eloquent, logic, apology, monologue, dialogue, prologue

sensitive, sensation, consent, dissent, assent, sentiment        
                                         

denounce, defraud, decry, deplete, devoid, defile

anonymous, nominate, renounce, renown, misnomer         
                   

closet, enclose, disclose, include, conclude, seclude

vocal, advocate, vocation, convoke, revoke, avow         
                        

malicious, malady, dismal, malign, malevolent

fracture, fraction, fragment, fragile, frail, fractious          
                        

objective, obsolete, obscure, obstruct, obstinate

submissive, subordinate, sublime, subtle, subversion       
                     

abandon, abhor, abstain, absolve, abstruse, abstract 

progress, regress, gradual, digress, degrade, transgress

second, sequel, sequence, consequence, prosecute

prolific, profuse, prodigal, prtracted, prodigy, propensity     
                   

inquire, question, request, quest, query, acquire, querulous 

sacrifice, sanctuary, sanctify, sanction, consecrate

scribble, describe, script, prescribe, ascribe, inscribe 

apathy, sympathy, empathy, antipathy, passionate

disdain, dissuade, dismay, disparate, disparage

circumference, circulation, circumstances, circumvent 

nonviolent, uncooperative, inappreciative, anonymous 

adhere, adjective, addict, adverb                       

infrastructure, infraction, infrared, infra-bass
  
  

The post WORDY WEDNESDAY: Prefixes, Suffixes, Roots, Oh My! appeared first on Character Ink.

WORDY WEDNESDAY

You know what one of my least favorite words is? FACADE.

First of all, I work week in and week out to try to teach that an A, O, U, or most consonants make the C say “kuh.” That would make this word fuh-kade, right? (Or even fay-kade.) Unfortunately, that is wrong.

It is pronounced fuh-sodd. (That A really doesn’t make the C say “kuh.”)

That clearly makes this word a FAKE, which is one of its only redeeming qualities–it means what it looks like! Smile…

That bring us to the second aspect of the word–its meaning. It is a noun that means “a face of a building or a superficial appearance.”

In that regard, it is as it is pronounced–even though it isn’t pronounced like it is spelled (which is true of many words that came from somewhere else).

So it is easy to learn the meaning of—it has to do with what it sounds like–FACE (albeit, a fake face). But it is not spelled as one would think.

So, don’t put on a facade today! Don’t try to put on a superficial front or fake face. Be yourself!

The post Wordy Wednesday–FACADE appeared first on Character Ink.

Wordy Wednesday!

Welcome to Wordy Wednesday! Did you know that strengthlessnesses is the longest word containing only one (albeit very repeating) vowel? Neither did I. And I don’t really care for it. I mean, it is cumbersome to say–and that is a whole lot of e’s and s’s to remember to spell the crazy word.

But I love unique and unusual–and strengthlessnesses is definitely both of those! Here are some vitals about this “longest word containing only one (albeit very repeating) vowel”:

1. It is a noun–did you know that when a word ends in ness, it is almost always a noun? This helps with standardized testing greatly. Ness words are nearly always nouns, so in a “fill in the blank” type of assignment, if the word in question ends in ness, it has to go in a spot where a noun fits.

Tricky Trick to Help It Stick: We have students learn key words to remember things. For instance, to remember that ness words are nearly always nouns, memorize a key word or two that you know is a noun and that ends in ness.

Other ness nouns: happiness, hopefulness, craziness, gratefulness, joyfulness, smartness

2. It has to do with having strength–we teach our students to think about what you already know–anytime–but especially when approaching a new word. Is there anything about the word strengthlessnesses that you already know?
     a. You know what its base means. You already what strength means!
     b. You know that less means less or not having that quality. (We do a lot of root and affix studies here!)
 
Because of those two “things you already know,” you can know that strengthlessnesses has something to do with not having strength (i.e. less strength).

Note: You know more than you think you know! Repeat this over and over to yourself: “I know more than I think I know. I know more than I think I know.” Use what you know to learn more!

3. It can be spelled syllable-by-syllable (if you are a biphonic man or biphonic woman!): strength-less-ness-es.

4. You can also make up a trick to remember how to spell it, such as “It contains four e’s and six s’s. Or that it has four syllables–which tells you that it will have at least four vowels in it (or y’s acting like vowels)–because a syllable always contains at least one vowel. A vowel is what makes a syllable!

5. You can learn the variations of this word–because you can remember from your vocabulary studies with Language Lady that suffixes (affixes added to the ends of words) might change the SPELLING of the base word (pity is changed to piti in pitiful) but does not change the MEANING of the base word. Even with three suffixes added (less, ness, and es), the base word of strength still means strength.
             a.  stengthless–adjective meaning without strength (less words are often adjectives!)
             b. strengthlessly–adverb meaning without strength (ly words are often adverbs)
             c. strengthelessness–a noun describing someone or something that is without strength (ness words are often nouns)
            d. strengthlessnesses–a noun that means more than one someone or something that is without strength (es makes the word plural).


So there you have it–the longest word with only one repeating vowel. Did you know that you could learn so much from one word? You know a lot more than you think you know! Smile…

The post Strengthlessnesses—Longest Word With One Vowel appeared first on Character Ink.

1. tension
2. extend
3. tendency
4. tendon
5. tent
6. distend
7. intent
8. tenable
9. attention
10. detention
11. extent
12. retention
13. ostentatious
14. malcontent
15. potent

The post Day 126: Wordy Wednesday—root TEN appeared first on Character Ink.

1. Perspective—seeing a point of view
2. Aspect—one part or one thing you can see
3. Spectator—one who sees
4. Spectacle—a sight to see
5. Suspect—a person you see that might be guilty
6. Others???

The post day 120: wordy wednesday—root “spec” appeared first on Character Ink.

1. Dictate—to speak words to someone (for that person to write)
2. Verdict—a word/determination that was spoken at the end of a trial
3. Edict—words that are authority or law/rule
4. Contradict—contra means opposite; dict means word—opposite of the words that someone spoke
5. Predict—pre means before; dict means word—speak words before they happen
6. Diction—the pattern of someone’s speech

The post day 118: wording Wednesday—root/prefix dict appeared first on Character Ink.

1. Generous
2. Generate
3. Generation
4. Genealogy
5. Gender
6. Genocide
7. Generic

The post day 115: wordy wednesday appeared first on Character Ink.

1. amid
2. amidst
3. among
4. amongst
5. around
6. by
7. near
8. next to
9. round
1. above
1. atop
2. atop of
3. on
4. on top of
5. over
6. up
7. upon

3. Against
1. anti
2. barring
3. despite
4. in spite of
5. opposite of
4. Ahead
1. ahead of
2. before
3. in front
4. in front of
5. Along
1. about
2. alongside
3. alongside of
4. Along with
5. Amid
6. Amidst
7. Among
8. Amongst
9. At
10. Beside
11. Besides
12. Round
13. Close
14. Close to
15. By means of
16. Near to
17. Next to
6. amid/amidst
1. about
2. against
3. among
4. amongst
5. around
6. at
7. beside
8. beside of
9. by
10. next to
11. round
12. through
13. throughout
7. anti
1. across from
2. against
3. barring
4. opposite
5. opposite of
6. versus
8. around
1. about
2. amid
3. amidst
4. among
5. amongst
6. aside
7. aside of
8. circa
9. aside
1. along
2. alongside
3. alongside
4. aside of
5. beside
6. beside of
7. by
8. next
9. next to
10. close to
11. near to
10. astride
1. a. atop
2. atop of
3. on
4. on top of
5. over
6. up
7. upon
11. at
1. beside
2. beside of
3.  by
4. toward
5. close to
12. barring
1. anti
2. opposite
3. opposite of
4. outside
5. outside of
6. due to
7. except for
8. save
13. before
1. ahead
2. ahead of
3. in front of
14. behind
1. beyond
2. following
3. in back
4. in back of

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