Last week we rolled out some changes that affected how Vocabulary.com users can learn words from Vocabulary Lists. We've listened to devoted Vocabularians and have brought back the ability to practice a vocabulary list. You will also have the option of adding those words to your comprehensive Vocabulary.com learning program. Continue reading...
Eleanor H. Porter's classic children's novel of 1913, Pollyanna, tells the story of a plucky orphan who makes a game out of finding the silver lining in any situation no matter how bad. The most famous vocabulary word was not one Porter used, but one coined by readers and fans. To be a pollyanna, or behave in a pollyannaish manner refers to people who try hard to think positively, even unrealistically so. Continue reading...
If you saw the documentary "Wordplay," you witnessed young Tyler Hinman win the first of his five consecutive victories at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. This achievement seemed untouchable... until this year's tournament, when Dan Feyer managed to win for the fifth straight time — beating out none other than Tyler Hinman. Puzzlemaster Brendan Emmett Quigley wraps up the action. Continue reading...
The award-winning technology powering Vocabulary.com is now available as an app!
Already played by millions online, the uniquely powerful word-learning system can now be enjoyed on mobile devices and tablets. The Vocabulary.com app provides personalized word learning on a big data scale. Continue reading...
Announcing changes to the SAT Wednesday, College Board president David Coleman expounded on why synthesis is the kind of word he wants to swap in for the "SAT words" of old. Let's take a closer look at why. Continue reading...
Jim Burke's The English Teacher's Companion includes a list of 358 academic vocabulary words culled from a survey of textbooks, assignments, standards, and examinations. Although the term academic vocabulary means different things to different educators, I like to think of Burke's use of the term as representing the vocabulary of directions. Continue reading...
The Ukraine, e-cigarettes, Afghanistan, and the Vatican...follow this week's news coverage from a vocabularian's perspective by learning 10 words from this week's New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post coverage. Continue reading...
I've written columns culled from the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) before, but it wasn't easy. I always had to thumb through the pages like a caveman. No more! Now, finally, DARE is available digitally, allowing this deep well of regional English to be searched easily. This is a bonanza for writers and word nerds everywhere, so get a subscription or take your library hostage until it does so. Continue reading...
We're excited to announce some changes to how words are learned on Vocabulary.com. With these changes, learning Vocabulary Lists is now fully integrated into your overall progress toward mastering words. The result is a more seamless and efficient learning experience, no matter where you learn words on Vocabulary.com. Continue reading...