Do not expect brilliant results here overnight. But if your reading does not improve after three or four months of word drill, this will almost certainly indicate that you suffer from other serious handicaps.



A Word List to Master

Here follows a list of words taken, with permission, from a famous survey made by Professor E. L. Thorndike, of Teachers' College, Columbia University. For school use he prepared a list of the 10,000 words which appear most often in books and newspapers ordinarily read. I must assume that nearly all adults are familiar with the most common words among these. But probably the less common will offer a little difficulty at least to some who wish to improve their reading habits.

When you have learned all their important meanings you will have the basis of a non-technical working vocabulary. To perfect your business reading, you must next build up your own special vocabulary. As you learn new words here, write them down.

Be sure to avoid very rare words, select the important terms only, and be sure to learn all the important meanings of each.

Abash, Alcove, Arrant, Barrow

Abbot, Alder, Arrogant, Barter

Abject, Allay, Arsenal, Baseness

Abridge, Allege, Artisan, Bask

Bin, Burgess, Chaos, Compile

Binder, Burnish, Chargeable, Complement

Bladder, Bushing, Charger, Completion

Blanch, Butt, Chasm, Compliance

Craftsman, Default, Discomfit, Eke

Crag, Defective, Discord, Elapse

Cram, Defendant, Discount, Ell

Cramp, Defer, Discreet, Embark

Crane, Deficiency, Disk, Embassy

Crank, Define, Dismount, Embattled

Crate, Deform, Dispatch, Ember

Evince, Foliage, Geyser, Harbinger

Executor, Forbade, Girt, Hardihood

Exempt, Forbearance, Girth, Harmonious

Expedient, Forfeiture, Goad, Haycock

Expend, Formation, Goblet, Hazard

Expressive, Formidable, Gong, Haze

Extol, Fornication, Goodman, Heather

Extremity, Forsworn, Gourd, Hedgehog

Exult, Fortitude, Gradation, Hedgerow

Fabric, Fount, Grail, Heinous

Hysterical, Infidel, Jerkin, Lens

Idolatry, Infuse, Jig, Leper

Ignoble, Ingenious, Jingle, Lever

Imbibe, Inglorious, Jockey, Levy

Immeasurable, Ingredient, Jocund, Lewd

Imminent, Iniquity, Jog, Liable

Pestilence, Portable, Progeny, Ravenous

Petrify, Portal, Prologue, Ravine

Pew, Portentous, Promenade, Ravish

Reflexive, Ringlet, Scorner, Shorn

Reformation, Rinse, Scorpion, Shortage

Regent, Riotous, Scrim, Shred

Regime, Risen, Scroll, Shrivel

Reiterate, Rivet, Scruple, Shrug

Relapse, Rivulet, Scullion, Shutter

Relax, Roaster, Scum, Shuttle

Relay, Robust, Scurry, Sickle

Reliance, Rocker, Scythe, Sieve

Relinquish, Rocket, Sect, Sill

Rely, Roe, Sedate, Simmer

Sniff, Stile, Sware, Tinder

Snip, Stirrup, Swarthy, Tinge

Spout, Suite, Tempestuous, Treble

Upland, Vesture, Weasel, Writhe

Usage, Via, Weaver, Wroth

Usurp, Vial, Weld, Yew

Usury, Vicar, Welt, Yond

Utility, Victual, Wench, Yore

Uttermost, Viewless, Wend, Zephyr

Vacillate, Vigilance, Whelp, Zest

Vail, Vigorous, Whim, Zoological

Valve, Villa, Whisk

Exercise

Write down, without consulting the dictionary, all the distinct shades of meaning you can think of for the word "heavy." Now write a sentence or phrase in which "heavy" occurs, each time with a distinct meaning.

After you have finished, turn to some dictionary (not a small one!) and see how many meanings you have missed. Finally see in the dictionary how many meanings "heavy" has which are strange to you. Ignore the obsolete meanings of course.

Repeat the pattern of this exercise with each of the following words:

Heel out initiate of

discharge (the verb) over

contract (the verb) wild

millwill

minceclose

strain (the verb) seed

straightrule

Note. - If you know as many as one-half of the meanings of these words, you have an unusually good grasp of them. If you do not know them well enough to write them down on order but do recognize them when you see them in print, then you have a fair working grasp.

Carry out these word drills and you will soon have a very good grasp of many words.