Vocabulary Building for Competitive Exams That Actually Sticks

Long word lists rarely work. Vocabulary sticks when you meet words in context, use them and revisit them at spaced intervals.

Learn from what you read

When you meet an unfamiliar word in a passage or an article, note it with the sentence in which you found it. Context gives meaning and helps memory.

Make your own sentence

For each new word, write one sentence about your own life. A sentence you created is far more memorable than a dictionary example.

Group words by idea

Words come in families: ones about generosity, ones about secrecy, ones about hardship. Grouping helps with synonyms and antonyms, which are common exam questions. For example, frugal, thrifty and economical belong together, while miserly and stingy lean negative.

Revise on a schedule

Revisit new words after a day, a week and a month, as described in our spaced repetition guide. Test yourself with short quizzes rather than rereading the list.

Practise in exam format

Use vocabulary practice questions covering synonyms, antonyms, idioms and one-word substitution. For where it counts in exams, see SSC CGL English and MAT language comprehension.