4 Effective Techniques to Learn Synonyms in English Quickly and Memorably

Undoubtedly, during the process of learning English synonyms, you may have experienced a feeling of extreme confusion and frustration because you didn't know how to study sufficiently and effectively. Therefore, upon understanding your learning difficulties, PREP would like to share the 4 most essential techniques to learn synonyms in English in the following article. Take a look at the article to equip yourself with the most interesting learning methods!

I. The Importance of English Synonyms

1. The role of synonyms in the IELTS exam

• In IELTS Reading + Listening: It is likely that candidates preparing for the IELTS exam are familiar with questions that are paraphrased in various ways. Therefore, if you have a good understanding of synonyms in English, it serves as a "guiding star" to help you excel in the exam.
• In IELTS Writing: In the Writing skill of the IELTS exam, using synonyms accurately in context will make your writing more diverse, and your band score will be raised (according to the Lexical Resource criterion). Additionally, using synonyms correctly ensures coherence in your writing and contributes to an easier increase in band score (according to the coherence and cohesion criteria).
• In IELTS Speaking: Similar to the IELTS Writing test, using synonyms in the speaking test will elevate the candidate's band score (according to the Lexical Resource criterion) and create a strong impression on the examiners in the Speaking test.

2. The role of synonyms in everyday communication

Synonyms play an incredibly important role not only in English exams but also in everyday communication. Synonyms facilitate smooth and simple communication by using appropriate vocabulary, and making speech fluent, coherent, and flowing.

II. Some mistakes that students often make when they learn synonyms in English

While learning synonyms in English, you've likely faced many challenges, perhaps feeling like you're constantly going back and forth in your studies and still struggling to remember the words, correct? Encountering this situation suggests that you might have made some avoidable mistakes in the process of acquiring knowledge. So, how can you prevent these errors when expanding your English vocabulary? Let's start by examining some common mistakes to avoid when learning synonyms, which is shared by PREP!

1. Discontinuous study without review or application into practice

The first and most serious mistake that students make is studying synonyms in English, and then putting the vocabulary aside without reviewing or applying them in exercises or real-life communication.

PREP has seen many students face this scenario: On a bright and hopeful day, a student eagerly learns 10 pairs of English synonyms. However, the next day, feeling less motivated, the student forgets the 10 synonyms they mastered just the day before. As days pass, those words gradually fade into obscurity, and the saying "out of sight, out of mind" becomes a harsh reality.

2. Not studying in specific contexts

When you encounter words like "Negative" and "Adverse" with the same meaning of "bad or harmful," according to Thesaurus.com, you might assume they are interchangeable synonyms. However, this assumption can lead to a critical error in your understanding. While they share a similar meaning, "Negative" and "Adverse" each carry subtle differences in usage and connotation. Treating them as mere equivalents can be a fatal mistake, potentially leading to a significant drop in your scores.

For example, in the sentence: "He always has a negative view on life," we cannot replace "Negative" with "Adverse" as "He always has an adverse view on life" ➱ In IELTS Writing, this is considered a paraphrasing error, and candidates will be heavily penalized.

3. Learning vocabulary without the support of the dictionary

When learning synonyms in English, a dictionary is considered a "Doraemon's treasure" that helps you improve your vocabulary quickly and effectively. However, many students still overlook the step of consulting a dictionary when learning synonyms. Please note that this is an extremely detrimental practice!

III. How to learn synonyms in English

Certainly, to achieve high scores in exams or to communicate effectively in English, you need to have a solid grasp of common synonyms in English. But how do you learn synonyms in a standardized way to quickly and effectively remember them? Below are 4 effective tips to help you learn synonyms in English, let's take a look!

1. Set goals to learn synonyms in English

The most essential step before studying English synonyms is to set goals for your learning.

• Are you learning synonyms for the National High School English Exam?
• Are you learning synonyms for the TOEIC, IELTS, APTIS, etc.?
• Are you learning synonyms to communicate effectively in daily life?

Do the suggestions above represent your learning goals for English synonyms? Once you have identified your vocabulary learning goals, set a target for how many synonyms you want to learn each day! For example: learn 5 pairs of synonyms per day - learn 35 pairs of synonyms per week - learn 150 pairs of synonyms per month. Or you can set a goal of learning 30 pairs of synonyms per day, which would accumulate to 900 pairs of synonyms in a month.

In summary, it's not about how many words you learn, but rather how many words you truly remember and can apply in English exams as well as in daily life.

2. Apply the learned words immediately

No trick allows you to instantly memorize English synonyms and remember them deeply without forgetting. To effectively learn synonyms in English, you need to apply them immediately. Use them in IELTS Writing, and IELTS Speaking, or you can message your friends and use synonyms, and post statuses on Facebook with accompanying vocabulary. In summary, to learn synonyms effectively, you have to "learn hand in hand with practice" to ensure solid understanding.

3. Repeat and review

Another effective technique for learning English synonyms that PREP wants to introduce to readers is "repeat and review." By doing this, you will "dig deep and thoroughly understand" the synonyms, fully grasping their meanings for different contexts. Through continuous learning, your knowledge will not be lost, and every synonym you learn will accompany you every day.

4. Use appropriate support tools

To learn synonyms in English effectively, "studying alone" is not enough. You need to use additional support tools to enhance your memorization. The tool that PREP wants to introduce to you is the Thesaurus.com dictionary.

Thesaurus.com will help users find English synonyms and categorize them according to the semantic classes of the base words. Synonyms with different semantic classes will be classified separately. Furthermore, when you learn synonyms in English through the Thesaurus.com dictionary, you will see the closest synonyms to the queried word highlighted and prioritized.

Therefore, learning English synonyms is no longer a difficult task because you have found a helpful tool, right?

IV. Conclusion

This article has provided the complete methods to quickly memorize and learn synonyms in English effectively. PREP wishes you successful exam preparation, achieving high scores in English exams, and becoming proficient in English communication!