Learn difficult word in english

50 Difficult Words with Meanings. Really? Is it something that matters in the preparation for competitive exams? Or is it even something you should bother going through? The simple answer is YES. Good vocabulary can take you to places in competitive exams as well as in life. Are you ready to learn new difficult words with meanings? Here is the complete list of 50 difficult words with meanings!

Why Improve Your Vocabulary?

Here are some reasons why you must improve your vocabulary:

1. Study abroad tests such as GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, SAT, etc. include vocabulary sections to test your English proficiency. Hence, practising vocabulary daily can help you score well on these tests.
2. Developing your vocabulary will sharpen your mind.
3. Knowing the correct word can help you express your thoughts more accurately.
4. Developing your vocabulary is a great way to improve your communication skills.

Must Read: Daily Used English Words

50 Difficult Words with Meanings and Examples

1. Abnegation /abnɪˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n/: Renouncing a belief or doctrine
   Example: “I believe in the abnegation of political power”
2. Aggrandize /əˈɡrandʌɪz/: enhance power, wealth or status
   Example: It was an action intended to aggrandize the Frankish dynasty.
3. Alacrity /əˈlakrɪti/: Eagerness
   Example: He accepted the invitation with alacrity.
4. Anachronistic /ənakrəˈnɪstɪk/: misplaced chronologically
   Example: He is rebelling against the anachronistic morality of his parents.
5. Archetypal /ˌɑːkɪˈtʌɪp(ə)l/: quintessential of a certain kind
   Example: She is the archetypal country doctor.
6. Ascetic /əˈsɛtɪk/: one who practices self-denial as part of spiritual discipline
   Example: She has adopted an ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and manual labour.
7. Beguile /bɪˈɡʌɪl/: influence someone in a deceptive way
   Example: He beguiled the voters with his good looks.
8. Blandishment /ˈblandɪʃm(ə)nt/: intentional flattery for persuasion
   Example: The blandishments of the travel brochure.
9. Cajole /kəˈdʒəʊl/: persuade by flattery or coaxing
   Example: He hoped to cajole her into selling the house.
10. Callous (/ˈkaləs/: disregard for others
    Example: Her callous comments about the murder made me shiver.
11. Camaraderie /kaməˈrɑːd(ə)ri/: a sense of solidarity arising out of familiarity and sociability
    Example: I like the enforced camaraderie of office life.
12. Circumlocution /ˌsəːkəmləˈkjuːʃ(ə)n/: expressing someone in an indirect way
    Example: His admission came after years of circumlocution.
13. Clamour/ˈklamə/: proclaim something noisily
    Example: The questions rose to a clamour in the meeting.
14. Cognizant /ˈkɒ(ɡ)nɪz(ə)nt/: awareness or realization
    Example: Politicians must be cognizant of the political boundaries within which they work.
15. Construe /kənˈstruː/: interpret or assign meaning
    Example: His words could hardly be construed as an apology.
16. Convivial /kənˈvɪvɪəl/: enjoyable atmosphere or jovial company
    Example: It is a convivial cocktail party.
17. Demagogue /ˈdɛməɡɒɡ/: a political leader who uses rhetoric to appeal to prejudices and desires of ordinary citizens
    Example: The minister is a gifted demagogue with particular skill in manipulating the press.
18. Denigrate /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/: belittle someone
    Example: Many doom and gloom merchants denigrate their own country.
19. Didactic /dɪˈdaktɪk/: instructive with a moral intent
    Example: It is a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice.
20. Disparate /ˈdɪsp(ə)rət/: of a distinct kind
    Example: They inhabit disparate worlds of thought.

Time to take a breather! You’re almost there! Let’s quickly finish up our list of 50 difficult words with meanings!

1. Eclectic /ɪˈklɛktɪk/: deriving the best ideas and styles from a diverse range of sources
   Example: My university is offering an eclectic mix of courses.
2. Egregious /ɪˈɡriːdʒəs/: reprehensible or outrageously bad
   Example: It is an egregious abuse of copyright.
3. Embezzlement /ɛmˈbɛzlm(ə)nt/: misappropriation of funds
   Example: He has charges of fraud and embezzlement.
4. Enervate /ˈɛnəveɪt/: lacking in vitality or mentally/ morally drained
   Example: The weather has an enervating heat today.
5. Ephemeral /ɪˈfɛm(ə)r(ə)l/: lasting for a short duration
   Example: Fads are ephemeral: new ones regularly drive out the old.
6. Equanimity /ˌɛkwəˈnɪmɪti/: maintaining composure in stressful situations
   Example: He accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity.
7. Fatuous /ˈfatjʊəs/: devoid of intelligence
   Example: It was a fatuous comment.
8. Gratuitous /ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs/: uncalled for or unwarranted
   Example: Gratuitous violence was reported.
9. Iconoclast /ʌɪˈkɒnəklast/: someone who criticizes or attacks cherished ideas and beliefs
   Example: His son Gegnesius 722 was taken to Constantinople, where he won over to his opinions the iconoclast emperor, Leo the Isaurian. 
10. Idiosyncratic /ˌɪdɪə(ʊ)sɪŋˈkratɪk/: something peculiar to an individual
    Example: He emerged as one of the great, idiosyncratic talents of the nineties.
11. Incumbent /ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/: something that is morally binding
    Example: The government realized that it was incumbent on them to act.
12. Inveterate /ɪnˈvɛt(ə)rət/: habitual
    Example: She is an inveterate gambler.
13. Libertarian /ˌlɪbəˈtɛːrɪən/: someone who cherishes ideas of free will
    Example: He is studying libertarian philosophy.
14. Licentious /lʌɪˈsɛnʃəs/: someone who is promiscuous
    Example: The ruler’s tyrannical and licentious behaviour.
15. Largess /lɑːˈ(d)ʒɛs/: Kindness or Generosity in bestowing gifts or money
    Example: The king can’t bestow these costly jewels with such a largess
16. Multifarious /ˌmʌltɪˈfɛːrɪəs/: multifaceted or diverse
    Example: The university offers multifarious activities.
17. Obdurate /ˈɒbdjʊrət/: being stubborn and refusing to change one’s opinion
    Example: I argued this point with him, but he was obdurate.
18. Ostracism /ˈɒstrəsɪz(ə)m/: excluding a person or certain section from society by majority consent
    Example: “I argued this point with him, but he was obdurate”
19. Pejorative /pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv/: showing disapproval
    Example: Permissiveness is used almost universally as a pejorative term.
20. Pertinacious /ˌpəːtɪˈneɪʃəs/: someone who is stubbornly unyielding
    Example: She worked with a pertinacious resistance to interruptions.
21. Phlegmatic /flɛɡˈmatɪk/: expressing little or no emotion
    Example: He portrays the phlegmatic British character on the show.
22. Promulgate /ˈprɒm(ə)lɡeɪt/: to broadcast or announce
    Example: These objectives have to be promulgated within the organization.
23. Quotidian /kwɒˈtɪdɪən/: something that is of daily occurrence
    Example: The car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic.
24. Recalcitrant /rɪˈkalsɪtr(ə)nt/: resistant to authority
    Example: A class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds raided the store.
25. Sanctimonious /ˌsaŋ(k)tɪˈməʊnɪəs/: the pretence of being morally pious to exhibit moral superiority
    Example: What happened to all the sanctimonious talk about putting his family first?
26. Solipsism /ˈsɒlɪpsɪz(ə)m/: the philosophical theory that only the self-existence is known and all that exists
    Example: We cannot avoid the popularity of the solipsism mentality.
27. Travesty /ˈtravɪsti/: distorting facts or imitation
    Example: The absurdly lenient sentence is a travesty of justice.
28. Ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/: omnipresent or existing everywhere
    Example: His ubiquitous influence was felt by the family.
29. Vicissitude /vɪˈsɪsɪtjuːd/: an unwelcome or unpleasant change in circumstances or fortune
    Example: Her husband’s sharp vicissitudes of fortune.
30. Vociferous /və(ʊ)ˈsɪf(ə)rəs/: something or someone who is offensively/ conspicuously loud.
    Example: He was a vociferous opponent of the takeover.

Good job! How many of these 50 Difficult Words with Meanings do you remember? No, don’t peep. Be honest. It’s okay even if you remember none of these hard words for now. The task of making yourself familiar with the new difficult words, especially those that we don’t use in our everyday conversations can seem impossible and exhaustive, but fret not for a few simple tricks can help you go a long way. 

Must Read: 50 Difficult Phrases with Meaning

How to Learn the Unfamiliar Words with Meaning?

Our mind tends to be more active and learn better when we engage in activities that seem more fun, learning difficult words in English can seem boring but you can make this task more fun and exciting. You and your friends can make placards with difficult words and challenge each other with meanings, the fun activity will keep you engaged and help you keep those difficult words in mind.

If group activities don’t seem like the ideal situation for you, you can make lists of the difficult words and revise them before going to bed, our brain tends to revise the things we learn and observe through the day while we sleep so this might help you learn better.

20 Hard Words with Meanings

Have you memorized 50 difficult words? If yes, we have got another set of hard words that will help you ace competitive exams. Here is the list of hard words in English that you must remember:

1. Abject /ˈabdʒɛkt/: Experienced or present to the maximum degree
   “The result plunged her into abject misery”
2. Abscond /əbˈskɒnd,abˈskɒnd/: Leave hurriedly and secretly
   “After her secret was revealed she absconded from the party”
3. Bereft /bɪˈrɛft/: Deprived of or lacking“
   The house bereft of colours and painting”
4. Calumny /ˈkaləmni/: The making of false and defamatory statements about someone to damage their reputation
   “He doesn’t seem like a person who would spread a calumny of others”
5. Capitulate /kəˈpɪtjʊleɪt/: Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand
   “Our forces were prepared to capitulate enemies”
6. Umbrage /ˈʌmbrɪdʒ/: Annoyance or offence
   “She took umbrage of his rude comment.”
7. Emollient /ɪˈmɒlɪənt/: Having the quality of softening or soothing the skin
   “I prefer using an emollient shampoo over others”
8. Dirge /dəːdʒ/: A lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite
   “When Rachel sang a dirge for her father, everyone had teary eyes”
9. Dispel /dɪˈspɛl/: make doubt disappear
   “The calmness of the morning dispel Ross’s disappointment”
10. Epistolary /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌləri/: In the form of letters
    “My grandparent’s college times epistolary collection is very interesting.”
11. Epistolary /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌləri/: In the form of letters or documents
    Example: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a perfect example of Epistolary.
12. Exacerbate /ɪɡˈzasəbeɪt,ɛkˈsasəbeɪt/: To make a situation, a bad feeling or a problem worse
    Example: According to a survey stress can cause or exacerbate health conditions the humans.
13. Forbearance /fɔːˈbɛːr(ə)ns/: Self-control, Patience, Tolerance
    Example: Without forbearance, Ray wouldn’t have cleared his house loan.
14. Gourmand /ˈɡʊəmənd,ˈɡɔːmənd/: A person who likes and enjoys eating food
    Example: If you are a dessert gourmand, then you must try Kentucky Chocolate Pie.
15. Heterogeneous /ˌhɛt(ə)rə(ʊ)ˈdʒiːnɪəs/: Diverse in content or character
    Example: I gave him heterogeneous ideas for his master’s thesis topics.
16. Impecunious /ˌɪmpɪˈkjuːnɪəs/: Having less money or no money at all
    Example: After buying a new house, Sam was so impecunious that he couldn’t even afford Christmas cards.
17. Pellucid /pɪˈl(j)uːsɪd,pɛˈl(j)uːsɪd/: Clear, Easy to understand, comprehensible
    Example: His pellucid explanation of why he wants to leave the job made higher authorities release him without any conditions.
18. Philanthropic /.fɪlənˈθrɒpɪk/: An organisation or person promoting the welfare of others
    Example: Because of the financial aid received by the philanthropic bodies, Kate managed to complete her higher education.
19. Protean /ˈprəʊtɪən,prəʊˈtiːən/: Frequently changing, Trending, Versatile
    Example: Vicky Kaushal is a protean actor who is capable of performing any kind of role.
20. Spurious /ˈspjʊərɪəs/: Illegitimate, False
    Example: They made spurious claims of accidents just to get the insurance funds.

Difficult English Words to Pronounce

Want to know the hardest word? Here are the most difficult words to pronounce in English:

1. Otorhinolaryngologist: oh-toh-RYE-noh-LAR-ən-GOL-ə-jee
2. Anemone: uh·neh·muh·nee
3. Anathema: uh·na·thuh·muh
4. Worcestershire: vu·stuh·shuh
5. Balmoral: bal·maw·ruhl
6. Antidisestablishmentarianism: an·tee·dis·uh·sta·bluhsh·muhnt·euh·ree·uhn·i·zm
7. Asterisk: a·stuh·ruhsk
8. Brewery: broo·uh·ree
9. Defibrillator: duh·fi·bruh·lei·tuh
10. February: feh·bruh·ree
11. Rural: roo·ruhl
12. Floccinaucinihilipilification: Flok-si-no-si-ny-hil-i-pil-i-fi-kay-shuhn
13. Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Hi-poh-po-toh-mon-stroh-ses-kwee-peh-dah-leejoh-foh-beeja
14. Colonel: kuh·nuhl
15. Choir: kvai·uh
16. Chores: chawz
17. Isthmus: is·muhs
18. Library: lai·bruh·ree
19. Strait: streit
20. Gibraltar: ji·braal·tuh

[BONUS] 50 Simple Words with Meaning

Here is a collection of simple words with meanings that are commonly used in everyday life, some of which are as follows:

1. Back: The rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips.
2. Base: The lowest part or edge of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported.
3. Behaviour: How one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others.
4. Belief: An acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof.
5. Birth: The emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being.
6. Answer: A thing that is said, written, or done as a reaction to a question, statement, or situation.
7. Approval: The belief that someone or something is good or acceptable.
8. Bread: Food made of flour, water, and yeast mixture and baked.
9. Breath: An inhalation or exhalation of air from the lungs. 
10. Brother: A man or boy concerning other sons and daughters of his parents. 
11. Building: It is a structure with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory. 
12. Burn: (Of a fire) produces flames and heat while consuming a material such as coal or wood.
13. Business: It refers to a person’s regular occupation, profession, or trade.
14. Butter: It is a pale yellow edible fatty substance made by churning cream and used as a spread or in cooking. 
15. Current: Belonging to the present time; happening or being used or done now.
16. Damage: Physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something. 
17. Danger: The possibility of suffering harm or injury. 
18. Daughter: A girl or woman concerning either or both of her parents. 
19. Day: Each of the twenty-four-hour periods, reckoned from one midnight to the next, into which a week, month, or year is divided, and corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis.
20. Death: The action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.
21. Decision: A conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.
22. Detail: An individual fact or item
23. Development: The process of developing or being developed.
24. Direction: A course along which someone or something moves.
25. Comparison: A consideration or estimate of the similarities or dissimilarities between two things or people. 
26. Competition: The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others.
27. Connection: A relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else.  
28. Cook: To prepare (food, a dish, or a meal) by mixing, combining, and heating the ingredients.
29. Country: A nation with its government, occupying a particular territory.
30. Cover: To put something on top of or in front of (something), especially to protect or conceal it. 
31. Credit: A customer can obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future.
32. Cry: To shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow.
33. Care: The provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something. 
34. Cause: A person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon, or condition. 
35. Chance: It is the probability of something desirable happening. 
36. Change: Make (someone or something) different; alter or modify. 
37. Cloth: A woven or felted fabric made from wool, cotton, or a similar fibre. 
38. Colour: The property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light. 
39. Comfort: A state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. 
40. Company: A commercial business. 
41. Art: The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
42. Attack: Take aggressive military action against (a place or enemy forces) with weapons or armed force.
43. Attention: When a notice is taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important. 
44. Blood: The red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrate animals, carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide from the tissues of the body.
45. Blow: (Of wind) move creating an air current.
46. Body: The physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organs, of a person or an animal.
47. Account: A report or description of an event or experience OR a record or statement of financial expenditure and receipts relating to a particular period or purpose. 
48. Air: The invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen.
49. Amount: A quantity of something, especially the total of a thing or things in number, size, value, or extent.
50. Animal: A living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and a nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli.

Importance of Difficult Words in Competitive Exams

Some difficult words in English can be a pest for everyone, whether it be a native speaker or a new learner. There are multiple tough words in the language which are troublesome. It becomes impossible to get a hold of these words, especially for those who are preparing for competitive exams. Students, however, invent new techniques to ease the learning process like using music to learn new words or making flashcards with hard words on one side and meaning on the other. Another fascinating method for memorizing difficult words is to associate a story around it as remembering the story is much easier than retaining the meaning of a tough word. 

We know that for all those who wish to pursue an education abroad or even appear for entrances, you must fare well in the verbal ability section of the test, it can seem like a never-ending task-learning new difficult words and their meanings, so we have curated a list of few difficult words that can give you an edge over others while you prepare for your SAT/ACT or GMAT/GRE as well as IELTS/TOEFL/PTE.

This list is also going to help students with English for competitive exams. Even those who enjoy the English language or wish to improve their vocabulary can go through our list and learn 50 Difficult Words with Meanings.

Must Read: Not Just Mandarin, These are the Most Difficult Languages in the World!

Use of English Vocabulary in GMAT

The Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) mainly comprises 4 sections: Quantitative Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Analytical Writing, and Integrated Reasoning. A thorough English vocabulary is a must to score on 3 of these sections of the GMAT syllabus, with only the quantitative section relying more on your mathematical and logical skills. In the various sections of the GMAT exam pattern, students are assessed on their ability to read and understand the written material and apply those to the subsequent questions to conform to standard written English. Moreover, GMAT verbal reasoning questions and critical reasoning problems imperatively evaluate one’s knowledge of English proficiency in terms of reasoning and analytical skills.

Use of English Vocabulary in GRE

The GRE pattern includes 3 sections: Quantitative, Verbal, and Analytical Writing. While studying the GRE syllabus, you must master English grammar along with hundreds of hard words to get a good score on two of these three sections excluding the quantitative reasoning section.

Sample Question Under the Category of Sentence Equivalence: Although it does contain pioneering strategies, one would hardly describe the work as ____________. 

1. Original
2. Orthodox
3. Eccentric
4. Conventional
5. Innovative
6. Trifling

The answer is (1) and (5)

Explanation: We first eliminate the words “Orthodox” and “Conventional” because they are very similar in meaning and do not complete the sentence sensibly. The word “Although” and “Hardly” are crucial signposts here. The work contains some pioneering strategies, but apparently, it is not completely a pioneering work.

Best Vocabulary Books 

Why do you want to limit yourself to only 50 difficult words? Become a master of vocabulary with the help of reference books. Here is a list of some best-selling vocabulary books that can help you to ace the word meaning section of any competitive exam: 

Reference Books	Link
1100 Words You Need to Know by Murray Brombert, Melvin Gordon	Click Here, to get your copy!
Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis	Click Here, to get your copy!
Verbal Advantage: Ten Easy Steps to a Powerful Vocabulary by Charles Harrington Elster	Click Here, to get your copy!
The Vocabulary Builder Workbook by Chris Lele	Click Here, to get your copy!
Six Weeks to Words of Power by Wilfred Funk	Click Here, to get your copy!
Little Red Book of Word Power by Terry O’Brien	Click Here, to get your copy!
Merriam-Webster’s Vocabulary Builder by  Mary Wood Cornog	Click Here, to get your copy!
Instant Word Power by Norman Lewis	Click Here, to get your copy!

FAQs

We hope this list of 50 Difficult Words with Meanings and these tricks will help you engage with new difficult words and help you in your test preparation. If you wish to seek further guidance on your test preparation and your career, you can check out Leverage Edu today and schedule a free consultation session now. Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session.

One of the biggest challenges facing people who are trying to learn English as a second language is the thought that, there are so many hard English words to pronounce! 

What makes a word hard to pronounce? Often times the
difficult words to pronounce for non-native English speakers are those that are spelled completely different from how they are pronounced.

Not all English words are pronounced phonetically.  When a word is pronounced phonetically, it is pronounced how it is spelled. Take the word “know”, if it was pronounced phonetically, the “k” would be spoken. However, the “k” is not spoken and this makes “know” one of the English
language’s tricky pronunciation words. 

Take a look at the
English vocabulary words below. These are hard words for kids to say, even if they are native English speakers, and that can trip up adults as well. So don’t be ashamed to look them up and practice the correct way to pronounce them.

1. Accede

How is it pronounced?

“ak-SEED”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean? 

To accede means to give your consent or approval to someone else’s actions. It can also mean that you agree with the opinions of a group.

2. Alias

How is it pronounced?

“AY-lee-iss”, emphasis on the first syllable

What does it mean? 

An alias is an assumed name or identity.

3. Anathema

How is it pronounced?

“un-NATH-uh-muh”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean? 

This means that you dislike something or someone intensely

4. Anemone

How is it pronounced?

“uh-NEH-muh-nee”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

Properly called a “sea anemone”, this is a marine animal that lives on reefs and ocean floors. It’s a sedentary animal that attaches itself to a particular area and doesn’t move, that many people think looks like a flower.

There is also a type of flowering land plants that are called anemones.

5. Antarctic

How is it pronounced?

“ant-AHRK-tik”

What does it mean?

The Antarctic is simply the South Pole.

6. Brewery

How is it pronounced?

“BROO-uh-ree”, emphasis on the first syllable.

What does it mean?

Why is it that words that have something to do with drinking are such hard words to say when drunk? This three syllable word is used for bars specializing in beer. They often brew their own beers.

7. Camaraderie

How is it pronounced?

“kah-muh-RAH-duh-ree”, emphasis on the third syllable

What does it mean?

This is the feeling of warmth and familiarity you get when around a group of trusted friends.

8. Cavalry

How is it pronounced?

“KAV-uhl-ree”, emphasis on the first syllable. 

What does it mean?

Traditionally, the cavalry were soldiers on horseback. Now, cavalry is usually used to mean someone or something who offers help when you really need it.

9. Choir

How is it pronounced?

“kwah-yuhr”

What does it mean? 

A choir is a group of singers. Traditionally, choirs sang religious songs during church services.

10. Colonel

How is it pronounced? 

“ker-nul”

What does it mean?

A military officer. 

11. Comfortable

How is it pronounced?

“KUHM-fer-tuh-buh”, with emphasis on the first syllable

What does it mean?

If you are comfortable, you are relaxed and at ease. 

12. Defibrillator

How is it pronounced?

“dee-FIB-ruh-ley-ter”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

If you watch a lot of medical TV shows, you might have seen this. It’s that device, with two paddles attached to wires that are held to someone’s chest to deliver a shock that is supposed to help restart your heart.

13. Deteriorate

How is it pronounced?

“dih-TEER-ee-uh-reyt”

What does it mean?

When someone deteriorates their condition grows worse. This can also be used to talk about a situation you find yourself in. Basically, things are getting bad.

14. Draught

How is it pronounced? 

“draft”

What does it mean?

An alcoholic beverage, usually traditional kept in a keg. Like draught beer.

15. Epitome

How is it pronounced?

“ih-PIT-uh-mee”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

Someone or something that is the perfect example of a quality or of a type.

16. Espouse

How is it pronounced?

“ih-SPOWZ”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

When you follow or support a particular idea. Usually you are vocal and proud about your support.

17. Espresso

How is it pronounced?

“eh-SPRES-oh”

What does it mean?

When you order an “espresso” you are asking for a type of strong Italian coffee.

18. Explicit

How is it pronounced?

“ik-SLIS-it”, with emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

This is not one of those hard words to say with a lisp, as you are supposed to sound like your lisping slightly. When you are explicit about something, you state it clearly and in complete detail. 

19. Exponentially

How is it pronounced?

“ek-spoh-NEN-shuh-lee”, emphasis on the third syllable

What does it mean?

This is an adverb that means something is increasing rapidly.

20. Ignominious

How is it pronounced? 

“ig-nuh-MIN-ee-uhs”, emphasis on the third syllable

What does it mean?

This is usually used as an adverb to describe and action that is considered disgraceful or dishonorable.

21. Isthmus

How is it pronounced?

“is-muss”

What does it mean?

This is the name of a geographical feature. An isthmus is a narrow piece of land that is located between two different seas.

22. Know

How is it pronounced?

“noh”

What does it mean?

This is a tricky word because it is an example of a word with what we call a silent “k”. To know how to pronounce “know”, you need to know it has a silent k.

23. Knell

How is it pronounced?

“nel”

What does it mean?

The rule about a silent “k” makes for tricky pronunciation words. Here’s another word where the “k” is silent and so is the second “l”. This word is used to refer to the ringing of a bell. Usually, this is a big church bell that makes a slow, loud noise.

24. Library

How is it pronounced?

“LAHY-brer-ee”, emphasis in the first syllable

What does it mean?

This is a building which contains a collection of books and other published materials.

25. Mauve

How is it pronounced?

“mohv”

What does it mean?

Mauve is a color. It is a shade of pale purple.

26. Mischievous

How is it pronounced?

“MISS-chiv-us”, with the emphasis on the first syllable.

What does it mean?

This is an adjective that basically means behaving in a way that causes “trouble”. A mischievous action is not bad or evil. It is usually playful and with no malice behind it. 

27. Nadir

How is it pronounced?

“NAY-deer”, emphasis on the first syllable

What does it mean?

This means reaching the lowest point.

28. Neophyte

How is it pronounced?

“NEE-uh-fahyt”

What does it mean?

This word is used to refer to a beginner, someone who is new to a task, job, or a group.

29. Often

How is it pronounced?

“AW-fuhn”, emphasis in the first syllable

What does it mean?

If you do something “often” you do it a lot or repeatedly.

30. Onamatopeia

How is it pronounced?

“on-o-mot-o-PEE-a”, with the emphasis on the fifth syllable.

What does it mean?

This is a term for a word that refers to a sound. These words actually imitate the sound they are supposed to refer to, such as “roar” or “buzz”. It has six syllables which make it quite
a mouthful to pronounce, even for native speakers of English.

31. Otorhinolaryngologist

How is it pronounced?

“oh-toh-rye-no-lar-ing-GOL-uh-jee”, emphasis on the seventh syllable.

What does it mean?

This nine syllable word is the formal title of a specific type of medical doctor. This is a doctor who specializes in treating eye, nose, and ear conditions. The simpler way to refer to these types of doctors is as an ENT doctors. 

32. Panacea

How is it pronounced?

“pan-uh-SEE-uh”, emphasis on the third syllable

What does it mean?

This refers to a remedy for illness.

33. Phlegmatic

How is it pronounced?

“fleg-MAT-ik”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

This is someone who is easy-going. No matter what happens around them they remain calm and collected.

34. Penguin

How is it pronounced?

“peng-gwin”

What does it mean?

A penguin is a type of flightless sea bird. They are typically black and white.

35. Phenomenon

How is it pronounced?

“fi-NOM-uh-non”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

A phenomenon is an event that is observable,

36. Puerile

How is it pronounced?

“PYOO-er-il”, emphasis on the first syllable

What does it mean?

When you think something is “purile” you believe it is foolish or childish.

37. Quinoa

How is it pronounced?

Either “KEEN-wah,” “ken-WAG, or “KEN-o-ah”

What does it mean?

Quinoa is an ancient grain that has grown in popularity in the recent decade because of its nutritional values. It’s considered a “superfood” and is actually a Spanish word.

38. Quixotic

How is it pronounced?

“kwik-SOT-ik”

What does it mean?

This is someone who is very idealistic, to the point that their ideas are impractical or unrealistic.

39. Rural

How is it pronounced?

“roor-uhl”

What does it mean?

When you say a place is “rural” you mean that it is located in the countryside.

40. Sanguine

How is it pronounced?

“SANG-gwin”, emphasis on the first syllable

What does it mean?

Someone who is sanguine is cheerful and hopeful, even if they are facing a bad situation.

41. Scissors

How is it pronounced?

“sizzors”

What does it mean?

These are two bladed cutting instruments that you use to cut into thin materials such as paper or cloth. 

42. Sixth

How is it pronounced?

“siksth”

What does it mean?

When you say something is the “sixth”, your saying it is item number six in a sequence.

43. Specific

How is it pronounced?

“spi-SIF-ik”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

This means that something is clearly defined.

44. Squirrel

How is it pronounced?

“skwi-rel”

What does it mean?

A squirrel is a bushy tailed rodent that lives in trees.

45. Staid

How is it pronounced?

“steyd”

What does it mean?

Someone who is staid is sedate and calm.

46. Successful

How is it pronounced?

“SUKH-ses-fuhl”, emphasis on the first syllable

What does it mean?

If you are successful in pronouncing this word, then you pronounced it correctly. When you are successful in something, you accomplished your aim or your purpose.

47. Surfeit

How is it pronounced?

“SUR-fit”, emphasis in the first syllable

What does it mean?

A surfeit is an extra amount of something.

48. Temperature

How is it pronounced?

“tem-PER-uh-cher”, emphasis on the second syllable

What does it mean?

This is a scientific measurement meant to gague the degree of heat that is present in an object or a substance. 

49. Truculent

How is it pronounced?

“TRUHK-yeh-luhnt”, emphasis on the first syllable

What does it mean?

Someone who is truculent is quick tempered. They get into arguments or fights easily.

50. Worcestershire

How is it pronounced?

“WOOster-sher”

What does it mean?

A special sauce that originated in Worcester, a town in England. The town name is also pronounced the as “WOOster-sher”.

51. Zephyr

How is it pronounced?

“ZEF-er”, emphasis on the first syllable

What does it mean?

This refers to a breeze that is soft and mild.

Conclusion

If you want to learn how to correctly pronounce tricky vocabulary words, the answer is: Practice, practice, practice.

It’s also a really good idea to get a native language speaker as an English tutor who can listen to you say these words and help you with your pronunciation.  You can also practice using these hard to pronounce words in conversation which will really help you learn them.

Jump to Section

• 50 Difficult English Words and their Meanings
• 12 Hardest Words to Pronounce and Tricks to Actually do that
• Why is it Important to Have a Good Vocabulary?
• How to Learn the Most Difficult Words in English?
• Final Thoughts on Difficult English Words and Their Meanings

No matter how long you have been learning the English language, still while reading a book, magazine or while watching a movie you do come across words that might startle you and call for your prolonged look. In fact, the sole reason behind it is the vastness of the language. So, don’t you wonder how to unscramble this mystery when at the same time, there are uncountable words to know about in this language? There exist countless words which we make use of, some words more often than others.

So, this article will help you out to know a little about this plethora of words. We are going to talk about some of the hardest English words and subsequently about words that are difficult to pronounce.

50 Difficult English Words and their Meanings

Words Beginning from A

• Ascetic – avoiding physical pleasures because of religious reasons
• Abnegation – an action made to reject someone or something
• Archetypal – someone having all the qualities of a particular type of lifestyle
• Aggrandize – adding to the power or wealth of an individual or country
• Anachronistic – placing someone or something chronologically wrong
• Alacrity – having great willingness and eagerness for something

Words Beginning from B

• Beguile – charm in a deceptive way
• Blandishment – statement for gently pleasuring someone

Words Beginning from C

• Convivial – friendly character
• Cajole – persuading someone with your nice behaviour
• Construe – understanding something
• Callous – not caring about others
• Camaraderie – the mutual feeling of trust
• Circumlocution – expressing something in a long way
• Clamour – demanding something
• Cognizant – being aware

Words Beginning from D

• Demagogue – a political leader will manipulate skills
• Denigrate – unfair criticism
• Didactic – teaching moral lesson
• Disparate – people or things with different qualities together

Words Beginning from E

• Eclectic – generating ideas
• Egregious – bad and shocking in a huge way
• Embezzlement – to steal
• Enervate – feeling out of energy
• Ephemeral – lasting for a short period
• Equanimity – a very calm state of mind

Words Beginning from F

• Fatuous – something pointless

Words Beginning from G

• Gratuitous – anything that has some harmful effect

Words Beginning from I

• Iconoclast – any statue
• Idiosyncratic – something unusual
• Incumbent – a person with an official position
• Inveterate – having a habit for a long time

Words Beginning from L

• Libertarian – a person of the state who conveys a message to people
• Licentious – lack of standards

Words Beginning from M

• Mendacious – lying
• Multifarious – different kinds or variety

Words Beginning from O

• Obdurate – not changing your mind according to others
• Ostracism – excluding from something

Words Beginning from P

• Pejorative – expressing criticism
• Pertinacious – sticking to your actions or words
• Phlegmatic – not getting angry easily
• Promulgate – making an official announcement

Words Beginning from Q

• Quotidian – everyday event

Words Beginning from R

• Recalcitrant – tough to control

Words Beginning from S

• Sanctimonious – acting superior to others
• Solipsism – self-centred

Words Beginning from T

• Travesty – not have qualities in a shocking way

Words Beginning from U

• Ubiquitous – something very common

Words Beginning from V

• Vicissitude – changes and problems of life that you have to deal with
• Vociferous – saying what is on your mind in a confident way

12 Hardest Words to Pronounce and Tricks to Actually do that

Good pronunciation is a very important part of the language but there are some words with which we can struggle. Hence, we have come up with a list of some of the most difficult words to pronounce and techniques to be able to actually do that:

• Synecdoche- made to represent whole (SE-NEK-DE-QKE)
• Segue- smooth transition (SE-QGWA)
• Quinoa- a crop (KEN-WA)
• Posthumous- occurring or awarded (PAS-CHE-MES)
• Onomatopoeia- a figure of speech that resonates with sounds (ONO-MATO-POEIA)
• Ignominious- something shameful (IG-NE-MI-NE-ES)
• Draught- the flow of cold air (DRAFT)
• Conch- a type of shell (KANJK)
• Cache- computing hardware (K’ASH)
• Boatswain- merchant officer (‘BO-SEN)
• Anemone- a flowering plant (E-NE-ME-NE)
• Anathema- an idea you hate (E-NA-THE-ME)

Moreover, audios will help you the best in understanding words. So, the video mentioned below will help you in understanding the pronunciation of some really difficult words better:

Why is it Important to Have a Good Vocabulary?

There are a lot of words to convey the same meaning but each word helps in conveying the meaning in a different way. That is why it is important to have a good vocabulary. In fact, we write and read a lot of things throughout the day and if we don’t have a good knowledge of words then we will definitely face difficulties in it. Additionally, repeating the same word over and over again in a piece of content can leave a bad impression on the person reading it or listening to it.

And if you are preparing for some kind of competitive exams then you can not ignore vocabulary at any cost. They have special sections for words, their meanings, synonyms, and antonyms so you need to build up your vocabulary in order to excel in that section. So, it can be said that a good vocabulary is required for day-to-day life as well as for appearing for advanced exams.

To summarize, the video mentioned below will tell you some simple ways and tricks by which you can easily improve your vocabulary:

How to Learn the Most Difficult Words in English?

It is not possible for us to learn all the difficult worlds together in one go. So here are some simple ways by which you can learn difficult English words:

• Make reading a part of your life because while reading books you come across a lot of words that are unknown to you and will gradually become a part of your dictionary.
• Also, maintain a separate notebook for your vocabulary. Whenever you come across a new word note it in your diary with its meaning and read it whenever you get time.
• Further, you can also take the help of vocabulary books and videos for a little better understanding.
• Nonetheless, You can also play games like crosswords as they will help you learn new words in a fun way.
• Also, try to include the new words that you learn in your language so that you can remember them for a long time.

Final Thoughts on Difficult English Words and Their Meanings

In conclusion, one needs to understand that keeping up with the new additions and changes taking place in the language becomes really important. Above all, with the help of this article, you would have been able to add a lot of things to your knowledge and boost your vocabulary to a whole new level. So, the next time whenever you are writing a piece of content use these new words so that you can surprise the people reading it.

To know about more such interesting facts, you can head to the Podium Blog.

Have you ever come across a word and deciphered its meaning only to know at the end that it meant something different? If this sounds familiar, this blog on 50 difficult words with meaning is for you. 

You must be wondering about the importance of learning difficult words in English. Well, these words can help you sail through competitive exams, enhance your communication skills, and many such things. Read ahead to learn about more such benefits of learning difficult words.

Benefits of improving your vocabulary

1. It will help you tackle aptitude tests

Popular study abroad tests like GRE, GMAT, IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, SAT, etc. all have vocabulary sections and are very important when you’re applying to a university or looking for a job after graduation.

2. It will make it easier for you to interact with your peers abroad

You don’t wanna feel lost when they drop one of these words in your conversation. Because you may not believe it, they use these words way more often than we do.

3. It will sharpen your mind

That’s right, learning new words and languages hones the critical side of your brain! Which, as I’ve already said, is super important to nail your aptitude tests.

4. It will help you express yourself better

Have you ever felt like you can’t express yourself through words? The more you expand your vocabulary, the more opportunity you have to express your thoughts and emotions accurately.

5. It will help you succeed in your career

The more effective your communication skills are higher the chance you have of climbing the ladder of success! When you communicate smartly, you can influence and inspire people all around.

Case in point, let’s take a look at these 50 difficult words with meaning and expand our knowledge! But wait-

Why should I care about your list of 50 difficult words with meaning?

The first thing you should do while preparing for your GMAT or GRE is take a mock test. This will give you an idea of what your current aptitude levels are.

So what does that have to do with learning difficult words?

When you take the mock tests, you may find it difficult to understand the questions.

Not because the questions are difficult in themselves, but because they are written using words that are difficult to understand.

What’s more, the options given for the answer are even tougher to comprehend!

For example, here’s a Sentence Completion question from the Verbal Section of GRE–

Question

Colleagues describe Padgett as both forthright and reticent, humble and (i)………….., good-natured and (ii) …………. . And in her behavior as a businesswoman, Padgett herself does little to (iii) …………. these contradictions. She says she is pro-employee but is avowedly anti-union. She calls herself a pro customer but acknowledges that she runs a store with higher profit margins and prices than almost any other grocer.

Answer

(i) – a) diffident b) eccentric c) arrogant

(ii) – a) pricky b) solicitous c) phlegmatic

(iii) – a) dispel b) fulfill c) accentuate

Do you see what I’m trying to say?

GRE has 3 sections, with Verbal being one of the toughest ones.

The GMAT has 4 sections, namely, Verbal Reasoning, Analytical Reasoning, Integrated Reasoning, and Quantitative Reasoning. You need a strong vocabulary to score well in 3 of these sections in the exam.

This is where our list of 50 difficult words with meanings comes in.

50 difficult words with meanings and sentences

Without further ado-

1. Belie – To give a false representation to; misrepresent
   Example – The smile on his lips belies the pain he’s been feeling 
2. Arrant – Complete and wholly
   Example – You are an arrant fool
3. Untoward – Inconvenient
   Example – I find attending lectures on Zoom untoward as it does not make me feel included in the class
4. Byzantine – Complex and intricate
   Example – You can’t just end a marriage like that, you have to complete the byzantine procedures of filing a divorce case in the courts
5. Conciliate – To make peace with
   Example – All attempts at conciliation have failed and civil war seems inevitable
6. Equivocate – To speak vaguely, with the intention of misleading someone
   Example – Politicians often say that they will work on the issue of climate change, but they are just equivocating to get the votes
7. Truculent – Have a fierce, savage nature
   Example – The truculent attitude of farmers to cheaper imports is inspiring
8. Diatribe – A verbal attack against a person
   Example – Because Sheila was unhappy with the administration, she launched a lengthy diatribe against the board during lunch.
9. Quisling – A traitor
   Example – He had the quisling owner of the factory arrested
10. Artless – without cunning or deceit
    Example – My artless comment was mistaken for rudeness

40 more to go!

1. Blinkered – To have a limited perspective
   Example – They’ve got a very blinkered view of life
2. Maudlin – Overly emotional
   Example – You didn’t invite me out here to listen to my maudlin rambling.
3. Invective – Abusive language
   Example – A woman had hurled racist invective at the family.
4. Remonstrate – To make objections while pleading
   Example – Whenever I refuse my young daughter anything, she likes to remonstrate by stomping her feet on the floor
5. Sartorial – Related to fashion
   Example – The wedding party arrived in sartorial splendor.
6. Sybarite – A person who indulges in luxury
   Example – A Sybarite on an inadequate income, was ever the man of action.
7. Inundate – Flooded
   Example – Her office was inundated with requests for tickets.
8. Curmudgeon – A surly person
   Example – Clearly, I only play a curmudgeon in the newspaper. 
9. Anodyne – Something that soothes or relieves pain
   Example – Morphine is the greatest anodyne we possess, and no drug yet discovered equals it in pain-relieving power. 
10. Gaffe – A socially awkward act
    Example – He didn’t realize what a gaffe he’d made.

30 more to go!

1. Vie – Compete for something
   Example – They are both vying for the same managerial position.
2. Decimation – Killing a large part of the population
   Example – It is likely the category five hurricane will decimate the small beach town.
3. Garrulous – Talking too much
   Example – He was so garrulous that he could not keep a secret.
4. Hubris – Overbearing pride
   Example – Her humble attitude was refreshing in a society to be saturated by hubris.
5. Dovetail – To fit together tightly
   Example – I’m following up on a few things that might dovetail.
6. Impetuous – Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought
   Example – In the past, impetuous young men would drop out of college and run off to join the army.
7. Circumlocution – Expressing someone in an indirect way
   Example – His admission came after years of circumlocution.
8. Surreptitious – Taking pains not to be caught or detected
   Example – He made a surreptitious recording with a concealed hand-held machine. 
9. Peripatetic – Traveling by foot
   Example – He had a peripatetic career as a salesman.
10. Magisterial – Someone who exercises unwarranted power
    Example – Their jurisdictions coincide for the most part with the magisterial and fiscal boundaries.

20 more to go!

1. Asperity – Harsh in manner 
   Example – There was a touch of asperity in his tone.
2. Decry – Express strong disapproval of 
   Example – He is impatient with those who decry the scheme.
3. Puerile – Displaying a lack of maturity 
   Example – Since my son is thirty-three years of age, I do not find his puerile behavior amusing.
4. Incontrovertible – Impossible to deny
   Example – We have incontrovertible evidence of what took place.
5. Inviolate – Something that must be kept sacred 
   Example – The constitution proclaims that public property shall be inviolate.
6. Puissant – Powerful
   Example – The young man has a puissant body.
7. Cosset – Excessive indulgence
   Example – He cosseted her with flowers and champagne.
8. Eclectic – Deriving the best ideas and styles from a diverse range of sources
   Example – My universities offer an eclectic mix of courses.
9. Iconoclast – Someone who criticizes or attacks cherished ideas and beliefs
   Example – His son Gegnesius 722 was taken to Constantinople, where he won over to his opinions the iconoclast emperor, Leo the Isaurian. 
10. Anachronism – Something that is inappropriate for the given time period
    Example – In today’s computer world, a floppy disk is an anachronism. 

10 more to go!

1. Enormity – An act of extreme wickedness
   Example – She stared at the fire, shocked by the enormity of what she had done.
2. Dolorous – Showing sorrow
   Example – Sally stopped. Then she uttered a dolorous phrase that we could all understand. My dog is dead, she said, as tears filled her eyes.
3. Solicitous – Showing hovering attentiveness
   Example – I appreciated his solicitous inquiry about my health.
4. Impugn – Attack as false or wrong
   Example – Her motives have been scrutinized and impugned.
5. Despot – A cruel and oppressive dictator
   Example – The despot claimed to be the chosen instrument of divine providence.
6. Splenetic – Very irritable
   Example – Next in line for the splenetic outburst of a disaffected supporter: Martin Chuffing Edwards.
7. Abrogate – To revoke 
   Example – The Supreme Court can abrogate laws deemed unconstitutional.
8. Inveterate – Habitual
   Example – She is an inveterate gambler.
9. Officious – Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner
   Example – ‘I’ll see,’ the nurse said, with an officious toss of her head.
10. Pillory – Ridicule or expose to public scorn
    Example – The offensive thing is that he has been so widely pilloried for doing so.

Some bonus words for you

1. Abject- without any hope 

Example- He lives in abject poverty. 

2. Candor- Honest

Example- She treated the matter with great candor. 

3. Cogent- Persuasive

Example- He had a cogent argument to make. 

4. Dearth- Shortage/scarcity

Example- The team has no dearth of good players. 

5. Evanescent- Short-lived

Example- The photographer perfectly captured that evanescent moment.

6. Cognizant-Aware 

Example- He is cognizant of the ongoing issue. 

7. Fatuous- Lack of intelligence 

Example- I was shocked by his fatuous remark. 

8. Mendacious- Lying

Example- Do not give them another mendacious story. It’s time you tell the truth. 

9. Disparate- Distinct 

Example- We are trying to put all disparate ideas to execute this plan. 

10. Ubiquitous– Present everywhere 

Example- He is one of the most ubiquitous media personalities today. 

I can’t remember difficult English words with meanings

I know! I’ve been there. This is why I’m going to share an amazing trick that Memory Athletes use to remember difficult words.

Sure, you’ll find a lot of resources both online and offline (we’re gonna cover that soon). Some of them will tell you to speak out loud and memorize the words every day until the day of your exam. Others will ask you to look at examples and use these words in your everyday life.

But they can only help you remember these words for maybe a week or two.

The method used by Memory Athletes, on the other hand, helped me so much I can remember the meanings of these words even today!

How to remember difficult English words?

We have ten amazing tips that will blow your mind!

1. Read the word and try to relate it to something you already know.
2. Break it into two words if that makes things easier for you.
   For example – for the word Inundated – I broke it into 3 words – ‘in’ ‘a’ and ‘date’
3. Create a mental image of these words in your mind
   I imagined myself being on a date with a guy
4. Relate this image to the actual meaning of the word!
5. Have fun while learning. Play word puzzles and quiz yourself when you want to relax.
6. Be more observant of what you read. Instead of glancing over unknown words, look up the meaning and note them down. 
7. Learn with a friend. Sometimes learning words can become mundane, so take the help of your friends and build your knowledge. 
8. Learn a few words at a time and don’t overburden yourself. Learn around 8-10 words a day.
9. Use these new words in your day-to-day life to retain them better. 
10. Revise what you have learned a day later and then a week later. 

How? Let’s see-
Inundated means Flooded
So I imagined that the restaurant I was in started to flood!

I know what you’re thinking – it’s crazy.

But it works, doesn’t it? 

Now, you’ll never forget what inundated means.

Try out this trick with the words on this list and have fun while memorizing them. You’re welcome!

What are some of the most misspelled words?

When it comes to acing the English section, only learning the words is not enough. You need to learn to spell them the right way. So, here are some of the most misspelled words that you need to get right!

Misspelling	Correct spelling
Acomodate	Accommodate
Acheive	Achieve
Comitte	Committee
Definately	Definitely
Embaras	Embarrass
Fourty	Forty
Irrestable	Irresistible
Appearence	Appearance
Calender	Calendar
Concience	Conscience

Some confusing words you should know about 

Besides misspelling certain words, you might get confused with the usage of some words. So, here are some of the most commonly misused words. 

• Accept and Except 

Accept refers to accepting something, whereas except means to exclude something. 

• Illicit and Elicit 

Illicit is the other name for being unlawful. On the other hand, elicit means to evoke. 

• Effect and Affect 

While effect means an outcome, affect means influence. 

• Their, There, and They’re

While ‘their’ is a possessive word, there means a location, and ‘they’re’ is the contraction of ‘they are.’

Difficult words to pronounce in English 

Now that we have learned more than 50 new words with meaning, it’s time to pronounce some difficult words. Here you go! 

Word	Pronunciation
Accessory	ak-ses–uh-ree
Balmoral	bal-maw-ruh
Colonel	kur-nl
Epitome	uh–pi–tuh–mee
Hyperbole	hahy-pur-buh-lee

Where can I find more such words?

You’ll find online articles giving you multiple suggestions, including books like Six Weeks to Words of Power, Merriam-Webster’s Vocabulary Builder, and 1100 Words You Need to Know.

But instead of being swamped with so many books to read, I suggest you use only these 2 resources-

1. Word Power by Norman Lewis

This book is a delightful read!

In it, you will have to learn only 10 words a day.

But the teaching method (breaking down the word etymology) of the author is so phenomenal that you’ll end up understanding the meanings behind a thousand words by the end of this book.

What’s more, it has several exercises in the middle, that help you improve your grammatical and syntactic skills. This is perfect for those attempting tests like SAT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.

2. The GRE Vocabulary Flashcards on Magoosh

This app has hundreds of flashcards you can read from.

Go through a few flashcards every day, over and over again. Read the meanings, use the trick I gave above to remember these words, and look at the examples.

Then do it all over again. Because when it comes to remembering vocabulary words with meaning, practice will make you perfect!

3. 500 Absolutely Essential Words 

This is for people who want to build a foundation for strong English. The book has over 500 frequently used words with meanings and sample sentences, short reading passages, exercises, etc. This makes it quite helpful for students preparing for English proficiency exams.

4. English Vocabulary in Use Series

This series by Cambridge University Press can be used by students of all levels to improve their vocabulary. If you are preparing for TOEFL or IELTS, grab this series to score well in your exam. Each of these books is designed per various skill levels and gets more technical. It includes the following books-

• Elementary Vocabulary 
• Basic Vocabulary in Use
• Pre-intermediate and Intermediate Vocabulary
• Upper-Intermediate Vocabulary
• Advanced Vocabulary

5. Oxford Learner’s Pocket Word Skills

This book by Oxford has 32 modules, each covering various areas of different topics. It has over 180 topics with 3500 keywords and phrases presented in context. It also covers essay writing and spoken English sections. You can also test your knowledge with its ‘Cover and Check’ cards. This book is ideal for students preparing for Cambridge exams and IELTS.

How can I improve my vocabulary?

Here are a few ways you can learn more words and expand your vocabulary – 

• Build a habit of reading. You must read all kinds of texts – fiction, academic papers, articles, and interviews – to build a solid vocabulary and improve comprehension. 
• Keep a thesaurus and a dictionary handy, and learn to use the new words in the right context. 
• If you want to memorize words faster, you can try making flashcards for reference.
• Write. You can write about any topic that interests you, like laughter, your favorite movie, or a superhero. If you can’t come up with a topic, look for prompts online!
• Listening to music and watching movies in any language is a great way to build and strengthen your vocabulary.
• Moreover, making it a habit to converse in that language regularly can help you use the new words you learn effectively.

Key takeaways 

• Vocabulary is an important aspect of various competitive exams, including IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT, SAT, GRE, etc. It is essential for you to enhance your vocabulary to ace these exams.
• To begin with, you can go through these difficult words with meanings and try to use these words in your everyday life. 
• You can also use these words to enhance your English speech to grab people’s attention. 
• Besides learning more than 50 difficult words with meaning, you can also read books, journals, listen to music, etc., to enhance your vocabulary.
• So, grab your notebook and prepare well by revising these words!  

There you have it – 50 (well, 60) difficult words with meaning, resources to find more, and tips to remember these oh-so-new words.

If you think we should add something more to our blog about ’50 difficult words with meaning,’ reach out to us.

Or…drop a comment!

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FAQs

Q1. What are the 10 difficult words?

Answer – Here are 10 difficult words you should look at-

1. Capitulate
2. Divisive
3. Extant
4. Fetter
5. Hegemony
6. Inoculate
7. Linchpin
8. Mores
9. Pariah
10. Reprobate

Q2. What is the hardest word to say?

Answer – Worcestershire is one of the hardest words to get right in English.

Q3. What is the most used word?

Answer – The most used word in English is ‘the.’

Q4. What is the oldest word?

Answer- Some of the words that researchers believe date back 15000 years include-

• Bark
• Mother
• Spit

Q5. Is vocabulary important for GRE?

Answer- Yes, having a strong vocabulary is crucial for you to score well on GRE. The Verbal Reasoning section is all about testing your vocabulary by asking questions on antonyms, analogies, sentence completion, etc. It is also one of the toughest sections of the exam. Therefore,  go through the difficult words with meaning to ace this section. 

Q6. What is contextual vocabulary?

Answer- Contextual vocabulary includes guessing the meaning of words by understanding the sentence without depending on a dictionary. 

Q7. What is the best way to retain difficult words for a longer period of time?

Answer- You can start by reading the words and jotting them down with the meaning. Then, try to use those difficult words in sentences to memorize them. 

Q8. What is a very long word?

Answer- Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is one of the longest difficult words in the English dictionary.