Today, I’m sharing new color the chunk pages for seven different short a word families! There are TWO LEVELS of learning to make it easier for you to differentiate!
Find all our free Color the Chunk Phonics Pages or grab our Color the Chunk Phonics Bundle! They are a fantastic way to help beginning or struggling readers use word chunks to read words.
By the way, I’ve enjoyed reading emails from several readers who are using our color the chunk pages and having great success with their dyslexic readers! Woot!
*This post contains affiliate links.
**Scroll to the END of the post and click the teal download button to grab your freebie!
Color the Chunk – Short a Word Families
Once learners understand the skill of sounding out CVC words like this c-a-t, introducing word families is a great way to help them chunk and read new words.
And these color the chunk pages are a fun way to give it a go! These short a word family pages include -at, -ad, -ag, -an, -ap, -ack, & -ash.
Learners find the short a word chunk in each word, color it in, and use that chunk to read the words. There are two levels of color the chunk pages included, so read about those below.
Level 1 {pictured above} has simple, CVC short a word family words in the top section. Below the line are more difficult word family words with blends and digraphs. Learners may need more support with those words.
Level 2 has words takes it a step further with short a word families. The top still has CVC short a word family words and the bottom still has harder words with blends & digraphs. BUT, level 2 pages include nonsense words, too. This requires learners to read the words AND circle only the real words. This adds a component of comprehension to the task!
If you don’t understand why I used nonsense words, you might want to read my article, Using Nonsense Words with Readers. You can even download a free page with nonsense words for several phonics skills!
Keep scrolling to grab the freebies or grab the entire bundle pack at my shop.
Download these free Color the Chunk Pages below:
Enjoy teaching!
~Becky
Introduction
Are you struggling to help your child understand how to read? There are many things that you can do to help encourage literacy, one of which includes teaching your child word families.
Word families are the grouping of common letters into similar word lists. In short, if your child understands the word family, they’ll be able to understand a list of words with the word family in common.
This guide will not only explain the various word families in the English language but also give you tips and tricks on how to increase reading comprehension.
A word family is a group of letters that are combined to make a specific sound. For example, -ack, -am-, and -at are all word families.
The purpose of understanding a word family is the notion that if you can identify one word, you should be able to identify many others with the common word family. So, if your child can sound out “back,” then they should easily be able to sound out “smack, tack, and rack” as well.
This is also the foundation of understanding how words work together to create a rhyme. Since these words all sound the same, you can combine them to make them have the same flow and rhyme scheme.
Word families increase with difficulty as children age. The first world families that are taught are generally simple, like “at” (for “cat, bat, and sat”). As children age, they will be asked to identify more complex word families like “ain” (or “rain, refrain, and stain”).
Word families and sight words work together to help children learn how to read. All of these words are high-frequency words, which means that children will see them often. When children can identify them quickly and easily, they can become more persuasive writers.
Examples
According to Wylie and Durrell, there are 37 common word families in the English language. In actuality, there are many more than 37, but these are the highest frequency words.
Many popular nursery rhymes include these 37 word families. They are simple because each letter is pronounced the way it should be. The only time that words are not pronounced as they are spelled is in the event of two vowels being next to each other. When you encounter one of these two-vowel words (like rain), the rule is to pronounce the first vowel only.
Below is a list of examples for each of the 37 most popular word families.
ack | ain | ake | ale | all | ame |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
attack | brain | awake | ale | all | blame |
back | chain | bake | bale | ball | came |
black | explain | brake | dale | call | fame |
crack | gain | cake | gale | fall | flame |
hack | grain | fake | kale | gall | frame |
knack | main | flake | male | hall | game |
lack | pain | Jake | pale | install | lame |
pack | plain | lake | sale | mall | name |
quack | rain | make | scale | small | same |
rack | slain | quake | stale | squall | shame |
snack | sprain | rake | tale | stall | tame |
stack | stain | sake | whale | tall | |
tack | strain | shake | thrall | ||
whack | train | snake | wall | ||
vain | stake | ||||
take | |||||
wake |
an | ank | ap | ash | at | ate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
an | bank | cap | ash | at | abate |
ban | blank | clap | bash | bat | ate |
bran | crank | flap | brash | brat | crate |
can | dank | gap | cash | cat | date |
clan | drank | lap | clash | chat | debate |
Dan | flank | map | crash | fat | fate |
fan | frank | nap | dash | flat | gate |
flan | Hank | rap | flash | gnat | grate |
Fran | plank | sap | gash | hat | hate |
Jan | prank | scrap | gnash | mat | Kate |
Japan | rank | slap | hash | pat | late |
man | sank | snap | lash | rat | mate |
pan | shrank | strap | mash | sat | plate |
pecan | spank | tap | rash | slat | rate |
plan | tank | trap | sash | spat | relate |
ran | thank | wrap | slash | tat | sate |
scan | yank | yap | smash | that | skate |
span | zap | splash | vat | state | |
Stan | stash | ||||
tan | thrash | ||||
than | trash | ||||
van |
aw | ay | eat | ell | est | ice |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
caw | away | beat | bell | best | dice |
claw | bay | cheat | cell | chest | ice |
draw | bray | cleat | dell | crest | mice |
flaw | clay | eat | dwell | jest | nice |
gnaw | day | feat | farewell | nest | price |
jaw | decay | greet | fell | pest | rice |
law | delay | heat | hell | quest | slice |
paw | display | meat | sell | rest | spice |
raw | flay | neat | shell | test | splice |
saw | gay | peat | smell | unrest | thrice |
slaw | gray | pleat | spell | vest | twice |
straw | hay | seat | swell | west | vice |
thaw | jay | treat | tell | zest | |
lay | wheat | well | |||
may | yell | ||||
nay | |||||
okay | |||||
pay | |||||
play | |||||
pray | |||||
quay | |||||
ray | |||||
relay | |||||
replay | |||||
say | |||||
slay | |||||
spray | |||||
stay | |||||
stray | |||||
sway | |||||
they | |||||
today | |||||
tray | |||||
way |
ick | ide | ight | ill | in | ine |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
brick | bride | bright | bill | bin | brine |
chick | decide | delight | chill | chin | decline |
click | glide | fight | dill | din | define |
flick | hide | flight | drill | fin | dine |
kick | pride | fright | fill | gin | fine |
lick | ride | height | frill | grin | line |
nick | side | knight | gill | in | mine |
pick | slide | light | grill | kin | nine |
quick | stride | might | hill | pin | pine |
Rick | tide | night | ill | shin | shine |
sick | wide | plight | Jill | skin | shrine |
slick | right | kill | sin | sine | |
stick | sight | krill | spin | spine | |
thick | slight | mill | thin | swine | |
tick | tight | pill | tin | tine | |
trick | tonight | quill | twin | twine | |
wick | shrill | win | vine | ||
sill | within | whine | |||
skill | wine | ||||
spill | |||||
still | |||||
swill | |||||
thrill | |||||
thrill | |||||
till | |||||
trill | |||||
will |
ing | ink | ip | it | ock | op |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
bring | blink | blip | admit | block | coop |
cling | brink | chip | bit | clock | droop |
fling | drink | dip | fit | cock | hoop |
king | fink | drip | flit | crock | loop |
ping | ink | flip | grit | dock | scoop |
ring | link | grip | hit | flock | snoop |
sing | mink | hip | it | frock | stoop |
sling | pink | lip | kit | hock | troop |
spring | rink | nip | knit | jock | |
sting | shrink | quip | lit | knock | |
string | sink | rip | mit | lock | |
swing | stink | ship | pit | mock | |
thing | think | sip | quit | o’clock | |
wing | wink | skip | sit | rock | |
wring | slip | skit | shock | ||
zing | snip | slit | smock | ||
strip | snit | sock | |||
tip | spit | stock | |||
trip | split | ||||
whip | twit | ||||
zip | wit |
ore | ot | uck | ug | ump | unk |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
bore | apricot | buck | bug | bump | bunk |
chore | blot | chuck | dug | clump | chunk |
core | bot | cluck | hug | dump | drunk |
fore | clot | duck | jug | grump | dunk |
gore | cot | luck | lug | hump | flunk |
lore | dot | muck | mug | jump | funk |
more | forgot | puck | plug | lump | hunk |
ore | got | pluck | pug | plump | junk |
pore | hot | stuck | rug | pump | lunk |
score | jot | struck | shrug | rump | plunk |
shore | knot | truck | smug | slump | punk |
sore | lot | tuck | snug | stump | skunk |
spore | not | yuck | thug | thump | slunk |
store | plot | tug | trump | spunk | |
swore | pot | sunk | |||
tore | rot | trunk | |||
wore | shot | ||||
yore | slot | ||||
spot | |||||
tot | |||||
trot |
Tips and Tricks for Teaching Reading
When beginning to teach your child to read, you will want to blend information from word families and sight words to help your child start identifying words.
To do this, pick a list of words that matches their age-level and start practicing those words only. When your child can identify these words in a text, it means that they are beginning to see the patterns and identify those high-frequency words in writing.
When you begin teaching word families, start with one of the easier ones first, like am. Once they can identify am, sound it out, and find words that end in am, move to a more complicated word.
Once your child understands how to form these word families into actual words, they will be able to spell and read them!
If your child struggles with some of the foundational skills associated with reading, consider adding a workbook to their daily practice. ArgoPrep has worked with educators to deliver high-quality practice that will entertain, educate, and excite your child. These workbooks are especially helpful for students who might need a little extra attention to reading comprehension, English language skills, and more.
Conclusion
My daughter loves to build things with Magnatiles. She will grab all of the tiles and construct fantastic castles, homes, and more with the simple building tools. But what happens when she builds a weak base? We all know. It can’t stand, it’s not steady, and it falls.
Learning how to read can kind of be similar to building a weak structure. Identifying something as simple as a word family seems like a mindless activity for us. Still, for kids, it’s necessary to understand the increasingly tricky skills that kids learn for reading comprehension.
Taking the time to learn word families will help them identify words more quickly and spell with more accuracy. This list of 37 high-frequency word families is a great place to start, but once your child masters it, consider researching more challenging word families to increase comprehension!
Тема словообразования одна из самых обширных в английском языке. Мы можем образовывать глаголы от существительных, существительные от прилагательных и глаголов и т.д. В данном уроке рассмотрим наиболее употребимые слова, которые образуются друг от друга при помощи префиксов и суффиксов.
Не существует единого правила словообразования в английском языке, поэтому мы рассмотрим наиболее характерные примеры словообразования, которые могут вам пригодиться в личном общении, для сдачи экзаменов, понимания речи собеседника или чтения текста на английском.
Структура слова и механизм словообразования
Несколько упрощая можно представить слово как корень + аффикс. Корень — это часть слова, которая может употребляться самостоятельно, а аффикс — морфема, которая присоединяется к корню слова и не употребляется самостоятельно.
Например, прибавление аффиксов -er, -ment, un-, ed к слову employ образует другие однокоренные слова, относящиеся к разным частям речи:
- employ — держать на службе
- employer — работодатель
- employment — служба, работа
- employed — трудоустроенный
- unemployed — безработный и др.
К аффиксам относятся префиксы (un-, in-, dis- и др) — ставятся перед корнем, и суффиксы (-ly, -ment, -er, -ence, -ance и др) — ставятся после корня.
Обратите внимание, что аффиксы могут быть:
- флексионными — меняют только такие грамматические значения слова, как множественное число, притяжательный падеж, указание на лицо и число
- словообразовательными — создают новое слово, преобразуют одну часть речи в другую
Сравните примеры:
Флексионные аффиксы:
He goes to work every day.
Сars are expensive.
My father’s car.
Словообразовательные аффиксы:
differ (различать, глагол) — difference (различие, существительное)
salt (соль, существительное) — salty (соленый, прилагательное)
slow (медленный, прилагательное) — slowly (медленно, наречие)
Родственные слова (Word Family)
Слова, образованные от одного корня за счет словообразующих аффиксов, объединяются в группу слов, которую в английском языке называют Word Family. Например:
- exploit — эксплуатировать (глагол)
- exploitation — эксплуатация (существительное)
- exploitative — эксплуататорский (прилагательное)
- exploiter — эксплуататор (существительное)
- exploitability — годность к эксплуатированию (существительное)
Ниже мы рассмотрим с помощью каких суффиксов и префиксов образуются существительные, прилагательные и наречия от глагола и других частей речи.
Образование существительных
Существительные образуются от глаголов и прилагательных с помощью разных суффиксов: -y, -ence, -ance, -al, -ment, -tion, -ion. Рассмотрим эти случаи словообразования подробнее и с примерами.
Образование существительного с помощью суффикса -y
deliver — delivery
доставлять — доставка
discover — discovery
открывать — открытие
injure — injury
травмировать — травма
jealous — jealousy
ревновать — ревность
difficult — difficulty
сложный — сложность
Образование существительного с помощью суффикса -ence
prefer — preference
предпочитать — предпочтение
differ — difference
различать — различие
refer — reference
отсылать — отсылка
interfere — interference
вмешиваться — вмешательство
confident — confidence
уверенный — доверие
independent — independence
независимый — независимость
violent — violence
жестокий — жестокость
Образование существительного с помощью суффикса -ance
annoy — annoyance
раздражать — раздражение
attend — attendance
посещать — посещение
assist — assistance
помогать — помощь
important — importance
важный — важность
Образование существительного с помощью суффикса -al
deny — denial
отказывать — отказ
propose — proposal
предлагать — предложение
approve — approval
одобрять — одобрение
disapprove — disapproval
не одобрять — неодобрение
Образование существительного с помощью суффикса -ment
improve — improvement
улучшать — улучшение
encourage — encouragement
поощрять — поощрение
arrange — arrangement
организовывать — организация
Образование существительного с помощью суффикса -tion
repeat — repetition
повторять — повторение
solve — solution
решать — решение
introduce — introduction
представлять — представление
explain — explanation
объяснять — объяснение
Образование существительного с помощью суффикса -ion
prevent — prevention
предотвращать — предотвращение
elect — election
выбирать — выбор
protect — protection
защищать — защита
Образование глаголов
Глаголы от прилагательных чаще всего образуются при помощи суффикса -en:
short — shorten
короткий — укоротить
dark — darken
темный — затемнять
sweet — sweeten
сладкий — подсластить
bright — brighten
яркий — осветлить, прояснить
Образование прилагательных
Прилагательные могут образовываться от глаголов и существительных при помощи суффиксов: -able, — ive, -ic, -al, -y, -ly, -ous.
Образование прилагательных с помощью суффикса -able
suit — suitable
подходить — подходящий
change — changeable
изменять — изменяемый
depend — dependable
зависеть — зависящий
enjoy — enjoyable
наслаждаться — приятный
Образование прилагательных с помощью суффикса -ive
attract — attractive
привлекать — привлекательный
create — creative
творить — творчески
talk — talkative
говорить — разговорчивый
Образование прилагательных с помощью суффикса -ic/-al
energy — energetic
энергия — энергетический
science — scientific
наука — научный
climate — climatic
климат — климатический
democracy — democratic
демократия — демократичный
grammar — grammatical
грамматика — грамматический
practice — practical
практика — практичный
Образование прилагательных с помощью суффикса -y/-ly
salt — salty
соль — соленый
risk — risky
риск — рискованный
rain — rainy
дождь — дождливый
friend — friendly
друг — дружелюбный
Образование прилагательных с помощью суффикса -ous
poison — poisonous
яд — ядовитый
nerve — nervous
нервы — нервный
danger — dangerous
опасность — опасный
humour — humorous
юмор — юмористический
Отрицательные префиксы
Отрицательные префиксы non-, dis-, in-, im-, ir-, un-, il- чаще всего меняют значение слова на противоположное, при этом слово остается той же частью речи.
order (сущ) — disorder (сущ)
порядок — беспорядок
appropriate (прил) — inappropriate (прил)
подходящий — неподходящий
polite (прил) — impolite (прил)
вежливый — невежливый
lock (гл) — unlock (гл)
заблокировать — разблокировать
Другие случаи
В английском языке (как и в русском) одно и то же слова может являться разной частью речи: существительным, прилагательным, глаголом, наречием. Например, возьмем слово «fast» и посмотрим какой частью речи оно может быть в разных контекстах:
- a fast — пост (существительное)
- a fast car — быстрая машина (прилагательное)
- to fast — поститься (глагол)
- fast — быстро (наречие): He drives fast — Он едет быстро
Это важно знать при переводе и восприятии английской речи.
Многие существительные и глаголы, образованные от одного корня, различаются чередованием корневого гласного и изменением написания слова:
- breath — breathe
- life — live
- relief — relieve
- proof — prove
- advice — advise
- choice — choose
- loss — lose
- death — die
Кроме этого существуют отдельные случаи, которые надо запомнить. Например:
- live — life — living — alive — lively
- polite — politeness — impolite
- forget — forgetfulness — forgetful
- fail — failure
- know — knowledge — unknown
- и др
Заключение
В этом уроке мы рассмотрели механизм словообразования в английском языке. Привели примеры образования существительных, прилагательных, наречий и глаголов путем прибавления суффиксов и префиксов к корню слова.
Если у вас остались вопросы — задавайте их в комментариях.
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!
This Blog Includes:
- Why Improve Your Vocabulary?
- 50 Difficult Words with Meanings and Examples
- How to Learn the Unfamiliar Words with Meaning?
- 20 Hard Words with Meanings
- Difficult English Words to Pronounce
- [BONUS] 50 Simple Words with Meaning
- Importance of Difficult Words in Competitive Exams
- Use of English Vocabulary in GMAT
- Use of English Vocabulary in GRE
- Best Vocabulary Books
- FAQs
Why Improve Your Vocabulary?
Here are some reasons why you must improve your vocabulary:
- 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.
- Developing your vocabulary will sharpen your mind.
- Knowing the correct word can help you express your thoughts more accurately.
- 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
- Abnegation /abnɪˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n/: Renouncing a belief or doctrine
Example: “I believe in the abnegation of political power” - Aggrandize /əˈɡrandʌɪz/: enhance power, wealth or status
Example: It was an action intended to aggrandize the Frankish dynasty. - Alacrity /əˈlakrɪti/: Eagerness
Example: He accepted the invitation with alacrity. - Anachronistic /ənakrəˈnɪstɪk/: misplaced chronologically
Example: He is rebelling against the anachronistic morality of his parents. - Archetypal /ˌɑːkɪˈtʌɪp(ə)l/: quintessential of a certain kind
Example: She is the archetypal country doctor. - 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. - Beguile /bɪˈɡʌɪl/: influence someone in a deceptive way
Example: He beguiled the voters with his good looks. - Blandishment /ˈblandɪʃm(ə)nt/: intentional flattery for persuasion
Example: The blandishments of the travel brochure. - Cajole /kəˈdʒəʊl/: persuade by flattery or coaxing
Example: He hoped to cajole her into selling the house. - Callous (/ˈkaləs/: disregard for others
Example: Her callous comments about the murder made me shiver. - Camaraderie /kaməˈrɑːd(ə)ri/: a sense of solidarity arising out of familiarity and sociability
Example: I like the enforced camaraderie of office life. - Circumlocution /ˌsəːkəmləˈkjuːʃ(ə)n/: expressing someone in an indirect way
Example: His admission came after years of circumlocution. - Clamour/ˈklamə/: proclaim something noisily
Example: The questions rose to a clamour in the meeting. - Cognizant /ˈkɒ(ɡ)nɪz(ə)nt/: awareness or realization
Example: Politicians must be cognizant of the political boundaries within which they work. - Construe /kənˈstruː/: interpret or assign meaning
Example: His words could hardly be construed as an apology. - Convivial /kənˈvɪvɪəl/: enjoyable atmosphere or jovial company
Example: It is a convivial cocktail party. - 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. - Denigrate /ˈdɛnɪɡreɪt/: belittle someone
Example: Many doom and gloom merchants denigrate their own country. - Didactic /dɪˈdaktɪk/: instructive with a moral intent
Example: It is a didactic novel that set out to expose social injustice. - 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!
- Eclectic /ɪˈklɛktɪk/: deriving the best ideas and styles from a diverse range of sources
Example: My university is offering an eclectic mix of courses. - Egregious /ɪˈɡriːdʒəs/: reprehensible or outrageously bad
Example: It is an egregious abuse of copyright. - Embezzlement /ɛmˈbɛzlm(ə)nt/: misappropriation of funds
Example: He has charges of fraud and embezzlement. - Enervate /ˈɛnəveɪt/: lacking in vitality or mentally/ morally drained
Example: The weather has an enervating heat today. - Ephemeral /ɪˈfɛm(ə)r(ə)l/: lasting for a short duration
Example: Fads are ephemeral: new ones regularly drive out the old. - Equanimity /ˌɛkwəˈnɪmɪti/: maintaining composure in stressful situations
Example: He accepted both the good and the bad with equanimity. - Fatuous /ˈfatjʊəs/: devoid of intelligence
Example: It was a fatuous comment. - Gratuitous /ɡrəˈtjuːɪtəs/: uncalled for or unwarranted
Example: Gratuitous violence was reported. - 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. - Idiosyncratic /ˌɪdɪə(ʊ)sɪŋˈkratɪk/: something peculiar to an individual
Example: He emerged as one of the great, idiosyncratic talents of the nineties. - Incumbent /ɪnˈkʌmb(ə)nt/: something that is morally binding
Example: The government realized that it was incumbent on them to act. - Inveterate /ɪnˈvɛt(ə)rət/: habitual
Example: She is an inveterate gambler. - Libertarian /ˌlɪbəˈtɛːrɪən/: someone who cherishes ideas of free will
Example: He is studying libertarian philosophy. - Licentious /lʌɪˈsɛnʃəs/: someone who is promiscuous
Example: The ruler’s tyrannical and licentious behaviour. - 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 - Multifarious /ˌmʌltɪˈfɛːrɪəs/: multifaceted or diverse
Example: The university offers multifarious activities. - Obdurate /ˈɒbdjʊrət/: being stubborn and refusing to change one’s opinion
Example: I argued this point with him, but he was obdurate. - 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” - Pejorative /pɪˈdʒɒrətɪv/: showing disapproval
Example: Permissiveness is used almost universally as a pejorative term. - Pertinacious /ˌpəːtɪˈneɪʃəs/: someone who is stubbornly unyielding
Example: She worked with a pertinacious resistance to interruptions. - Phlegmatic /flɛɡˈmatɪk/: expressing little or no emotion
Example: He portrays the phlegmatic British character on the show. - Promulgate /ˈprɒm(ə)lɡeɪt/: to broadcast or announce
Example: These objectives have to be promulgated within the organization. - Quotidian /kwɒˈtɪdɪən/: something that is of daily occurrence
Example: The car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic. - Recalcitrant /rɪˈkalsɪtr(ə)nt/: resistant to authority
Example: A class of recalcitrant fifteen-year-olds raided the store. - 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? - 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. - Travesty /ˈtravɪsti/: distorting facts or imitation
Example: The absurdly lenient sentence is a travesty of justice. - Ubiquitous /juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/: omnipresent or existing everywhere
Example: His ubiquitous influence was felt by the family. - Vicissitude /vɪˈsɪsɪtjuːd/: an unwelcome or unpleasant change in circumstances or fortune
Example: Her husband’s sharp vicissitudes of fortune. - 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:
- Abject /ˈabdʒɛkt/: Experienced or present to the maximum degree
“The result plunged her into abject misery” - Abscond /əbˈskɒnd,abˈskɒnd/: Leave hurriedly and secretly
“After her secret was revealed she absconded from the party” - Bereft /bɪˈrɛft/: Deprived of or lacking“
The house bereft of colours and painting” - 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” - Capitulate /kəˈpɪtjʊleɪt/: Cease to resist an opponent or an unwelcome demand
“Our forces were prepared to capitulate enemies” - Umbrage /ˈʌmbrɪdʒ/: Annoyance or offence
“She took umbrage of his rude comment.” - Emollient /ɪˈmɒlɪənt/: Having the quality of softening or soothing the skin
“I prefer using an emollient shampoo over others” - 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” - Dispel /dɪˈspɛl/: make doubt disappear
“The calmness of the morning dispel Ross’s disappointment” - Epistolary /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌləri/: In the form of letters
“My grandparent’s college times epistolary collection is very interesting.” - Epistolary /ɪˈpɪst(ə)ˌləri/: In the form of letters or documents
Example: The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a perfect example of Epistolary. - 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. - Forbearance /fɔːˈbɛːr(ə)ns/: Self-control, Patience, Tolerance
Example: Without forbearance, Ray wouldn’t have cleared his house loan. - 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. - Heterogeneous /ˌhɛt(ə)rə(ʊ)ˈdʒiːnɪəs/: Diverse in content or character
Example: I gave him heterogeneous ideas for his master’s thesis topics. - 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. - 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. - 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. - Protean /ˈprəʊtɪən,prəʊˈtiːən/: Frequently changing, Trending, Versatile
Example: Vicky Kaushal is a protean actor who is capable of performing any kind of role. - 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:
- Otorhinolaryngologist: oh-toh-RYE-noh-LAR-ən-GOL-ə-jee
- Anemone: uh·neh·muh·nee
- Anathema: uh·na·thuh·muh
- Worcestershire: vu·stuh·shuh
- Balmoral: bal·maw·ruhl
- Antidisestablishmentarianism: an·tee·dis·uh·sta·bluhsh·muhnt·euh·ree·uhn·i·zm
- Asterisk: a·stuh·ruhsk
- Brewery: broo·uh·ree
- Defibrillator: duh·fi·bruh·lei·tuh
- February: feh·bruh·ree
- Rural: roo·ruhl
- Floccinaucinihilipilification: Flok-si-no-si-ny-hil-i-pil-i-fi-kay-shuhn
- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: Hi-poh-po-toh-mon-stroh-ses-kwee-peh-dah-leejoh-foh-beeja
- Colonel: kuh·nuhl
- Choir: kvai·uh
- Chores: chawz
- Isthmus: is·muhs
- Library: lai·bruh·ree
- Strait: streit
- 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:
- Back: The rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips.
- Base: The lowest part or edge of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported.
- Behaviour: How one acts or conducts oneself, especially towards others.
- Belief: An acceptance that something exists or is true, especially one without proof.
- Birth: The emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being.
- Answer: A thing that is said, written, or done as a reaction to a question, statement, or situation.
- Approval: The belief that someone or something is good or acceptable.
- Bread: Food made of flour, water, and yeast mixture and baked.
- Breath: An inhalation or exhalation of air from the lungs.
- Brother: A man or boy concerning other sons and daughters of his parents.
- Building: It is a structure with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory.
- Burn: (Of a fire) produces flames and heat while consuming a material such as coal or wood.
- Business: It refers to a person’s regular occupation, profession, or trade.
- Butter: It is a pale yellow edible fatty substance made by churning cream and used as a spread or in cooking.
- Current: Belonging to the present time; happening or being used or done now.
- Damage: Physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something.
- Danger: The possibility of suffering harm or injury.
- Daughter: A girl or woman concerning either or both of her parents.
- 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.
- Death: The action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.
- Decision: A conclusion or resolution reached after consideration.
- Detail: An individual fact or item
- Development: The process of developing or being developed.
- Direction: A course along which someone or something moves.
- Comparison: A consideration or estimate of the similarities or dissimilarities between two things or people.
- Competition: The activity or condition of striving to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others.
- Connection: A relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else.
- Cook: To prepare (food, a dish, or a meal) by mixing, combining, and heating the ingredients.
- Country: A nation with its government, occupying a particular territory.
- Cover: To put something on top of or in front of (something), especially to protect or conceal it.
- Credit: A customer can obtain goods or services before payment, based on the trust that payment will be made in the future.
- Cry: To shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow.
- Care: The provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something.
- Cause: A person or thing that gives rise to an action, phenomenon, or condition.
- Chance: It is the probability of something desirable happening.
- Change: Make (someone or something) different; alter or modify.
- Cloth: A woven or felted fabric made from wool, cotton, or a similar fibre.
- 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.
- Comfort: A state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.
- Company: A commercial business.
- 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.
- Attack: Take aggressive military action against (a place or enemy forces) with weapons or armed force.
- Attention: When a notice is taken of someone or something; the regarding of someone or something as interesting or important.
- 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.
- Blow: (Of wind) move creating an air current.
- Body: The physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organs, of a person or an animal.
- 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.
- Air: The invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen.
- Amount: A quantity of something, especially the total of a thing or things in number, size, value, or extent.
- 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 ____________.
- Original
- Orthodox
- Eccentric
- Conventional
- Innovative
- 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
Q1. What are some difficult words?
Ans. Here are the 10 most confusing English words:
1. Literally
2. Ironic
3. Regardless
4. Colonel
5. Colonel
6. Nonplussed
7. Disinterested
8. Enormity
9. Accretion
10. Commensurate
Q2. Which are the difficult words in English?
Ans. Words that are hard to read, write, spell and understand are considered to be difficult words in English.
Q3. Do all words have vowels?
Ans. No, not all words need to have vowels. Here are some examples to show the same – Mythm, Sync, Rhythm, Hymn, etc.
Q4. Which is the best way to remember difficult words for a longer period?
Ans. Students should always read, write, and learn the words before attempting to put them together in sentences.
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.
The English language is enriched with more than a million words. There are numerous difficult words in English vocabulary. Learning an approximate count of 3000 words is enough for an individual to actively participate in an everyday English conversation. A rich vocabulary eases the trouble of expression, and it helps individuals improve their communication skills. The following article on difficult words in English will help you to build a wide and varied vocabulary.
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letters ‘A’ to ‘Z’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘A’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘B’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘C’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘D’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘E’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘F’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘G’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘H’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘I’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘J’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘K’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘L’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘M’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘N’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘O’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘P’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘Q’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘R’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘S’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘T
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘U’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘V’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘W’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘X’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘Y’
- Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘Z’
- How Can We Learn Tough English Words?
- Frequently Asked Questions on Difficult Words
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letters ‘A’ to ‘Z’
Are you thinking of a solution to enrich your English vocabulary? Practising difficult English words and using them frequently will help you. Use the comprehensive list of words given below to learn more hard words and improve your vocabulary.
List of Difficult Words in English:
The following list of words will help you improve your reading comprehension, language knowledge, communication skills, and expression of ideas to others. Always keep in mind that everything is hard until it’s made easy.
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘A’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Abandon | cease to support or look after someone |
Abolish | formally put an end to (a system, practice, or institution) |
Abscond | leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft |
Accelerate | (of a vehicle or other physical object) begin to move more quickly |
Accretion | the process of growth or increase, typically by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter |
Acumen | the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain |
Adamant | refusing to be persuaded or to change one’s mind |
Adverse | preventing success or development; harmful; unfavourable |
Advocate | a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy |
Affluent |
|
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘B’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Backbite | talk maliciously about someone who is not present |
Baffle | totally bewilder or perplex |
Ballad | a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas |
Banish | send (someone) away from a country or place as an official punishment |
Barbaric | savagely cruel; exceedingly brutal |
Barren | too poor to produce much or any vegetation |
Bedlam | a scene of uproar and confusion |
Benefactor | a person who gives money or other help to a person or cause |
Beseech | ask (someone) urgently and fervently to do something |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘C’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Cajole | persuade (someone) to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery |
Charisma | compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others |
Chasm | a deep crack or opening in the earth, rock, or another surface |
Chauvinist | a person with a prejudiced belief in their own superiority |
Cliche | a phrase or opinion that is overused |
Contagion | the communication of disease from one person to another by close contact |
Countenance | a person’s face or facial expression |
Cringe | have a feeling of awkwardness or embarrassment |
Cue | a signal for action |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘D’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Dauntless | showing fearlessness and determination |
Delicacy | fineness or intricacy of texture or structure |
Delicate | very fine in texture or structure; of intricate workmanship or quality |
Depict | show or represent by a drawing, painting, or other art form |
Desolate | feeling or showing misery, unhappiness, or loneliness |
Destitute | without the basic necessities of life |
Devote | give all or a large part of one’s time or resources to (a person, activity, or cause) |
Diabolical | disgracefully bad or unpleasant, characteristic of the Devil |
Discrepancy | a lack of similarity between two or more facts |
Dismantle | take (a machine or structure) to pieces |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘E’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Edifice | a building, especially a large, imposing one |
Elegy | a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead |
Endeavour | try hard to do or achieve something |
Endure | suffer patiently |
Enigma | a person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand |
Enslave | make (someone) a slave |
Epitaph | a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone |
Extinction | the process of a particular thing ceasing to exist |
Extricate | free (someone or something) from a constraint or difficulty |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘F’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Fasten | close up securely |
Fathom | understand something after a lot of thought |
Fete | a celebration or festival |
Fidelity | faithfulness to a person |
Flick | a sudden sharp movement |
Flip | turn over with a sudden quick movement |
Foresight | the ability to predict or the action of predicting what will happen or be needed in the future. |
Fragile | easily broken or damaged |
Franchise | an authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities |
Futile | incapable of producing any useful result |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘G’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Gale | a very strong wind |
Gallant | brave |
Gambit | a device, action, or opening remark, typically one entailing a degree of risk, that is calculated to gain an advantage |
Gamble | play games of chance for money; bet |
Garment | an item of clothing |
Gastronomy | the practice or art of choosing, cooking, and eating good food |
Gaze | a steady intent look |
Genial | friendly and cheerful |
Genre | a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterised by similarities in form, style, or subject matter |
Gibberish | meaningless speech or writing, nonsense |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘H’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Habitual | done or doing constantly or as a habit |
Hail | call out to (someone) to attract attention |
Harbinger | a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another |
Haughty | arrogantly superior and disdainful |
Havoc | widespread destruction |
Heathen | a follower of a polytheistic religion |
Hegemony | leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others |
Hinder | create difficulties for (someone or something), resulting in delay or obstruction |
Hostile | unfriendly; antagonistic |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘I’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Idiosyncracy | a mode of behaviour or way of thought peculiar to an individual |
Idle | lazy, inactive |
Imbibe | assimilate some ideas or knowledge |
Imperative | of vital importance; crucial |
Impetus | the force or energy with which a body moves |
Incarnate | embodied in flesh; in human form |
Indigenous | originating or occurring naturally in a particular place |
Inevitable | certain to happen; unavoidable |
Insane | mentally illness |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘J’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Jabber | talk rapidly and excitedly but with little sense |
Jargon | special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand |
Jaunt | a short journey for pleasure |
Jolly | happy and cheerful |
Jovial | cheerful and friendly |
Judicious | having, showing, or done with good judgement or sense |
Juncture | a particular point in events or time |
Junk | old or discarded articles that are considered useless or of little value |
Jurisdiction | the territory within which power can be exercised |
Juxtapose | place or deal with close together for contrasting effect |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘K’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Kalopsia | the state in which everything, and everyone, looks beautiful |
Keen | having or showing eagerness or enthusiasm |
Keystone | the central principle on which all else depends |
Kickoff | the start of an event or activity |
Kindle | light or set on fire |
Kinesis | movement; motion |
Kinship | blood relationship |
Kleptomania | a recurrent urge to steal, typically without regard for need or profit |
Knight | a man who served his sovereign or lord as a mounted soldier in armour |
Kudos | praise and honour received for an achievement |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘L’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Labyrinth | a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one’s way; a maze. |
Lacuna | an unfilled space or interval; a gap |
Lampoon | publicly criticise by using ridicule, irony, or sarcasm |
Languid | pleasantly lazy and peaceful |
Languish | lose or lack vitality; grow weak or feeble. |
Leverage | the exertion of force by means of a lever |
Luminary | a person who inspires or influences others |
Lunatic | a mentally ill person |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘M’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Macrocosm | the whole of a complex structure |
Magnanimous | generous or forgiving, especially toward a rival or less powerful person |
Malapropism | the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one |
Mandarin | a powerful official or senior bureaucrat |
Manifestation | an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea |
Manoeuvre | a movement or series of moves requiring skill and care |
Mediocre | of only moderate quality; not very good |
Merchandise | goods to be bought and sold |
Mundane | lacking interest or excitement |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘N’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Narcissist | a person who has an excessive interest in or admiration of themselves |
Nemesis | the inescapable agent of someone’s or something’s downfall |
Neophyte | a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief |
Nepotism | the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs |
Niche | a comfortable or suitable position in life or employment |
Nirvana | a state of perfect happiness |
Nocturnal | done, occurring, or active at night |
Nomenclature | the devising or choosing of names for things, especially in a science or other discipline |
Nullify | invalidate |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘O’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Oblivion | the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening. |
Oblivious | not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one |
Obscure | uncertain |
Obsolete | no longer produced or used; out of date. |
Odour | a distinctive smell, especially an unpleasant one |
Omen | an event regarded as a portent of good or evil |
Omnipotent | having unlimited power |
Omnipresent | common or widespread |
Omniscient | knowing everything |
Overwhelm | defeat completely |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘P’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Pandemonium | uproar |
Paramount | supreme |
Paranoia | suspicion and mistrust of people or their actions without evidence or justification |
Perplex | confuse |
Petrify | make someone so frightened that they are unable to move |
Pinnacle | the most successful point |
Preamble | an introduction |
Protocol | the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions |
Pseudonym | a false name |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘Q’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Quadrilateral | a four-sided figure |
Qualitative | relating to, measuring, or measured by the quality of something rather than its quantity |
Quandary | uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation |
Quantitative | relating to, measuring, or measured by the quantity of something rather than its quality |
Quantum | the smallest amount or unit of something |
Quarantine | a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed |
Quench | satisfy one’s thirst |
Querulous | complaining in a weak high voice |
Quibble | a slight objection or criticism about a matter of little value |
Quintessence | the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘R’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Rampant | Getting worse quickly in an uncontrolled way |
Realm | a kingdom |
Rebuke | express sharp disapproval or criticism of someone because of their behaviour or actions |
Reconnaissance | preliminary surveying or research |
Reiterate | say something again or a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity |
Rejuvenate | give new energy or vigour to |
Relegate | consign or dismiss to an inferior rank |
Reminiscent | tending to remind one of something |
Remorse | deep regret for a wrong committed |
Renaissance | a revival of or renewed interest in something |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘S’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Sagacious | having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgement |
Sarcasm | the use of irony to mock or convey contempt |
Satire | the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to criticise people’s stupidity or vices |
Scornful | feeling or expressing contempt or derision |
Scrutinise | examine or inspect closely and thoroughly |
Semantics | the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning |
Seminal | strongly influencing later developments |
Serendipity | the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way |
Solace | comfort in a time of distress |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘T’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Taboo | a prohibited social practice |
Tactful | sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues |
Tactical | relating to or constituting actions carefully planned |
Tangible | perceptible by touch, real |
Tantamount | equivalent to |
Taunt | a remark made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone |
Tenet | a principle or belief |
Tenuous | very weak or slight |
Termination | the action of bringing something to an end |
Threshold | a point of entry or beginning |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘U’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Ubiquitous | found everywhere |
Unanimous | a decision held or carried by everyone involved |
Unbiased | showing no prejudice for or against something |
Undaunted | not intimidated or discouraged by difficulty |
Unilateral | performed by or affecting only one person, group, or country involved in a particular situation, without the agreement of another or the others |
Unravel | undo |
Upheaval | a sudden change or disruption to something |
Utility | the state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial |
Utopian | a state in which everything is perfect; idealistic |
Utterance | a spoken word, statement, or vocal sound |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘V’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Valediction | the action of saying farewell |
Valiant | showing courage or determination |
Valour | great courage in the face of danger |
Vengeance | punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong |
Vernacular | the language spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region |
Versatile | able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities |
Versification | the making of poetry |
Vertigo | a sensation of whirling and loss of balance |
Vigilante | a member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community without legal authority, typically because the legal agencies are thought to be inadequate |
Vigorous | strong, healthy, and full of energy |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘W’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Wanderlust | a strong desire to travel |
Wardrobe | a tall cabinet in which clothes may be hung or stored |
Wayfarer | a person who travels on foot |
Whimsical | playfully quaint or fanciful |
Winsome | appealing in appearance or character |
Wither | cease to flourish |
Wizard | a man who has magical powers, especially in legends and fairy tales. |
Wrangle | a long argument |
Wrath | extreme anger |
Wretched | in a very unhappy or unfortunate state |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘X’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Xenophobia | dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries |
Xerox | photocopy |
Xylography | the art of making woodcuts or wood engravings, especially by a relatively primitive technique |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘Y’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Yank | pull with a jerk |
Yatter | endless talk |
Difficult Words in English Vocabulary Starting with the Letter ‘Z’
Difficult Words | Meanings |
Zeal | great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective |
Zest | great enthusiasm and energy |
Zippy | bright, fresh, or lively |
How Can We Learn Tough English Words?
Have you heard the term ‘Semantics’ before? Semantics is the study of meanings. English is not our mother tongue, so it requires effort to learn. There are numerous difficult words in the English language. It is hard to acquire knowledge and apply it in day to day conversations. But by practising semantics, even the most difficult words in English can be learnt quickly. Mastering the English language will not be a Himalayan task if you are ready to learn new vocabulary on a regular basis. Start practising on simpler words and gradually step into difficult vocabulary words. Prepare a list of complex words with meaning and try to learn at least five new words from the list regularly to improve your wisdom in the English language.
Frequently Asked Questions on Difficult Words
Q1
List 20 hard words in English.
Labyrinth
Nirvana
Nomenclature
Pandemonium
Patriarchy
Pseudonym
Malapropism
Omniscient
Rejuvenate
Sagacious
Serendipity
Solace
Tangible
Tenet
Unbiased
Unilateral
Utopian
Valediction
Overwhelm
Whimsical
Xenophobia
Q2
List 10 difficult words starting with the letter ‘I’.
Iconoclast
Idiosyncrasy
Idle
Imbibe
Imperative
Impetus
Incarnate
Indigenous
Inevitable
Insane
Q3
What is semantics?
Semantics is the study of meanings.