How to spell vocabulary

hear itvo·cab·u·lar·y/voʊ'kæbjə,lɛri/nounPrefixes and work

What it means: The set of words known and used by a person.

In a sentence: I love learning new words to add to my vocabulary!

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear. Often misspelled as vocabulery or vocabularry.

Same family: vocab, lexicon, terminology, wordlist, glossary. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Vocabulary comes from the Medieval Latin word 'vocabularium', meaning 'a list of words'. It is built on the Latin root 'vocare' or 'vox', meaning 'voice' or 'call', which also appears in words like 'vocal' and 'voice'.

Patterns it uses: The unstressed vowel (schwa)

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

questionnaire · embarrass · liaison · bakery · electrician · fearless · conscience · transaction

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