Standardized tests have been known to cause students some serious stress. As you prepare to take the SAT for the first (or second or third) time, you need to find the right balance between studying for each section of the exam and taking necessary study breaks. At CollegeXpress, we’re all about time management and ways to make studying more fun…and with The Dictionary of Difficult Words, you can unwind and study your SAT vocab at the same time.
This book isn’t a traditional test prep resource: The Dictionary of Difficult Words is technically a children’s book, written by Jane Solomon—a lexicographer who writes definitions for Dictionary.com—with illustrations by Louise Lockhart. It’s full of fun fonts, whimsical artwork, and—most importantly—really hard, unfamiliar words with proper pronunciation and simplified definitions. It’s the perfect book to browse during a quick study break that will entertain you but keep your mind sharp. The Dictionary of Difficult Words features:
Common SAT vocabulary
Words like these you’re almost guaranteed to see pop up on your test! Common words like this are also good ones to challenge yourself with by trying to include them in everyday conversation. Pick up some words like:
Aesthetic
[es-thet-ik] ~ noun
When someone uses the word aesthetic, they are talking about what makes something beautiful to them. People often use this word when they’re talking about art.
Emulate
[em-yuh-leyt] ~ verb
If you emulate someone, you try to be just like them because you think they’re great.
Fortuitous
[fahr-too-i-tuhs] ~ adjective
Something that is fortuitous is a good and lucky thing that happens unexpectedly.
Related: Easy Ways to Make Studying for Standardized Tests Fun
Words that make you sound extra smart
Learning these words will help you impress people far past just taking the SAT. These are words you might find yourself slipping into essays or other assignments in college that can take your writing to the next level. Commit words like these to memory:
Nebulous
[neb-yuh-luhs] ~ adjective
If an idea is nebulous, it’s hard to describe because it’s not completely clear what the idea is.
Onomatopoeia
[on-uh-mah-tuh-pee-uh] ~ noun
An onomatopoeia is a word that sounds like a noise when you say it aloud.
Reticent
[ret-uh-suhnt] ~ adjective
Someone who is reticent doesn't usually talk about what they're thinking or how they're feeling.
Umbriferous
[uhm-brif-er-uhs] ~ adjective
If a tree is umbriferous, there is shade underneath it.
Related: Top 10 SAT Score Improvement Tips
Words that sound totally fictional
Do you know all those weird words from Alice in Wonderland? Well, a lot of them are real! Studying vocab doesn’t get much more fun than getting to learn some nonsense words, like:
Spaghettification
[spuh-get-uh-fi-key-shuhn] ~ noun
Spaghettification is the idea that objects get long and skinny like spaghetti when they’re sucked into black holes.
Hurdy-gurdy
[hur-dee-gur-dee] ~ noun
A hurdy-gurdy is a type of musical instrument with strings, a keyboard, and a crank.
Frabjous
[frab-juhs] ~ adjective
Something that is frabjous is wonderful, joyous, and amazing. This word was actually made up by Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice in Wonderland.
Kvetch
[kvech] ~ verb
When you kvetch about something, you complain about it.
Related: Video: Must-Do Study Hacks for Better SAT Scores
There are ways you can make studying for the SAT more enjoyable; you just have to be willing to give them a shot. Thank you to The Quarto Group for allowing us to share excerpts from the book with our students. You can learn more about The Dictionary of Difficult Words on their website.
Want another fun way to study your vocabulary? Check out our SAT Word Game for some friendly competition with other members of the CollegeXpress community!
