The Importance of a Good Vocabulary

People assume how an individual carries themselves attributes to their class, money, work ethic, education, dependability, honesty and upbringing. Perceived class is based off of a person’s appearance and how they carry themselves. An individual’s clothing, hygiene and language all fall under this. Perceived class will determine how much respect you receive from people before they know you personally. People will instantly assume and relate your behaviours to judgmental stereotypes without even realizing it, because it’s human nature.  The vocabulary and language you use will relate to your education. Your education degree will relate back to your class. If you use profanity when speaking, people will relate that to violence, which relates to a criminal record. So pick your words wisely.

So why is a good vocabulary so essential to success?  Well, to be frank, if you sound like an ass, people will treat you like one. The English language has in between 500 000 and 1 000 000 words and to have a successful vocabulary you only need to know about 10% of those. Having a colourful vocabulary will always be a handy tool to keep in your back pocket. Along with having a larger vocabulary your ability to communicate your thoughts will improve. Your ability to understand information, your comprehension, will develop greatly as well. Having a fuller vocabulary will help your verbal communication flow. It will help to eliminate those “uhh” and “umm's.” Most importantly it will help to project a more intelligent image.

A tip to keep in mind: Look up unfamiliar words as you encounter them, as you are more likely to remember the meaning of that word that way rather then memorizing pointless lists of words.

Lastly don’t get caught up misusing complex words trying to impress other with your extensive vocabulary. It is best to focus on using what words you know effectively, because if you sound like an ass people will treat you like one!