Vocabulary is complicated

One challenge all language learners face, including IELTS learners is memorising a huge array of new words. Not only do we have to learn the meaning of a new word, we also have to know how to spell it and how it’s pronounced.

Plus, what about connotations? For example, some words, though similar in literal meaning, have different attitudes attached to them.

Take the words ‘crowded’ and ‘bustling’. Both technically mean there are lots of people around, but ‘crowded’ has a negative connotation, whereas ‘bustling’ sounds positive.

Then there are collocations – words that just go together for no particularly logical reason – Like, it’s ‘take a photo’ not ‘do a photo’ or ‘make a photo’.

Why?

Just because.

Oh, and let’s not forget different versions of English. Comparing between British and American English we get crisps Vs chips, pavement Vs sidewalk, trainers Vs sneakers…and do check the different uses of the word ‘pants’ in both regions…

Worse still, these are only a few examples of how complicated things can get. It really is just the tip of the iceberg (…did I mention idioms yet…?!).

And there’s more (..and more and more..)

In fact, there’s something else to consider. While English learners struggle to cram in as much new vocabulary as they can – particularly if they’re preparing for an exam like IELTS – it may be disheartening to hear that new words and phrases are entering the English dictionary all the time.

The Cambridge Dictionary recently announced that they have added over 6000 new words to their comprehensive list of lexis in the last 12 months.

Yes.

The actual number added in the last year was 6212 new words.

That’s more than 517.667 words a month on average if you’re interested.

How many words do you learn each month..? How many words are there in English already without the new ones?? Is the language moving too fast to keep up???

Well, before we panic and give up, let’s see an example of some of these new words…

Delulu

Tradwife

Broligarchy

And of course – skibidi

The good news is most English speakers aren’t familiar with these new words and saying they’re a long way from being universally used is a massive understatement. They’re often confined to certain social groups and very specific situations. For instance, a lot of the new words are said to originate from Gen Alpha – people born in the 2010s.

So why did The Cambridge Dictionary add them?

The quick answer is that language is dynamic and it’s constantly changing. Just as Shakespeare would never need to use the word selfie, English speakers today over a certain age will find little use for skibidi in general conversation. But this doesn’t mean these phrases shouldn’t be recorded as part of the language. We can think of a language as an almost living thing and the way it’s used comes from the people who use it and not from a book that tells them how to use it.

Great! So there are no rules..?? Can we all just start inventing words??!

Another quick answer – No.

Obviously, if we’re going to understand each other across social groups and different situations, there is still standard vocabulary that everyone can use and get their point across. Which clearly means using new vocabulary that was added to the dictionary last week in an international test such as IELTS would generally not be a good idea. It won’t be in common usage and your examiner might (…more like – very probably..) won’t be familiar with it.

Remember what I said above about new words originating from people born in the 2010s..? How many IELTS examiners are that young…?!

Don’t worry. There are plenty of other words to use to impress your IELTS Examiners.

So, keep learning the vocabulary and expanding your range, but don’t worry too much about new lexis that arrived in the dictionary this year. If you don’t already, you’ll eventually start to appreciate the richness of an always-changing language in all its complexities.

And who knows… maybe in the future everyone will be saying skibidi and rizz….but that is unlikely to become normal until long after your IELTS test.

To read what Cambridge has to say about the new additions to the dictionary, go to…

https://www.cambridge.org/news-and-insights/cambridge-dictionary-adds-skibidi-delulu-and-tradwife