Merriam-Webster’s Vocabulary Builder

by Merriam-Webster (editor)

The Merriam-Webster Vocabulary Builder allows you to enjoy informative and entertaining discussions of English words derived from Greek and Latin roots--and expand your working vocabulary at the same time. Words that share the same root are grouped for easy study. Quizzes let you test how much you ve learned. Authors: Mary W. Cornog, Merriam-Webster Format: Paperback, 712 pages Publisher: Merriam-Webster ISBN: 9780877798552

Genres: Reference, Language, Writing, Nonfiction, Education, Linguistics, Self Help

576 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Lizz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book because I want to expand my vocabulary. When I read (anything), I sometimes underline the words that I'm unsure of so that I can check its meaning at a later time. I've planned for a while now to make a list of the words that I've underlined/looked up and "starred" in the dictionary app that I have on my phone. The purpose of the list is to serve as a study guide and tool for quizzing myself on selected words. However, I haven't made the list and the words I've looked up and "starred" are often forgotten soon after they've been looked up. This is a problem because I truly do want to expand my vocabulary, so I purchased this book instead. Which is so much better than the techniques I was taught in grade school! Those time consuming, repetitive techniques are not what this book is about. It presents a group of words in a way that they're almost instantaneously imbedded in your memory (long-term). This book also has short quizzes, throughout, to test yourself over what you've learned. In addition, there are longer review quizzes at the end of each unit. My favorite thing about this book is its presentation. First, it gives a word root and explains the meaning of the root. The root then sets you up for the next several words. These words are listed one at at time, each are accompanied with a definition followed by a brief paragraph that is constructed in a way that ensures it will be set in your memory. This is the fastest and easiest way that I have found to expand my vocabulary. So if you're like me, a bit of a procrastinator with a busy schedule then this book should work for you.

[Ximing Dai · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book last November, it takes me about half a year to finish it! But I'm glad that I finally finished it.

It's worth the time reading this vocabulary builder. You could learn a lot of mythology stories from the word origin and better memorize those difficult words. It also has great quiz questions to help you consolidate the memory. It's a shame that I have not met this book when I was in university. Anyway, I recommend it for those who want to increase their vocabulary.

[Lucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supremely helpful in expanding your vocabulary and studying for any test with a verbal exam! Adding 1500+ words to your vocabulary may seem gratuitous, but I'm already noticing these seemingly fancy words in the wild! The quizzes also really reinforce what you've learned.

I couldn't recommend this more for studying for a standardized test! (Granted, I haven't taken said test yet. If I bomb the verbal part, I'll give this one star.)

[Barack Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

411-Merriam Webster's Vocabulary Builder-Mary Corgnog-Language-1994

Barack
2022/03/26

Merriam Webster's Vocabulary Builder was first published in 1994. It adds hundreds of useful new words to students' permanent working vocabulary but also teaches root building of the most common and useful Greek and Latin words to help students understand and master more vocabulary.

Mary Cornog, U.S.-born, B.A., Wellesley College, 1968, 1971
Graduated from Columbia University in the City of New York GSAS with a master's degree and Boston University GSAS with a Ph.D. in 1978. From 1986 to 2009, participated in the compilation of Merriam-Webster.

Merriam-Webster, Inc. is an American company that publishes reference books, especially known for its dictionaries. It is the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States. In 1831, George and Charles Merriam founded the G&C Merriam Co. in Springfield, Massachusetts. After Noah Webster's death in 1843, the company purchased the rights to the American English Dictionary from Noah Webster's estate. All Merriam-Webster dictionaries can be traced back to this source.

Table of Contents
1. Unit 1
2. Unit 2
3. Unit 9
4. Unit 10

Chinese is pictographic, while English is phonetic. The basic logic of the two is different, so when a beginner who is a native speaker of one language learns another language, there will be many difficulties in learning. As a native speaker of Chinese, there are many Chinese characters, but after memorizing thousands of commonly used Chinese characters, there are few new words. Although English has only 26 letters, in order to pass the GRE test, the vocabulary may reach at least 10,000. Therefore, if native Chinese speakers want to be able to memorize words better, they must understand some theoretical knowledge of etymology, root words, and affixes. Only then can we really learn from one example and improve memory efficiency.

Vocabulary is not isolated. Learning the usage habit of vocabulary from the article is another important learning method besides memorizing the vocabulary book directly. If we can memorize new words through comprehensive means such as "speaking, listening, reading and writing", we may have better memory effects.

If you look at the relative words without knowing the root, prefix, and suffix, you may be confused, but if you look at the relative words under the premise of understanding their meaning, it may be more impressive. The composition of the meaning of a word is the result of the division and cooperation of other parts. When one part changes, the meaning of the word changes accordingly.

In addition to understanding the logic of how words are formed, we may also need to understand how words are pronounced. Because the same letter may have different pronunciations in different situations. If you are a native English speaker, you may be able to read it intuitively without knowing the meaning, but for a non-native speaker, you may be confused about how to pronounce unfamiliar words.

In practice, even if you roughly understand the meaning of root affixes, it is easy to be confused about how to interpret the word because of the many elements that make up the word.

After each root is explained, synonyms can be specially put together for analysis. When viewed individually, they make sense, but together, they're a bit confusing. If you feel confused, it may be that the understanding of the composition of the word is not deep enough.

If we go further, from the root of the word, how to pursue the original meaning of a word itself is also interesting. When we understand the original meaning, we may be able to better understand its extended meaning.

When it comes to our native language, we memorize it during our teenage years, when we are most capable of learning, so even if we don't understand the ins and outs, we probably have a solid memory. After adulthood, the energy is greatly dispersed, and memory must be based on understanding. It may be more difficult to use the method of rote memorization in adolescence.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should've read the back of the book before purchasing.

"Perfect for students preparing for standardized tests including SAT, ACT, and ESL tests such as TOEFL and TOEIC"

I think that adult native speakers of English (especially ones who are avid readers, like the population interested in this website...) will not benefit tremendously from this book!

[Damla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hundred percent recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a way to expand their vocabulary or learn about etymology. I love love love it so much. Examples are on point, explaining is really good and clear. Quizzez help. So overall 10/10

[Jane]

@Julien and Nathalie, you would enjoy this! (Paper edition not kindle)

[Ardyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough, nuanced, and cheap as chips!

Total 30 units. Each unit covers about eight stems (Latin and Greek) with four vocabulary per stem. The stem receives a definition and a few sample words common to American vernacular --presumed to be familiar to the student already, these act as easy examples of the stem (e.g. bicycle and binoculars for BI/BIN). The vocabulary for the unit are generally more advanced or more academic than those samples. Each of these receive a definition, a sample sentence, and a one-paragraph clarification on the word's history & 21st century subtext.

Most units finish up with several words rooted in ancient Greece or Rome, but not necessarily stem-based. These are drawn from mythology (mentor, muse, zephyr) or history (sybaritic, solecism), or direct Latin / Greek loans (modus operandi, charisma). Some units use the end section to delve into number stems (hemi- / semi-, quadr/quart) or medical stems (-itis)

Probably not suitable for most elementary students, even in a read-aloud situation, as it was clearly written for grown ups. This shows both in design (tiny fonts & packed pages) and contents (the exploration of modern day use of "amorous" is great, though!).

Unit 15 contents as sampler:
..... TERM/TERMIN: terminal, indeterminate, interminable, terminus
..... GEO: geocentric, geophysics, geostationary, geothermal
..... quiz
..... SPHER: spherical, stratosphere, biosphere, hemisphere
..... VERT: divert, converter, avert, revert
..... quiz
..... MORPH: amorphous, anthropomorphic, metamorphosis, morphology
..... FORM: format, conform, formality, formative
..... quiz
..... DOC/DOCT: doctrine, docent, doctrinaire, indoctrinate
..... TUT/TUI: tutorial, tuition, intuition, tutelage
..... quiz
..... DI/DUP: dichotomy, dimorphic, duplex, duplicity
..... BI/BIN: bipartisan, binary, biennial, bipolar
..... quiz
..... review quiz

Note: the "quiz" after every two roots might better be called an exercise. It's usually definition matching of some sort. The review quiz covers the whole unit's new vocabulary.

Incredible bang for the buck! (USD 6.99 at posting in Autumn 2022). Since each unit is quite dense, a homeschooler easily could use this for two to four years, depending on the student. The parent may want to organize their own cumulative reviews inclusive of previous units.

Shout out to Drew Campbell on the "Modern Classical Education" podcast for this recommendation. I don't agree with all of MCE's opinions on pedagogy, but this little tome is an absolute treasure.

[Frances Mican · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so reading the dictionary is not exactly fun, but I liked this vocabulary building dictionary. I read it to help prep for the GRE, and I was pleased with the way that it lays out root words, words that fit with that root, and so forth. It helped me relate certain words with each other, and it's always good to have an overview of common roots and word origins.

[Chanatep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the books i bought for standardized tests preparation, i found this book most enjoyable!
The words presented in the books are not too far-advanced -- like those you'll find them in GRE for example --, but they are basic words you need to know before you pursue the GRE!
I love it. My vocab bank has been boosted, significantly.

[Yiwen Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

没记错的话是高考后的暑假买的，且是在贵瓣吃的安利。然而入手之后跟着我辗转天南海北，每次把它装到行李箱里总是想“说不定考T/考G/大学毕业/写论文的时候会拿来看”然而从未兑现，到今天却在一个并没什么“用”的时候看完了。一本很经典的按Greek/Latin roots组织的单词书，每章之后还有做题家最爱的小测验。例句充满年代感，作者又特别喜欢嘲讽政治家，读起来经常笑出声。从实用角度上讲，如果我早几年读完，可能学西语和法语的时候会轻��一点点。总之：值得推荐给每一位中学生朋友。

[Hulananni]

Used this as a gift at the end of a 60 hour session of ESL lessons for adults.

[Pratap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explains a method of learning vocabulary using roots.....

[Marcella Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

For its purpose, this book hits the nail on the head. Introducing 3,500 word definitions and etymologies with commensurate quizzes provides practice in usage through definition matching, cloze activities, and analogies. At times tedious, the exercises can be completed in small or large chunks. Initially, I expected to complete 30 units in 30 days. In fact, I required 10 weeks! Phew! Good activity for standardized test prep as well as a deeper understanding of word roots. My motivation was to complete an independent study plan for professional interpreting credentials. I don't like to write on books and found that sitting at a computer and recording my answers in a Google document made tracking progress easier for me than if I'd used the book as a workbook. Different strokes for different folks.

[Erick Corona · Rating 4 out of 5]

It did help me learn many words, and better understand their roots. It's nice that you learn some general culture too, as they provide usage examples and the history of the words. I also learned to read pronunciation symbols, and some words' pronunciations came as a surprise to me, as English is not my native tongue.

If you are a romance language speaker, most words may be familiar, however the roots and the history of the words are interesting.

To make it most effective, do the quizzes and come up with a few examples that are relevant to you.

[Big Whitely · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an amazing book, especially for English learners. I have learned a lot of new words, as well as many stories and gods behind these words. Now I know why some words mean that. For instance, I am tantalized of fluency in English.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!

[Joey Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a helpful, and could be the most helpful book ever in helping a non-native English speaker like me cultivate the intuition about vocabulary.

[JF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bible for second language learner.

[Jesse Kearney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great system to build vocabulary. It presents the words in a relatable way. Still up to the reader to learn the words though.

[Mingyue Feng · Rating 5 out of 5]

I credit it as “Life-changing”.

[Yu-jui Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth the money and time

[Account · Rating 5 out of 5]

It cost me nearly 33 hours to read it through....

[Muyu]

@2018-07-27 00:09:36

[Julia Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reference book, full of interesting facts and quizzes to test your knowledge

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic for Jeopardy prep!

[Luc Kien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me 2 years to finish lol

[Lyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does help a lot

[Ashley L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read any other books of this type so I can’t provide a point of reference, but in itself, this vocabulary builder is very useful to students wishing to learn roots, or to clarify and expand their vocabulary. The book is sectioned off into chapters with several roots like “ambi-”or “epi-” and the occasional section on Latin or Greek phrases (ad hoc, quid pro quo, Augean stable). Each root has four or five example words with definitions, example sentences, and a paragraph of context. At the end of each root section there is a mini-quiz, and each chapter has a cumulative review of all the words learned so far.

Pros
First and foremost, this book does indeed work. It not only teaches useful words and phrases, it also provides context, history, etymology, and examples to further cement the word and expand the reader’s knowledge in other areas as well. By explaining the components that make up a word, the book helps readers become better at guessing their meaning, and the paragraph of context makes the words more unique and easier to memorize. For example, the Greek phrases section provided information on the historical/mythological person or situation it was referring to (King Midas, Pyrrhic victory, stentorian). That being said, for those specific sections, I wish a larger backstory was provided for those who aren’t familiar with mythology—names especially can become easy to confuse with one another. Understanding etymology also helps one learn European languages or scientific vocabulary; the book covers both.

Cons
The vocabulary builder doesn’t cover the etymology of every word, which could help one remember their definitions, as well as make inferences. Also, the answer key for quizzes is in the back of the book, and finding the correct section can be quite difficult. Other than for space or formatting reasons, I can’t see why they would put it in the back of the book as the quizzes take as long as checking the answers does.

[Naoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a rich depository of word parts and etymologies.
Learning Latin might be one way for the better understanding of the English Language, however, the choice of learning Latin could be laborious for many. The book allows you to expand and enrich your vocabulary skills and the understanding of how it works by explaining the word parts and root words which are divided into short sections. Once you get through the book, it becomes almost a habit to break down first encountered vocabulary into word parts to understand the rough out line of the word.