How to Understand a Word Without Using a Dictionary
Read the entire sentence., Identify words you do understand., Look for illustrative examples., Think logically., Use other context clues.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Read the entire sentence.
It can be very frustrating to have your reading interrupted by an unknown word.
If you are in the middle of an exam or an assignment for school or work, it can also be very stressful.
If you can't reach for a dictionary, take other steps to figure out what the word means.Your first step is to go back and re-read the entire sentence.
You probably lost track of what your were reading when you stumbled upon the new word.
Think about the content of the sentence.
Do you understand the sentence without using the new word? Or is it incomprehensible? Try underlining the unknown word.
This will help you separate it from the rest of the sentence. -
Step 2: Identify words you do understand.
You can often use other words in the sentence to help you define the unknown word.
Think about what else is happening in the sentence.
Hopefully, this will help you figure out whether the unknown word is a noun, verb, or adjective.For example, maybe you are looking at a sentence that says, "It was a very sultry day in the middle of the summer." You probably understand each word except for "sultry".
Think about what you know about the summer.
It is likely that "sultry" has something to do with weather.
Maybe your biology exam has this sentence, "Many members of the canine family are predators, looking for other animals to eat." You can surmise that "predators" prey on other animals. , Once you have examined the other words in that sentence, you can move on.
Start looking at the sentences that follow the unknown word.
An author will often give descriptions that can help you figure out the meaning of an unknown word.For example, take the sentence, "It was a very sultry day in the middle of summer." It could be followed by the sentence, "The heat and humidity made it appealing to sit in the shade and drink lemonade." You can now more confidently define "sultry".
The descriptive words such as "heat" and "humidity" are further clues that it is a description of the weather.
Sometimes, the descriptive examples will be right in the original sentence.
For example, it could say, "Sultry days are so damp and hot."
Sometimes, the context clues will not be as clear.
You will have to use logic to figure out the word.
You can also use experience, or prior knowledge, of the topic.For example, maybe a sentence says, "In the antebellum South, many plantation owners kept slaves." It is likely that "antebellum" is the unknown word.
The sentence itself does not offer many clues.
However, the following sentences are, "But after the Civil War, slavery was outlawed.
This was a major change between the two periods." Think about what you know now.
You are reading information about two different time periods, right? Before the Civil War and after the Civil War.
You can now make a pretty logical assumption about the word "antebellum".
Based on your experience and reading the following sentences, you know it probably means "before the war". , Sometimes an author will offer other types of clues.
Look for restatement.
This is where the meaning of the word is restated in other words.Here is an example of "restatement": "The pig squealed in pain.
The high-pitched cry was very loud." You can also look for "appositives".
This is where an author highlights a specific word by placing a further description between two commas.
This is an example of the use of an appositive: "The Taj Mahal, which is a massive white marble mausoleum, is one of the most famous landmarks in India.
You may not know the words "Taj Mahal"
but the use of appositives makes it clear that it is a landmark. -
Step 3: Look for illustrative examples.
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Step 4: Think logically.
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Step 5: Use other context clues.
Detailed Guide
It can be very frustrating to have your reading interrupted by an unknown word.
If you are in the middle of an exam or an assignment for school or work, it can also be very stressful.
If you can't reach for a dictionary, take other steps to figure out what the word means.Your first step is to go back and re-read the entire sentence.
You probably lost track of what your were reading when you stumbled upon the new word.
Think about the content of the sentence.
Do you understand the sentence without using the new word? Or is it incomprehensible? Try underlining the unknown word.
This will help you separate it from the rest of the sentence.
You can often use other words in the sentence to help you define the unknown word.
Think about what else is happening in the sentence.
Hopefully, this will help you figure out whether the unknown word is a noun, verb, or adjective.For example, maybe you are looking at a sentence that says, "It was a very sultry day in the middle of the summer." You probably understand each word except for "sultry".
Think about what you know about the summer.
It is likely that "sultry" has something to do with weather.
Maybe your biology exam has this sentence, "Many members of the canine family are predators, looking for other animals to eat." You can surmise that "predators" prey on other animals. , Once you have examined the other words in that sentence, you can move on.
Start looking at the sentences that follow the unknown word.
An author will often give descriptions that can help you figure out the meaning of an unknown word.For example, take the sentence, "It was a very sultry day in the middle of summer." It could be followed by the sentence, "The heat and humidity made it appealing to sit in the shade and drink lemonade." You can now more confidently define "sultry".
The descriptive words such as "heat" and "humidity" are further clues that it is a description of the weather.
Sometimes, the descriptive examples will be right in the original sentence.
For example, it could say, "Sultry days are so damp and hot."
Sometimes, the context clues will not be as clear.
You will have to use logic to figure out the word.
You can also use experience, or prior knowledge, of the topic.For example, maybe a sentence says, "In the antebellum South, many plantation owners kept slaves." It is likely that "antebellum" is the unknown word.
The sentence itself does not offer many clues.
However, the following sentences are, "But after the Civil War, slavery was outlawed.
This was a major change between the two periods." Think about what you know now.
You are reading information about two different time periods, right? Before the Civil War and after the Civil War.
You can now make a pretty logical assumption about the word "antebellum".
Based on your experience and reading the following sentences, you know it probably means "before the war". , Sometimes an author will offer other types of clues.
Look for restatement.
This is where the meaning of the word is restated in other words.Here is an example of "restatement": "The pig squealed in pain.
The high-pitched cry was very loud." You can also look for "appositives".
This is where an author highlights a specific word by placing a further description between two commas.
This is an example of the use of an appositive: "The Taj Mahal, which is a massive white marble mausoleum, is one of the most famous landmarks in India.
You may not know the words "Taj Mahal"
but the use of appositives makes it clear that it is a landmark.
About the Author
Dennis Martinez
Experienced content creator specializing in crafts guides and tutorials.
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