Tier List: The BEST & Worst Ways to Learn English Vocabulary

There’s plenty of advice on the best ways to learn vocabulary, but while some strategies are effective, others fall short. In the video above, I rank 16 popular strategies on a tier list from S-Tier being the most effective to D-Tier being the least effective.

S-Tier

Read More: Reading exposes you to new vocabulary in meaningful contexts, helping you understand how words are used naturally. This strategy is highly beneficial because it combines vocabulary acquisition with grammar, collocations, and cultural nuances, making it a comprehensive way to expand your English vocabulary and overall English skills.

Create Flashcards and Review w/ Spaced Repetition: Spaced repetition ensures that you review words just before you forget them, strengthening long-term memory. To do it, create flashcards (physical or digital) and review them on a schedule that gradually increases intervals between reviews (1 hour later, 1 day later, 3 days later, 1 week later, 3 weeks later, etc.). You can use tools like Anki or Quizlet to automate the process and track your progress. This method is S-Tier because it’s scientifically proven to be one of the most effective ways to remember vocabulary over time.

Learn Related Words: Focusing on word families or related terms helps you build connections between words, making it easier to understand and use them. This strategy is high up on our chart because it multiplies your vocabulary knowledge without overwhelming you, making your learning more efficient.

Create Meaningful Examples: Writing your own sentences helps you actively apply new vocabulary in a way that are personal to you. So instead of creating an example sentence for the word "studious" as simply "She is studious." you create a meaningful, and personal example such as "My studious younger sister always gets above 95% on all of her tests." This gives you a deeper understanding and makes the words more memorable by personalizing the learning process.

A-Tier

Learn Collocations: Collocations are words that frequently go together (e.g., "strong coffee", "make a decision", or "heavy rain"). This strategy is A-Tier because learning collocations helps you sound more natural and fluent by understanding how words are typically used together, which is often more important than knowing a single word all by itself.

Use ChatGPT: ChatGPT can give you definitions, provide instant feedback, create practice exercises, and much more. ChatGPT is a very useful tool to use when trying to improve your English vocabulary. The only reason I didn't list this as an S-Tier strategy because of the very real danger of overrelying on it.

Use Mnemonics: Mnemonics are memory aids that link new vocabulary with images or familiar concepts. To make a mnemonic, create a memorable phrase, image, or story that links the new word to something familiar or vivid. For example, for the word "bizarre," you could imagine a "bizarre zebra" wearing a funny outfit to help remember its meaning. This strategy is A-Tier because it helps you remember words more effectively by associating them with something memorable, making recall faster and easier when you need to use the vocabulary.

B-Tier

Keep a Vocabulary Journal: Writing down new words, their meanings, and example sentences helps reinforce your learning and track progress. This strategy is B-Tier because it encourages active engagement with new vocabulary. However, it requires consistent effort and may not be as effective for immediate recall as flashcards with spaced repetition.

Hold a Language Exchange: Practicing with a language partner provides real-time opportunities to use new vocabulary in conversation. This is B-Tier because it offers practical language use, but the quality of the exchange depends on the partner's skill level and commitment, which can vary.

C-Tier

Watch TV: Watching TV exposes you to vocabulary in context, which can help with listening comprehension. This strategy is C-Tier because while it’s useful for encountering natural language use, it really doesn't provide focused practice, and you might miss out on actively learning new words.

Listen to Podcasts & Music: Listening to English language podcasts or music can help you hear new words and phrases in context, improving listening skills and vocabulary. This is C-Tier because, while it’s a passive way to learn, it may not always provide the clarity or context needed to fully understand and retain the vocabulary.

Learn Word Etymology: Etymology is the study of the origin and history of words, including how their meanings and forms have evolved over time. Studying the origin of words can help you understand their meanings and connections to other words. This strategy is C-Tier because while it can expand your vocabulary and improve word recall, it’s a more intellectual approach that might not lead to practical, everyday usage unless combined with other methods.

D-Tier

Use Translations: Relying on translations between languages can help you understand word meanings quickly, but it doesn’t promote deep learning or context-based usage. This is on oour lowest tier because it encourages passive learning and doesn’t help you develop the ability to think directly in English.

Place Stickies Everywhere: Writing new vocabulary on sticky notes and placing them around your environment can expose you to words often. This strategy is D-Tier because while it may help with passive recognition, it doesn’t encourage active engagement or deep understanding of how to use the words in real conversations.

Use Words in Compliments: I saw a video by a teacher on YouTube telling her audience to use this method to improve their English. Basically, she told everyone to learn a new word that can be used in compliments and use to again and again throughout your day. Using new vocabulary in compliments might feel like practice, but it can limit how much you actually engage with the words in diverse contexts. This is D-Tier because it focuses on a very narrow use of vocabulary, which doesn’t allow for flexible practice.

Memorize Word Lists: Memorizing lists of words without context can help with short-term recall but doesn’t promote the deeper understanding needed for fluency. This is D-Tier because it leads to rote learning, which is less effective for actually using the vocabulary in real situations.

Watch the video at the top for a full breakdown on each strategy and how you can use each S & A-Tier strategy to take your English to the next level!