Suck at verbal, need vocab list

[child of 2]

My English is terrible. Whenever I take a test involving reading and vocabulary, I freak out. I will do my best to get my reading speed up. Meanwhile, where can I find a good, long list of GRE words that won't let me down?

I would also appreciate any advice regarding what to read that would be best for preparation for the reading sections.

thanks!

[process chemist]

http://quizlet.com/47571/barrons-gre-wordlist-4759-words-flash-cards/

4500 words from Barron's list. All free.

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

If you have an iPod, iPhone, or iPad, download the Kaplan GRE vocab app. it has 500 words and is separated into average difficult and hard. It allows you to quiz yourself too. I found it really useful.

Oh, and best of all it is a free app.

[coonskee]

I second the Kaplan recommendation - I learned like 300 words the week of the test from it! And it's wonderfully portable.

[tiredwaiting]

You should try "Word power made easy" by Normal Lewis - its does wonders for almost every one

[child of 2]

I think I should highlight the fact that I'm a junior, and I need to start studying vocab asap. It would be nice to get a word list specifically designed for the GRE.

I checked out a barron's vocab list from a public library with 800 words. I looks old (I'll check the date later), but do GRE word lists change throughout the years, or can I stick with a word bank from 4-6 years ago?

[constantSun]

check out spacegame bigwords for iphone

it looks like a different way to learn some vocabulary

[chrismagoosh]

The Revised GRE tests for vocabulary in context: cramming Barron's 4500-word list (with many words that are vaguely defined) is not a good way to go. Kaplan's 500 are a good place to start. But I'd recommend another method: reading. That is as you read underline and look up words you don't know. You can always turn them into electronic flashcards at quizlet.com. Of course reading will also help with your reading speed.

Reading willy-nilly is not the most efficient use of your time. I recommend reading The New York Times, New Yorker, and The Atlantic Monthly, choosing those articles that you find of the greatest interest. I write about this more in-depth: http://magoosh.com/gre/2011/reading-vocabulary-in-context-where-should-i-start/

Hope that helps .

[acrosschemworld]

I am studying vocab from the Barron's 800 Words book. I like it because for every word it also has an example sentence, which makes it kind of a combination between learning in context and learning plain word definitions. My friends who took the GRE in the past and studied from the same book said there were quite a few words they remembered from that book. I prefer learning words that I know appeared on the GRE before instead of blindly reading articles and skimming for GRE words as a Magoosh blog post suggests, but htere is no way I could remember more than 800 words, if I am lucky! THen, when I read articles or whatever and recognize a word from the book, I found I am more likely to remember the word both for its definition and as used in the new context. I hope that helps someone!

[TheFez]

I found the index cards were a great way to go. Both Barrons and Kaplan have nice sets you can buy on Amazon - even used and cheaply. They are fun to practice with and you seperate out the words you a 100% confident with from those you miss, until you master them.

I also had an APP on my iPhone that was great - GRE Vocab Genius that was excellent because it has a huge bank of words, and some really tough ones as well as Latin roots. It's $4.99, but I htought much better than the free one's that were not much more than the typical lists.

Good luck.

[child of 2]

I got the Kaplan 400 list. quick question... would it be useful to know the synonyms? Because I don't know most of them!

[neeravbm]

I took GRE some time back and vocabulary was the most difficult part for me. From the standard list of words, there were a lot I remembered but a few which I could never remember. I searched for a website which could test me on the words I did not know more frequently than the words I knew. I couldn't find such a website. Then I decided to create one.

And now I have: GRE Vocabulary. Based on your right and wrong answers, it identifies your strong and weak words and will ask you YOUR weak words more frequently. The website is absolutely free to use and does not have advertisements to distract you. I am not making any money out of this. My goal is to just make it easier for everyone else to learn these words.

One thing I will definitely appreciate is feedback. If this method proves helpful, I will extend it to cover quant as well. Please feel free to contact me via the above website or email me at neeravbm@yahoo.com.

Thank you.

Regards,

Neerav Mehta.

www.vocabularygre.com

[Timmy111]

Vocab Hero for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dangwu.vocabherolite&feature=more_from_developer

Contains vocab words for the GRE. Seems to be from Barron's list.

[Vader Was Framed]

Is that Kaplan Vocab App for iPhone still free? I am only finding the $4.99 one .. maybe still worth it.

[coonskee]

Is that Kaplan Vocab App for iPhone still free? I am only finding the $4.99 one .. maybe still worth it.

It was free after I took a free practice test... even if it costs $5 thoguh, I think it's still worth it. All "hard copy" flash card sets/books are around $20...

[conquervocab]

Here's a free vocab list that uses words in sentences with context: http://www.wordsinasentence.com

[hitchhiker]

Learn some memory tricks too. There are tons of sites on the web that will help you with this.

[graduateshotline]

Another word list (~1300 words) http://www.graduateshotline.com/list.html

[1Q84]

I liked the Princeton Review "Hit Parade" a lot better. It was 5 sets of 75 words. Not too strenuous.