Word for Wednesday: Lexicon

blog home

Its been well over two years since we started blogging here at Spellzone, and hopefully our weekly posts have helped to grow your vocabulary and appreciation of words; leading us nicely to this week’s Word for Wednesday: lexicon.

A lexicon is a wordbook, a dictionary containing the words of a particular language and in linguistics; a lexicon is the ‘total inventory of morphemes in a given language’.

But to me, the beauty of the word lexicon is found in its personal application – we each have our very own lexicon: our vocabulary. The wonderful thing about language is how it constantly changes and expands, allowing us to grow and adapt our personal lexicon every day, picking up new words, sharing them with others and giving new and colourful descriptions to things that seemed familiar.

The word ‘lexicon’ comes from the Greek ‘lexikon’ – ‘word book’. I love the idea of our vocabulary being like a vast imaginary book to which we can add new words as we discover them and even bookmark our favourite ones!

Next time you discover a new word you like (perhaps it is even ‘lexicon’) you can imagine writing it in your internal lexicon… This reminds me of the ‘Mind Palace’ memory technique but that’s certainly one for another post…

Hugh MacDermott


13 May 2015
blog home

Try Spellzone for free

Recent Blogs

How to Recognise and Overcome Tricky Spelling Patterns With Clarity and Confidence
How to Teach Spelling with Minimal Stress: Simple Techniques for Busy Teachers
Spelling for Mindfulness: How Slowing Down Can Help You Focus and Learn
Spelling Slip-Ups: Everyday Words People Often Get Wrong (and Clever Ways to Get Them Right)
Jamie Oliver’s Dyslexia Revolution: Why Schools Must Do More Than Just Listen
Embedding Spelling Practice Across All Subjects in Primary Schools: Supporting Literacy Beyond English Lessons
How to Teach Spelling to Reluctant Learners: Engaging and Low-Stress Methods
Why English Spelling Is So Hard And What You Can Do About It
Spelling Tricks for Words That Don’t Sound How They’re Spelled
From Spelling to Pronunciation: Why English Words Don’t Always Sound How They Look
How Spelling Tests Can Be a Positive Learning Opportunity: Encouraging a Healthy Relationship with Assessments
Why Some Words Have Double Letters: Spelling Rules and Tips
Why Spelling Rules Matter: How Patterns Simplify Learning
Spellzone Earns High Praise in Independent Pedagogical Quality Report
Spelling Through Visualisation: Using Imagery to Remember Words
How Reading Improves Spelling: The Power of Context
Tricky English Spelling Patterns: How to Teach Common Letter Combinations
How to Create Effective Spelling Word Lists for Students: A Guide for Educators
Understanding Root Words: Unlocking the Meaning of Complex Words
Navigating the World of Hyphenated Words in English

"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."

Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill