Language Arts - Word Analysis
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Language Arts - Word Analysis - Synonyms

Synonyms

Two words which have the same meaning are called synonyms. Usually two words do not have EXACTLY the same meaning, but they can be extremely close in meaning. Consider these synonym pairs: 


	close - near		large - big		wet - moist

	enormous - huge		small - tiny		thin - slender

	clear - transparent	hold - grasp		tasty - delicious
When you are writing it's a good idea to use a variety of words and to avoid using a small set of words over and over. For instance, if you are writing about food you might want to say that it is delicious several times. Rather than re-using the word "delicious" over and over, consider using synonyms for delicious such as tasty, luscious, appetizing, flavorful, scrumptious, juicy, sweet, delightful, and exquisite.

There are reference books that can be used to help you to locate synonyms. The most often used type of book used to look up synonyms is a thesaurus. The other popular book is The Synonym Finder (published by Rodale Press). You can also often find synonyms simply by looking up the meaning of a word in a dictionary.

Here are some synonyms for intelligent: 


	smart			brilliant		prespicacious

	insightful		shrewd			clever

	ingenious		logical			rational
Synonyms can also be found online. For instance, dictionary.com provides ways to find synonyms for thousands of words! Another interesting website which offers similar features is Word Hippo. There are actually several similar websites, but another fun one is The Free Dictionary.

Further, many computer programs contain lists of synonyms.

Remember that using synonyms is a good way to add interest and variety to your writing. Here are some more synonyms. 


  song melody tune ballad serenade

  sad unhappy depressed despondent gloomy miserable

  happy glad elated thrilled cheerful

  angry annoyed irritated mad agitated

Here is a sample quiz question involving synonyms. 


  Select the synonym for yell

    a) whisper

    b) shout

    c) draw

    d) play
Obviously the answer is b (shout).

Continue to the quiz

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