<p>How do you guys study them? Do you memorize their definition or their synonyms? Where do you look the words up?</p>
<p>I seem to have trouble being able to USE these words and understand them completely. I feel like I don't have a good grasp on these words to use them effectively and correctly.</p>
<p>For example, I know the word rhetoric means the art or study of using the words effectively and persuasively but I've seen the word appear many times where the definition doesn't play in. Can someone please explain the word to me in their own definition? Sometimes I find it hard to understand the dictionary's definition. </p>
<p>Yeah, I've seen some words that I've studied before appear in things I read and I say to myself, "Omg, I've studied that word before!" However, they don't appear THAT often. Are there any reading materials that are specifically for SAT words?</p>
<p>Also, how do you know you have completely mastered the vocabulary words? How do you guys know when to stop studying them? or.. do you guys review them regularly? Thanks.</p>
<p>There's no complete mastery. Or, differently put, it would take you years to develop a complete mastery. You know, delving in etymology and memorizing and reading.</p>
<p>On the other hand, most SAT-takers, memorize concentrated lists of frequently appearing words like Barron's 3500, Grubber's 3400, Testmasters' 2200, Sparknotes' 1000 or whatever. They use mnemonics, grouping ,etc to memorize them. Personally I simply "master" them by rote.</p>
<p>To master the vocabulary word, you have to use them, or else you'll forget.</p>
<p>Flash cards help, but using them correctly in everyday conversation is the best way to apply them, and it's a lot harder to forget the words once you start using the word a lot. Try using a few new words 3 times correctly in everyday conversation. It really helps!</p>
<p>Should you use these words as synonyms? For example, should you replace pale with wan? Should you replace praise with accolade, acclaim, approbation? The thing is, I don't know if they are capable of being used interchangeablly with other synonyms... but they are synonyms so I don't know. Their meanings still differ subtly though right?</p>
<p>Generally you can't just replace words that have the same or similar meanings. This is why teachers refrain from student using a thesaurus.Two words can offer very different connotations even if they mean the exact same thing. The only way to differentiate is by learning proper usage through your readings.</p>