Choose a book, e-book or magazine you want to read and set a goal of how many pages you want to read each day. Choose material that genuinely interests you so that you meet your goal and have fun as well.
Write down unfamiliar words when you come across them on an index card. Use one word per index card.
Reference your dictionary for unfamiliar words. Write their definitions on the opposite side of the index card.
Test yourself by stacking several index cards, thinking about the meaning of the word and flipping them over to reveal the correct definition.
Use one new word each day in conversation. Using the new word will increase the chance that you remember it.
Subscribe to an online vocabulary service. These programs are free and deliver a new word to your email every day, with definition, pronunciation and usage examples.
Play word games online to increase your memory and knowledge about how words are used properly.