Write down unfamiliar words. Include those that you encounter from a book, newspaper or magazine article. Once you've compiled a substantial list, on a 3 x 5 inch card, write the word on one side and the definition on the back. Include whether the word is a verb, adjective or noun. Understanding the grammar will help you remember how to use the word in a sentence.
Quiz yourself several times a day. Look at the word and recite the definition to yourself, or read the definition and guess the word.
Keep track of your score so that you know you're improving. Rotate in new words and keep difficult words in your stack of cards until you start using them in conversations.
Play word games. Attaching a memory to a new word will prompt you to remember the meaning.
Search for websites that have free vocabulary games, like Vocabulary.com. One game, Thematic Puzzles, has you match words to their definition. There are over 65 different themed games, such as Election Definition Match with words like gerrymander and constituents. Learn words like synthesis and sedimentary on the Multi-Science Definition Match game.
Increase the difficulty of the games as you acquire more vocabulary words. AskOxford.com, an affiliate of Oxford Dictionaries, has a variety of word games for beginners and experts alike at Askoxford.com/wordgames.
Write songs and rhymes. The reason songs and nursery rhymes are so popular with small children is because it helps them learn how to speak and develop their vocabulary--it's fun, too.
Buy a rhyming dictionary online or at a bookstore. When you come across a word you want to add to your vocabulary, write a rhyme using other new words.
Practice your rhymes in the car, when you're waiting in line, or during your lunch break. When you become comfortable with each new word, begin incorporating it into conversations, Facebook updates, and in email messages to friends and coworkers.