Read the newspaper and a variety of books daily. Reading articles or stories that encompass a variety of genres, time periods, and authors will increase your knowledge and awareness of different vocabulary usages. Doing this will support your vocabulary studies by putting into practice what you have learned.
Make a list of words you do not know. Keep a notebook. Write down any unfamiliar words you come across. Look up the definition and synonyms for these words. List the definition and synonyms next to the word, for studying purposes.
Download the SAT word lists from an SAT prep site, such as MajorTests.com. Each list has 100 words. Commit to reviewing, reciting, and memorizing one list each week.
Use index cards to make flashcards, by writing a word and its definition. Focus on the unfamiliar words from your word list and the SAT word list. Use the flashcards for five to 10 minutes each day. Memorization of words and their meanings comes from repeatedly seeing and using those words.
Focus on the synonym for each word, rather than the entire definition. For example, it may be easier to remember the synonyms for "staunch" than to remember the complete, often lengthy definition. Knowing the synonyms will give you the meaning of a word by attaching it to a more familiar word.
Take a practice test when you first start working on your vocabulary, and then again each week to track your progress. Practice tests can be found at VocabTest.com/vw.