Unfamiliar Words Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RF.4.3.A

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

When we read just about anything, we will often come across words that we haven't or at least don't remember seeing before. It is virtually impossible to learn all the terms of the English language especially since there are an average of thirty-two terms added every year. Learning new words is not that daunting of task if you follow a consistent process. You will learn to create a process that works best for you as you make your way into the high school ranks. These worksheets will face students with vocabulary that is new to them and walk them through the process of breaking down these new words.

Unfamiliar Words Worksheets To Print:

Syllable Sort - We created an interesting strategy here for you. You need to define a word and always account for the number of syllables in the term.

Getting to the Root of It - Find the similar Greek root in each word. Draw a horizontal line between the common Greek root and the rest of the term.

Ant Hunting - Break each word up into four parts. We work on using the root ant- and anti-. You will give shape to your words.

Recognizing Long O - Identify where the long O resides. Underline the syllable in the term that contains the long o sound.

Chopping Them Into Parts - These are two part chunk words. Chop each word in half to make it easier to read. Write the base on the first line. Write the suffix on the second line.

Stop. Think. Break. - Circle the prefix and/or suffix in each word. Then write how many syllables the word contains.

Decoding With Syllables - Break the words down into syllables and write one syllable in each box.

Digging for Understanding - Identify the suffix. Write the base word in the first column and the suffix in the second column.

Cracking Open New Terms - You can figure out unfamiliar words by looking for words and word parts that you are familiar with inside them.

Reading Unfamiliar Terms - Read the passage. Write each underlined word on the line. Break each underlined word into syllables and write one syllable in each box.

Decoding Things That Are Unfamiliar - Read the passage, paying special attention to the underlined words. Then answer the questions.

A Trip To The Zoo - Fill out the chart. If a column doesn't apply, leave it blank. Follow the example.

Recognizing Greek and Latin Roots in Unfamiliar Words - Not sure which part of the word is the root? We give you a solid hint.

Detective Decoding - Underline the prefix that you see as you go along. Then match each word to its definition. Use the number of syllables in parentheses next to each definition for a clue.

Reading Words You've Never Met Before - Use your knowledge of vowel diagraphs to read the words. Write each word on the first line, using a dash to separate the syllables. Underline the vowel diagraph as needed.

The Process to Use to Learn Unfamiliar Words

While reading any text, it is fairly common to encounter a few unfamiliar words. The frequency of such vocabulary depends on the kind of text being read. While it is always a good idea to use a dictionary in such a scenario, no one always has a dictionary or internet access by their side as they read.


A decent amount of reading and paying attention to the vocabulary helps in learning more and more new terms. However, there are a few steps that one can follow whenever he or she encounters an unfamiliar word.


When young students are progressing in their academic lives, it is important for them to learn as many new words as they can. This is because the English language has a vast variety of methods for sharing language and information. Throughout their academic and professional lives, they will be presented with different and unique words. It is easy for a student to get confused about the context when the meaning of the word is unfamiliar. This could result in misinterpretation of the content. This is the reason why students should build their vocabulary as much as they can. Here are some ways through which students can learn unfamiliar words.


Note Words Daily

It can be surprising to know that you do not have to memorize all the terms in the English language in order to find out the meaning of an unfamiliar word. You can also use your cognitive abilities to break the word and find out its meaning by yourself. Many words can be easily guessed by looking deeply. In order to become better at guessing the meanings of unfamiliar terms, you will have to start noticing words in your daily routine. Look for patterns, suffixes, prefixes and roots. You can also use context clues to guess the meaning of the unfamiliar word.


Read

The most important step for building your vocabulary is to read. Read as much as you can. This is because it will help you learn new terms. Whenever you come across a new word, look for its meaning in the dictionary. Then associate the meaning with the context of the sentence. This would help you remember the word for a long time. Do not panic upon encountering a difficult new word. Instead, it is better to try reading the lines surrounding that word. This can give you a solid idea about what the sentence containing that word might be trying to convey. This can indirectly give you a hint about that word's meaning.


Analyze the Individual Word

Try looking for the word parts i.e. its roots and affixes that might be already known to you. Try to recall other words that rhyme with it or look like it, and make a connection keeping the hints you get from the step above.


Infer from the Context

In order to have a clearer understanding, try allocating a fixed meaning to that word using context hints and word parts guesses from the previous steps. Once you reach a single meaningful conclusion, try to insert other words in place of that unfamiliar word that you think will convey the same idea that is being delivered by that new word. There are chances of you understanding the word’s meaning without using a dictionary through this method.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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