A Word for a Word

Today is Thesaurus day! How do I know? Because I am a frequent visitor to Brownielocks - where I find the listing of monthly, weekly and daily celebrations.

So let’s talk about the thesaurus. A thesaurus is – “A book that lists words related to each other in meaning, usually giving synonyms and antonyms”

It can also be a tool that comes with the many programs you use on your computer, such as WORD

I love words! Words are a writer’s raison d’etre (reason for being). And the thesaurus is such a great tool for finding just the right word.

Want to stretch your vocabulary? You can subscribe to Wordsmith, or any number of sites that will either send you the word or you visit daily to find the word of the day. Wordsmith sends me a new word in my inbox. When you subscribe, you receive the word of the day, the definition, the origin of the word and at least one example of how to use the word.

In addition to Wordsmith there are a couple of other sites to check out for great vocabulary lessons.

They are: New York Times Word of the Day, The Oxford English Dictionary and Wordsmart. What is different about Wordsmart is that you subscribe and the word gets sent via text message to your cell phone.

There’s also Transparent Language which will give you an English word of the day with an alternate language translation of your choosing.

What's interesting are the words that will resonate with you and stick in your mind - and you never know when they might come in handy. I am a Toastmaster and we learn a new word at each weekly meeting. When the grammarian forgets to bring a word or does not show up, I can pull one out of a "hat." Learning a new word every day makes me feel smarter - even if I never ever use it! Must be the writer in me...The New York Times said of Wordsmith.org - "The most welcomed, most enduring piece of daily mass e-mail in cyberspace."

And what about when you can’t find just the right word? You know what you are trying to say but the word just doesn’t come to mind. Check out One Look Reverse Dictionary – it’s pretty simple. You enter an idea or concept and it gives you a list of words and related concepts. This is a great tool for writers, speakers and marketers.

Why use an almost right word when the right word is at your fingertips? Why say, “an utterance for an utterance,” when “a word for a word” will do? Celebrate your Thesaurus every day (or at least every time you need it).

Heidi