Synonyms are words with similar meanings to other words, used to avoid repetition in writing. They can change the reading level of a work and help readers understand unfamiliar words through context clues. Teachers use synonyms to teach vocabulary and reading comprehension from an early age.
A synonym is a word that has the same or similar meaning to another word. For example, beautiful is synonymous with attractive, cute and gorgeous. The synonym word itself is rarely used in everyday English. A word that means the opposite of another is called the opposite. Such words are often used by writers so that the same words are not repeated over and over again.
The word “synonym” comes from a Latin root and literally translates to “same name.” The word passed from Latin, through the German language, landing in the Middle English vocabulary and remaining in Modern English. Synonyms must be two words included in the same language; English words, which share meanings with Spanish words, are not synonyms.
Many writers use synonyms as a writing tool. Using this tool is considered preferable to overusing the same word over and over again. Reading a repeated word, however, is often used for dramatic effect in writing; if the writer does not seek dramatic effect, the reader may be excluded from the manuscript. Word switching moves sentences around and helps readers maintain interest.
As a part of speech, the synonym is a versatile tool. It is used to convey meaning and to change the reading level of a work. A journal written at a third grade reading level will use simple words while a work written at a college reading level will use more complex synonyms than the same simpler third grade words. A publication will address certain readers using simple or more complex synonyms within its published works.
Readers use this method of word placement to help glean meaning from context clues. As a reader moves through a work, he or she will encounter an unfamiliar word and continue reading, encountering contextual clues within the sentence or paragraph. Often, context clues are synonymous with the unknown word and will provide meaning to the reader.
Teachers use the contextual clue method to help teach students how to read and identify a synonym. Elementary school students will learn core vocabulary, then expand that vocabulary with synonyms; the teacher will parallel the new word with a previously learned word to teach the definition of the new word and the concept of synonym. Students also learn to find meaning within a text using synonyms and context clues; teachers help students understand the concept of synonym in first grade to give students a better understanding of finding meaning in context.
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