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June 15, 2020

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Vocabulary

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Vocabulary

If you’re preparing for the ACT or SAT, you may want to consider reading the Harry Potter series. What about the wizarding world will help you prepare for these tests? J.K. Rowling, author of this iconic magical world, uses a plethora of vocabulary words throughout the series. In the later books, when Harry is nearing graduation from Hogwarts, the appearance of higher-level vocab words increase. Chances are, if you encounter a difficult word in these books, you’ll likely see the same words on the tests, too. Don’t believe us?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

For example, consider this list of words from Chapter 1 of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. As a bonus, keep track of the words you don’t know from this list. Use that as a starting point for your own vocabulary list!

  • sumptuously: luxuriously, splendidly
  • ornate: elaborately decorated
  • gilded: covered in gold
  • threshold: entrance
  • palpably: noticeably
  • ferocity: fierceness
  • infiltrated: moved into
  • subjugate: to bring under control
  • eschewing: avoiding
  • maliciously: with intentional harm
  • throng: crowd
  • sniggered: laughed with disrespect
  • professed: declared openly
  • constricted: squeezed
  • impassive: emotionless
  • mirth: amusement and laughter
  • hilarity: cheerfulness
  • imperceptibly: without being seen
  • deadpan: a face without any expression
  • canker: a source of disease and corruption
  • impassioned: with intense feeling or passion
  • contempt: scorn or open disrespect
  • resounding: echoing loudly

In case you didn’t count, that’s twenty-three vocab words from a single chapter! If all 199 chapters in the whole series are as abundant as this one, then you have the opportunity to learn over 4,500 new words! The best part? Your means of study is by reading a highly entertaining book. Certainly check out our reading recommendation list if you need help finding a book that suites your tastes. .

Reading with Purpose

As you can see the Harry Potter series offers a golden opportunity. Many other higher-level reading novels offer you the same chance! So, how do you get the most out of it? We recommend keeping a pen and paper with your book. Write down each word you’re unfamiliar with. Use the context surrounding each word to craft a definition or use a dictionary to define all of your written words when you complete a chapter. Many of our former students report that reading these books or classic novels before a test helps with vocabulary retention. Give it a try! You have nothing to lose and get to read excellent literature in the process. In addition to reading, you can do other fun things to prepare for your test. Check these suggestions out!

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Posted by Vicki Wood / SAT Prep / Studying, Vocabulary Leave a Comment

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