4 reasons to use a thesaurus | Cambridge Synonym Challenge

Hello everyone.

Today I'm really looking forward to telling you all about

the Cambridge Synonym Challenge.

But first, let me begin with a story.

This is George.

George had basic vocabulary, the normal stuff.

And George found it really difficult to say exactly

what he wanted to say.

Oh, big.

That’s a big house.

Good.

That’s a

good painting.

Difficult.

This is really

difficult.

It's really difficult.

George was frustrated.

He wanted to express himself better,

but he couldn’t.

Until one day George discovered the Cambridge English Thesaurus.

And from that day on George could express

himself much better.

That is a huge house.

That is an awesome painting.

This is complicated.

And George and his vocabulary lived happily ever after.

So, I think we all know that using a thesaurus can help

expand a person's vocabulary.

However, did you know they can also help you in lots

of other ways too?

First, increased accuracy.

Good thesauruses, like the Cambridge

English Thesaurus, give you information

about context so that you can select the right

words for both informal contexts and formal contexts.

Improved exam performance.

In many international exams, quite often, the key to an

answer can be knowledge of a synonym or collocation.

While vocabulary range is also a key marking criteria in both

speaking and writing exams.

Learner autonomy.

The most successful language learners are those that know

how to teach themselves.

Using a thesaurus means that you can research new

vocabulary independently and decide for yourself which

words you want to learn.

And finally, confidence.

Having a wider vocabulary means that you are more

able to express yourself in different ways and in

different situations, allowing you to have more

confidence with your English.

So, you'll find these features in most good thesauruses.

However, if you want something extra special,

you should check out the Cambridge English Thesaurus.

It’s designed especially for English language learners,

and it’s particularly useful if you're studying for

the Cambridge exams or IELTS.

Not only can you use it for looking

up synonyms and antonyms, but you can go more in-depth

by reading one of hundreds of articles that explain the

differences between words and phrases in much more detail.

And to help you with context, you'll get thousands of

real-world examples of how they're used in both British

and American English, and in both formal

and informal language.

And what better way to start using the Cambridge English

Thesaurus than by doing the Cambridge Synonym Challenge

with your friends?

Antoine, Lizzie, Lucas, are you ready?

Yes, I am. I think so.

I am. Yes, I'm ready.

Ready, steady and go.

Please.

Slender.

Narrow. Would that work?

Slight.

Slim.

Elongated work or...

Tiny, slender,

narrow.

Tapered.

What else can I think of?

How long do I have?

Narrow.

When the 30 seconds are up, use the Cambridge English

Thesaurus to check your answers.

So, there we go.

The Cambridge Synonym Challenge.

The question is, though, can you beat my friends?

Can your friends beat my friends?

Challenge a friend, and then post your

results in the comments below.

And also, share your videos with us on

Instagram using the hashtag #CambridgeSynonymChallenge.

And don’t forget to tag Cambridge Dictionary

using @CambridgeWords.

So, enjoy the challenge.

And remember, if you're serious about improving your vocabulary,

how you use that vocabulary, your exam performance

and many other things, using the Cambridge English

Thesaurus will help you no end.

And before you know it, you'll be expressing

yourself as well as George here.

Enjoy improving your English.