Learning a New Word Every Day

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I make it a point to try to learn a new word every day. I have several vocabulary building books and games. The English language is said to contain a quarter of a million words, but no one really knows for sure. I feel that I already know quite a few words, especially since I have always tried to incorporate new words into my vocabulary since I was a child. However, there are thousands, if not millions of English words that I still do not know. So, I continue to learn. One way to build my vocabulary is by reading. I read about 5 books and several other sources, such as magazines per week. When I come across a word that I’m not sure of the meaning, I look it up immediately on my IPad. I also write it in a notebook and I try to share it with someone else, mainly my grandchildren and great grandchildren. All of my great grandchildren are home-schooled, so I try to add to their education whenever I can. The latest word I shared with my great granddaughter is cacophony. Do you know what that word means? I had just used the word in the novel that I am writing and she is reading, and she wanted to know what it means. It means “noisy discord.” Such as what you might hear when a roomful of people are all talking loudly to each other, at the same time. Or perhaps when orchestra members are all tuning up their instruments at the same time or when city traffic brings forth the beeping of horns and the noisy sounds of the vehicles. It depicts harsh noises, jarring sounds and noisy confusion that can be very irritating to your ears.