5 Reasons Word Lists are a Bad Idea to Learn Vocabulary

In this post, I share why wordlists are one of the worst ways to learn new words. You’ll discover 5 reasons they fail and what smarter strategies you can use instead to actually remember and apply vocabulary.

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Picture this: You’re sitting at your desk, determined to boost your vocabulary for that upcoming SAT, GRE, or just to sound smarter in conversations. You open up a vocabulary list and see something like this:

1. Aberrant – deviating from the norm
2. Abeyance – temporary suspension
3. Abstemious – showing restraint in eating or drinking
4. Aesthetic – concerned with beauty
5. Alacrity – brisk readiness
6. Alleviate – make less severe
7. Amalgamate – combine or unite
8. Ambiguous – open to more than one interpretation
9. Ambivalence – mixed feelings
10. Ameliorate – make better
11. ……… 
12. ………

Sound familiar? I bet you’ve seen dozens of lists just like this one.

When I first started building my vocabulary as a student, I thought these neat, organized alphabetical lists were the key to learn words. They looked so professional, so systematic. I mean, if dictionaries are organized this way, it must be the best method, right?

Wrong! So incredibly wrong.

Here’s what would happen to me every single time: I’d sit down with my pen, ready to master 10 new words. I’d read “aberrant” and its meaning, then “abeyance,” then “abstemious.” By the time I got to “aesthetic,” I’d already started forgetting what “aberrant” meant.

The next day, I’d confidently move on to the next 10 words, only to realize I could barely remember 3 or 4 words from the previous day. The other 6-7 had simply… vanished.

Why Your Brain Hates Alphabetical Wordlists

Think about it this way: imagine you’re trying to remember the names of 10 new people you just met at a party. Would it be easier to remember them if:

A) They were all named Aaron, Albert, Alex, Alice, Amy, Andrew, Angela, Anna, Anthony, and Arthur?

Or if, 

B) they were the pizza delivery guy (Marco), your friend’s soccer teammate (Jessica), the person who loves the same singer as you (Tyler), and the girl who’s studying your major (Sarah)?

Obviously B, right? That’s because our brains don’t work like filing cabinets with alphabetical folders. We remember things through connections, associations, and context.

When I was cramming those alphabetical lists, I was essentially trying to memorize random sounds with random meanings. Each word existed in complete isolation – what I like to call “vocabulary islands floating in an ocean of forgetfulness.”

5 Reasons Why Word Lists Are a Very Bad Idea

Now that we’ve talked about the memory problem, let me share five other critical issues I discovered with alphabetical lists. Each one reveals why this approach isn’t just ineffective – it’s actually preventing you from learning words.

You Never Learn How to Actually Use the Words

Here’s a question for you: What’s the difference between knowing what a hammer is and knowing how to build something with it?

Alphabetical lists give you the “hammer definition” but never show you the construction site. Let me show you what I mean.

Look at this typical entry:

• Meticulous – showing great attention to detail

Now, can you use “meticulous” in a sentence right now? And I don’t mean a boring one like “She was meticulous.” I mean a sentence that actually sounds natural and shows you understand the word’s rhythm and feel.

When I was studying from lists, I could define “meticulous” perfectly, but I had no idea it usually describes people’s work habits, that it often appears in phrases like “meticulous attention to detail,” or that it carries a slightly positive connotation (unlike “nitpicky”).

I am sure it has happened with you too at some point: you knew what a word meant but couldn’t figure out how to use it naturally in conversation or writing.

You Miss the Collocations

Words don’t live alone – they have best friends they love to hang out with. These friendships are called collocations, and they’re absolutely crucial for sounding natural.

For example, you usually don’t say “thick” fog – you say “dense” fog. You don’t say big or large rain – you say heavy rain. You don’t “say” a speech – you “deliver” a speech.

Now here’s where this becomes critical if you are preparing for an exam: standardized tests like the GRE, GMAT, SAT, and ACT absolutely love to test you on these exact distinctions. 

In GRE and SAT’s, they ask you fill in the blanks type questions, like this:

Example: 

The ________ fog made driving conditions extremely hazardous.

And your options will be:

A) thick
B) heavy
C) dense
D) solid

All four words could theoretically describe fog, and if you’ve only memorized definitions from alphabetical lists, you might think “thick” sounds perfectly reasonable. But the test makers know that only “dense” is the natural, idiomatic choice that native speakers would use.

This is exactly why alphabetical lists set you up for failure on exams. 

Think about it from the test maker’s perspective: they’re not trying to see if you can recite dictionary definitions. They want to know if you can use English the way educated native speakers do. And the way native speakers use English is through these natural word partnerships that you can only learn through exposure, not memorization.

Let’s try another approach: think of the word “heavy.” What words can you think of that naturally come after it? Heavy rain, heavy traffic, heavy sleeper, heavy accent… See how the word travels with friends?

Now imagine learning “heavy” from a definition that just said “weighing a lot.” You’d miss all these natural partnerships that native speakers use instinctively.

You’re Forced to Memorize Grammar Rules Instead of Absorbing Them

This one really frustrated me as a student. Alphabetical lists force you to memorize that “meticulous” is an adjective, “meticulously” is an adverb, and so on. But here’s the thing: native speakers don’t think about parts of speech when they talk.

When you see “meticulous” in context – “She approached the project with meticulous care” – you naturally absorb that it’s describing someone’s approach. It means it must be an adjective. Now, you don’t need to memorize “adjective” because you can feel how it works.

But with alphabetical lists, you’re stuck with entries like:

• Meticulous (adj.) – showing great attention to detail

Now you have to remember two separate pieces of information: the meaning AND the grammatical category. 

Think about it, when you speak in your native language, do you think “Now I need an adjective” or do you just naturally know what sounds right?

Wordlists Turn You Into a Passive Learner

Here’s what I mean by passive learning: You sit there, read a definition, maybe repeat it a few times, and hope it sticks. You’re basically waiting for your brain to do all the work while you just… absorb.

But real language learning is active. It’s about making connections, asking questions, and playing with words. When you encounter “meticulous” in a real article about a detective’s investigation, your brain automatically starts working:

• “Why did the author choose this word instead of ‘careful’?”
• “What does this tell me about the detective’s character?”
• “How does this word contribute to the overall tone?”

With alphabetical lists, none of this mental activity happens. You’re just filing away isolated facts.

Think about a skill you’re actually good at. Did you learn it by memorizing definitions, or by practicing, experimenting, and gradually getting better through use?

Word Lists Promise a Quick Fix, But Deliver Temporary Results

This is perhaps the most frustrating part. Alphabetical lists are designed like crash diets – they promise rapid results with minimal effort. “Learn 100 GRE words in 10 days!” “Master SAT vocabulary in a week!”

But just like crash diets, the results don’t last. Why? Because they don’t build the underlying habits and understanding that create lasting change.

Real vocabulary growth is more like getting in shape. It happens gradually, through consistent exposure and practice in varied contexts. You don’t just memorize what a squat is – you do squats regularly until your muscles remember the movement.

When are Word Lists Useful?

Now, before you completely write off vocabulary lists, let me be clear: I’m not saying they’re completely useless. 

They actually serve an important purpose – just not the one most students think. Word lists are excellent for catching words that may have slipped through the cracks during your learning journey, or for reviewing words you might not have encountered in your reading. Think of them as a safety net, not your primary learning tool.

In fact, I myself have created such a word list of 99 very high frequency GRE words. This is a randomized list (not alphabetical) and I don’t spoon feed you the definitions. Be sure to check out that article. There’s also a beautiful pdf for you to download, if you want (for free!).

Here’s what I think: vocabulary word lists are basically just a slightly worse version of flashcards. Both present you with isolated words and isolated definitions, hoping your brain will somehow connect them meaningfully. And just like flashcards, they should be the last step of your vocabulary learning journey, not the first.

They can’t replace active, contextual vocabulary learning – but they can supplement it effectively.

So when should you actually use those popular word lists from Magoosh, Kaplan, or Princeton Review? After you’ve done the real work of learning through context and authentic materials. Then, go through a reputable list word by word, check off the ones you can recall perfectly and use naturally, and zero in on the gaps – those are the words you need to actively hunt down in real contexts. This way, you’re using word lists as an audit tool, not a crutch.

So what to read to build vocabulary

In this blogpost, I have written in detail as to how you should learn vocabulary. The correct way is to learn them in context.

You should read, read and then read some more. This is one panacea for all your vocabulary vows.

Your reading strategy should match why you’re learning vocabulary in the first place. Different goals need different approaches.

If you’re preparing for exams like GRE, GMAT, or SAT, focus on non-fiction books from various fields like psychology, economics, and science. You can read books like Sapiens, Thinking Fast and Slow, The Third Chimpanzee. You can mix them up with some reputable newspapers like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist – especially their editorial sections.

Also read: 5 Proven Ways to Learn GRE Words Faster

If you’re helping your 12-year-old build vocabulary, choose engaging story books where new words are woven into adventures they can relate to. Kids learn best when words come wrapped in stories they actually want to read.

If you’re a business executive looking to communicate more effectively, read industry publications, Harvard Business Review, and books on leadership and strategy. The vocabulary you encounter will directly apply to your professional world.

If you want general vocabulary improvement for personal growth, mix it up with biographies, popular science books, and quality magazines like The Atlantic or National Geographic. This gives you well-rounded vocabulary that works in any educated conversation.

Takeaway

Alphabetical word lists may look neat and professional, but they trick you into passive, short-term learning. Real vocabulary growth comes from seeing words in action, noticing their collocations, and using them in meaningful contexts. 

Think of lists as a review tool, not your main strategy. If you want words to truly stick—and to be able to use them naturally—read widely, connect words to real situations, and practice them actively. That’s the only vocabulary “hack” that actually works.