Answers and an explanation for each question appear once you add this activity to your own library.

📖 Dictionary & Vocabulary Studies

Ways of Forming New Words

⏱️ 12 minutes

💡 How to use this lesson

T Teacher's Guide

Set a 12-minute timer for learners to study the rule cards and complete the exercises.

Check answer keys together at the end to clarify common word formation mistakes.

S Learner's Guide

Read the 4 simple rule cards first to understand how English creates new words.

Complete the 12 short practice items below to test your speed and accuracy.

Learn how English creates new words every day and how dictionaries add them to their pages.

A dictionary editor working at a desk reviewing new word submissions and popular vocabulary entries, modern editorial of

Dictionary editors watch how people really use a word before they decide to add it.

📌 Core Word Formation Rules

Rule 1 • Compounding Two words in one

Two whole words join together to make one brand new word. Sometimes they touch, sometimes they use a dash, and sometimes they stay apart. The outcome does not always mean just the two parts combined.

Example: A notebook is a compound of note and book.
Example: A buzzword is a compound of buzz and word.

Rule 2 • Blending & Clipping Mixing & Shortening

Blending joins the start of one word to the end of another. Clipping cuts a longer word short while keeping its original meaning intact.

Example: Brunch is a blend of breakfast and lunch, and photo is a clipped form of photograph.
Example: Infotainment is a blend of information and entertainment, and info is a clipped form of information.

Rule 3 • Conversion & Back-Formation New Role & Cut Endings

Conversion gives an existing word a new job in a sentence without changing its spelling. Back-formation removes an ending to make a shorter word from a longer one.

Example: To book a seat uses the noun book as a verb, and the verb babysit was formed from babysitter.
Example: To email a file uses the noun email as a verb, and the verb donate was formed from donation.

Rule 4 • Acronym & Initialism First Letter Words

An acronym is made from first letters and spoken out loud as a single word. An initialism also uses first letters, but you say each letter one by one.

Example: Laser is an acronym said as one word, but DNA is said letter by letter.
Example: NASA is an acronym said as one word, but the FBI is said letter by letter.

Practice Exercises

Test your understanding with 12 items ordered from basic to advanced.

Part 1: Choose the correct sentence

Question 1: Which sentence correctly shows how dictionary editors track a new word?

____ a. Editors watch how a new buzzword grows in popularity before they admit it to the dictionary. ____ b. Editors watch how a new buzzword grows in popularity before they dictionary it. ____ c. Editors watch how a new buzzword grows in popularity before they quotation it. ____ d. Editors watch how a new buzzword grows in popularity before they jargon it.

Question 2: Which sentence correctly distinguishes an acronym from an initialism?

____ a. OED is an acronym pronounced as a single word, while radar is an initialism pronounced letter by letter. ____ b. Radar is an acronym pronounced as one word, but OED is an initialism pronounced letter by letter. ____ c. Radar and OED are both clipped words taken from longer dictionary terms. ____ d. Radar and OED are both blends formed by joining two whole words together.

Question 3: Which sentence correctly uses a clipped word in dictionary research?

____ a. Researchers check every online ad to record real language usage. ____ b. Researchers check every online advertise to record real language usage. ____ c. Researchers check every online advertising to record real language usage. ____ d. Researchers check every online adverts to record real language usage.

Part 2: Rewrite the sentence

Replace the phrase in [brackets] with the target word given in bold. Keep all other words identical.

Question 4: Replace the bracketed phrase with scuba. (shorter)

The glossary explains how to dive safely with [self-contained underwater breathing apparatus] equipment.

____

Question 5: Replace the bracketed phrase with biopic. (blend)

The team watched a [biographical picture] to study cultural jargon.

____

Question 6: Replace the bracketed phrase with app. (clipped)

The dictionary publisher launched a new mobile [application] for quick lookup.

____

Part 3: Fill the gaps

Question 7: Conversion (change)

Complete the sentence with a verb made by conversion: it is the same word as the noun for a short note you send from a phone (base form):

Editors often ____ each other from their phones when a new word appears.

Question 8: Back-formation (action)

Complete the sentence using the back-formation verb created from the noun editor:

Senior linguists must ____ every new entry before the publisher can admit it.

Question 9: Joining two words (joining)

Fill in the blank with the compound made from head and word, the word that starts a dictionary entry:

Each entry in the dictionary starts with a bold ____ that you can look up.

Part 4: Correct the error in a short message

Question 10: Wrong word in a message (letters)

Chat message to a friend:

"Did you know BBC is an acronym because we say B-B-C letter by letter?"

The word acronym is incorrect. Write the correct word for an abbreviation said letter by letter (one word):

____

Question 11: Name the process (whole)

Editor's slack note:

"I think smartphone is a blend of smart and phone."

The word blend is wrong, because smartphone joins two whole words. Type the right word for a new word made this way (one word):

____

Question 12: One word, not two (together)

Review committee note:

"Please add book mark to the glossary as a new entry."

The dictionary writes this compound as one word. Type it correctly:

____

Ways of Forming New Words

Ways of Forming New Words

💡 How to use this lesson

📌 Core Word Formation Rules

Practice Exercises

Part 1: Choose the correct sentence

Part 2: Rewrite the sentence

Part 3: Fill the gaps

Part 4: Correct the error in a short message

Related lessons

Class activity: Word Admission Committee (Dictionary Game)

IELTS Speaking: Dictionaries and Word Evolution

Learning: Dictionaries and Word Addition

Writing: Dictionary Evolution and Word Formation

Inversion and Cleft Sentences

Mixed Conditionals: Past Condition, Present Result