What’s your favorite word?


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All you need to do is work with someone learning English for a few weeks (or be raising a child) to rediscover the joy of learning new words. For one writer, a musician, his favorite English words are the ones that sound the most beautiful when you say them. Another writer told us that her favorite word is, “poubella”. It means trash can in French.  She wrote, “Only the French could come up with a beautiful word to say trash can.” For another writer, her favorite words are the ones that are the most beautiful to write.  May this new year bring you all many beautiful new words and the worlds they open.



 From Awder in Kurdistan—

What does it feel like when you learn a new English word?

     It makes me feel great because I found another way to express my thoughts. Sometimes I feel I can express my thinking better in English than in Kurdish. I can say some things more exactly in English.

How do you learn new words?

     I have lots of ways of learning words. One way is to listen to pop songs, especially when I’m busy. This way is very enjoyable and you don’t forget words when sing them.

What is your favorite English word?

     I have a word I love because the sound is so amazing.  Pentatonic.  It means a musical scale.


From Andrei in Ukraine—

What does it feel like when you learn a new English word?

      I used a word for 4 years that I thought was a word, but I just learned this year that it seems that I made it up. Just this year I learned what the word really is. The real word is “partially” but I always said, “partically”!  I was sad when I learned what the real word was. I liked my word better.

How do you learn new words?  

     From reading. If you just hear a word you won’t remember it so well. You need to know how it is used and written to remember it. Sometimes you must do something interesting to remember a word. You have to associate it with something interesting. Then the new word will soon carve itself into your mind.

What is your favorite English word?

     There are so many interesting words! I think my favorite word is “fantastic”. I love it because of the associations that go with it. 


From Alona in Ukraine—

How do you learn new words?  

     There are some words you just have to learn and remember. But there are some words you learn from their context. At first you guess the meaning and then, by context, you become sure of it.

What is your favorite English word?

     My favorite word is “beautiful” because of how it is written.  I remember writing this word maybe 20 times so I would remember it.  I think I probably love it, because I had to work so hard to remember it.



From brother and sister Qais and Zamzama in Afghanistan —

What does it feel like when you learn a new English word?

      Zamzama: It feels happy because it is one more word to help us speak English.

       Qais: I feel so happy, too, because I know more and my English increases. When I see that word I learned, I understand it and it is a happy feeling.

How do you learn new words?  

     Both: From our teacher and from reading. 

What is your favorite English word?

     Qais: My favorite word is “mother”. It is my favorite word in Dari, too.  It is my favorite word because mother is a person who is strong and who raises up children and sings to them and comforts them.

     Zamzama: My favorite word is “teacher”. It is my favorite word in Dari and in English. It is my favorite word because I love my teachers. 


 ©InterestEng. July 2013 - April 2022 §  The stories in the magazine portion of the site are written by English language learners. Stories are corrected by a native English speaker.  § Photos are staff photos or used with permission.  §  To contact us:  go.gently.on@gmail.com