Words are relied on extensively every day for communication and interaction. Words are an essential component of languages, whether they are expressed through writing or speech. Unless sign language is utilized, effectively conveying any message or concept is impossible without the use of words.

While you may have a basic understanding of a word, gaining knowledge about different types and aspects of words can be beneficial.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a word as a speech sound or series of speech sounds that symbolizes and communicates a meaning, usually without being divisible into smaller units capable of independent use.

Words are linguistic units utilized for conveying meaning, constructed from letters and capable of being spoken or written. They serve as the foundational components of sentences, enabling the communication of ideas, expressing emotions, posing inquiries, and providing information.

A word can range from a single letter (e.g., “I”) to multiple syllables (e.g., “Apple,” “together,” “race”). The combination of two or more words results in the formation of phrases and clauses, which can then be assembled to construct sentences.

Adhering to specific word order and sentence structure rules is important to create coherent and meaningful sentences.

Lexical Categories And Morphological Elements

• Word Formation

Word formation involves the creation of new words through various methods, including the addition of prefixes or suffixes, the combination of words to form compound words, and the conversion of words between different word classes.

Prefix

Prefixes are words or word parts usually attached to the front or beginning of a base word.

Examples: “Un”+”happy” = Unhappy

               “Over”+”confident” = Overconfident

               “Anti”+”social” = Antisocial

suffix

Suffixes, on the other hand, are used at the end of a base word.

Examples: “Sure”+”ly” = Surely

                “Crawling”+”ing” = Crawling

                “Teach”+”er” = Teacher

• Word Classes

Word classes are fundamentally referred to as “parts of speech” and are utilized for classifying words according to their grammatical and semantic attributes. Instances include:

• Nouns: Words that depict individuals, locations, objects, or ideas/concepts. For instance, “Cat,” “house,” and “kid.”
• Verbs: Words that portray actions, occurrences, or states of being. For example, “Jump,” “wait,” and “become.”
• Adjectives: Words that describe or modify nouns, imparting additional information about their qualities or attributes. For instance, “Jovial,” “old,” and “public.”
• Adverbs: Words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, supplying information about manner, time, place, or degree. For instance, “Always,” “too,” and “harshly.”
• Pronouns: Words employed instead of nouns to avoid repetition. For example, “I,” “you,” “his.”
• Prepositions: Words demonstrating the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words within a sentence. For example, “Upon,” “above,” and “over.”
• Conjunctions: Words connecting words, phrases, or clauses. For example, “But,” “nor,” and “although.”
• Interjections: Words or phrases used to convey intense emotions or reactions. For example, “Alas,” “ouch,” “oops.”

20 Examples Of Commonly Used Words

1. I – I find it hard to go home early when there is fun in school.
2. Up – The prices of things may go up tomorrow.
3. Have – Children have full rights to speak for themselves.
4. Happy – Helping people makes me happy.
5. Cat – Billy’s mother bought him a cat.
6. Yell – Do not yell at me.
7. From – Judging from how she dresses, I think she is rich.
8. Not – Self-righteousness is not justifiable
9. Laugh – You do not laugh awkwardly when speaking to elderly people.
10. Just – Ten million is just not enough.
11. Come – You should get an umbrella, the rain is starting to come down.
12. Into – Putting thinners into the paint will reduce its density.
13. Anyone – I do not think anyone can carry out the task.
14. People – Ice cream vendors have a special way of treating people.
15. Actually – That building looks grey, but actually, it is white.
16. Tore – Their teacher tore their scripts into many pieces.
17. Cry – I couldn’t bear the pain anymore. I had to cry like a baby.
18. Reach – Do not assume your friends are okay, reach out to them.
19. Easy – Bringing matters up in public is not easy
20. Again – This is not going to be the last time. It will happen again.