ASVAB: Word Knowledge Review

The Word Knowledge Test on the ASVAB consists of an 11-minute section with 35 questions.
You will be given a sentence that has an underlined, boldfaced word.  From the four answer choices provided, you must choose which answer choice most nearly means the same as the underlined word.  In other words, you have to identify a synonym of the underlined word.
 

Determining Word Meaning
An understanding of the basics of language is helpful, and often vital, to understanding what you read.  The term structural analysis refers to looking at the parts of a word and breaking it down into its different components to determine the word's meaning. Parts of a word include prefixes, suffixes, and the root word. By learning the meanings of prefixes, suffixes, and other word fundamentals, you can decipher the meaning of words which may not yet be in your vocabulary. 

Prefixes are common letter combinations at the beginning of words, while suffixes are common letter combinations at the end.  The main part of the word is known as the root. Visually, it would look like this: prefix + root word + suffix. Look first at the individual meanings of the root word, prefix and/or suffix. Using knowledge of the meaning(s) of the prefix and/or suffix to see what information it adds to the root. Even if the meaning of the root is unknown, one can use knowledge of the prefix's and/or suffix's meaning(s) to determine an approximate meaning of the word. For example, if one sees the word uninspired and does not know what it means, they can use the knowledge that un- means ‘not' to know that the full word means 'not inspired.' Understanding the common prefixes and suffixes can illuminate at least part of the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

Word Meanings
The following is a list of common prefixes and their meanings:

Prefix - Definition - Examples
a - in, on, of, up, to - abed, afoot
a- without, lacking - atheist, agnostic
ab- from, away, off - abdicate, abjure
ad- to, toward - advance
am- friend, love - amicable, amatory
ante- - before, previous - antecedent, antedate
anti- - against, opposing - antipathy, antidote
auto- - self - autonomy, autobiography
belli- - war, warlike - bellicose
bene- - well, good - benefit, benefactor
bi- - two - bisect, biennial
bio- - life - biology, biosphere
cata- - down, away, thoroughly - catastrophe, cataclysm
chron- - time - chronometer, synchronize
circum- - around - circumspect, circumference
com- - with, together, very - commotion, complicate
contra- - contradict, contravene
cred- - belief, trust - credible, credit
de- - from - depart
dem- - people - demographics, democracy
dia- - through, across, apart - diameter, diagnose
dis- - away, off, down, not - dissent, disappear
epi- - upon - epilogue
equi- - equal, equally - equivalent
ex- - out - extract
for- - away, off, from - forget, forswear
fore- - foretell, forefathers
homo- - same, equal - homogenized
hyper- - excessive, over - hypercritical, hypertension
hypo- - under, beneath - hypodermic, hypothesis
in- - in, into - intrude, invade - not, opposing - incapable, ineligible
inter- - among, between - intercede, interrupt
intra- - within - intramural, intrastate
magn- - large - magnitude, magnify
mal- - bad, poorly, not - malfunction
micr- - small - microbe, microscope
mis- - misspell, misfire
mono- - one, single - monogamy, monologue
mor- - die, death - mortality, mortuary
neo- - new - neolithic, neoconservative
non- - not - nonentity, nonsense
ob- - objection
omni- - all, everywhere - omniscient
ortho- - right, straight - orthogonal, orthodox
over- - above - overbearing
pan- - all, entire - panorama, pandemonium
para- - beside, beyond - parallel, paradox
per- - through - perceive, permit
peri- - periscope, perimeter
phil- - love, like - philosophy, philanthropic
poly- - many - polymorphous, polygamous
post- - after, following - postpone, postscript
pre- - prevent, preclude
prim- - first, early - primitive, primary
pro- - forward, in place of propel, pronoun
re- - back, backward, again - revoke, recur
retro- - back, backward - retrospect, retrograde
semi- - half, partly - semicircle, semicolon
sub- - subjugate, substitute
super- - above, extra - supersede, supernumerary
sym- - with, together - sympathy, symphony
trans- - across, beyond, over - transact, transport
ultra- - beyond, excessively - ultramodern, ultrasonic, ultraviolet
un- - not, reverse of unhappy, unlock
uni- - one - uniform, unity
vis- - to see - visage, visible

Common suffixes and their meanings:
-able - able to, likely - capable, tolerable
-age - process, state, rank - passage, bondage
-ance - act, condition, fact - acceptance, vigilance
-arch - to rule - monarch
-ard - one that does excessively - drunkard, wizard
-ate - having, showing - separate, desolate
-ation - action, state, result - occupation, starvation
-cy - state, condition - accuracy, captaincy
-dom - state, rank, condition - serfdom, wisdom
-en - cause to be, become - deepen, strengthen
-er - one who does - teacher
-esce - become, grow, continue - convalesce, acquiesce
-esque - in the style of, like - picturesque, grotesque
-ess - feminine - waitress, lioness
-fic - making, causing - terrific, beatific
-ful - full of, marked by - thankful, zestful
-fy - make, cause, cause to have - glorify, fortify
-hood                       - manhood, statehood
-ible - able, likely, fit - edible, possible, divisible
-ion - action, result, state - union, fusion
-ish - suggesting, like - churlish, childish
-ism - act, manner, doctrine - barbarism, socialism
-ist - doer, believer - monopolist, socialist
-ition - sedition, expedition
-ity - state, quality, condition - acidity, civility
-ize make, cause to be, treat with - sterilize, mechanize, criticize
-less - lacking, without - hopeless, countless
-like - like, similar - childlike, dreamlike
-logue - type of written/spoken language - prologue
-ly like, of the nature of friendly, positively
-ment - means, result, action - refreshment, disappointment
-ness - quality, state - greatness, tallness
-or - doer, office, action - juror, elevator, honor
-ous marked by, given to religious, riotous
-ship the art or skill of statesmanship
-some - apt to, showing - tiresome, lonesome
-th - act, state, quality - warmth, width
-tude - quality, state, result - magnitude, fortitude
-ty                             - enmity, activity
-ward - in the direction of - backward, homeward

When defining words in a text, words often have a meaning that is more than the dictionary definition. 
The denotative meaning of a word is the literal meaning. The connotative meaning goes beyond the denotative meaning to include the emotional reaction a word may invoke. The connotative meaning often takes the denotative meaning a step further due to associations which the reader makes with the denotative meaning. The reader can differentiate between the denotative and connotative meanings by first recognizing when authors use each meaning. Most non-fiction, for example, is fact-based, the authors not using flowery, figurative language.

The reader can assume that the writer is using the denotative, or literal, meaning of words. In fiction, on the other hand, the author may be using the connotative meaning. Connotation is one form of figurative language. The reader should use context clues to determine if the author is using the denotative or connotative meaning of a word.

Readers of all levels will encounter words with which they are somewhat unfamiliar. The best way to define a word in context is to look for nearby words that can help. For instance, unfamiliar nouns are often accompanied by examples that furnish a definition.

Consider the following sentence: 'Dave arrived at the party in hilarious garb: a leopard-print shirt, buckskin trousers, and high heels.' If a reader was unfamiliar with the meaning of garb, he could read the examples and quickly determine that the word means 'clothing.' Examples will not always be this obvious. For instance, consider this sentence: 'Parsley, lemon, and flowers were just a few of items he used as garnishes.' Here, the possibly unfamiliar word garnishes is exemplified by parsley, lemon, and flowers. Readers who have eaten in a few restaurants will probably be able to identify a garnish as something used to decorate a plate.

In addition to looking at the context of a passage, readers can often use contrasts to define an unfamiliar word in context. In many sentences, the author will not describe the unfamiliar word directly, but will instead describe the opposite of the unfamiliar word. Of course, this provides information about the word the reader needs to define. Consider the following example: 'Despite his intelligence, Hector's low brow and bad posture made him look obtuse.' The author suggests that Hector's appearance was opposite to his actual intelligence. Therefore, obtuse must mean unintelligent or stupid. Here is another example: 'Despite the horrible weather, we were beatific about our trip to Alaska.' The word despite indicates that the speaker's feelings were at odds with the weather. Since the weather is described as 'horrible,' beatific must mean something good.

In some cases, there will be very few contextual clues to help a reader define the meaning of an unfamiliar word. When this happens, one strategy the reader may employ is substitution. A good reader will brainstorm some possible synonyms for the given word, and then substitute these words into the sentence. If the sentence and the surrounding passage continue to make sense, the substitution has revealed at least some information about the unfamiliar word. Consider the sentence, 'Frank's admonition rang in her ears as she climbed the mountain.' A reader unfamiliar with admonition might come up with some substitutions like 'vow,' 'promise,' 'advice,' 'complaint,' or 'compliment.' All of these words make general sense of the sentence, though their meanings are diverse. The process has suggested, however, that an admonition is some sort of message. The substitution strategy is rarely able to pinpoint a precise definition, but can be effective as a last resort.

It is sometimes possible to define an unfamiliar word by looking at the descriptive words in the context. Consider the following sentence:
'Fred dragged the recalcitrant boy kicking and screaming up the stairs.' Dragged, kicking, and screaming all suggest that the boy does not want to go up the stairs. The reader may assume that recalcitrant means something like unwilling or protesting. In that example, an unfamiliar adjective was identified. It is perhaps more typical to use description to define an unfamiliar noun, as in this sentence: 'Don's wrinkled frown and constantly shaking fist identified him as a curmudgeon of the first order.' Don is described as having a 'wrinkled frown and constantly shaking fist,' suggesting that a curmudgeon must be a grumpy old man. Contrasts do not always provide detailed information about the unfamiliar word, but they at least give the reader some clues.
When a word has more than one meaning, it can be tricky to determine how it is being used in a given sentence. Consider the verb cleave, which bizarrely can mean either 'join' or 'separate.' When a reader comes upon this word, she will have to select the definition that makes the most sense.
So, take as an example the following sentence: 'The birds cleaved together as they flew from the oak tree.' Immediately, the presence of the word together should suggest that in this sentence cleave is being used to mean 'join.'

A slightly more difficult example would be the sentence, 'Hermione's knife cleaved the bread cleanly.' It doesn't make sense for a knife to join bread together, so the word must be meant to indicate separation. Discovering the meaning of a word with multiple meanings requires the same tricks as defining an unknown word: looking for contextual clues and evaluating substituted words.

Literary Devices
Understanding how words relate to each other can often add meaning to a passage.  This is explained by understanding synonyms (words that mean the same thing) and antonyms
(words that mean the opposite of one another).  As an example, dry and arid are synonyms, and dry and wet are antonyms. There are many pairs of words in English that can be considered synonyms, despite having slightly different definitions. For instance, the words friendly and collegial can both be used to describe a warm interpersonal relationship, so it would be correct to call them synonyms. However, collegial (kin to colleague) is more often used in reference to professional or academic relationships, while friendly has no such connotation. Nevertheless, it would be appropriate to call these words synonyms. If the difference between the two words is too great, however, they may not be called synonyms. Hot and warm are not synonyms, for instance, because their meanings are too distinct. A good way to determine whether two words are synonyms is to substitute one for the other and see if the sentence means the same thing. Substituting warm for hot in a sentence would convey a different meaning.

Antonyms are opposites. Light and dark, up and down, right and left, good and bad: these are all sets of antonyms. It is important to distinguish between antonyms and pairs of words that are simply different. Black and gray, for instance, are not antonyms because gray is not the opposite of black. Black and white, on the other hand, are antonyms. Not every word has an antonym. For instance, many nouns do not. What would be the antonym of chair, after all? On a standardized test, the questions related to antonyms are more likely to concern adjectives. Remember that adjectives are words that describe a noun. Some common adjectives include red, fast, skinny, and sweet. Of these four examples, only red lacks a group of obvious antonyms.

There are many types of language devices that authors use to convey their meaning in a more descriptive or interesting way.  Understanding these concepts will help you understand what you read.  These types of devices are called figurative language – language that goes beyond the literal meaning of the words. Descriptive language that evokes imagery in the reader's mind is one type of figurative language. Exaggeration is also one type of figurative language. Also, when you compare two things, you are using figurative language. Similes and metaphors are ways of comparing things, and both are types of figurative language commonly found in poetry. An example of figurative language (a simile in this case) is: 'The child howled like a coyote when her mother told her to pick up the toys.' In this example, the child's howling is compared to that of a coyote. Figurative language is descriptive in nature and helps the reader understand the sound being made in this sentence.

Alliteration is a stylistic device, or literary technique, in which successive words (more strictly, stressed syllables) begin with the same sound or letter.  Alliteration is a frequent tool in poetry but it is also common in prose, particularly to highlight short phrases.  An example of alliteration could be 'thundering through the thickets,' in which the initial th sound is used in four consecutive words.  Especially in poetry, it contributes to euphony of the passage, lending it a musical air. It may act to humorous effect. Alliteration draws attention to itself, which may be a good or a bad thing. Authors should be conscious of the character of the sound to be repeated. In the above example, a th sound is somewhat difficult to make quickly in four consecutive words, so the phrase conveys a little of the difficulty of moving through tall grass. If the author is indeed trying to suggest this difficulty, then the alliteration is a success. Consider, however, the description of eyes as 'glassy globes of glitter.' This is definitely alliteration, since the initial gl sound is used three times. However, one might question whether this awkward sound is appropriate for a description of pretty eyes. The phrase is not especially pleasant to the ear, and therefore is probably not effective as alliteration.  Related to alliteration are assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds, and consonance, the repetition of consonant sounds.

A figure of speech, sometimes termed a rhetorical figure or device, or elocution, is a word or phrase that departs from straightforward, literal language. Figures of speech are often used and crafted for emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity.
However, clarity may also suffer from their use.

Note that not all theories of meaning necessarily have a concept of "literal language" (see literal and figurative language).
Under theories that do not, figure of speech is not an entirely coherent concept. A. an example of the figurative use of a word, consider the sentence, 'I am going to crown you.' It may mean:
I am going to place a literal crown on your head.
I am going to symbolically exalt you to the place of kingship.
I am going to punch you in the head with my clenched fist.
I am going to put a second checker on top of your checker to signify that it has become a king.

A metaphor is a type of figurative language in which the writer equates one thing with a different thing. For instance, in the sentence 'The bird was an arrow arcing through the sky,' the arrow is serving as a metaphor for the bird. The point of a metaphor is to encourage the reader to think about the thing being described in a different way. Using this example, we are being asked to envision the bird's flight as being similar to the arc of an arrow, so we will imagine it to be swift, bending, etc. Metaphors are a way for the author to describe without being direct and obvious. Metaphors are a more lyrical and suggestive way of providing information. Note that the thing to which a metaphor refers will not always be mentioned explicitly by the author. For instance, consider the following description of a forest in winter: 'Swaying skeletons reached for the sky and groaned as the wind blew through them.' The author is clearly using skeletons as a metaphor for leafless trees. This metaphor creates a spooky tone while inspiring the reader's imagination.

Metonymy is referring to one thing in terms of another, closely related thing. This is similar to metaphor, but there is less distance between the description and the thing being described. An example of metonymy is referring to the news media as the 'press,' when of course the press is only the device by which newspapers are printed. Metonymy is a way of referring to something without having to repeat its name constantly. Synecdoche, on the other hand, is referring to a whole by one of its parts. An example of synecdoche would be calling a police officer a 'badge.' Synecdoche, like metonymy, is a handy way of referring without having to overuse certain words.
It also allows the writer to emphasize aspects of the thing being described.

For instance, referring to businessmen as 'suits' suggests professionalism, conformity, and drabness.
Hyperbole is overstatement for effect. The following sentence is an example of hyperbole: He jumped ten feet in the air when he heard the good news. Obviously, no person has the ability to jump ten feet in the air. The author hyperbolizes not because he believes the statement will be taken literally, but because the exaggeration conveys the extremity of emotion. Consider how much less colorful the sentence would be if the author simply said, 'He jumped when he heard the good news.' Hyperbole can be dangerous if the author does not exaggerate enough. For instance, if the author wrote, 'He jumped two feet in the air when he heard the good news,' the reader might not be sure whether this is actually true or just hyperbole. Of course, in many situations this distinction will not really matter. However, an author should avoid confusing or vague hyperbole when he needs to maintain credibility or authority with readers.

Understatement is the opposite of hyperbole: that is, it is describing something as less than it is, for effect. As an example, consider a person who climbs Mount Everest and then describes the journey as 'a little stroll.' This is an almost extreme example of understatement. Like other types of figurative language, understatement has a range of uses. It may convey self-deprecation or modesty, as in the above example. Of course, some people might interpret understatement as false modesty, a deliberate attempt to call attention to the magnitude of what is being discussed. For example, a woman is complimented on her enormous diamond engagement ring and says, 'Oh, this little thing?' Her understatement might be viewed as snobby or insensitive.
Understatement can have various effects, but it always calls attention to itself.
A simile is a figurative expression similar to a metaphor, though it requires the use of a distancing word like like or as.
Some examples are 'The sun was like an orange,' 'eager as a beaver,' and 'nimble as a mountain goat.' Because a simile includes like or as, it creates a little space between the description and the thing being described. If an author says that a house was 'like a shoebox,' the tone is slightly different than if the author said that the house was a shoebox.
In a simile, the author indicates an awareness that the description is not the same thing as the thing being described. In a metaphor, there is no such distinction, even though one may safely assume that the author is aware of it.
This is a subtle difference, but authors will alternately use metaphors and similes depending on their intended tone.
Another type of figurative language is personification.
This is the description of the nonhuman as if it were human. Literally, the word means the process of making something into a person. There is a wide range of approaches to personification, from common expressions like 'whispering wind' to full novels like Animal Farm, by George Orwell, in which the Bolshevik Revolution is reenacted by farmyard animals. The general intent of personification is to describe things in a manner that will be comprehensible to readers. When an author states that a tree 'groans' in the wind, she of course does not mean that the tree is emitting a low, pained sound from its mouth. Instead, she means that the tree is making a noise similar to a human groan. Of course, this personification establishes a tone of sadness or suffering. A different tone would be established if the author said the tree was 'swaying' or 'dancing.'
Irony is a statement that suggests its opposite. In other words, it is when an author or character says one thing but means another. For example, imagine a man walks in his front door, covered in mud and in tattered clothes. His wife asks him, 'How was your day?' and he says 'Great!' The man's comment is an example of irony. As in this example, irony often depends on information the reader obtains elsewhere. There is a fine distinction between irony and sarcasm. Irony is any statement in which the literal meaning is opposite from the intended meaning, while sarcasm is a statement of this type that is also insulting to the person at whom it is directed. A sarcastic statement suggests that the other person is stupid enough to believe an obviously false statement is true. Irony is a bit more subtle than sarcasm.

The more words a person is exposed to, the greater their vocabulary will become. By reading on a regular basis, a person can increase the number of ways they have seen a word in context. Based on experience, a person can recall how a word was used in the past and apply that knowledge to a new context. For example, a person may have seen the word gull used to mean a bird that is found near the seashore. However, a gull can also be a person who is easily tricked. If the word is used in context in reference to a character, the reader can recognize that the character is being called a bird that is not seen as extremely intelligent. Using what the reader knows about a word can be useful when making comparisons or figuring out the meaning of a new use of a word, as in figurative language, idioms, analogies, and multiple-meaning words.
 

Testing Tips

Nearly and Perfect Synonyms
You must determine which of five provided choices has the best similar definition as a certain word.  Nearly similar may often be more correct, because the goal is to test your understanding of the nuances, or little differences, between words.  A perfect match may not exist, so don't be concerned if your answer choice is not a complete synonym.  Focus upon edging closer to the word.  Eliminate the words that you know aren't correct first. 
Then narrow your search.  Cross out the words that are the least similar to the main word until you are left with the one that is the most similar.

Prefixes
Take advantage of every clue that the word might include. 
Prefixes and suffixes can be a huge help.  Usually they allow you to determine a basic meaning.  Pre- means before, post- means after, pro – is positive, de- is negative.  From these prefixes and suffixes, you can get an idea of the general meaning of the word and look for its opposite.  Beware though of any traps.  Just because con is the opposite of pro, doesn't necessarily mean congress is the opposite of progress!  A list of the most common prefixes and suffixes is included in the appendix.

Positive vs. Negative
Many words can be easily determined to be a positive word or a negative word.  Words such as despicable, gruesome, and bleak are all negative.  Words such as ecstatic, praiseworthy, and magnificent are all positive.  You will be surprised at how many words can be considered as either positive or negative.  Once that is determined, you can quickly eliminate any other words with an opposite meaning and focus on those that have the other characteristic, whether positive or negative.

Word Strength
Part of the challenge is determining the most nearly similar word.  This is particularly true when two words seem to be similar.  When analyzing a word, determine how strong it is.   For example, stupendous and good are both positive words.  However, stupendous is a much stronger positive adjective than good.  Also, towering or gigantic are stronger words than tall or large.  Search for an answer choice that is similar and also has the same strength.  If the main word is weak, look for similar words that are also weak.  If the main word is strong, look for similar words that are also strong.

Type and Topic
Another key is what type of word is the main word.  If the main word is an adjective describing height, then look for the answer to be an adjective describing height as well.  Match both the type and topic of the main word.  The type refers the parts of speech, whether the word is an adjective, adverb, or verb.  The topic refers to what the definition of the word includes, such as sizes or fashion styles.

Form a Sentence
Many words seem more natural in a sentence. Specious reasoning, irresistible force, and uncanny resemblance are just a few of the word combinations that usually go together. 
When faced with an uncommon word that you barely understand (and on the ASVAB there will be many), try to put the word in a sentence that makes sense.  It will help you to understand the word's meaning and make it easier to determine its opposite.  Once you have a good descriptive sentence that utilizes the main word properly, plug in the answer choices and see if the sentence still has the same meaning with each answer choice.  The answer choice that maintains the meaning of the sentence is correct!

Use Replacements
Using a sentence is a great help because it puts the word into a proper perspective.  Since ASVAB actually gives you a sentence, sometimes you don't always have to create your own (though in many cases the sentence won't be helpful).  Read the provided sentence with the underlined word.  Then read the sentence again and again, each time replacing the underlined word with one of the answer choices.  The correct answer should 'sound' right and fit.

Example:  The desert landscape was desolate.
1.  cheerful
2.  creepy
3.  excited
4.  forlorn

After reading the example sentence, begin replacing 'desolate' with each of the answer choices.  Does 'the desert landscape was cheerful, creepy, excited, or forlorn' sound right?  Deserts are typically hot, empty, and rugged environments, probably not cheerful, or excited.  While creepy might sound right, that word would certainly be more appropriate for a haunted house.  But 'the desert landscape was forlorn' has a certain ring to it and would be correct.

Eliminate Similar Choices
If you don't know the word, don't worry.  Look at the answer choices and just use them.  Remember that three of the answer choices will always be wrong.  If you can find a common relationship between any three answer choices, then you know they are wrong.  Find the answer choice that does not have a common relationship to the other answer choices and it will be the correct answer.
Example: Laconic most nearly means
1.  wordy talkative
3.  expressive
4.  quiet

In this example the first three choices are all similar. 
Even if you don't know that laconic means the same as quiet, you know that 'quiet' must be correct, because the other three choices were all virtually the same.  They were all the same, so they must all be wrong.  The one that is different must be correct.  So, don't worry if you don't know a word.  Focus on the answer choices that you do understand and see if you can identify similarities.  Even identifying two words that are similar will allow you to eliminate those two answer choices, for they are both wrong, because they are either both right or both wrong (they're similar, remember), so since they can't both be right, they both must be wrong.

The Trap of Familiarity
Don't choose a word just because you recognize it.  On difficult questions, you may only recognize one or two words.  ASVAB doesn't put 'make-believe' words on the test, so don't think that just because you only recognize one word means that word must be correct.  If you don't recognize four words, then focus on the one that you do recognize.  Is it correct?  Try your best to determine if it fits the sentence.  If it does, that is great, but if it doesn't, eliminate it.  Each word you eliminate increases your chances of getting the question correct.

Read Carefully
Be sure to read all of the choices.  You may find an answer choice that seems right at first, but continue reading and you may find a better choice.
Difficult words are usually synonyms or antonyms
(opposites).  Whenever you have extremely difficult words that you don't understand, look at the answer choices.  Try and identify whether two or more of the answer choices are either synonyms or antonyms.  Remember that if you can find two words that have the same relationship (for example, two answer choices are synonyms) then you can eliminate them both.

Work Quickly
Since you have 35 questions to answer in only 11 minutes, that means that you have between 18 and 19 seconds to spend per question.  This section faces a greater time crunch that any other test you will take on the ASVAB.  If you are stuck on one word, don't waste too much time.  Eliminate the answers you could bet a quick $5 on and then pick the first one that remains. 
You can make a note in your book and if you have time you can always come back, but don't waste your time.  You must work quickly!