GRE Vocabulary Prep: 6 Ways to Build & Master Words for Your Best Score

Ram Srinivasan

07/07/2025

10 min read

• Problems that you usually face with the GRE Vocabulary
• 6 Ways to Build Your GRE Vocabulary
• Revisit, Revise, Relearn
• Read from a wide range of sources:
• Word curiosity and contexts:
• Watch a few TV Series:

Preparing for the GRE might seem like crossing a never-ending ocean. Trying to tackle the vast and complex bank of GRE Vocabulary, in particular, can be a little demotivating. But mastering Vocabulary is the key not only to cracking this exam but also to making it into one of the top universities in the world!

Exams like the GRE, which help you gain admission overseas, try to check your language competence by way of testing your vocabulary. Increased vocabulary can be of help in an English-speaking country. Hence, the test focuses on developing a diverse set of vocabulary.

Like a guiding compass, our experts at Galvanize Test Prep would like to help you gain an edge in the GRE by giving you a few pointers on how to improve your vocabulary!

Problems That You Usually Face with GRE Vocabulary

Talking to our students while preparing a suitable study plan for them has given us an insight into the challenges they face when it comes to the GRE Vocabulary. Here are some of the most common difficulties:

• Confused by words that are synonymous with each other
• Using words in the wrong context
• Inability to reproduce words from one’s memory

Listed below are a few ways that can help you tackle these problems in no time!

6 Ways to Build Your GRE Vocabulary

Regular practice equals consistent progress!
Whenever you have a bunch of words to memorize, you need to find easier ways to learn them by heart. A few tricks up your sleeve can go a long way in keeping you on track with your GRE Vocabulary prep. Also, each student learns differently, and hence, you can always adapt these tips to your learning style! However, it is important to follow a routine with small, attainable goals and work diligently and regularly toward meeting them. Now, here are some ways you can make the best use of your prep time and efficiently expand your vocabulary!

1. Learning through apps – Vocabulary Builder

Statistics from 2025 have reported that a person’s average screen time per day comes up to 6 hours and 38 minutes. Can we use this time for something more productive and make it fun at the same time?

Galvanize’s GRE Vocabulary App is an engaging application designed especially to help learners retain words in their memory with more ease. You can use it on the go, anywhere, anytime. It has a Vocabulary list of about 1800 words divided into 60 sets that can help you build a strong vocabulary for tests like the GRE. The first set is free!

• We understand our learners’ needs! Feedback is important, and you get one after every quiz to emphasize the areas you have to work on!
• Before you start any set, you will be asked to sort out words you already know to focus on the new ones.
• The app helps you learn words through context, everyday examples, pictures, and quizzes!

2. Making up hints with mnemonics

When you have a hard time remembering difficult words, you can relate the words to pictures or something personal so that they stick in your memory.

For example,
The word ‘abstain,’ meaning restraining oneself from doing something, can be remembered by linking it with ‘stain,’ meaning dirt, which you must not get on your clothes.

The word ‘laudable’ can be linked to the word ‘lord’, who deserves praise. This will help you arrive at the true meaning of the word, deserving praise and commendation.

To distinguish between ‘regret’ and ‘sorrow’ is sometimes difficult because they can both be used in a sad situation. Hence, you can remember ‘regret’ by linking it with a moment when you missed the chance to try something new, and ‘sorrow’ with the memory of losing something important to you.

Although this method might seem juvenile, it can work wonders in keeping your brain hooked. It is this personalized touch that can help retain words in your memory and improve your GRE vocabulary.

3. Bringing words under an umbrella

If a lot of words seem synonymous with each other or tend to have a common subject, then categorize those words together.

For example,
Jubilation, Delight, Exuberance, and Glee can all come under the category ‘Happy’. When you do this, it is easier to organize them for learning.

4. Gathering high-frequency words

If you are having a hard time figuring out where to start, you can look for popular lists of words that commonly appear in competitive exams like the GRE. Lists like Barron’s 800 or 1100 High-Frequency Word Lists can help kick off your vocabulary learning. Use these words during conversations and in your day-to-day communication for effective learning. You can also start with the 1800+ words on the Galvanize’s GRE Vocabulary Builder app, which has been compiled by language experts who have reviewed past exams.

5. Reading the right books

Books like Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis and Merriam-Webster’s Vocabulary Builder can give an overview of how root words can help in building one’s vocabulary. These books explain how to use common word systems to break down new words and expand your vocabulary.

6. Using GRE Flashcards

An old but tried and true method for mastering GRE vocabulary is using flashcards to learn new words. Of course, you can make your own or use one of the dozens of resources found online. Some might contain pictures to describe each new word, and there are even quizzes available to test your knowledge. Peer learning through quizzes can also work as a motivational factor.

Revisit, Revise, Relearn

It is important to go back to the words you learned regularly in order for them to remain in your working memory.

When you revisit, you will know if all your exercises have been fruitful in boosting your knowledge edge base.

When you revise, some words that may have slipped your memory can be refreshed.

At the end of your revision, you might find that there are still a few words that are difficult to recall. You can then take those words back to your list and find another method to make these words stick in your mind.

Note that you do not have to stick to only one of these methods. Mnemonics, flashcards, and word lists can all be used in combination for mastering GRE vocabulary. Maybe some words are easier to remember through flashcards, but some complex ones might require mnemonics. Using a variety of methods can also help you retain a larger number of words in your memory.

The best way to ace the GRE Vocabulary is to be good with words. Here’s a resource that can help you do just that!

GRE Vocabulary Words

Get a clear picture of the assessment with a free GRE Practice test.
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What do you have to do?

You are expected not just to read the text at face value but to interpret it as an essential part of comprehension.

You must use the given information to form a set of conclusions, based on which you must try to answer the given questions.

Thorough learning plays an important role. Your quickness in answering the questions can help you effectively tackle this exam, which has quite a harsh time constraint.

The best way to approach the GRE vocabulary-centered questions in the Verbal section is always to understand the content of the given paragraph or sentence first. Your goal must be to restore the coherence of the text. So, when going through the options, rule out words that have nothing to do with the topic or do not make logical sense in the context. Note that all the answer choices will make grammatical sense. Hence, only a complete understanding of the logic behind each question will help answer them accurately.

Apart from the above-mentioned tips, what other ways exist that can help you build a strong GRE vocabulary? Let us look at them now!

Read from a Wide Range of Sources

As a GRE aspirant, you should be reading from a wide range of sources—be it books, articles, publications, or magazines. But why do we recommend this?

Read articles of different genres and topics.

This is the best thing you can do while reading to build your vocabulary. Reading from a wide range of sources exposes you to different styles of writing, various patterns of thought, and, most importantly, different topics. Since the GRE itself curates its questions from different subjects and fields, acclimatizing yourself to such texts will help in processing such advanced content much faster. You will accumulate a lot of knowledge by reading articles from different genres and will also become familiar with the jargon used within that particular genre.

For example, if you are reading articles from Psychology, then you will start to recognize concepts such as catatonic states, schizophrenia, neuroplasticity, and psychosis. However, not just any text will do. The content that you consume must utilize the advanced and complex language that is found in the GRE. Hence, articles from the Guardian, Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Scientific American, etc., are great sources to begin with.

Word Curiosity and Contexts

Whenever you read anything and come across a particular word that you may not be familiar with, we recommend you search for its meaning and, upon understanding its usage, reread the text in which you found it. This will help reinforce this word in your memory. Not only would you have learned the meaning, but you would have also understood its usage in a given sentence, which will further help in vocabulary retention.

Be curious about the meaning of unfamiliar words, and do not get intimidated by them. After all, words are abstract concepts used to help us communicate, not frighten us.

Watch English TV Series and Documentaries

The best way to learn any language is to expose oneself to it as much as possible. Well-written English TV series and documentaries will help you build your arsenal of words, excitingly and engagingly. Try to watch without the use of subtitles, and listen carefully to the dialogue as it is being spoken. Pick up new words and look up their meanings. This is another effective way to learn.

Do not consider vocabulary building to be a chore. When we attach the word ‘task’ to anything, we tend to lose interest and motivation and begin procrastinating. Take it one step at a time, and let your curiosity lead you. It can’t always be fun, but it need not always be boring or monotonous either. It’s all about your approach and the strategies you employ. Think of words as little decoders, helping you unravel those complicated English passages!

Improving your vocabulary will not only help you ace the GRE but is also essential to thriving in an English-speaking country. This level of mastery is what the GRE Vocabulary section aims to achieve.