Vocabulary building no longer needs to be the tedious chore it once was! Did you know that there is now extremely powerful software available that can make building your vocabulary quicker, easier and more fun than ever before?

Before choosing your vocabulary software, you should have an idea about your own personal learning style. Do you learn best by vision - does it really help you to have pictures and photos to look at to bring a new word to life? Or perhaps the sound of the word is most important to you and you need to hear a new word a number of times before you feel comfortable with it?

Once you have considered your personal learning style, you should carefully evaluate the vocabulary programs you are considering. Here is a handy checklist you can use.

• Does the software include visuals?
• How many examples of usage are there for each word? (Just three of four is rarely enough).
• Does the software teach you how to pronounce your new word? You'll never have the confidence to use your newfound power words unless you are sure of their correct pronunciation!
• How comprehensive are the word lists that are included? How much research has gone into selecting real power words? You need words that will make a difference in your life and help you succeed, not just long words for the sake of long words.
• Does the vocabulary software give you customization options, so that you can tailor your study and revision time to suit you best, concentrating on the words that are most important to you?
• Are there any additional features, for example messages that can remind you of recently learned words throughout your day, or other features? In particular, do any of these features fit well with your own personal learning preferences?