Note: If you are really serious about improving your vocabulary, we highly recommend you check out the popular Ultimate Vocabulary Builder

What's the Best Vocabulary Builder Software for the GRE?

For those who need a passing score for a job, grad school, or any other reason, we’re going to go hunting for the best vocabulary builder software for the GRE. This is a tough test, and even really smart people can get bogged down in the vocabulary sections. Since the test is timed, both the antonym section and the analogy section can really slow you down if all you do is memorize the words and definitions. You really do need to have an actual understanding of the words. If you know them well enough to use them smoothly in your own writing, you’ll ace the test. Unfortunately, the best way to develop an expansive natural vocabulary is through a lifetime of reading. You know you don’t have a lifetime to prepare for the test. Is there actually a program that can give you the same benefits as years of quality reading, while targeting the words most likely to be on the GRE?

There are so many vocabulary programs out there, You can even get GRE vocab apps for your smartphone. The problem is, most of these programs work the same way as a stack of flashcards. Soundkeepers, SuperVocab, even the popular Vocaboly are basically computer flashcards. You are given pronunciations, definitions, and spellings, and asked to match them up in different ways. Great way to learn a bunch of words well enough to match them up with their definitions, not so great for the critical thinking required for analogies.

You’ve probably seen the infomercials for WordSmart, with the special trial price of $15. You probably missed the fine print that says you’ll be charged at least $150 more after 30 days. You also probably didn’t hear the hundreds of complaints from unhappy customers, from those who were charged without ever receiving the software to those that were charged after returning it. The company also generates leads from credit card information and then calls parents claiming to be affiliated with their child’s school. Shoddy business practices and outright credit card fraud run rampant at the WordSmart company.

The two programs that really seem to give the most quality and value for the money are Power Vocabulary Builder and Ultimate Vocabulary. Both programs focus on helping you really internalize the words and understand the various times and places to use them. When you’ve already got the words sitting in your head, ready to speak or write, the analogies and antonyms sections on the GRE are a breeze. Ultimate Vocabulary also has the advantage of a 140,000 dictionary with in-depth information on pronunciation, etymology, usage, and history. The best part? 50 different sentences using each word, so you can read it over and over again in many different contexts. It’s gotta be the best vocabulary builder software for the GRE because it allows you to learn words just like you would by reading.