Vocabulous

Learn the root. Conquer the word.

Vocabulous is a fully planned and resourced online vocabulary programme designed for 9-14 year olds. It uses Latin and Greek root words to teach English vocabulary patterns, building a strong foundation for literacy and comprehension, and the ability to decipher new words independently. Vocabulous is founded by a teacher for teachers, with the goal of improving literacy outcomes for all.

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Overview

HundrED shortlisted this innovation

HundrED has shortlisted this innovation to one of its innovation collections. The information on this page has been checked by HundrED.

Updated April 2025

Web presence

2021

Established

7K 2023

8K 2024

8K 2025

4

Countries

Students lower

Target group

Vocabulous aims to give students valuable vocabulary skills, so they can identify patterns in English vocabulary and use their knowledge of word parts to puzzle out meaning. This is a skill they can deploy in any subject area, and will be helpful across the curriculum. If our young people can approach new words with confidence and with a strategy, then their comprehension will be greatly improved.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

Many children enter secondary school with a limited vocabulary; if students are unable to access the language of their lessons, they risk falling behind and not achieving their full potential. Too many vocabulary programmes focus on teaching lists of words, aiming to improve students' vocabulary one word at a time, rather than giving students the skills they need to work out words independently.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Vocabulous is an innovative online resource to aid targeted and explicit vocabulary teaching in English lessons. Vocabulous uses Latin and Greek root words and prefixes to teach word patterns. Students then use these patterns to work out the meaning of unknown words which share the same root. For example, the root “scrip” meaning “write” can help students understand “inscription”, “manuscript” and “transcription”.

Alex Quigley notes that “over 90% of the vocabulary of academic texts in school has Latin and Greek origins and therefore teaching etymology has positive implications for cracking the academic code of school".

Students each have an individual login to the site and complete quizzes to win stars and climb their class’ leader board. Teachers can see students' progress over time, export progress data and print certificates to reward good work. There are badges to collect, more than 40 root words to learn and over 1,000 English words to conquer.

How has it been spreading?

Vocabulous was founded in 2021, and after two years of development and trials, launched publicly in 2023. So far, we have worked with over 70 schools across the UK and overseas and have reached over 23,000 students. We are continuing to expand by launching a programme for primary schools (for students aged 9-11) in September 2025, and will expand our secondary programme to provide content for more age groups in 2026.

Vocabulous was the focus of a research project by Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson, funded by Christ Church, Oxford, which showed that there was an upward trend in pupils' ability to recognise and use new vocabulary.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Check out the website at www.vocabulous.co.uk or follow us on social media @VocabulousUK. There's lots of information on the About page showing how you could incorporate Vocabulous into your curriculum.

If you want to get in touch directly, email info@vocabulous.co.uk and we'd be very happy to chat about Vocabulous!

Media

#femaleedtechfellowships #growthstage #europeanedtechalliance | Female EdTech Fellowships | 11 comments

Designing Vocabulous: a Case Study in Classics, EdTech and English Literacy | Journal of Classics Teaching | Cambridge Core

Lucy Huelin – Vocabulous - SHINE

Vocabulous research trial yields very encouraging results - SHINE

Research reveals efficacy of online literacy-boosting platform

Ancient languages in primary schools in England

Latin, literacy and EdTech | Christ Church, Oxford University

Latin and Classics teacher moves to working full-time on Vocabulous, which is taking the education world by storm - SHINE

Let Teachers SHINE winner 2021: Lucy Huelin – Vocabulous - SHINE

Introducing Vocabulous - The Classical Association

Why Latin isn’t just for posh boys

Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Senior Research Fellow in Classics Education is conducting a research study which will evaluate the impact that use of the Vocabulous website has on students’ understanding and retention of English vocabulary. https://www.classics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/classics/documents/media/faculty_of_classics_newsletter_2022.pdf faculty_of_classics_newsletter_2022.pdf

Implementation steps

Take a look at the website

Go to www.vocabulous.co.uk to find out what Vocabulous is all about. There's information on the pedagogy of the site, the key design features, research and impact, and how to subscribe.

Think about your curriculum

Vocabulous provides weekly lessons which explicitly teach Latin and Greek roots and the morphology and etymology of words that derive from these roots. Think about how you currently teach vocabulary and the benefits of following a structured, fully-resourced programme like Vocabulous. All t he lessons are fully planned and resourced, and quizzes self-mark, so you just need to focus on your students' data.

Talk to the Vocabulous team or attend an event

We love talking to schools about how to implement Vocabulous! Sign up for one of our online sessions, or book in a call with Lucy and the team by emailing info@vocabulous.co.uk. We can talk through the curriculum, discuss how it will fit in your timetable, share best practice from subscribing schools and more.

You can subscribe to Vocabulous by going to www.vocabulous.co.uk/subscribe. As soon as you've subscribed, you will receive emails telling you your first steps.

Add your students and classes

All you need is a list of your students' names to get set up on Vocabulous. If these are in an Excel file, even better - it will only take a couple of minutes to get all your students' accounts set up in their classes.

Teach your first root

The first root is "port", which means "carry" and gives us English words such as "support", "transportation", "portable" and "reporter". We recommend that you complete the Learning module as a class. This is a series of videos, quiz questions and text boxes that teaches you the root, so "port" in the first week, and then shows you eight derivates and asks questions to get students applying their knowledge straight away. There are then 6 quizzes for your students to complete independently.

Unlock one root a week

You can unlock content at your own pace, so you can teach one root a week, which would take you one academic year, or you can unlock one every fortnight, so you teach the whole programme over two academic years. Every 3-4 weeks, there's a badge to be won, named after one of the Greek gods and goddesses. This includes a Revision module and 6 quizzes that ask students about all previously learnt content. It really focuses on honing their vocabulary skills, and applying root knowledge.

Keep chatting about words!

The best thing you can do as a teacher is keep talking to your students about words. If you spot a complex word in a guided reading book, point it out and show your students how it has a prefix, root and suffix. If you see a Vocabulous word, check that your students know how to decode it. Keep the excitement around words alive! Why not use our classroom and extension worksheets to revisit content later in the week? Or complete a quiz as a class on the board?