6 Minute Vocabulary - Similar words

This is the BBC . This podcast is supported by advertising outside the . This is a download from BBC Learning English to find out more , visit our website . Six minutes from BBC Learning English . Hello and welcome to Six Minute Vocabulary with me , Rob and me , Sophie , and today's show is all about similar words . Yes , similar words , words that are close in meaning , but which we use in different ways . We look at what they are , what they mean and how to use them . We're hoping for high scores in our quiz . And we'll leave you with a big tip for learning vocabulary . So first , let's listen to two architects travelling up the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai . Here's a question to think about while you listen . What's special about this building ? What's special about this building ? Let's find out . We've reached the top . How high are we ? We're on the 24th floor . Wow . So this is the tallest building in the world . It's pretty impressive . You can really see how big the city is and also what a large number of construction projects are happening here . So why did we come here today ? Well , I've got some big ideas about our next building project that I want to discuss . So John and Marissa are architects , and we asked you what's special about the Burj Khalifa ? And the answer is it's the tallest building in the world . And Tall is one of today's similar words . That's right . And high is another . These words have a similar meaning . They describe something that is more than average height . So what's the difference ? Sophie , we usually use high for things that are wider than their vertical height , for example , high mountains or a high wall . And we use tall for things that are narrower than their vertical height , like people or trees or buildings . As we heard just now , buildings with many floors often have greater height than width , like the Burj Khalifa . That's right . But we can also talk about high buildings . Sherlock Holmes fell from the top of a high building . Context is always important for choosing the right word . We use high in this sentence because it's the position of the top of the building that's important , not the building as a whole . Great explanation , Sherlock . Another example . OK , big and large . These words both mean something that is more than average size . In general . We use big more often than large , and we use it to talk about real things like big cities and abstract things like big ideas . What's your big idea for today , Rob ? Oh , well , my big idea of the day is world peace . You hear about so much death and destruction in the news . I really think that world peace is what we should be aiming for . Well , that is a big idea . Big because unfortunately , it's quite an abstract idea , which is why we say big idea and not large idea . So when do we use large ? , well , we use large when we want to sound more formal . For example , Dubai has the largest population in the United Arab Emirates . We also use large in some fixed expressions . John talks about Dubai having a large number of construction projects in progress . Six minutes vocabulary from BBC Learning English dot com . And we're talking about similar words . Now , let's hear today's words again , big and large , meaning more than average size , big for real and abstract things , big city , big house , big decision , big ideas , large for real things with a more formal tone , a large population , a large number of projects , a large amount of money , high and tall , meaning more than average height , high for things that are wider than their vertical height . High mountains , high wall , high windows , high bookshelf , tall for things that are narrower than their vertical height . Tall buildings , tall people , tall trees , tall grass , tall Sophie . Thanks , Rob . And remember , that context is very important . Thank you , Sophie . And now it's quiz time . Is the English in these sentences right or wrong ? Number one , my brother is 180 centimetres high and the answer is wrong . He's 180 centimetres tall . Number two , I look down from the high window to the garden below . And the answer is right . And finally , number three , moving house is a large decision to make . And the answer is wrong . It's a big decision and that brings us almost to the end of the program . But before we go , here's our big tip for remembering vocabulary . Use Internet search engines to check how often words are used together . It'll help you choose the right words . There's more about this ABC Learning English dot com . Join us again for more six minute vocabulary by .