A way to build vocabulary is to learn borrowed word groupings based on their origins. Many words have entered English from other languages and cultures, enhancing the expressive power of English, but also complicating the problem of learning English. It is estimated that about 1/5 of English vocabulary has been borrowed from other languages.

We have sought to compile lists of such word groupings drawn from a variety of sources. We are not including early borrowings from French, Latin and Greek that have entered the language at an early date and comprise a large portion of elaborated or non-basic English words (estimated at about 60 percent of the total vocabulary). Borrowed words are usually non-basic words, and frequently represent sophistication in usage, but they must be used with care as otherwise they come off as hypocritical or pseudo-intellectual, especially when such words are mispronounced or misconstrued in contexts that are inappropriate to their usage. On the other hand, because they are non-basic, they tend to be relative ambiguous and undetermined in terms of their usage.