Word Power Made Easy

Reference

First published: 1949
Print length: 528 pagesPocket Books, 1979

Description

Norman Lewis presents vocabulary building as a guided course rather than a list of difficult words to memorize. Progressive lessons introduce terms through shared roots, etymology, pronunciation, and related word families, showing how one linguistic pattern can unlock several meanings. Short exercises and recurring reviews ask readers to retrieve and use what they have learned, making active practice central to the method. The material ranges across words for personality, professions, ideas, and everyday expression, while explanations connect precise diction with clearer reading and speech. Designed for self-study, the book lets readers move through instruction, testing, and reinforcement in sequence. Its organizing argument is practical: understanding how words are formed makes an expanding vocabulary easier to retain and apply.

Reading profile

About this profile

Collected’s assessment, not reader ratings. Complexity runs from 1 (least demanding) to 5 (most demanding).

Writing: How much attention the sentences and language require.
Ideas: How much interpretation or abstract reasoning the book asks of you.
Structure: How much you need to keep track of speakers, timelines and connections.
Background knowledge: Prior knowledge needed to follow the book, beyond what it explains.
Emotional intensity: Emotional pressure, from gentle (1) to intense (5). Separate from difficulty.

Writing style

Conversational · Direct · Technical

Pace

Measured

Tone

Earnest · Uplifting

Structure

Reference

Focus

Ideas · Information

Emotional intensity

1 / 5

Reading complexity

1–5 · higher means more demanding

Writing: 2 / 5
Ideas: 2 / 5
Structure: 2 / 5
Background knowledge: 1 / 5

Themes

Knowledge and truthTransformationWork

About Norman Lewis

Norman Lewis was an American grammarian, lexicographer, and author who made the mechanics of English accessible to general readers. His books treat vocabulary, usage, spelling, pronunciation, and reading as skills that can be improved through structured practice. Rather than assembling imposing lists of rules or definitions, he typically divides instruction into short, progressive lessons, explains patterns in plain language, and returns to earlier material through quizzes and review. Word Power Made Easy builds vocabulary through roots, etymology, pronunciation, and word families, allowing one pattern to clarify a group of related terms. Thirty Days to Better English applies a similar course structure to grammar, spelling, usage, and everyday expression, with examples and exercises arranged in manageable daily portions. How to Read Better and Faster broadens the method beyond words, training attention to pacing, vocabulary, and the organization of a passage while checking comprehension. Lewis’s direct, conversational exposition continually moves between explanation, demonstration, and retrieval, giving his reference books the sequence of self-administered courses.

Thirty Days to Better English Open Library

Book details

For the print edition listed above.

Publisher: Pocket Books
Language: English
ISBN: 9780671424169, 9780671530914, 9780671741907

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