The New York Times

The New York Times Times Word of the Day

Recommended Ages

6th–12th grades

The New York Times “Word of the Day” is a free online feature that highlights one vocabulary word at a time with definition, pronunciation, and real examples pulled from Times articles. Each entry includes student-friendly explanations and often a short quiz or prompt, making it easy to integrate into daily warm-ups. Created by the Times Learning Network, it’s aimed primarily at middle and high school students building academic vocabulary. Teachers and parents appreciate that words come from authentic journalism rather than contrived lists, so usage feels real. It’s especially useful for teens preparing for advanced reading, writing-heavy courses, or college entrance exams. Because it’s one word a day, progress is slow but steady; pairing it with other reading is key. For best value, have students create their own sentences or mini-stories using each word and review favorites weekly.

Strong readers in middle school, high school, or beyond who enjoy language, wordplay, and following current events—and who may be prepping for standardized tests.

Pros

Free daily vocabulary feature that pairs a challenging word with a definition, authentic context sentence from a current NYT article, and a quick quiz, making it one of the most budget‑friendly ways to build upper‑level vocabulary.

Cons

Article excerpts can assume a high school or adult reading level and may touch on heavy or political topics; there’s no built‑in spaced review, so retention depends on how the family uses it.

Access to the Learning Network and Word of the Day is free; some schools access it through institutional Times subscriptions, but individual homeschoolers do not typically use ESA funds for it.

Free, maybe limits without New York Times subscription

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The New York Times Times Word of the Day
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Skills

What kids will learn
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Vocabulary
Vocabulary
ELA
ELA
Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension

The New York Times Times Word of the Day Mission

The New York Times Learning Network’s Word of the Day feature is designed to grow students’ vocabularies using authentic language from current journalism. Each entry highlights a high-utility word pulled from a Times article, offers a student-friendly definition, shows the word in context, and links to a Vocabulary.com practice question so learners can actively test their understanding and add the term to their personal word-learning program. [oai_citation:16‡Modulo](https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/new-york-times-word-of-the-day-review?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

The New York Times Times Word of the Day Story

Word of the Day was created by The New York Times Learning Network team as part of its broader effort to help teachers use real-world news in literacy instruction. As the Learning Network expanded its free lesson plans and writing prompts, editors partnered with Vocabulary.com so that each featured word would connect directly to adaptive practice, making it easy for classrooms to turn a daily newspaper read into targeted vocabulary work. Today, Word of the Day is used by English teachers, homeschoolers, and language learners worldwide who want short, consistent exposures to rich academic language anchored in meaningful articles. [oai_citation:17‡Modulo](https://www.modulo.app/all-resources/new-york-times-word-of-the-day-review?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

About Modular Learning

FAQ: Additional Details about The New York Times Times Word of the Day

Over breakfast, you might pull up the day’s word on your phone, read it aloud, have everyone guess the meaning, and then share the sample sentence from the news while your child jots the word into a vocabulary notebook and writes a silly sentence or sketches a tiny cartoon to remember it.

The New York Times Word of the Day is a free feature from the Times Learning Network that highlights one vocabulary word each school day. Each entry includes a definition, pronunciation, example sentences drawn from actual Times articles, and a practice question, making it easy to use as a quick warm‑up.

A parent, caregiver, or older sibling usually introduces the word, models using it in conversation, and helps younger learners unpack the Times article sentence, though independent teens can easily add the feature to their own morning routine.

Best for fluent readers roughly upper‑elementary and up who can use context clues and enjoy talking about word nuances; internet access is required to view the day’s entry.

NYT Word of the Day is a free, low‑pressure way for older kids and teens to expand vocabulary, especially verbal, gifted, or test‑prepping learners. For dyslexic or ADHD students, it works best when adults read entries aloud, talk through examples, and encourage using new words in speech rather than adding extra writing.

The feature is free to read online, so no refunds are needed.

Not a fit for most elementary students, sensitive kids whom news content may upset, or families seeking completely apolitical examples and kid‑only topics.

Alternatives include Vocabulary.com, Wordly Wise, MCT Caesar’s English, and other word‑of‑the‑day services from Merriam‑Webster or Wordsmith.

A new word is posted each school day, and the Times occasionally refreshes the format and links to align with current news and partner tools like Vocabulary.com.

Have your learner keep a dedicated vocabulary journal where they log each word, write their own sentence, and quiz the family once a week to recycle the vocabulary in a fun way.

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Meet Learning Network team

The New York Times Learning Network team is a group of former classroom teachers, editors, and education writers who create free resources to help students in grades 3–12 read, write, and think critically about the news. They design daily features like Word of the Day, lesson plans, contests, and writing prompts so that educators can easily bring high-quality journalism into their curricula. While there isn’t a single “founder” of Word of the Day, the Learning Network staff collaborates with partners like Vocabulary.com to keep the feature relevant, student-friendly, and closely tied to real Times reporting. [oai_citation:18‡schoollibraryconnection.com](https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Home/Display/2260112?topicCenterId=2252404&utm_source=chatgpt.com)