NY times Word of the day

Building a richer vocabulary can feel like one more chore on a crowded high school checklist. The New York Times Word of the Day turns that chore into a quick, relevant routine by highlighting one high-utility word each weekday with examples drawn from real articles. Produced by the NYT Learning Network for students and teachers, each entry includes a concise definition, part of speech, and multiple usage examples that model how strong writers actually use the term. We love that it introduces words that are likely to appear in challenging nonfiction and on standardized tests, not just obscure trivia. It’s a great fit for teens who already read the news or are gearing up for college-level work and need a gentle, ongoing boost. There’s no built-in gamification or streak tracking, so motivation has to come from habit rather than points, but the resource itself is free and classroom-tested. Pro tip: integrate the word into dinner or car-ride conversation once that day, challenging everyone to use it naturally at least once.