Susie Dent’s tips and tricks to add muscle to a child’s vocabulary

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Sally Weale Education correspondentFebruary 12, 2026 at 01:18 PM

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Susie Dent, a lexicographer and presenter of Channel 4's Secret Genius, has launched a campaign to boost children's vocabulary at snack time. The initiative is partnered with Soreen malt loaf and aims to encourage families to read, talk, and play word games to improve language development. Children's vocabulary is shrinking due to the increasing influence of screen time over reading. Dent recommends activities such as reading, playing word games, and having conversations while doing active tasks like cooking or walking. She also suggests learning another language and inventing new words with children. The campaign features 10 "magical" words that can inspire children's vocabulary development, including kerfuffle, mellifluous, and apricity.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Alan Carr 40% Oxford English Dictionary 40% Channel 4 50% Soreen ×260% Susie Dent ×390%

Keywords

children's vocabulary 100% language development 90% reading 70% word games 70% susie dent 60% screen time 50% etymology 50% lexicographer 40%

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The Guardian - World News

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children's vocabulary language development reading word games susie dent screen time etymology lexicographer

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