A word is a unit which is a constituent at the phrase level and above.

It is sometimes identifiable according to such criteria as being the minimal possible unit in a reply having features such as Features a regular stress pattern, and phonological changes conditioned by or blocked at word boundaries being the largest unit resistant to insertion of new constituents within its boundaries, or being the smallest constituent that can be moved within a sentence without making the sentence ungrammatical. four definitions of word 1. Orthographic words An orthographic word is a written sequence which has a white space at each end but no white space in the middle. 2. Phonological words A phonological word is a piece of speech which behaves as a unit of pronunciation according to criteria which vary from language to language. In English, the most useful criterion is this one: a phonological word contains only one main stress. 3. Lexical items. A lexical item (or lexeme) is an abstract unit of the lexicon (vocabulary) of a language, with a more or less readily identifiable meaning or function. For example, if we want to mention canine animals, we must use either the singular form dog or the plural form dogs 4. Grammatical word-forms. A grammatical word-form (or GWF, or grammatical form) is one of the several forms that may be assumed by a lexical item for grammatical purposes The importance of Vocabulary learning The acquisition of vocabulary is essential for successful language learning as, without it, learners are unable to use the structures and functions learned

Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed (Wilkins, 1972, p.111) When students travel, they dont carry grammar books, they carry dictionaries (Krashen in Lewis, 1993, p. iii)

We talked about the importance of having an extensive vocabularythat is, knowing lots of words. But what does it mean to know a word? At the most basic level, knowing a word involves knowing: Its form and Its meaning

Knowing the meaning of word Knowing the meaning of a word is not knowing just the dictionary meaning (or meanings)it also means knowing the words commonly associated with it. Receptive knowledge exceeds productive knowledge and generallybut not always precedes it. That is, we understand more words than we utter, and we usually understand them before we are capable of uttering them. Learnability of vocabulary is not unconnected with the notion of frequency, since the most frequent word will probably be absorbed and learnt simply because they occur regularly (McCarthy, 1990, p. 86)