When a 7-year-old says "it was good" about a book they've seen, a snack — they have only one word for positive. When a 9-year-old says "it was amazing, gripping, unforgettable, moving" — they have a rich language. The difference is synonyms. Being able to say the same thing in five ways is the difference between a flat and a rich language.
This article shows how to help a 7–9-year-old build their synonym vocabulary through games and lists. At Kluriko there are synonym games in the Learning Games, but at home the real building happens — in conversation, in reading, in writing.
Why synonyms matter
Precision. They learn that big and enormous and gigantic are different nuances. They can say exactly what they mean.
Writing. A text with the same word 12 times is boring. They learn to vary.
Reading. They understand abstract texts where different words refer to the same thing.
Thinking. Synonyms aren't just language — they're concept refinement. When they know happy and euphoric and content, they think with more nuance.
Common synonym clusters
For GOOD
good, fine, great, lovely, wonderful, fantastic, amazing, excellent, brilliant, phenomenal, unforgettable, gripping
For BAD
bad, awful, horrible, ugly, dull, terrible, dreadful, miserable, mediocre
For BIG
big, huge, enormous, gigantic, massive, vast, mighty, immense, hefty
For SMALL
small, tiny, mini, little, dwarf, slim, slight, insignificant
For HAPPY
happy, joyful, euphoric, content, pleased, elated, smiling, beaming, radiant
For SAD
sad, sorrowful, mournful, tearful, gloomy, downcast, dejected, melancholy
For SAY
say, talk, speak, whisper, shout, mumble, scream, hiss, giggle, whine
For WALK
walk, run, jog, stroll, hike, march, tiptoe, stomp, plod, shuffle
For LOOK
look, stare, peek, gaze, scan, examine, glance, peer
For EAT
eat, snack, devour, gobble, feast, nibble, chew, munch, scoff
Synonym games
Synonym hunt. You say a word. They say three synonyms. "Big." Them: "Huge, enormous, gigantic." Good. "Happy." Them: "Joyful, content, pleased." Great.
Synonym swap. You read a sentence. They swap one word for a synonym. "The cat is happy." Them: "The cat is joyful." Or "The cat is content." Or "The cat is elated." All three are OK.
The synonym pyramid. Write a word at the top. They write three synonyms below. Then three synonyms for each = 9 words. Then 27 words — if they can. The pyramid grows.
Describe in 10 ways. They describe something (say a dog) in 10 ways, all different. "It's happy. It's lively. It's bright. It's active. It's elated. It's energetic..." Trains synonym fluency.
Synonyms in reading
When they're reading, point at a word and ask: "What does this mean?" They try to define. Then: "What other word could go here?" They search for the synonym.
Example: "The flames burned strongly." → "The flames burned fiercely." Both work.
This is advanced — wait until 8–9.
Synonyms in writing
When they write and use the same word 4 times, say: "Can we swap one of these? What else could you say?" They search themselves.
It shouldn't become a synonym hunt — it should become natural variation. Writing shouldn't feel fiddly.
Synonym dictionary
Give them a synonym dictionary at 9. A magical book for language-gifted kids. Roget's Thesaurus is the classic. Available as an app too.
Many kids love looking up a word and seeing 15 synonyms.
Common problems
The synonyms aren't quite synonyms. "Big" and "deep" aren't synonyms — different dimensions. Correct gently: "Deep is a kind of big — but about how far down it goes."
They can only say the same word. "Happy" as a synonym for "happy". No vocabulary yet. Build slowly — add 1–2 synonyms per day, not 10 at once.
Synonyms are too advanced. They're tired, want to just say "good". That's OK. Synonyms are a bonus, not a duty.
When are they ready?
At 6: starts noticing different words can mean the same. ("Mum and mother are the same!")
At 7: can produce 2–3 synonyms for concrete words (big, happy, walk).
At 8: handles synonyms for abstract words (funny, smart, beautiful).
At 9: actively richer word choice in speech and writing. Uses a thesaurus.
How Kluriko helps
Kluriko Learning Games have synonym games where they see a word and pick the synonym from three. Aimed at 7–9-year-olds and works as mini-practice. But at home, in conversation and reading, real richness is built.