One consequence of language's cognitive function is that the precise use of words is essential to clear understanding of the world. Most often, the major task required to assimilate a new field of knowledge is learning the words that represent its concepts. Furthermore, it is well known that success is highly correlated with a good vocabulary. This correlation is easy to comprehend, once one grasps that words represent concepts and that concepts represent a person's understanding of reality. The vocabulary of a successful person shows not only breadth (number of words recognized), but also precision (accurate grasp of the meanings of words).

Frequently, multiple concepts may be associated with a single word. More often than not, the diverse meanings are closely related; typically, a word has a primary meaning and one or more derivative meanings. In such cases it is essential to be able to distinguish among the various meanings in order to keep one's concepts clear. It is also sometimes creatively useful to recognize how the various meanings are related.