Recognition comes first
It is normal to understand more words than you use. Reading and listening provide clues, while speaking and writing require you to retrieve the right word without those clues.
Do not try to activate every rare word. Prioritise vocabulary connected to conversations and tasks that matter in your life.
Practise constrained production
Choose three target words and create a short answer that naturally uses them. A prompt such as “Describe a difficult decision at work” gives the words a purpose and keeps the exercise manageable.
Then repeat the idea without looking at the targets. If one word still feels unnatural, study two or three authentic examples before trying again.
Create repeated reasons to use the word
Use the word in different formats: a sentence today, a voice note tomorrow and a conversation later in the week. Variation makes the memory flexible.
Active vocabulary grows gradually. The goal is reliable access when the situation calls for the word, not forcing sophisticated language into every sentence.