Academic Word List (IELTS & TOEFL)

by Alex

This list features academic words that you may see or hear on the reading and/or listening
sections of the TOEFL and IELTS tests. Becoming familiar with these and similar words will
also help you on the writing and speaking portions of the tests.

*note: this list uses British spelling. (ex. 'maximise' — not 'maximize'.)

v. = verb, n. = noun, adj. = adjective

Academic Word
List
verb to be able to enter, reach, approach, etc. something
access “He couldn‟t access his email account because someone had changed his
password.”
noun the ability or right to enter, reach, approach, etc. something
access
“I don‟t have access to those files.”
adjective precise or exact; free from error (opposite = inaccurate)
accurate
“The victim was unable to provide an accurate description of the criminal.”
verb to accomplish; to reach a certain standard
achieve
“As a result of her hard work, she achieved an excellent score on her final.”
to get or come into possession of something; to accumulate or
verb
acquire collect
“Over 20 years of collecting stamps, I‟ve acquired over 4,000 of them!”
verb to look at something closely; to examine in detail
analyse “After analysing the DNA sample, the police were able to identify the
killer.”
noun a part or an element of something
aspect
“Flexibility is just one aspect of being a successful gymnast.”
verb to help or aid someone (noun = assistance)
assist
“They were assisted by an outside company when designing the program.”
adjective free to help; present or in stock (in regards to inventory)
available
“We do not have enough resources available to complete the project.”
having knowledge of something; being conscious or cognizant
adjective
aware of something
“I wasn‟t aware of the problem. Thank you for informing me.”
verb to receive an advantage or make an improvement
benefit (from)
“Society has greatly benefited from technological advancements.”
adjective gentle or kind; favorable; passive or inactive
benign
“ The military cannot afford to be benign in this war.”
 verb to make a statement about something
comment (on)
“First, I would like to comment on the current environmental situation”
verb to give an equivalent or a return for something else
compensate (for) “If the government expects citizens to do this, they must compensate their
citizens fairly.”
noun a part or element of something (see also: aspect)
component “To understand the whole problem, you must look at all of its separate
components.”
verb to focus your attention on something
concentrate (on) “In order to move forward, we must concentrate on finding realistic
solutions to the problem.”
noun a result or effect of something
consequence
“He was executed as a consequence for his heinous actions.”
verb to be made of something; to be composed of something
consist (of)
“A healthy relationship must consist of trust and mutual respect.”
adjective regular and seemingly permanent (adverb = constantly)
constant
“It is difficult to deal with constant disagreement when working in a group.”
verb to develop or build; to make
construct
“Numerous condos are currently being constructed in the downtown core.”
verb to give to a common cause, supply, or fund
contribute
“I contributed over $300 to charity last year.”
verb to change or transform into
convert (into)
“That building was recently converted into a restaurant.”
correspond verb to be similar to something; to be in agreement with something
(with/to) “The words of politicians often don‟t correspond with their actions.”
adjective very important; vital
crucial “The media was crucial to changing public opinion about the Viet Nam
war.”
to provide a definition; to give clarity or definition to
verb
define (as) something
“The word „crucial‟ can be defined as „extremely important‟ or „vital.‟”
to provide a demonstration or to show how something
verb
demonstrate functions
“This satellite will demonstrate the technological power of our organization”
verb to create or model
design
“The factory assembly line was partially designed by Henry Ford.”
noun the act of arranging or distributing; getting rid of something
disposal
“A general is responsible for the effective disposal of his soldiers.”
adjective clear and having easily-identifiable or specific characteristics
distinct
“Dark chocolate is known for its distinct smell and taste.”
verb to place emphasis or special focus on something
emphasise
“The media constantly emphasises the dangers of illegal drugs.”
 verb to destroy slowly over time; to disintegrate
erode
“Many religious leaders feel that secularism has eroded morality.”
noun a mistake
error “Despite constant reminders and protests, governments continue to make
errors.”
verb, noun to make an educated guess; to give a projection
estimate “Scientists have been estimating a massive population explosion over the
next two decades.”
to keep someone/something from entering a group, society,
verb
project, etc.
exclude
“When I was in high school, I was excluded from many activities due to my
disability.”
verb to get or obtain something from something else
extract “Physical torture is not an effective means of extracting information from a
human being.”
adjective not rigid; able to be shaped (opposite = inflexible)
flexible
“Employers need to be flexible to the needs of their employees.”
noun the working purpose of something; ability
function
“Cell phones are useful because they can serve multiple useful functions.”
adjective the same or alike in appearance and/or character
identical “The problem I have with suburban neighbourhoods is that all the houses
look identical.”
verb to recognise or verify the identity of someone/something
identify “Even today, scientists continue to identify new types of plants and
animals.”
verb to show or give evidence of something
indicate
“Research indicates that cell phones can cause cancer.”
noun a sign or token
indication (of)
“High blood pressure is a clear indication of stress.”
noun an explanation or perception of something
interpretation
“Religious writings can have multiple interpretations.”
noun a separate piece or article of something
item “Anthropologists have recently uncovered 200 physical items pertaining to
the Incas.”
the act or process of making laws; the laws which have been
noun
made
legislation
“The current health legislation will be difficult for all political parties to
accept.”
noun the place of something
location
“Niagara Falls is a popular location for tourists.”
able to be explained or understood clearly (opposite =
adjective
logical illogical)
“The CEO has promised to take logical steps to ensure the future success of
 the company.”
noun the greater part or number; over 50% of the population
majority
“The majority of citizens oppose the government‟s proposed budget.”
verb to use to maximum effect or potential
maximise
“The goal of any business is to maximise its profits.”
verb to reduce as much as possible
minimise “In any war, one of the primary objectives should be to minimise civilian
casualties.”
verb to watch and give attention
monitor
“Companies have numerous ways to monitor employee behaviour.”
verb to get or receive
obtain
“In order to obtain respect, a person has to earn it.”
adjective clear and easy to see
obvious “There are some obvious similarities between French and English
vocabulary.”
verb to happen or take place
occur
“An earthquake is expected to occur here in the next 2-3 years.”
noun a choice; one of several possibilities to be chosen
option
“When our options are limited, we are more likely to act decisively.”
verb to take part in something
participate
“Thousands of talented athletes participate in the Olympics.”
noun the act of taking part in something
participation
“Portugal was ridiculed for its participation in slavery.”
noun a portion of time; a significant interval of time in history
period
“The 1700s were a period of great scientific advance.”
adjective exact or definite
precise
“It is important for a teacher to give precise instructions.”
adjective able to be predicted (opposite = unpredictable)
predictable
“The goal of science is to find predictable results.”
adjective,
not allowed; forbidden
prohibited verb
“These days, smoking is prohibited in many public places.”
noun a part of a larger whole; the size of something
proportion
“A large proportion of modern problems are a result of negligence.”
noun a potential candidate; a possibility of success, profit, etc.
prospect
“I was excited by the prospect of winning the lottery.”
adjective relating to the mind or psychology
psychological
“We must pay attention to our psychological health.”
verb to buy
purchase
“We‟re planning to purchase a house next year.”
verb to chase or follow
pursue
“Acting is a difficult career to pursue.”
 connected to the current situation; pertinent (opposite =
adjective
relevant irrelevant)
“In an essay, we must only focus on relevant supporting details.”
able to be predicted or trusted; dependable (opposite =
adjective
reliable unreliable)
“Finding a reliable babysitter is difficult for most parents.”
verb to have need of something; to need
require
“To take a masters course, one requires an undergraduate degree.”
noun something which is obligatory, demanded, or needed
requirement
“You do not meet the requirements for this position”
a support, supply, or aid of something that can be used when
noun
resource needed
“If you want me to do this presentation, I will need more resources.”
verb to reply
respond
“When faced with a bully, it is important not to respond with anger.”
verb to remember; to continue to use
retain
“The most difficult part of learning is retaining the information”
noun a position or customary function
role
“The role of a parent is to provide safety for his/her child.”
noun a part or subdivision
sector
“It is the government‟s job to protect all sectors of society.”
adjective safe; protected from harm (opposite = insecure)
secure
“Everyone wants to live in a secure neighbourhood.”
verb to choose
select
“We selected the best candidate for the job.”
adjective important; of consequence (opposite = insignificant)
significant
“Man landing on the moon was a significant achievement for science.”
any place, person, or thing from which something else comes
noun
source or originates
“We can‟t seem to locate the source of the problem.”
someone‟s position in relation to other people; the state or
noun
status condition
“His status as the top player in the game is unquestionable.”
noun the organization or arrangement of something
structure
“The structure of the education system needs to change.”
noun, verb a replacement for someone/something
substitute
“If you want to succeed, there is no substitute for hard work.”
verb to represent or be a symbol for something
symbolise
“In most cultures, it is understood that the dove symbolises peace.”
noun a job or duty to be performed
task
“Raising a family is not an easy task.”
technique noun a specific way of doing something; a certain skill
 “Most people don‟t know that cooking requires hundreds of difficult
techniques.”
adjective pertaining to current or local events or interests
topical “Global warming has been extremely topical in the first half of the 21st
century.”
verb to change into a different form
transform
“The internet has transformed the way we communicate.”
a style that is currently popular; the general course of
noun
trend something
“Fashion trends are always changing.”
verb to be different; to alternate; to change or alter; to diversify
vary
“To write a good essay, you need to vary your vocabulary.”
adjective being truly or very much so
veritable
“I felt a veritable pain in my abdomen”
adjective able to be seen (opposite = invisible)
visible
“There has been a visible shift in public opinion towards the government.”
verb to decrease in strength, intensity, etc.
wane
“My interest in the movie waned the longer we watched it.”