A free exam vocabulary course covering 1,100 words that come up again and again in IELTS, TOEFL iBT, and PTE Academic. It is for learners at B2 to C1 who already read and speak English well, but need a wider and more exact range of words. Everything here is in American English, and none of it needs an account.
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The course does one thing. It is not a full exam course and it has no exam practice tests. It gives you the vocabulary those exams are built on, so that the exam skills you practice elsewhere have the words to work with.
1,100 exam words in 44 units
The words are split into 44 units of 22 to 30 words each, in alphabetical order rather than by topic. Exam vocabulary is not grouped around subjects the way everyday vocabulary is, so an alphabetical order is simply easier to work through and come back to.
The first 24 units cover general words at B2 level. Units 25 to 44 cover academic words at C1 level, the kind that turn up in reading passages and lectures. The course starts near where you are now and moves up as you go.
How the words were chosen
The list comes from an analysis of past exam papers, together with the experience of tutors who prepare learners for these exams. It is a selected list rather than an exhaustive one: 1,100 words you are likely to meet, instead of several thousand you may never see.
What is in each unit
Every entry gives the word, its part of speech, a clear definition in plain English, and two example sentences showing how the word is actually used.
You can hear every word and every example sentence, so you know what they sound like before you use them. Each unit also has a recording of the whole list to play straight through.
Each unit ends with a Test Yourself quiz on that unit’s words, with answers shown immediately.
A flashcard module with spaced repetition is being added. It will bring back each word at increasing intervals, just before you are likely to forget it, which is one of the most reliable ways to remember new words in the long term. Like the rest of the course, it will work without an account.
On the translated versions of this site, you can show a translation of each definition and example in your own language, or hide it to test yourself.
Which exams this covers
The same academic vocabulary runs through all three exams, so one list serves them all:
- IELTS Academic — words that appear in the reading passages, and that widen the range you can draw on in writing and speaking
- TOEFL iBT — academic words used in the reading and listening sections
- PTE Academic — vocabulary behind the reading, writing, and speaking tasks
It also helps with Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced, which test the same levels, though it does not follow a Cambridge word list.
Who this course is for
- Anyone preparing for IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE who finds vocabulary the weak point
- Learners at B2 who want the academic words before moving up to C1
- Teachers who need a ready-made exam word list for class
- Students starting a degree taught in English, who meet these words in reading lists
If you are not preparing for an exam, the B2 and C1 vocabulary courses cover the same levels in British English, grouped by topic.
What you need
- About fifteen to twenty minutes per unit. At one unit a day the course takes about six weeks, though there is no schedule to keep to.
- Nothing to buy, install, or sign up for.
The whole book as a free PDF
All 1,100 words are also published as a book, free to download as a PDF. It is 96 pages, needs no signup, and is useful if you would rather study away from a screen or print a unit for a class.
Curriculum
- 44 Sections
- 88 Lessons
- Lifetime
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- Unit 1abandon, abnormal, abnormally, absent, absorb, abstract, abstract, acceleration, acceptable, access, accessible, accidental, accompany, account, accreditation, accredited, accuracy, accurate, achievement, acknowledge, acknowledgment, adapt, adaptability, adaptation, adequate2
- Unit 2adjust, adjustment, advance, advise, affect, affirm, aggregate, aggressive, aid, allocate, allocation, alter, alteration, altitude, amend, amendment, analyze, ancient, annotate, announce, annual, anonymous, antibacterial, anticipate, anticipation2
- Unit 3apparent, appendix, application, appreciate, appreciation, approach, approach, approximate, argue, assess, assessment, assign, assignment, assist, assistance, assume, assumption, autobiographical, automate, bacterial, beneficial, bibliography, bond, brief, budget, bypass2
- Unit 4cause, cause, civil, civilization, clarification, clarify, clarity, climate, cognitive, coincide, coincidence, coincidental, collaborate, collaboration, collaborative, collapse, collapse, comparable, compare, compatibility, complex, compromise, compromise, confirm, confirmation2
- Unit 5conflict, consent, consent, consequence, consequently, consider, considerable, considerably, consist, consistent, constant, consume, consumption, contemporary, contrast, contribution, corporate, credit, crisis, critical, criticize, cross-section, crucial, crystal2
- Unit 6currency, cycle, defense, deforestation, delegate, demand, demand, demonstrate, demonstration, depress, depressed, depression, determine, discriminate, display, dispute, disrupt, distinct, distinction, distinctive, distinguish, distribute, diverse, document, domestic2
- Unit 7dominant, download, draft, dramatic, drought, due date, duration, dynamics, ecologist, economy, ecosystem, electron, element, eliminate, elimination, emission, emphasis, emphasize, encounter, endangered, enforce, enforcement, enroll, ensure, entity2
- Unit 8equipment, establish, estimate, ethic, ethical, ethnic, evaluate, evidence, evident, evolution, evolve, exceed, excess, excessive, exclude, exclusion, exhibit, expand, expansion, exploit, exploitation, expose, exposure, extension, extensive, extent2
- Unit 9external, extinct, extract, extraction, factor, faculty, feature, fee, fiction, firm, flaw, flexibility, flexible, fluctuate, format, formula, formulate, fossils, found, foundation, founder, framework, fuel, function, function2
- Unit 10fund, fundamental, generate, genetic, genre, global, globalization, goal, goods, grade, grade, grant, gravity, guarantee, guarantee, guideline, habitat, highlight, hostile, hydrogen, hygiene, hypothesis, identical, identification, identify, identity2
- Unit 11ideology; illogical; illustrate; illustration; image; imaginative; immigrate; immigration; immune; impact; impact; implement; implementation; impose; improvise; inadequate; incident; inconsistent; incorporate; index; indicate; indication; individual; induction2
- Unit 12inevitable; influence; influential; initial; initiate; initiative; innovate; innovation; input; insert; insight; inspect; instance; institution; instrument; insufficient; integrate; intentional; interact; internal; interpret; intervene; intervention; invent2
- Unit 13invest; investigate; investment; irony; issue; item; judgement; justification; justify; lack; lecture; legislation; legitimate; life expectancy; link; logic; maintain; major; majority; malicious; mandatory; manipulate; manipulation; manual; margin2
- Unit 14mass; maximize; maximum; meaningful; measure; measure; mechanism; media; mental; method; migration; milestone; minimal; minimize; minimum; minority; misconception; modification; modify; monitor; mortality; motion; motivate; motive2
- Unit 15neglect; negotiate; neutral; norm; notion; nutrient; object; objection; objective; obtain; occupy; occur; occurrence; opt; option; optional; orbit; organism; orientation; originality; originate; outcome; outline; output; overcome2
- Unit 16overlap; overlook; overreact; oversight; parameter; participate; pattern; perception; performance; periodic; persist; persistent; perspective; phase; plagiarism; plagiarize; policy; potential; pragmatic; precision; predict; predictable; prediction; preliminary; prescribe2
- Unit 17preserve; prevent; preventable; prime; principle; prioritize; priority; probability; procedure; proceed; process; prohibit; project; projection; prominent; promote; promotion; proportion; prospect; protocol; psychological; psychology; pursue; pursuit2
- Unit 18qualify; query; quotation; quote; random; range; ratio; rational; reaction; realistic; recognition; recover; recovery; reference; regulate; reinforce; reject; rejection; relax; release; relevance; relevant; reliability; reliable; reliance; rely2
- Unit 19renovate; repetitive; requirement; research; research; resident; resource; respond; response; restoration; restore; restrain; restraint; restrict; restriction; reveal; revenue; reverse; revise; revision; revolutionary; rhythm; rough2
- Unit 20scheme; scholar; scholarship; scope; section; sector; secure; selection; selective; semester; senior; sequence; shift; shortcut; side effect; signal; significance; significant; similarity; simulate; simulation; society; sole; source; species2
- Unit 21specific; specification; specify; speculate; sphere; spike; stability; stabilize; stable; statistical; stimulate; stimulus; straightforward; strategic; stress; striking; structure; subjective; submission; submit; substantial; substitute; substitute; sufficient; suggest2
- Unit 22summarize; summary; supplement; supply; support; surrender; survey; survey; survive; suspend; suspension; sustain; sustainability; sustainable; symbolic; symbolize; symptom; system; tackle; target; target; task; technique; tension; terminal; terminate2
- Unit 23theme; theoretical; theory; threat; tissue; topic; trace; trace; trait; transfer; transform; transformation; transition; transmission; transmit; transport; treatment; trend; trigger; trigger; tropical; tuition2
- Unit 24underestimate; underlying; undermine; undertake; unethical; unique; unpredictable; vague; valid; validity; vanish; variable; variation; vast; version; violate; violation; virtual; virus; visible; vision; visual; vital; voluntary; volunteer; vulnerability; vulnerable; warranty; welfare; widespread2
- Unit 25abrupt; abundance; abundant; abysmal; accentuate; accommodate; accumulate; accumulation; adhere; adjacent; advantageous; advocacy; advocate; advocate; aggravate; ambiguity; ambiguous; amiable; amplify; analogous; analogy; anesthesia; animosity; apparatus; appreciable; appreciably2
- Unit 26appropriate; approximately; arbitrarily; arbitrary; articulate; artifact; aspect; assemble; assert; assurance; assure; atmosphere; attain; attainment; attribute; automation; autonomy; average; avoidance; bias; bias; biased2
- Unit 27calibrate; capability; capable; capacity; carnivore; catalog; categorize; cease; cell; challenge; challenge; character; characteristic; chronological; circumstances; circumstantial; cite; claim; classify; clause; coherence; coherent; cohesion; cohesive; collate; collation; colony2
- Unit 28combine; commencement; commentary; commission; commit; commitment; commodity; comparability; compatible; compensate; compete; competent; compilation; compile; complacent; complement; complementary; complexity; compliant; component; compose; compound; comprehensive; comprise; conceal; concede2
- Unit 29conceivable; conceivably; conceive; concentration; concept; conceptual; conceptualize; concise; conclusive; concurrent; concurrently; conduct; configure; confined; conform; consensus; conspicuous; constant; constitute; constitution; constrain; constraint; construct; consult; consultation2
- Unit 30contempt; contemptuous; contend; contentious; context; contingency; contingent ; contract; contraction; contradict; contradiction; contradictory; contrary; contrast; contribute; controversial; controversy; convene; convention; conventional; converse; conversely; conversion; convert; convey2
- Unit 31convince; convincing; core; correlate; correlation; correspond; corresponding; create; creation; creative; creature; criteria; criterion; data; debacle; debate; deceptive; deciding; declare; decline; decline; deduce; deduction; deductive2
- Unit 32define; definite; definitive; defunct; deletion; deliberate; demise; denote; dense; depict; deplete; depreciate; derivative; derive; design; detect; detection; deter; determinant; detrimental; develop; deviate; deviation; devote; devotion; diagnosis2
- Unit 33differ; differentiate; differentiation; diligence; diligent; dimension; diminish; discrete; discretion; discretionary; discrimination; disengage; disorder; displace; displacement; disposal; dispose; disregard; distort; distortion; distract; diverge; divergent; diversification; diversify; diversity; divisive; domain; dubious2
- Unit 34elective; eligible; eloquent; elusive; emblematic; embody; emerge; emergence; emerging; empirical; empirically; endeavor; eradicate; erode; erosion; ethnicity; evaluation; evaluative; evasive; exacerbate; examine; excavate; expenditure; explicit; explicitly; extrinsic2
- Unit 35fabricate; facilitate; fallacy; feature; fieldwork; fluctuation; footfall; forthcoming; foster; fuse; grant; havoc; herbivore; hierarchical; hierarchy; hoard; homogeneous; humble; hypothesize; hypothetical; ideological; imagery; imitation; immaculate2
- Unit 36imminent; impartial; impetuous; implausible; implicate; implication; implicit; implicitly; imply; imposition; impractical; incentive; incidence; inclination; inclined; incompatibility; incompatible; inconclusive; indefinite; indifference; induce; inept; inequality; inevitability2
- Unit 37infallible; infection; infer; inflame; infrequent; inherent; inherently; inhibit; innocuous; innovative; insufficiency; integral; integrity; intensify; intensity; interchangeable; interject; interplay; interpretation; intrinsic; invoke; isolate; isolation2
- Unit 38juncture; juridical; lavish; legislative; lenient; lethargic; levy; link; lucid; magnitude; marginal; maximization; mediate; mediation; methodology; microscopic; misinterpret; misinterpretation; mitigate; mundane; mutual; narrate; negligible; neurology; neutrality; neutron; novel; nuance2
- Unit 39objective; objectivity; obligation; obscure; observe; obsolete; offset; outnumber; outstrip; outweigh; panel; paradigm; paraphrase; participant; peer review; pervasive; phenomenon; pilot study; pivotal; plausible; portray; pose; precede; precedence; precedent2
- Unit 40precipitation; predominant; prerequisite; prestige; presume; presumption; presumptive; prevail; prevalent; proclaim; proficiency; prohibition; prone; proportional; prospective; proton; prototype; provisional; pseudonym; qualitative; quantitative; questionable2
- Unit 41rampant; range; rationale; reasoning; reassess; reassessment; reciprocate; reclusive; redefine; redistribute; redistribution; refine; refinement; reflect; refute; regenerate; regime; regulatory; reinforcement; remit; renewables; replenish; replicable; resolution; resolve2
- Unit 42resonate; respondent; restructure; retain; retention; reversal; reverse; revolutionize; rigid; rigidity; route; rustic; scarce; scenario; schematic; scrutinize; segregate; sequential; signify; sinister; spatial; specimen; spontaneous; spurious2
- Unit 43stance; stark; step up; stereotype; sterilize; strenuous; subordinate; subsequent; subsidiary; subsidy; substitution; subtle; successive; supplementary; surpass; surreal; sustenance; tentative; termination; thematic; theorem; transcribe; transcript; transitional; trivial2
- Unit 44ultimate; unanimous; undergo; unfold; unification; uniform; uniformity; unify; unspecified; unsustainable; uphold; utility; utilization; utilize; validate; vehicle; velocity; vindicate; vindication; virulent; volatile; waive; withdraw; zealous2
FAQs
No. The word lists, audio, and quizzes are free to use without one. An optional account will be added later for extra features, and the core material stays free and open.
CEFR B2 to C1. Units 1 to 24 cover general B2 words and units 25 to 44 cover academic C1 words. If you are below B2, start with the A1 to C1 vocabulary courses first.
American English, in both spelling and example sentences. The A1 to C1 vocabulary courses use British English.
No vocabulary list can promise a score. This course gives you the words the exams are built on; the score depends on your reading, writing, speaking, and exam technique as well.
Yes. All 1,100 words are published as a free 96-page PDF, with no signup.
Instructor
