Academic word list for writing

Some of the most useful vocabulary you need for IELTS essays comes from the Academic Word List. These are 570 of the most common academic words in English and exactly the sort of of words you want for your essays.

What you’ll find in this lesson

What the Academic Word List is

The Academic Word List is a selection of the most common words used in academic writing.

Common words

One key is to see that these words are fairly common. If you want to write an academic style essay for IELTS you really don’t need to learn great long lists of complex vocabulary.

Precise words

Something else to consider is that many of these words have precise meanings. A large part of academic writing is learning to write precisely. Look at these examples from my lesson on change vocabulary Each of these words have a more precise meaning than the general word change.

• adjust
• alter
• amend
• modify

See AWL vocabulary in a model essay

To understand how helpful these words are take a look at this model essay – see what a large percentage of they are.

To understand how useful these words are take a look at this model essay and see how many of these words I use to write it. You should see there are a lot. Why? Because these words are some of the most common words in English.

It is undoubtedly the case that urban areas around the world increasingly suffer from congestion. In this essay, I examine the reasons for this trend and suggest some practical policies the authorities could implement to reduce the level of traffic in our cities.

The first step is to understand why traffic has increased in towns and cities. Broadly speaking, there are three main reasons for this. One is that cars have become more affordable for the average consumer and they are no longer a luxury item, but something that most families expect to own. A second reason is that public transport has become increasingly unreliable in recent years, not least because many bus and train services have been reduced because of the difficulty in funding them. The third reason is that society has in general become more mobile and this means more people are prepared to commute to work by car than they were before.

There is almost certainly no one solution to this problem given the complexity of its causes. However, one option has to be to improve the reliability of public transport to encourage people to take the bus or the train rather than get in the car. It would also be possible to discourage people from driving to work by introducing special tariffs for using the roads, especially during peak periods. A successful example of this is the congestion charge scheme in London which has certainly reduced the level of traffic in inner-city areas.

In conclusion, there are a variety of different factors that have led to rising levels of traffic in urban areas. While it may not be possible to find a complete solution, any action should probably involve encouraging greater use of public transport and making it more expensive for the motorist to drive in urban areas.

How to learn this vocabulary

The meaning of most of the words in the Academic Word List should already be familiar. The challenge in learning them is knowing how to use them. Here it helps to look at word families, collocations and prepositions. To help you do this I publish Daily Word exercises on the front page of my site. You’ll also find weekly review exercises on my IELTS vocabulary page.

Word families

It is much more efficient to learn the different forms of the words for example

• analyse – analysis – analytical – analytically – analyst

This allows you to write more flexibly.

Collocations

You also need to think about which words commonly work together (collocations). These give you chunks of language you can use in your essays. Look at these examples

• make an adjustment
• dramatically alter

Try some Academic Word List exercises

Word forms

To see how it’s helpful to know the different forms of words look at this quick exercise on analysis. It really helps to be able to know and use all these forms of the words.

Transport essay

As you work through this exercise note how I repeat certain words – this is completely normal. These words are the type of words that you are likely to repeat. It is often better to repeat the correct word rather than try and use a new word that is less accurate. Also note how I also alter the form of some words reliable unreliable etc

Resources to learn the Academic Word List

Complete list of words

This is a pdf file of the AWL – you’ll see it’s organised into lists. The list 1 words are most common.

Test your own writing

The AWL Gapmaker and Highlighter from Nottingham University is a tool that shows you which words from the AWL you use in your own writing. You simply paste in your writing and it creates your own gapped text. Cool.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2020 Dominic Cole

Headword    Sublist    Related word forms    analyse 1 analysed, analyser, analysers, analyses, analysing, analysis, analyst, analysts, analytic, analytical, analytically, analyze, analyzed, analyzes, analyzing approach 1 approachable, approached, approaches, approaching, unapproachable area 1 areas assess 1 assessable, assessed, assesses, assessing, assessment, assessments, reassess, reassessed, reassessing, reassessment, unassessed assume 1 assumed, assumes, assuming, assumption, assumptions authority 1 authoritative, authorities available 1 availability, unavailable benefit 1 beneficial, beneficiaries, beneficiary, benefited, benefiting, benefits concept 1 conception, concepts, conceptual, conceptualisation, conceptualise, conceptualised, conceptualises, conceptualising, conceptually consist 1 consisted, consistency, consistent, consistently, consisting, consists, inconsistencies, inconsistency, inconsistent constitute 1 constituencies, constituency, constituent, constituents, constituted, constitutes, constituting, constitution, constitutional, constitutionally, constitutions, constitutive, unconstitutional context 1 contexts, contextual, contextualise, contextualised, contextualising, contextualize, contextualized, contextualizing, uncontextualised, uncontextualized contract 1 contracted, contracting, contractor, contractors, contracts create 1 created, creates, creating, creation, creations, creative, creatively, creativity, creator, creators, recreate, recreated, recreates, recreating data 1 define 1 definable, defined, defines, defining, definition, definitions, redefine, redefined, redefines, redefining, undefined derive 1 derivation, derivations, derivative, derivatives, derived, derives, deriving distribute 1 distributed, distributing, distribution, distributional, distributions, distributive, distributor, distributors, redistribute, redistributed, redistributes, redistributing, redistribution economy 1 economic, economical, economically, economics, economies, economist, economists, uneconomical environment 1 environmental, environmentalist, environmentalists, environmentally, environments establish 1 disestablish, disestablished, disestablishes, disestablishing, disestablishment, established, establishes, establishing, establishment, establishments estimate 1 estimated, estimates, estimating, estimation, estimations, over-estimate, overestimate, overestimated, overestimates, overestimating, underestimate, underestimated, underestimates, underestimating evident 1 evidence, evidenced, evidential, evidently export 1 exported, exporter, exporters, exporting, exports factor 1 factored, factoring, factors finance 1 financed, finances, financial, financially, financier, financiers, financing formula 1 formulae, formulas, formulate, formulated, formulating, formulation, formulations, reformulate, reformulated, reformulating, reformulation, reformulations function 1 functional, functionally, functioned, functioning, functions identify 1 identifiable, identification, identified, identifies, identifying, identities, identity, unidentifiable income 1 incomes indicate 1 indicated, indicates, indicating, indication, indications, indicative, indicator, indicators individual 1 individualised, individualism, individualist, individualistic, individualists, individuality, individually, individuals interpret 1 interpretation, interpretations, interpretative, interpreted, interpreting, interpretive, interprets, misinterpret, misinterpretation, misinterpretations, misinterpreted, misinterpreting, misinterprets, reinterpret, reinterpretation, reinterpretations, reinterpreted, reinterpreting, reinterprets involve 1 involved, involvement, involves, involving, uninvolved issue 1 issued, issues, issuing labour 1 labor, labored, labors, laboured, labouring, labours legal 1 illegal, illegality, illegally, legality, legally legislate 1 legislated, legislates, legislating, legislation, legislative, legislator, legislators, legislature major 1 majorities, majority method 1 methodical, methodological, methodologies, methodology, methods occur 1 occurred, occurrence, occurrences, occurring, occurs, reoccur, reoccurred, reoccurring, reoccurs percent 1 percentage, percentages period 1 periodic, periodical, periodically, periodicals, periods policy 1 policies principle 1 principled, principles, unprincipled proceed 1 procedural, procedure, procedures, proceeded, proceeding, proceedings, proceeds process 1 processed, processes, processing require 1 required, requirement, requirements, requires, requiring research 1 researched, researcher, researchers, researches, researching respond 1 responded, respondent, respondents, responding, responds, response, responses, responsive, responsiveness, unresponsive role 1 roles section 1 sectioned, sectioning, sections sector 1 sectors significant 1 insignificant, insignificantly, significance, significantly, signified, signifies, signify, signifying similar 1 dissimilar, similarities, similarity, similarly source 1 sourced, sources, sourcing specific 1 specifically, specification, specifications, specificity, specifics structure 1 restructure, restructured, restructures, restructuring, structural, structurally, structured, structures, structuring, unstructured theory 1 theoretical, theoretically, theories, theorist, theorists vary 1 invariable, invariably, variability, variable, variables, variably, variance, variant, variants, variation, variations, varied, varies, varying achieve 2 achievable, achieved, achievement, achievements, achieves, achieving acquire 2 acquired, acquires, acquiring, acquisition, acquisitions administrate 2 administrates, administration, administrations, administrative, administratively, administrator, administrators affect 2 affected, affecting, affective, affectively, affects, unaffected appropriate 2 appropriacy, appropriately, appropriateness, inappropriacy, inappropriate, inappropriately aspect 2 aspects assist 2 assistance, assistant, assistants, assisted, assisting, assists, unassisted category 2 categories, categorisation, categorise, categorised, categorises, categorising, categorization, categorized, categorizes, categorizing chapter 2 chapters commission 2 commissioned, commissioner, commissioners, commissioning, commissions community 2 communities complex 2 complexities, complexity compute 2 computable, computation, computational, computations, computed, computer, computerised, computers, computing conclude 2 concluded, concludes, concluding, conclusion, conclusions, conclusive, conclusively, inconclusive, inconclusively conduct 2 conducted, conducting, conducts consequent 2 consequence, consequences, consequently construct 2 constructed, constructing, construction, constructions, constructive, constructs, reconstruct, reconstructed, reconstructing, reconstruction, reconstructs consume 2 consumed, consumer, consumers, consumes, consuming, consumption credit 2 credited, crediting, creditor, creditors, credits culture 2 cultural, culturally, cultured, cultures, uncultured design 2 designed, designer, designers, designing, designs distinct 2 distinction, distinctions, distinctive, distinctively, distinctly, indistinct, indistinctly element 2 elements equate 2 equated, equates, equating, equation, equations evaluate 2 evaluated, evaluates, evaluating, evaluation, evaluations, evaluative, re-evaluate, re-evaluated, re-evaluates, re-evaluating, re-evaluation feature 2 featured, features, featuring final 2 finalise, finalised, finalises, finalising, finality, finalize, finalized, finalizes, finalizing, finally, finals focus 2 focused, focuses, focusing, focussed, focussing, refocus, refocused, refocuses, refocusing, refocussed, refocusses, refocussing impact 2 impacted, impacting, impacts injure 2 injured, injures, injuries, injuring, injury, uninjured institute 2 instituted, institutes, instituting, institution, institutional, institutionalise, institutionalised, institutionalises, institutionalising, institutionalized, institutionalizes, institutionalizing, institutionally, institutions invest 2 invested, investing, investment, investments, investor, investors, invests, reinvest, reinvested, reinvesting, reinvestment, reinvests item 2 itemisation, itemise, itemised, itemises, itemising, items journal 2 journals maintain 2 maintained, maintaining, maintains, maintenance normal 2 abnormal, abnormally, normalisation, normalise, normalised, normalises, normalising, normality, normalization, normalize, normalized, normalizes, normalizing, normally obtain 2 obtainable, obtained, obtaining, obtains, unobtainable participate 2 participant, participants, participated, participates, participating, participation, participatory perceive 2 perceived, perceives, perceiving, perception, perceptions positive 2 positively potential 2 potentially previous 2 previously primary 2 primarily purchase 2 purchased, purchaser, purchasers, purchases, purchasing range 2 ranged, ranges, ranging region 2 regional, regionally, regions regulate 2 deregulated, deregulates, deregulating, deregulation, regulated, regulates, regulating, regulation, regulations, regulator, regulators, regulatory, unregulated relevant 2 irrelevance, irrelevant, relevance reside 2 resided, residence, resident, residential, residents, resides, residing resource 2 resourced, resourceful, resources, resourcing, under-resourced, unresourceful restrict 2 restricted, restricting, restriction, restrictions, restrictive, restrictively, restricts, unrestricted, unrestrictive secure 2 insecure, insecurities, insecurity, secured, securely, secures, securing, securities, security seek 2 seeking, seeks, sought select 2 selected, selecting, selection, selections, selective, selectively, selector, selectors, selects site 2 sites strategy 2 strategic, strategically, strategies, strategist, strategists survey 2 surveyed, surveying, surveys text 2 texts, textual tradition 2 non-traditional, traditional, traditionalist, traditionally, traditions transfer 2 transferable, transference, transferred, transferring, transfers alternative 3 alternatively, alternatives circumstance 3 circumstances comment 3 commentaries, commentary, commentator, commentators, commented, commenting, comments compensate 3 compensated, compensates, compensating, compensation, compensations, compensatory component 3 componentry, components consent 3 consensus, consented, consenting, consents considerable 3 considerably constant 3 constancy, constantly, constants, inconstancy, inconstantly constrain 3 constrained, constraining, constrains, constraint, constraints, unconstrained contribute 3 contributed, contributes, contributing, contribution, contributions, contributor, contributors convene 3 convened, convenes, convening, convention, conventional, conventionally, conventions, unconventional coordinate 3 co-ordinate, co-ordinated, co-ordinates, co-ordinating, co-ordination, co-ordinator, co-ordinators, coordinated, coordinates, coordinating, coordination, coordinator, coordinators core 3 cored, cores, coring corporate 3 corporates, corporation, corporations correspond 3 corresponded, correspondence, corresponding, correspondingly, corresponds criteria 3 criterion deduce 3 deduced, deduces, deducing, deduction, deductions demonstrate 3 demonstrable, demonstrably, demonstrated, demonstrates, demonstrating, demonstration, demonstrations, demonstrative, demonstratively, demonstrator, demonstrators document 3 documentation, documented, documenting, documents dominate 3 dominance, dominant, dominated, dominates, dominating, domination emphasis 3 emphasise, emphasised, emphasising, emphasize, emphasized, emphasizes, emphasizing, emphatic, emphatically ensure 3 ensured, ensures, ensuring exclude 3 excluded, excludes, excluding, exclusion, exclusionary, exclusionist, exclusions, exclusive, exclusively framework 3 frameworks fund 3 funded, funder, funders, funding, funds illustrate 3 illustrated, illustrates, illustrating, illustration, illustrations, illustrative immigrate 3 immigrant, immigrants, immigrated, immigrates, immigrating, immigration imply 3 implied, implies, implying initial 3 initially instance 3 instances interact 3 interacted, interacting, interaction, interactions, interactive, interactively, interacts justify 3 justifiable, justifiably, justification, justifications, justified, justifies, justifying, unjustified layer 3 layered, layering, layers link 3 linkage, linkages, linked, linking, links locate 3 located, locating, location, locations, relocate, relocated, relocates, relocating, relocation maximise 3 max, maximisation, maximised, maximises, maximising, maximization, maximize, maximized, maximizes, maximizing, maximum minor 3 minorities, minority, minors negate 3 negated, negates, negating, negative, negatively, negatives outcome 3 outcomes partner 3 partners, partnership, partnerships philosophy 3 philosopher, philosophers, philosophical, philosophically, philosophies, philosophise, philosophised, philosophises, philosophising, philosophize, philosophized, philosophizes, philosophizing physical 3 physically proportion 3 disproportion, disproportionate, disproportionately, proportional, proportionally, proportionate, proportionately, proportions publish 3 published, publisher, publishers, publishes, publishing, unpublished react 3 reacted, reacting, reaction, reactionaries, reactionary, reactions, reactivate, reactivation, reactive, reactor, reactors, reacts register 3 deregister, deregistered, deregistering, deregisters, deregistration, registered, registering, registers, registration rely 3 reliability, reliable, reliably, reliance, reliant, relied, relies, relying, unreliable remove 3 removable, removal, removals, removed, removes, removing scheme 3 schematic, schematically, schemed, schemes, scheming sequence 3 sequenced, sequences, sequencing, sequential, sequentially sex 3 sexes, sexism, sexual, sexuality, sexually shift 3 shifted, shifting, shifts specify 3 specifiable, specified, specifies, specifying, unspecified sufficient 3 insufficient, insufficiently, sufficiency, sufficiently task 3 tasks technical 3 technically technique 3 techniques technology 3 technological, technologically valid 3 invalidate, invalidity, validate, validated, validating, validation, validity, validly volume 3 volumes access 4 accessed, accesses, accessibility, accessible, accessing, inaccessible adequate 4 adequacy, adequately, inadequacies, inadequacy, inadequate, inadequately annual 4 annually apparent 4 apparently approximate 4 approximated, approximately, approximates, approximating, approximation, approximations attitude 4 attitudes attribute 4 attributable, attributed, attributes, attributing, attribution civil 4 code 4 coded, codes, coding commit 4 commitment, commitments, commits, committed, committing communicate 4 communicable, communicated, communicates, communicating, communication, communications, communicative, communicatively, uncommunicative concentrate 4 concentrated, concentrates, concentrating, concentration confer 4 conference, conferences, conferred, conferring, confers contrast 4 contrasted, contrasting, contrastive, contrasts cycle 4 cycled, cycles, cyclic, cyclical, cycling debate 4 debatable, debated, debates, debating despite 4 dimension 4 dimensional, dimensions, multidimensional domestic 4 domestically, domesticate, domesticated, domesticating, domestics emerge 4 emerged, emergence, emergent, emerges, emerging error 4 erroneous, erroneously, errors ethnic 4 ethnicity goal 4 goals grant 4 granted, granting, grants hence 4 hypothesis 4 hypotheses, hypothesise, hypothesised, hypothesises, hypothesising, hypothesize, hypothesized, hypothesizes, hypothesizing, hypothetical, hypothetically implement 4 implementation, implemented, implementing, implements implicate 4 implicated, implicates, implicating, implication, implications impose 4 imposed, imposes, imposing, imposition integrate 4 integrated, integrates, integrating, integration internal 4 internalise, internalised, internalises, internalising, internalize, internalized, internalizes, internalizing, internally investigate 4 investigated, investigates, investigating, investigation, investigations, investigative, investigator, investigators job 4 jobs label 4 labeled, labeling, labelled, labelling, labels mechanism 4 mechanisms obvious 4 obviously occupy 4 occupancy, occupant, occupants, occupation, occupational, occupations, occupied, occupier, occupiers, occupies, occupying option 4 optional, options output 4 outputs overall 4 parallel 4 paralleled, parallelled, parallelling, parallels, unparalleled parameter 4 parameters phase 4 phased, phases, phasing predict 4 predictability, predictable, predictably, predicted, predicting, prediction, predictions, predicts, unpredictability, unpredictable principal 4 principally prior 4 professional 4 professionalism, professionally, professionals project 4 projected, projecting, projection, projections, projects promote 4 promoted, promoter, promoters, promotes, promoting, promotion, promotions regime 4 regimes resolve 4 resolution, resolved, resolves, resolving, unresolved retain 4 retained, retainer, retainers, retaining, retains, retention, retentive series 4 statistic 4 statistical, statistically, statistician, statisticians, statistics status 4 stress 4 stressed, stresses, stressful, stressing, unstressed subsequent 4 subsequently sum 4 summation, summed, summing, sums summary 4 summaries, summarisation, summarisations, summarise, summarised, summarises, summarising, summarization, summarizations, summarize, summarized, summarizes, summarizing undertake 4 undertaken, undertakes, undertaking, undertook academy 5 academia, academic, academically, academics, academies adjust 5 adjusted, adjusting, adjustment, adjustments, adjusts, readjust, readjusted, readjusting, readjustment, readjustments, readjusts alter 5 alterable, alteration, alterations, altered, altering, alternate, alternating, alters, unalterable, unaltered amend 5 amended, amending, amendment, amendments, amends aware 5 awareness, unaware capacity 5 capacities, incapacitate, incapacitated challenge 5 challenged, challenger, challengers, challenges, challenging clause 5 clauses compound 5 compounded, compounding, compounds conflict 5 conflicted, conflicting, conflicts consult 5 consultancy, consultant, consultants, consultation, consultations, consultative, consulted, consulting, consults contact 5 contactable, contacted, contacting, contacts decline 5 declined, declines, declining discrete 5 discretely, discretion, discretionary, indiscrete, indiscretion draft 5 drafted, drafting, drafts, redraft, redrafted, redrafting, redrafts enable 5 enabled, enables, enabling energy 5 energetic, energetically, energies enforce 5 enforced, enforcement, enforces, enforcing entity 5 entities equivalent 5 equivalence evolve 5 evolution, evolutionary, evolutionist, evolutionists, evolved, evolves, evolving expand 5 expanded, expanding, expands, expansion, expansionism, expansive expose 5 exposed, exposes, exposing, exposure, exposures external 5 externalisation, externalise, externalised, externalises, externalising, externality, externalization, externalize, externalized, externalizes, externalizing, externally facilitate 5 facilitated, facilitates, facilitating, facilitation, facilitator, facilitators, facilities, facility fundamental 5 fundamentally generate 5 generated, generates, generating generation 5 generations image 5 imagery, images liberal 5 liberalisation, liberalise, liberalised, liberalises, liberalising, liberalism, liberalization, liberalize, liberalized, liberalizes, liberalizing, liberally, liberate, liberated, liberates, liberating, liberation, liberations, liberator, liberators licence 5 licences, license, licensed, licenses, licensing, unlicensed logic 5 illogical, illogically, logical, logically, logician, logicians margin 5 marginal, marginally, margins medical 5 medically mental 5 mentality, mentally modify 5 modification, modifications, modified, modifies, modifying, unmodified monitor 5 monitored, monitoring, monitors, unmonitored network 5 networked, networking, networks notion 5 notions objective 5 objectively, objectivity orient 5 orientate, orientated, orientates, orientating, orientation, oriented, orienting, orients, reorient, reorientation perspective 5 perspectives precise 5 imprecise, precisely, precision prime 5 primacy psychology 5 psychological, psychologically, psychologist, psychologists pursue 5 pursued, pursues, pursuing, pursuit, pursuits ratio 5 ratios reject 5 rejected, rejecting, rejection, rejections, rejects revenue 5 revenues stable 5 instability, stabilisation, stabilise, stabilised, stabilises, stabilising, stability, stabilization, stabilize, stabilized, stabilizes, stabilizing, unstable style 5 styled, styles, styling, stylise, stylised, stylises, stylish, stylising, stylize, stylized, stylizes, stylizing substitute 5 substituted, substitutes, substituting, substitution sustain 5 sustainability, sustainable, sustained, sustaining, sustains, sustenance, unsustainable symbol 5 symbolic, symbolically, symbolise, symbolised, symbolises, symbolising, symbolism, symbolize, symbolized, symbolizes, symbolizing, symbols target 5 targeted, targeting, targets transit 5 transited, transiting, transition, transitional, transitions, transitory, transits trend 5 trends version 5 versions welfare 5 whereas 5 abstract 6 abstraction, abstractions, abstractly, abstracts accurate 6 accuracy, accurately, inaccuracies, inaccuracy, inaccurate acknowledge 6 acknowledged, acknowledgement, acknowledgements, acknowledges, acknowledging aggregate 6 aggregated, aggregates, aggregating, aggregation allocate 6 allocated, allocates, allocating, allocation, allocations assign 6 assigned, assigning, assignment, assignments, assigns, reassign, reassigned, reassigning, reassigns, unassigned attach 6 attached, attaches, attaching, attachment, attachments, unattached author 6 authored, authoring, authors, authorship bond 6 bonded, bonding, bonds brief 6 brevity, briefed, briefing, briefly, briefs capable 6 capabilities, capability, incapable cite 6 citation, citations, cited, cites, citing cooperate 6 co-operate, co-operated, co-operates, co-operation, co-operative, co-operatively, cooperated, cooperates, cooperating, cooperation, cooperative, cooperatively discriminate 6 discriminated, discriminates, discriminating, discrimination display 6 displayed, displaying, displays diverse 6 diversely, diversification, diversified, diversifies, diversify, diversifying, diversity domain 6 domains edit 6 edited, editing, edition, editions, editor, editorial, editorials, editors, edits enhance 6 enhanced, enhancement, enhances, enhancing estate 6 estates exceed 6 exceeded, exceeding, exceeds expert 6 expertise, expertly, experts explicit 6 explicitly federal 6 federation, federations fee 6 fees flexible 6 flexibility, inflexibility, inflexible furthermore 6 gender 6 genders ignorant 6 ignorance, ignore, ignored, ignores, ignoring incentive 6 incentives incidence 6 incident, incidentally, incidents incorporate 6 incorporated, incorporates, incorporating, incorporation index 6 indexed, indexes, indexing inhibit 6 inhibited, inhibiting, inhibition, inhibitions, inhibits initiate 6 initiated, initiates, initiating, initiation, initiations, initiative, initiatives, initiator, initiators input 6 inputs instruct 6 instructed, instructing, instruction, instructions, instructive, instructor, instructors, instructs intelligent 6 intelligence, intelligently, unintelligent interval 6 intervals lecture 6 lectured, lecturer, lecturers, lectures, lecturing migrate 6 migrant, migrants, migrated, migrates, migrating, migration, migrations, migratory minimum 6 ministry 6 ministered, ministerial, ministering, ministries motive 6 motivate, motivated, motivates, motivating, motivation, motivations, motives, unmotivated neutral 6 neutralisation, neutralise, neutralised, neutralises, neutralising, neutrality, neutralization, neutralize, neutralized, neutralizes, neutralizing nevertheless 6 overseas 6 precede 6 preceded, precedence, precedent, precedes, preceding, unprecedented presume 6 presumably, presumed, presumes, presuming, presumption, presumptions, presumptuous rational 6 irrational, rationalisation, rationalisations, rationalise, rationalised, rationalises, rationalising, rationalism, rationality, rationalization, rationalizations, rationalize, rationalized, rationalizes, rationally recover 6 recoverable, recovered, recovering, recovers, recovery reveal 6 revealed, revealing, reveals, revelation, revelations scope 6 subsidy 6 subsidiary, subsidies, subsidise, subsidised, subsidises, subsidising, subsidize, subsidized, subsidizes, subsidizing tape 6 taped, tapes, taping trace 6 traceable, traced, traces, tracing transform 6 transformation, transformations, transformed, transforming, transforms transport 6 transportation, transported, transporter, transporters, transporting, transports underlie 6 underlay, underlies, underlying utilise 6 utilisation, utilised, utiliser, utilisers, utilises, utilising, utilities, utility, utilization, utilize, utilized, utilizes, utilizing adapt 7 adaptability, adaptable, adaptation, adaptations, adapted, adapting, adaptive, adapts adult 7 adulthood, adults advocate 7 advocacy, advocated, advocates, advocating aid 7 aided, aiding, aids, unaided channel 7 channelled, channelling, channels chemical 7 chemically, chemicals classic 7 classical, classics comprehensive 7 comprehensively comprise 7 comprised, comprises, comprising confirm 7 confirmation, confirmed, confirming, confirms contrary 7 contrarily convert 7 conversion, conversions, converted, convertible, converting, converts couple 7 coupled, couples, coupling decade 7 decades definite 7 definitely, definitive, indefinite, indefinitely deny 7 deniable, denial, denials, denied, denies, denying, undeniable differentiate 7 differentiated, differentiates, differentiating, differentiation dispose 7 disposable, disposal, disposed, disposes, disposing dynamic 7 dynamically, dynamics eliminate 7 eliminated, eliminates, eliminating, elimination empirical 7 empirically, empiricism equip 7 equipment, equipped, equipping, equips extract 7 extracted, extracting, extraction, extracts file 7 filed, files, filing finite 7 infinite, infinitely foundation 7 foundations globe 7 global, globalisation, globalization, globally grade 7 graded, grades, grading guarantee 7 guaranteed, guaranteeing, guarantees hierarchy 7 hierarchical, hierarchies identical 7 identically ideology 7 ideological, ideologically, ideologies infer 7 inference, inferences, inferred, inferring, infers innovate 7 innovated, innovates, innovating, innovation, innovations, innovative, innovator, innovators insert 7 inserted, inserting, insertion, inserts intervene 7 intervened, intervenes, intervening, intervention, interventions isolate 7 isolated, isolates, isolating, isolation, isolationism media 7 mode 7 modes paradigm 7 paradigms phenomenon 7 phenomena, phenomenal priority 7 priorities, prioritisation, prioritise, prioritised, prioritises, prioritising, prioritization, prioritize, prioritized, prioritizes, prioritizing prohibit 7 prohibited, prohibiting, prohibition, prohibitions, prohibitive, prohibits publication 7 publications quote 7 quotation, quotations, quoted, quotes, quoting release 7 released, releases, releasing reverse 7 irreversible, reversal, reversals, reversed, reverses, reversible, reversing simulate 7 simulated, simulates, simulating, simulation sole 7 solely somewhat 7 submit 7 submission, submissions, submits, submitted, submitting successor 7 succession, successions, successive, successively, successors survive 7 survival, survived, survives, surviving, survivor, survivors thesis 7 theses topic 7 topical, topics transmit 7 transmission, transmissions, transmits, transmitted, transmitting ultimate 7 ultimately unique 7 uniquely, uniqueness visible 7 invisibility, invisible, visibility, visibly voluntary 7 voluntarily, volunteer, volunteered, volunteering, volunteers abandon 8 abandoned, abandoning, abandonment, abandons accompany 8 accompanied, accompanies, accompaniment, accompanying, unaccompanied accumulate 8 accumulated, accumulates, accumulating, accumulation ambiguous 8 ambiguities, ambiguity, unambiguous, unambiguously append 8 appended, appendices, appending, appendix, appendixes, appends appreciate 8 appreciable, appreciably, appreciated, appreciates, appreciating, appreciation, unappreciated arbitrary 8 arbitrarily, arbitrariness automate 8 automated, automates, automatic, automatically, automating, automation bias 8 biased, biases, biasing, unbiased chart 8 charted, charting, charts, uncharted clarify 8 clarification, clarified, clarifies, clarifying, clarity commodity 8 commodities complement 8 complementary, complemented, complementing, complements conform 8 conformability, conformable, conformance, conformation, conformed, conforming, conformist, conformists, conformity, conforms, non-conformist, non-conformists, non-conformity, nonconformist, nonconformists, nonconformity contemporary 8 contemporaries contradict 8 contradicted, contradicting, contradiction, contradictions, contradictory, contradicts crucial 8 crucially currency 8 currencies denote 8 denotation, denotations, denoted, denotes, denoting detect 8 detectable, detected, detecting, detection, detective, detectives, detector, detectors, detects deviate 8 deviated, deviates, deviating, deviation, deviations displace 8 displaced, displacement, displaces, displacing drama 8 dramas, dramatic, dramatically, dramatisation, dramatisations, dramatise, dramatised, dramatises, dramatising, dramatist, dramatists, dramatization, dramatizations, dramatize, dramatized, dramatizes, dramatizing eventual 8 eventuality, eventually exhibit 8 exhibited, exhibiting, exhibition, exhibitions, exhibits exploit 8 exploitation, exploited, exploiting, exploits fluctuate 8 fluctuated, fluctuates, fluctuating, fluctuation, fluctuations guideline 8 guidelines highlight 8 highlighted, highlighting, highlights implicit 8 implicitly induce 8 induced, induces, inducing, induction inevitable 8 inevitability, inevitably infrastructure 8 infrastructures inspect 8 inspected, inspecting, inspection, inspections, inspector, inspectors, inspects intense 8 intensely, intenseness, intensification, intensified, intensifies, intensify, intensifying, intension, intensity, intensive, intensively manipulate 8 manipulated, manipulates, manipulating, manipulation, manipulations, manipulative minimise 8 minimised, minimises, minimising, minimize, minimized, minimizes, minimizing nuclear 8 offset 8 offsets, offsetting paragraph 8 paragraphing, paragraphs plus 8 pluses practitioner 8 practitioners predominant 8 predominance, predominantly, predominate, predominated, predominates, predominating prospect 8 prospective, prospects radical 8 radically, radicals random 8 randomly, randomness reinforce 8 reinforced, reinforcement, reinforcements, reinforces, reinforcing restore 8 restoration, restored, restores, restoring revise 8 revised, revises, revising, revision, revisions schedule 8 reschedule, rescheduled, reschedules, rescheduling, scheduled, schedules, scheduling, unscheduled tense 8 tensely, tenser, tensest, tension, tensions terminate 8 terminal, terminals, terminated, terminates, terminating, termination, terminations theme 8 thematic, thematically, themes thereby 8 uniform 8 uniformity, uniformly vehicle 8 vehicles via 8 virtual 8 virtually visual 8 visualisation, visualise, visualised, visualising, visualization, visualize, visualized, visualizing, visually widespread 8 accommodate 9 accommodated, accommodates, accommodating, accommodation analogy 9 analogies, analogous anticipate 9 anticipated, anticipates, anticipating, anticipation, unanticipated assure 9 assurance, assurances, assured, assuredly, assures, assuring attain 9 attainable, attained, attaining, attainment, attainments, attains, unattainable behalf 9 bulk 9 bulky cease 9 ceased, ceaseless, ceases, ceasing coherent 9 coherence, coherently, incoherent, incoherently coincide 9 coincided, coincidence, coincidences, coincident, coincidental, coincides, coinciding commence 9 commenced, commencement, commences, commencing, recommenced, recommences, recommencing compatible 9 compatibility, incompatibility, incompatible concurrent 9 concurrently confine 9 confined, confines, confining, unconfined controversy 9 controversial, controversially, controversies, uncontroversial converse 9 conversely device 9 devices devote 9 devoted, devotedly, devotes, devoting, devotion, devotions diminish 9 diminished, diminishes, diminishing, diminution, undiminished distort 9 distorted, distorting, distortion, distortions, distorts duration 9 erode 9 eroded, erodes, eroding, erosion ethic 9 ethical, ethically, ethics, unethical format 9 formats, formatted, formatting found 9 founded, founder, founders, founding, unfounded inherent 9 inherently insight 9 insightful, insights integral 9 intermediate 9 manual 9 manually, manuals mature 9 immature, immaturity, maturation, maturational, matured, matures, maturing, maturity mediate 9 mediated, mediates, mediating, mediation medium 9 military 9 minimal 9 minimalisation, minimalise, minimalised, minimalises, minimalising, minimalist, minimalistic, minimalists, minimalization, minimalize, minimalized, minimalizes, minimalizing, minimally mutual 9 mutually norm 9 norms overlap 9 overlapped, overlapping, overlaps passive 9 passively, passivity portion 9 portions preliminary 9 preliminaries protocol 9 protocols qualitative 9 qualitatively refine 9 refined, refinement, refinements, refines, refining relax 9 relaxation, relaxed, relaxes, relaxing restrain 9 restrained, restraining, restrains, restraint, restraints, unrestrained revolution 9 revolutionaries, revolutionary, revolutionise, revolutionised, revolutionises, revolutionising, revolutionist, revolutionists, revolutionize, revolutionized, revolutionizes, revolutionizing, revolutions rigid 9 rigidities, rigidity, rigidly route 9 routed, routes, routing scenario 9 scenarios sphere 9 spheres, spherical, spherically subordinate 9 subordinates, subordination supplement 9 supplementary, supplemented, supplementing, supplements suspend 9 suspended, suspending, suspends, suspension team 9 teamed, teaming, teams temporary 9 temporarily trigger 9 triggered, triggering, triggers unify 9 unification, unified, unifies, unifying violate 9 violated, violates, violating, violation, violations vision 9 visions adjacent 10 albeit 10 assemble 10 assembled, assembles, assemblies, assembling, assembly collapse 10 collapsed, collapses, collapsible, collapsing colleague 10 colleagues compile 10 compilation, compilations, compiled, compiles, compiling conceive 10 conceivable, conceivably, conceived, conceives, conceiving, inconceivable, inconceivably convince 10 convinced, convinces, convincing, convincingly, unconvinced depress 10 depressed, depresses, depressing, depression encounter 10 encountered, encountering, encounters enormous 10 enormity, enormously forthcoming 10 incline 10 inclination, inclinations, inclined, inclines, inclining integrity 10 intrinsic 10 intrinsically invoke 10 invoked, invokes, invoking levy 10 levies likewise 10 nonetheless 10 notwithstanding 10 odd 10 odds ongoing 10 panel 10 panelled, panelling, panels persist 10 persisted, persistence, persistent, persistently, persisting, persists pose 10 posed, poses, posing reluctance 10 reluctant, reluctantly so-called 10 straightforward 10 undergo 10 undergoes, undergoing, undergone, underwent whereby 10

A List of Academic Vocabulary for IELTS Writing & Speaking

Learning Academic Vocabulary are essential to achieve a high band score in the IELTS Writing test, as well as to improve IELTS listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. Master essay vocabulary, graph vocabulary and speaking academic vocabulary with this IELTS academic word list.

It is ideal for all IELTS candidates who does not want to waste time on researching and learning new vocabulary in the traditional way. This Academic Word list will make your learning more efficient with less of your own effort.

Good luck in your IELTS exam and bear in mind that hard work will pay off if you stay focused.

DOWNLOAD ACADEMIC WORD LIST FOR IELTS (PDF)

Academic Word List for IELTS Writing & Speaking

Sublist 1

sector • available • financial • process • individual • specific • principle • estimate • variables • method • data • research • contract • environment • export • source • assessment • policy •identified • create • derived • factors • procedure • definition • assume • theory • benefit • evidence • established • authority • major • issues • labour • occur • economic • involved • percent• interpretation • consistent • income • structure • legal • concept • formula • section • required • constitutional • analysis • distribution • function • area • approach • role • legislation •indicate • response • period • context • significant • similar •

Sublist 2

community • resident • range • construction • strategies • elements • previous • conclusion • security • aspects • acquisition • features • text • commission • regulations • computer • items• consumer • achieve • final • positive • evaluation • assistance • normal • relevant • distinction • region • traditional • impact • consequences • chapter • equation • appropriate • resources •participation • survey • potential • cultural • transfer • select •credit • affect • categories • perceived • sought • focus • purchase • injury • site • journal • primary • complex • institute •investment • administration • maintenance • design • obtained • restricted • conduct

Sublist 3

comments • convention • published • framework • implies • negative • dominant • illustrated • outcomes • constant • shift • deduction • ensure • specified • justification • funds • reliance •physical • partnership • location • link • coordination • alternative • initial • validity • task • techniques • excluded • consent • proportion • demonstrate • reaction • criteria • minorities •technology • philosophy • removed • sex • compensation • sequence • corresponding • maximum • circumstances • instance • considerable • sufficient • corporate • interaction •contribution • immigration • component • constraints • technical • emphasis • scheme • layer • volume • document • registered • core •

Sublist 4

overall • emerged • regime • implementation • project • hence • occupational • internal • goals • retained • sum • integration • mechanism • parallel • imposed • despite • job • parameters •approximate • label • concentration • principal • series • predicted • summary • attitudes • undertaken • cycle • communication • ethnic • hypothesis • professional • status • conference •attributed • annual • obvious • error • implications • apparent • commitment • subsequent • debate • dimensions • promote • statistics • option • domestic • output • access • code •investigation • phase • prior • granted • stress • civil • contrast • resolution • adequate •

Sublist 5

alter • stability • energy • aware • licence • enforcement • draft • styles • precise • medical • pursue • symbolic • marginal • capacity • generation • exposure • decline • academic • modified• external • psychology • fundamental • adjustment • ratio • whereas • enable • version • perspective • contact • network • facilitate • welfare • transition • amendment • logic • rejected •expansion • clause • prime • target • objective • sustainable • equivalent • liberal • notion • substitution • generated • trend • revenue • compounds • evolution • conflict • image • discretion •entities • orientation • consultation • mental • monitoring • challenge •

Sublist 6

intelligence • transformation • presumption • acknowledged • utility • furthermore • accurate • diversity • attached • recovery • assigned • tapes • motivation • bond • edition • nevertheless •transport • cited • fees • scope • enhanced • incorporated • instructions • subsidiary • input • abstract • ministry • capable • expert • preceding • display • incentive • inhibition • trace •ignored • incidence • estate • cooperative • revealed • index • lecture • discrimination • overseas • explicit • aggregate • gender • underlying • brief • domain • rational • minimum • interval •neutral • migration • flexibility • federal • author • initiatives • allocation • exceed •

Sublist 7

intervention • confirmed • definite • classical • chemical • voluntary • release • visible • finite • publication • channel • file • thesis • equipment • disposal • solely • deny • identical • submitted • grade • phenomenon • paradigm • ultimately • extract • survive • converted •  transmission • global • inferred • guarantee • advocate • dynamic • simulation • topic • insert •reverse • decades • comprise • hierarchical • unique • comprehensive • couple • mode • differentiation • eliminate • priority • empirical • ideology • somewhat • aid • foundation • adults •adaptation • quotation • contrary • media • successive • innovation • prohibited • isolated •

Sublist 8

highlighted • eventually • inspection • termination • displacement • arbitrary • reinforced • denote • offset • exploitation • detected • abandon • random • revision • virtually • uniform •predominantly • thereby • implicit • tension • ambiguous • vehicle • clarity • conformity • contemporary • automatically • accumulation • appendix • widespread • infrastructure • deviation •fluctuations • restore • guidelines • commodity • minimises •practitioners • radical • plus • visual • chart • appreciation • prospect • dramatic • contradiction • currency • inevitably •complement • accompany • paragraph • induced • schedule • intensity • crucial • via • exhibit • bias • manipulation • theme • nuclear •

Sublist 9

bulk • behalf • unified • commenced • erosion • anticipated • minimal • ceases • vision • mutual • norms • intermediate • manual • supplementary • incompatible • concurrent • ethical •preliminary • integral • conversely • relaxed • confined • accommodation • temporary • distorted • passive • subordinate • analogous • military • scenario • revolution • diminished •coherence • suspended • mature • assurance • rigid • controversy • sphere • mediation • format • trigger • qualitative • portion • medium • coincide • violation • device • insights • refine •devoted • team • overlap • attained • restraints • inherent • route • protocol • founded • duration •

Sublist 10

whereby • inclination • encountered • convinced • assembly • albeit • enormous • reluctant • posed • persistent • undergo • notwithstanding • straightforward • panel • odd • intrinsic •compiled • adjacent • integrity • forthcoming • conceived • ongoing • so-called • likewise • nonetheless • levy • invoked • colleagues • depression • collapse •

IELTS Academic word list. A worksheet to enhance vocabulary to improve speaking, writing and reading skills

IELTS Academic word list

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Vocabulary plays an important role in everyone’s life and with this PDF we would like to help you enhance your vocabulary to improve speaking and writing skills.

Vocabulary is equally important for reading and writing. By knowing a lot of prevalent words you will understand the reading texts better. Moreover, vocabulary is one of the four marking criteria used to assess you IELTS writing. So one of the secrets of a successful essay is a broad range of vocabulary.

Simply memorizing the words is not enough: you need to know how to adopt the words in your writing.

In this PDF you will find several topics . These words will help you write about the topic or talk about it in the test.

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Here is the word list:

List 1

Words 1-10	Words 11-20	Words 21-30	Words 31-40	Words 41-50
achieve administration affect analysis approach appropriate area aspects assistance assume	authority available benefit category community complex concerning conclusion conduct  consequence	consistent constitutional consumer context create culture data definition destructive discovery	distinction economic element environment error equation establish estimate evaluation evidence	factors feature final financial focus function global identify impact income
Words 51-60	Words 61-70	Words 71-80	Words 81-90	Words 91-100
indicate individual injury investment involve issue item legal maintenance major	media method modern normal obtain restrict occur participation percent period	policy positive potential previous primary process purchase range recent region	regulations relevant require research resident resources response sector security significant	similar solution source specific strategy structure theory threat traditional transport

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List 2

Words 1-10	Words 11-20	Words 21-30	Words 31-40	Words 41-50
access activity alter alternative amendment annual apparent application approximate artificial	attitude aware capacity challenge  circumstance comment communication concentration conflict considerable	constant contact contribution core correspond criteria cycle debate decline deduction	demonstrate despite dimension domestic dominant emerge emphasis enable energy enforcement	ensure equivalent evolution exclude exposure external facilitate fundamental funds generation
Words 51-60	Words 61-70	Words 71-80	Words 81-90	Words 91-100
hence hypothesis illustrate image immigration implement initial integration layer legislation	location logic marginal maximum mechanism medical mental modification negative network	occupation option orientation outcome overall parallel perspective philosophy precise predict	project promote proportion psychology reaction remove resolution specify stability subsequent	sufficient summary supply task technique technology transition trend version volume

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List 3

Words 1-10	Words 11-20	Words 21-30	Words 31-40	Words 41-50
abstract accurate acknowledge adaptation adequate adjust adult advocate aid attribute	author brief capable civil classical comprehensive  contrary coordination couple decades	definite deny discrimination disposal diversity domain dynamic eliminate equipment estate	exceed expansion expert fees flexibility foundation gender global grade guarantee	identical ignorance imply incentive incorporated index infrastructure inhibition innovation instance
Words 51-60	Words 61-70	Words 71-80	Words 81-90	Words 91-100
instruction intelligence interact interval investigation isolated justification lecture liberal migration	minimum monitoring motivation neutral obvious overseas parameter phenomenon prohibit publish	pursue rational recovery reject release reveal role satisfy scope sequence	simulation solely somewhat status stress style substitution successive survey survive	sustainable symbolic topic trace transformation ultimate underline unique utility visible

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List 4

Words 1-10	Words 11-20	Words 21-30	Words 31-40	Words 41-50
accommodation accompany advance analogous anticipate appendix appreciate arbitrary assure automatically	behalf bias cease chart clarity coherence coincide commodity confirm contemporary	contradict controversy conversely cooperate crucial currency denote detect deviation device	devote differentiation diminish displacement display distorted dramatic duration ethical eventually	exhibit explicit exploitation extract federal fluctuations format founded guidelines highlighted
Words 51-60	Words 61-70	Words 71-80	Words 81-90	Words 91-100
implicit incompatible induce inevitably inherent intensity intermediate internal manual mature	medium military mutual norms notion nuclear objective paragraph passive perceive	portion precede predominantly priority prospect qualitative radical random reinforce relax	revision revolution scenario schedule sphere suspended target team temporary tension	theme thereby uniform validity vehicle via violation virtual vision widespread

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List 5

Words 1-10	Words 11-20	Words 21-30	Words 31-40	Words 41-50
abandon abate abrupt accumulation acquisition adjacent aggregate albeit ambiguous ancestor	assembly assessment assign attain avert coal collapse colleagues combat commit	compile complement comprise conceive concurrent confined conform confuse consciousness convinced	creditable deceive depression derive distribution divergent doubt drastic election empirical	encounter enhance enormous entirely entrepreneur erosion forbearance forthcoming frustration goal
Words 51-60	Words 61-70	Words 71-80	Words 81-90	Words 91-100
homogenous inclination indulge infer initiative insight inspection integral intervention intrinsic	invoke justify likewise link manage manipulation merge nonetheless notwithstanding odd	ongoing overlap persistent pose possess preliminary presumption ratio refine relate	reluctant restore restraint rigid route sacrifice scale so-called straightforward subordinate	substantiate supplementary sympathy termination transmission undergo unify vital voluntary whereby

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