Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 List
- 2.1 Sublist 1
- 2.2 Sublist 2
- 2.3 Sublist 3
- 2.4 Sublist 4
- 2.5 Sublist 5
- 2.6 Sublist 6
- 2.7 Sublist 7
- 2.8 Sublist 8
- 2.9 Sublist 9
- 2.10 Sublist 10
- 3 Other websites
Introduction
The Academic Word List (AWL) was developed by Averil Coxhead at the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The list contains 570 word families which were selected because they appear with great frequency in a broad range of academic texts. The list does not include words that are in the most frequent 2000 words of English (the General Service List), thus making it specific to academic contexts. The AWL was primarily made so that it could be used by teachers as part of a programme preparing learners for tertiary level study or used by students working alone to learn the words most needed to study at colleges and universities.
The 570 words are divided into 10 sublists. The sublists are ordered such that the words in the first sublist are the most frequent words and those in the last sublist are the least frequent.
List
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 •
Other websites
For more information about the AWL, please see Massey University — New Zealand’s defining university
For more practice with the words from the AWL, please see
- The University of Nottingham
- Using English for Academic Purposes
- Compleat Lexical Tutor
- AWL Exercises Homepage, featuring 170 exercises to learn and review AWL vocabulary in context
The Academic Word List (AWL) is made up of the 570 most common academic words found in academic texts. As you prepare for the test, get into the habit of learning 10 – 15 of these words every week. In this way, you will be better able to understand academic texts and express yourself in academic language.
To help you learn the words on the academic word list, we have built an Android app called Key English | IELTS Vocabulary. We have organized the vocabulary of the Academic Word List from most to least common. The app enables you to play a range of games with academic vocabulary to help you learn and remember the definitions, examples, synonyms, word-types and spelling.
Below is the Academic Word List.
Our Writing Ebooks
Download our FREE academic task 1 and task 2 pdf eBooks. Learn from tasks with model answers and explanatory notes.
Find out more
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 •
overview
Academic Word List – Sublist 1
THERE ARE 60 WORDS IN SUBLIST 1.
Here they are arranged in 12 groups.
See each card to check the different forms of the words &
CLICK each card to learn more about the vocabulary and how it is used.
GROUP 1
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:1
GROUP 2
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:2
GROUP 3
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:3
GROUP 4
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:4
GROUP 5
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:5
GROUP 6
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:6
GROUP 7
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:7
GROUP 8
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:8
GROUP 9
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:9
GROUP 10
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:10
GROUP 11
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:11
GROUP 12
Learn more and practice the vocabulary here.
Vocabulary for IELTS – Academic Word List 1:12
Taken from Coxhead (2000), this list is the first sublist of «specialized vocabulary for learners intending to pursue academic studies in English at the secondary and post-secondary levels.»
57 words
78 learners
Learn words with Flashcards and other activities
Other learning activities
Full list of words from this list:
-
analyze
break down into components or essential features
-
approach
move towards
-
area
the extent of a two-dimensional surface within a boundary
-
assess
estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
-
assume
take to be the case or to be true
-
authority
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
-
available
obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service
-
benefit
something that aids or promotes well-being
-
concept
an abstract or general idea inferred from specific instances
-
consist
have its essential character
-
context
the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation
-
constitute
form or compose
-
contract
a binding agreement that is enforceable by law
-
data
a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
-
define
show the form or outline of
-
derive
come from
-
distribute
give to several people
-
economy
the system of production and distribution and consumption
-
environment
the totality of surrounding conditions
-
establish
set up or found
-
estimate
judge tentatively
-
evident
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
-
factor
anything that contributes causally to a result
-
finance
the commercial activity of providing funds and capital
-
formula
a group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
-
function
what something is used for
-
income
the amount of money one makes over a period of time
-
indicate
designate a place, direction, person, or thing
-
individual
being or characteristic of a single thing or person
-
interpret
make sense of; assign a meaning to
-
involve
contain as a part
-
issue
some situation or event that is thought about
-
labor
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
-
legal
established by or founded upon law or official rules
-
legislate
make laws or bills
-
major
greater in scope or effect
-
method
a way of doing something, especially a systematic way
-
occur
come to pass
-
percent
a proportion in relation to a whole
-
period
an amount of time
-
principle
a basic generalization that is accepted as true
-
proceed
move ahead; travel onward in time or space
-
process
a particular course of action intended to achieve a result
-
policy
a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group
-
require
have need of
-
research
a seeking for knowledge
-
respond
show a reaction to something
-
role
the actions and activities assigned to a person or group
-
section
one of several parts or pieces that fit with others
-
sector
a particular aspect of life or activity
-
significant
rich in implication
-
similar
having the same or nearly the same characteristics
-
source
the place where something begins
-
specific
stated explicitly or in detail
-
structure
a complex entity made of many parts
-
theory
a belief that can guide behavior
-
vary
become different in some particular way
Created on March 28, 2012
(updated March 28, 2012)
The Academic Word List (AWL) was developed by Averil Coxhead of Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand.
The list is divided into 10 sublists of word families and contains 570 words selected because
they appear with great frequency in a broad range of academic texts.
The sublists are ordered such that the words in the first sublist
are the most frequent words and those in the last sublist are the least frequent.
Wiktionary
Academic Word List Spelling Tests
Sublist 1
Sublist 2
Sublist 3
Sublist 4
Sublist 5
Sublist 6
Sublist 7
Sublist 8
Sublist 9
Sublist 10