Topics / Academic Vocabulary
Academic English Vocabulary
Essays, lectures, and the words you need for research, argument, and university work. 118 words, A1 to C1.
118 words
Essays and Writing
AcademicB2Connected with education, schools, or study, not with practical work.“She wants an academic career, not a business one.”EssayA2A short piece of writing on a subject, often for school or college.“I have to write an essay about my hometown.”ParagraphA2A group of sentences about one idea in a piece of writing.“Write one paragraph about your last holiday.”SentenceA1A group of words that makes a complete idea.“Write five sentences in your notebook.”WordA1A unit of language with meaning, spoken or written.“How do you spell that word?”VocabularyA2The words that a person knows, or the words of a language.“Reading every day helps you grow your vocabulary.”GrammarA2The rules for how words work in a language.“This lesson practises grammar and vocabulary.”PunctuationB2Marks such as commas, full stops, and question marks in writing (usually uncountable).“Faulty punctuation changed the legal meaning in the source clause.”SpellA1To say or write the letters of a word in the right order.“How do you spell your name?”DraftB1A first version of a piece of writing that you will change later.“Send me a draft of your essay by Wednesday so I can comment.”ReviseB1To study again something you have learned, especially before an exam (UK).“I need to revise biology before Friday’s mock exam.”OutlineB1A short description of the main points, without detail.“Write a short outline before you start the IELTS Task 2 essay.”SummaryB1A short version of the main points of something.“Write a one-paragraph summary; do not copy the source.”SummariseC1To give a short statement of the main points (British spelling).“Summarise the n in the abstract; do not summarise it away.”IntroductionB1The opening of a book or talk; also the act of bringing something in for the first time.“Your introduction should state the question, not tell your life story.”ConclusionB1A final decision or opinion after thinking, or the end of a piece of writing.“The conclusion of the report is clear.”HeadingA2A title at the top of a piece of writing.“Write a clear heading on your essay.”FootnoteC1A note at the bottom of a page; also a minor extra detail.“A footnote is not an n; put the count in the cell.”AppendixB2Extra material at the end of a book, or a small organ in the body (not only extra pages).“The tables are in the appendix at the back of the book.”GlossaryC1An alphabetical list of specialist terms with short definitions, usually at the back of a text.“A glossary in the handbook is not a substitute for a worked example of the n.”ParaphraseB1To say or write the same idea in different words.“In the exam, paraphrase the question; do not copy it word for word.”CiteB2To mention a book, person, or fact as support for what you say.“Cite your sources at the end of the essay.”CitationC1A quotation or reference to a source, or an official mention of someone.“Every claim in the essay needs a citation.”QuoteB2To repeat someone else’s exact words; also to give a price for a job.“Do not quote the question word for word in your introduction.”QuotationB2Words copied from a text or speech; also a formal price offered for a job (a quotation for).“Every quotation in the essay needs a citation.”ReferenceB2A mention of a source; also a letter about someone’s work, or a number that identifies something.“A hanging reference with no citation in the text still loses marks.”SourceB1The place, person, or thing that something comes from.“The internet is a useful source of information.”EvidenceB1Facts or information that show something is true.“There is no evidence that the story is true.”ArgumentB1An angry disagreement, or a reason given to support an opinion.“They had an argument about the budget.”ClaimB1To say that something is true, often without proof.“He claimed he had never seen the bag.”PointA2An idea in a discussion, a mark in a game, or the sharp end of something.“That is a good point; I had not thought of it.”ReasonB1A fact that explains why something happens or why you do it.“The reason for the delay was the rain.”ExampleA1Something you show to explain an idea.“This sentence is an example.”HighlightB1To emphasise something so that people notice it.“The report highlighted the need for more teachers.”SubmitC1To send a document for a decision; also to accept a higher authority.“Submit the ethics form before you recruit; a hallway yes is not a filing.”DeadlineB1A time or date by which something must be finished.“The deadline for the application is Friday at noon.”ExtensionB1Extra time; also an extra part of a building or a phone line.“Apply for an extension before the dissertation deadline, not after.”PresentationB2A talk with slides; also the way something looks, or the act of giving something formally.“Marks for presentation are not marks for analysis, the rubric said.”DiagramB1A simple drawing that shows how something works or is organised.“Label the diagram of the water cycle in the science paper.”
Study Skills and Research
LectureB1A talk to a group of students about a subject.“The lecture starts at nine.”SeminarB1A university class in which a small group discusses a subject with a teacher.“Attendance at the Friday seminar is compulsory for first-year students.”ModuleB1One unit of a course that is taught and assessed separately.“This module is assessed by coursework, not a final exam.”AssignmentB2A piece of work given to you as part of a job or course.“The first assignment is a short essay.”CourseworkB1Work that students complete during a course, not in a final exam.“Half of the final mark comes from coursework, not the exam.”DissertationB2A long piece of academic writing on a subject, especially for a degree.“Her dissertation examined housing policy in two northern cities.”ThesisC1A long piece of writing on a subject, done for a university degree.“She is writing her thesis this year.”ResearchB1Careful study to find out new facts.“Her research is on how people learn words.”AnalyseB2To examine something in detail in order to understand it.“We analysed the results of the survey.”AnalysisB1A detailed study of something in order to understand it.“The analysis of the survey showed a fall in satisfaction.”EvaluateB2To judge how good, useful, or successful something is.“We need to evaluate this method.”DiscussA2To talk about something with other people, usually to share ideas.“Let’s discuss the homework in class.”CompareA2To look at two things to see how they are similar or different.“Compare these two answers and choose the better one.”ContrastB1A clear difference between two people or things.“There is a sharp contrast between the two reports.”DefineB1To say exactly what a word or idea means; also to show the limits of something.“Define your terms in the first paragraph of the essay.”ExplainA2To make something clear so that people understand it.“Can you explain this word in simple English?”DescribeA2To say what someone or something is like.“Can you describe the man you saw?”IllustrateB2To explain something by giving examples or pictures.“This story illustrates the problem well.”InterpretB2To explain the meaning of something, or to understand it in a particular way.“How do you interpret this graph?”CriticalB2Extremely important; also saying what is wrong; also involving careful judgement.“Timing is critical on the listening paper; you cannot rewind.”TheoryB1An idea that explains how or why something happens.“In theory the plan should work.”HypothesisB2An idea that you test to see if it is true.“Our hypothesis was that sleep improves memory.”MethodB1A particular way of doing something.“This method of study works for me.”MethodologyC1A system of methods used in study or work.“The paper explains its methodology clearly.”DataB1Facts or figures used for analysis (usually uncountable in UK news and exams).“The exam board published data on remark requests.”ResultB1Something that happens because of an action or event.“The result of the test comes on Friday.”JournalB1A serious magazine for a profession or academic subject; also a diary.“The research was published in a medical journal.”ArticleB1A piece of writing in a newspaper or magazine.“She wrote an article about climate change.”LiteratureB1Written works such as novels and plays; also published research on a subject (uncountable).“Check the literature before you repeat the experiment.”ScholarC1A person who studies a subject in depth, usually at a high academic level.“A scholar on the panel still has to declare the funding source in the minute.”ReviewA2A report giving an opinion of a book, film, or product.“The film got a good review in the newspaper.”StatisticB1A fact or number taken from a study of a large amount of information.“One statistic in the report showed a fall in youth unemployment.”PercentageB1An amount expressed as a part of one hundred.“A large percentage of the class passed the listening paper.”ChartA2A table or graph of information, or a list of popular songs.“This chart shows how prices have changed.”GraphB1A drawing that shows how numbers or amounts are related.“The graph shows a rise in sales.”FigureB1A number, or a person’s body shape.“The official figures came out today.”ConceptB1An idea of how something is or how it works.“The concept of recycling is easy to understand.”ContextB1The situation or words around something that help you understand it.“Guess the meaning from the context.”IssueB1A problem or important topic.“Traffic is a major issue in the city.”TopicB1A subject that you talk or write about.“The topic of the lesson is travel.”ThemeB1The main subject that runs through a text, event, or unit of work.“The theme of the unit is public health, not a free choice of title.”StructureB1The way the parts of something are organised.“Check the structure of your essay.”
University and Assessment
UniversityA1A place where people study for a degree after school.“She is at university in Leeds.”UndergraduateB2A student studying for a first degree.“Undergraduates must submit the dissertation by noon on Friday.”ProfessorB2A senior university teacher (UK); the highest academic rank in a department.“Cite the professor’s paper, not a student’s blog, for the literature review.”TutorB1A teacher who works with one student or a small group, often privately.“My tutor suggested I time myself on Task 1 this week.”LecturerB1A person who teaches at a university or college.“The lecturer asked us to read two chapters before the seminar.”FacultyB1A department in a university; also a natural ability (a faculty for languages).“She applied to the faculty of education after her PGCE.”CampusB1The land and buildings of a university or college.“There is a new library on campus.”LibraryA2A place where you can borrow books.“She studies in the library.”DegreeB1A university qualification, or a unit for measuring temperature or angles.“She has a degree in history.”BachelorB2A person who holds a first degree (a bachelor’s degree); also an unmarried man.“A bachelor’s in engineering is the minimum for the graduate scheme.”DoctorateC1The highest university degree, typically a PhD.“A doctorate on the letterhead does not waive ethics or the n.”CriterionC1One standard used to judge something (plural: criteria).“Clarity is the main criterion for this mark scheme.”CriteriaC1The standards you use to judge something.“What are the criteria for a good essay?”AssessmentB1A judgement of quality or ability, often through a test or review.“The final assessment is next week.”FeedbackB1Comments about how well someone is doing something, given to help them improve.“The teacher gave useful feedback on my essay.”MarkA2A score in a test, or a spot that spoils a surface.“She got a high mark on the listening test.”GradeB1A mark that shows how well you have done in a test or piece of work.“She got a high grade in the exam.”PassA2To go past something, or to succeed in a test.“He passed the exam on his first try.”FailB1To not succeed, or to not do what is needed.“He failed the driving test.”DistinctionB1A clear difference; also a very high exam grade (a distinction).“Draw a distinction between correlation and cause in the essay.”CurriculumB2The subjects that a school or course officially teaches.“Coding was added to the national curriculum.”TermA2One part of the school or college year; also a word with a special meaning.“The new timetable starts at the beginning of term.”RegisterB2To put a name on an official list; also (noun) the level of formality in language.“Register the clash on the portal before Friday, exams office said.”SignificantB2Large or important enough to notice.“There has been a significant improvement in her English.”RelevantB1Connected with the subject you are discussing.“Keep your examples relevant.”AccurateB1Correct and without mistakes.“The weather report was surprisingly accurate.”ObjectiveB2Something you are trying to achieve.“Our objective is to finish by Friday.”SubjectiveB1Based on personal feelings or opinions rather than facts.“Marking writing can be subjective, so examiners use a clear band descriptor.”BiasB2An unfair preference for or against a person or idea.“The article showed a clear bias.”ValidB2Based on truth or reason, or legally acceptable.“That is a valid argument.”ReliableA2Able to be trusted to work well or do what is needed.“This old bike is slow but very reliable.”CoherentC1Clear, logical, and well organised.“She gave a coherent explanation of the problem.”ConciseC1Short and clear, without unnecessary words.“Write a concise summary of the article.”FormalB1Official, serious, or suitable for important occasions.“He wore a suit to the formal dinner.”InformalB1Relaxed and not official in style or dress.“An informal chat with the tutor is not the same as a recorded appeal.”OptionalB2You can choose to do it or not; not required.“The revision session is optional; the mock is not, the bulletin said.”CompulsoryB2Required by a rule or law; you cannot choose to skip it.“Helmets are compulsory on the building site.”