Academic English
Zipf frequency 3.15–3.5
Meaning column: English definition 100%.
2,439 entries; the first 150 are listed below. The full library is in the trainer.
| Word | Pronunciation | English definition |
|---|---|---|
| ancestor | ˈænsˌɛstɝ | a person in your family who lived long ago |
| arbor | ˈɑrbɝ | tree (as opposed to shrub) |
| astronomical | ˌæstrənˈɑmɪkəl | relating or belonging to the science of astronomy |
| attire | ətˈaɪɝ | clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion |
| axle | ˈæksəl | a shaft on which a wheel rotates |
| bitten | bˈɪtən | to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws |
| botanical | bətˈænɪkəl | of or relating to plants or botany |
| braces | brˈeɪsəz | an appliance that corrects dental irregularities |
| brag | brˈæɡ | to talk too proudly about yourself |
| ceremonial | sˌɛrəmˈoʊniəl | a formal event performed on a special occasion |
| cheque | tʃˈɛk | a printed form ordering a bank to pay money from your account |
| clarified | klˈɛrəfˌaɪd | make clear and (more) comprehensible |
| coincide | kˌoʊɪnsˈaɪd | go with, fall together |
| commemorate | kəmˈɛmɝˌeɪt | call to remembrance; keep alive the memory of someone or something, as in a ceremony |
| concurrent | kənkˈɝənt | occurring or operating at the same time |
| derrick | dˈɛrɪk | a framework erected over an oil well to allow drill tubes to be raised and lowered |
| diaper | dˈaɪpɝ | a cloth or pad worn by a baby |
| differentiation | dɪfɝˌɛnʃiˈeɪʃən | (biology) the structural adaptation of some body part for a particular function |
| dine | dˈaɪn | have supper; eat dinner |
| dissolve | dɪzˈɑlv | come to an end |
| diverted | daɪvˈɝtɪd | pleasantly occupied |
| ecclesiastical | ɪklˌiziˈæstɪkəl | of or associated with a church (especially a Christian Church) |
| exhaustion | ɪɡzˈɔstʃən | extreme fatigue |
| expectancy | ɪkspˈɛktənsi | an expectation |
| flap | flˈæp | any broad thin and limber covering attached at one edge; hangs loose or projects freely |
| folklore | fˈoʊklˌɔr | the unwritten lore (stories and proverbs and riddles and songs) of a culture |
| forgiving | fɝɡˈɪvɪŋ | providing absolution |
| galactic | ɡəlˈæktɪk | of or relating to a galaxy (especially our galaxy the Milky Way) |
| gravitational | ɡrˌævɪtˈeɪʃənəl | of or relating to or caused by gravitation |
| hereditary | hɝˈɛdətˌɛri | occurring among members of a family usually by heredity |
| homestead | hˈoʊmstˌɛd | the home and adjacent grounds occupied by a family |
| icing | ˈaɪsɪŋ | the formation of frost or ice on a surface |
| intellect | ˈɪntəlˌɛkt | knowledge and intellectual ability |
| interchange | ˌɪntɝtʃˈeɪndʒ | the act of changing one thing for another thing |
| knob | nˈɑb | a circular rounded projection or protuberance |
| lapse | lˈæps | a break or intermission in the occurrence of something |
| ledger | lˈɛdʒɝ | a record in which commercial accounts are recorded |
| loaf | lˈoʊf | be lazy or idle |
| loot | lˈut | goods or money obtained illegally |
| mindful | mˈaɪndfəl | bearing in mind; attentive to |
| mural | mjˈʊrəl | a large painting on a wall |
| musk | mˈəsk | an odorous glandular secretion from the male musk deer; used as a perfume fixative |
| myriad | mˈɪriəd | a large indefinite number |
| nan | nˈæn | the mother of your father or mother |
| nasal | nˈeɪzəl | of or in or relating to the nose |
| nautical | nˈɔtəkəl | relating to or involving ships or shipping or navigation or seamen |
| noteworthy | nˈoʊtwˌɝði | worthy of attention |
| odor | ˈoʊdɝ | any property detected by the olfactory system |
| overturned | ˈoʊvɝtˌɝnd | having been turned so that the bottom is no longer the bottom |
| paddle | pˈædəl | propel with a paddle |
| plunge | plˈəndʒ | drop steeply |
| pragmatic | præɡmˈætɪk | of or concerning the theory of pragmatism |
| quasi | kwˈɑsi | having some resemblance |
| rpm | ˈɑrpiɛm | rate of revolution of a motor |
| sanity | sˈænəti | normal or sound powers of mind |
| shuffle | ʃˈəfəl | mix so as to make a random order or arrangement |
| siding | sˈaɪdɪŋ | material applied to the outside of a building to make it weatherproof |
| skyline | skˈaɪlˌaɪn | the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet |
| slab | slˈæb | block consisting of a thick piece of something |
| stacks | stˈæks | a large number or amount |
| supplemental | sˌəpləmˈɛntəl | functioning in a supporting capacity |
| tariff | tˈɛrəf | a tax on imported goods |
| trance | trˈæns | a psychological state induced by (or as if induced by) a magical incantation |
| weaken | wˈikən | to make or become less strong |
| wen | wˈɛn | a common cyst of the skin; filled with fatty matter (sebum) that is secreted by a sebaceous gland that has been blocked |
| abolish | əbˈɑlɪʃ | do away with |
| accumulate | əkjˈumjəlˌeɪt | get or gather together |
| admirable | ˈædmɝəbəl | inspiring admiration or approval |
| ammo | ˈæmˌoʊ | projectiles to be fired from a gun |
| anthology | ænθˈɑlədʒi | a collection of selected literary passages |
| ape | ˈeɪp | any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all |
| auditor | ˈɔdɪtɝ | a person who checks financial records |
| avalanche | ˈævəlˌæntʃ | gather into a huge mass and roll down a mountain, of snow |
| badger | bˈædʒɝ | sturdy carnivorous burrowing mammal with strong claws; widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere |
| ballistic | bəlˈɪstɪk | relating to or characteristic of the motion of objects moving under their own momentum and the force of gravity |
| blazing | blˈeɪzɪŋ | a strong flame that burns brightly |
| blockbuster | blˈɑkbˌəstɝ | a very successful film or book |
| blueprint | blˈuprˌɪnt | photographic print of plans or technical drawings etc. |
| bodied | bˈɑdid | invest with or as with a body; give body to |
| bowler | bˈoʊlɝ | a felt hat that is round and hard with a narrow brim |
| cameo | kˈæmiˌoʊ | engraving or carving in low relief on a stone (as in a brooch or ring) |
| caramel | kˈɛrəməl | having the color of caramel; of a moderate yellow-brown |
| charismatic | kɛrɪzmˈætɪk | possessing an extraordinary ability to attract |
| commencement | kəmˈɛnsmənt | the time at which something is supposed to begin |
| concede | kənsˈid | be willing to concede |
| contradictory | kˌɑntrədˈɪktɝi | two propositions are contradictories if both cannot be true (or both cannot be false) at the same time |
| convent | kˈɑnvənt | a religious residence especially for nuns |
| converse | kˈɑnvɝs | of words so related that one reverses the relation denoted by the other |
| corrosion | kɝˈoʊʒən | a state of deterioration in metals caused by oxidation or chemical action |
| crib | krˈɪb | baby bed with high sides made of slats |
| crossroads | krˈɔsrˌoʊdz | a crisis situation or point in time when a critical decision must be made |
| deter | dɪtˈɝ | try to prevent; show opposition to |
| diner | dˈaɪnɝ | a restaurant that resembles a dining car |
| dipping | dˈɪpɪŋ | go down momentarily |
| disposition | dˌɪspəzˈɪʃən | your usual mood |
| dripping | drˈɪpɪŋ | fall in drops |
| ecstasy | ˈɛkstəsi | a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion |
| eighteenth | eɪtˈinθ | position 18 in a countable series of things |
| eleventh | ɪlˈɛvənθ | position 11 in a countable series of things |
| expiration | ˌɛkspɝˈeɪʃən | a coming to an end of a contract period |
| fabrication | fˌæbrɪkˈeɪʃən | the act of making something (a product) from raw materials |
| faggot | fˈæɡət | a bundle of sticks and branches bound together |
| fascination | fˌæsənˈeɪʃən | the state of being intensely interested (as by awe or terror) |
| foreigner | fˈɔrənɝ | a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country |
| formulation | fˌɔrmjəlˈeɪʃən | a substance prepared according to a formula |
| frontal | frˈəntəl | of or relating to the front of an advancing mass of air |
| fungi | fˈəndʒaɪ | an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicel |
| goalie | ɡˈoʊli | the soccer or hockey player assigned to protect the goal |
| gradient | ɡrˈeɪdiənt | a graded change in the magnitude of some physical quantity or dimension |
| hopper | hˈɑpɝ | funnel-shaped receptacle; contents pass by gravity into a receptacle below |
| hugging | hˈəɡɪŋ | hold (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness |
| implant | ˌɪmplˈænt | a prosthesis placed permanently in tissue |
| incompatible | ˌɪnkəmpˈætəbəl | not able to work or exist together |
| kidnap | kˈɪdnˌæp | to take someone away by force |
| motivational | mˌoʊtəvˈeɪʃənəl | of or relating to motivation |
| nightly | nˈaɪtli | at the end of each day |
| ordained | ɔrdˈeɪnd | fixed or established especially by order or command |
| paralysis | pɝˈæləsəs | loss of the ability to move a body part |
| paw | pˈɔ | a clawed foot of an animal especially a quadruped |
| postpone | poʊstpˈoʊn | to move to a later time |
| repetition | rˌɛpətˈɪʃən | an event that repeats |
| revise | rɪvˈaɪz | make revisions in |
| rinse | rˈɪns | to wash with clean water |
| sheltered | ʃˈɛltɝd | protected from danger or bad weather |
| speculate | spˈɛkjəlˌeɪt | to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds |
| spinach | spˈɪnətʃ | dark green leaves; eaten cooked or raw in salads |
| squat | skwˈɑt | the act of assuming or maintaining a crouching position with the knees bent and the buttocks near the heels |
| stew | stˈu | meat and vegetables cooked slowly in liquid |
| sublime | səblˈaɪm | worthy of adoration or reverence |
| terrestrial | tɝˈɛstriəl | of or relating to or inhabiting the land as opposed to the sea or air |
| thorn | θˈɔrn | a small sharp-pointed tip resembling a spike on a stem or leaf |
| tit | tˈɪt | either of two soft fleshy milk-secreting glandular organs on the chest of a woman |
| toned | tˈoʊnd | having or distinguished by a tone; often used in combination |
| uncover | ənkˈəvɝ | reveal to view as by removing a cover |
| unnatural | ənnˈætʃɝəl | not normal; not typical or usual or regular or conforming to a norm |
| unstoppable | ənstˈɑpəbəl | not capable of being stopped |
| virginity | vɝdʒˈɪnɪti | the condition or quality of being a virgin |
| wharf | wˈɔrf | a platform where ships load and unload |
| wrestle | rˈɛsəl | engage in a wrestling match |
| aggravated | ˈæɡrəvˌeɪtɪd | made more severe or intense especially in law |
| alto | ˈæltoʊ | a singer whose voice lies in the alto clef |
| analyse | to examine in detail | |
| anomaly | ənˈɑməli | deviation from the normal or common order or form or rule |
| aperture | ˈæpɝtʃɝ | a device that controls amount of light admitted |
| apprenticeship | əprˈɛntəsʃˌɪp | the position of apprentice |
| biomedical | bˌaɪoʊmˈɛdɪkəl | relating to the activities and applications of science to clinical medicine |
| blinded | blˈaɪndɪd | deprived of sight |
| blurred | blˈɝd | unclear in form or expression |
| breadth | brˈɛdθ | the extent of something from side to side |
| cascade | kæskˈeɪd | rush down in big quantities, like a cascade |