The 2,000-word list for Age 10
A reference for adults choosing language for conversation and shared reading. A child aged 10 is not expected to know or learn all 2,000 words. Advanced entries are optional adult-led reading extensions. Age guidance.
Beginner 1–98 · Intermediate 99–600 · Advanced 601–2000 · How to use the bank · Vocabulary growth: why, what and how
Words run alphabetically within each band. Use the letter links or your browser’s Find in Page to locate a word. Every entry is visible below.
Move through this 24-age collection: All 2,000-word lists by age (1–24) · Previous: Age 9 · Next: Age 11 · How to use this bank. These are reference choices, not age-based word quotas.
Beginner: words 1–98
B · C · D · F · G · H · I · L · M · N · P · R · S · T · U · W
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0001–0009 · B | bed-bound, bedsore, bodybuilder, bogland, bottomland, braincase, brooklet, budbreak, bulblet |
| 0010–0017 · C | cattleman, cloddy, cloudbank, cloudscape, coalfield, coalminer, corkboard, cornstalk |
| 0018–0022 · D | deadfall, downland, dryland, dungheap, duststorm |
| 0023–0030 · F | fencepost, fenland, fieldwork, floodmark, fogbank, fogbow, frostbound, frostproof |
| 0031–0035 · G | grassplot, greenfly, growbag, gullet, gustiness |
| 0036–0039 · H | hardener, hatchet, haziness, headrace |
| 0040–0041 · I | icepack, iciness |
| 0042–0045 · L | lakebed, landward, leakproof, lightbulb |
| 0046–0055 · M | marshland, matting, midstream, milkmaid, millpond, minibeast, mistiness, molehill, mudbank, mugginess |
| 0056–0058 · N | nearshore, non-stick, non-toxic |
| 0059–0064 · P | paintable, paperboard, pastureland, plantlet, plasticky, pondweed |
| 0065–0068 · R | rainmaking, rainswept, rainwear, rockfall |
| 0069–0079 · S | seaboard, seacoast, sharpen, sheepfold, shoemaker, snowcap, sty, sun-baked, suntan, suntrap, swampy |
| 0080–0086 · T | thunderclap, tideland, tidemark, toolbox, toothpick, treefall, treeline |
| 0087–0087 · U | unladen |
| 0088–0098 · W | waterer, waterworks, weathercock, weedkiller, windbreak, windburn, windproof, wintry, woodpile, woodshed, woodworm |
Intermediate: words 99–600
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · Y
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0099–0118 · A | abdomen, abdominal, abrasiveness, abscess, activation, adrenal, adze, aerate, aerator, aerofoil, afterburner, airbrake, airgun, airscrew, airworthiness, alfalfa, aligner, allium, amalgam, amaranth |
| 0119–0131 · A | anaemia, anaesthetic, anaesthetist, analytic, anchorage, anthracite, antivenom, appendicitis, applicability, arthritis, asthma, astringent, autopilot |
| 0132–0151 · B | backsaw, backstay, badland, basal, beading, benchwork, berm, bifocal, billabong, birdfeeder, birdwatching, blowpipe, bodybuilding, boilerhouse, boilerplate, bole, brad, brakeman, brassica, brassy |
| 0152–0161 · B | brazier, brazing, brittleness, bronchial, bronchitis, buckram, bunion, burdock, burr, bushwhack |
| 0162–0181 · C | calving, canalise, canebrake, canker, capstan, cardiologist, cardiology, caulk, centreline, chainring, chainwheel, chalkland, channelise, chickweed, chilblain, chine, chiropractor, chokepoint, chrome, clamshell |
| 0182–0201 · C | claypan, clipper, clone, cloverleaf, coalface, cognition, cognitive, coir, coleus, collate, collation, colliery, comfrey, comparability, compartmentalise, concentrator, concussion, congeal, congenital, congestion |
| 0202–0219 · C | convertible, coping, coppicing, coronary, correspondence, countercheck, countermeasure, countershaft, countersink, crampon, creekbed, crestline, crimper, cropper, crossbreed, crosscut, cultivable, cutbank |
| 0220–0239 · D | deadweight, deburr, decongest, decongestant, decontaminate, deformable, delineation, delirium, dementia, demister, demonstrable, demonstration, derivable, dermatitis, desiccant, designation, determinable, dewfall, diabetes, diaphanous |
| 0240–0256 · D | die-cast, directional, disability, discernible, discrete, dispersible, disproof, disprove, dizziness, dopamine, downs, drawdown, drawknife, drawplate, duplication, dysentery, dyslexia |
| 0257–0276 · E | earthflow, earthnut, eczema, edging, ejector, electroplate, emery, epidemic, epilepsy, epoxy, equate, ergonomic, ergonomics, escapement, eucalypt, evaluative, eventuality, exemplary, exotic, expander |
| 0277–0279 · E | explicable, eyebolt, eyetooth |
| 0280–0299 · F | faintness, fairing, fastback, feedwater, figwort, fishplate, flammability, floatplane, floodway, fluting, flyby, folate, forcing, forge, former, formulation, freeboard, freestone, frictionless, frostwork |
| 0300–0301 · F | fruiter, fruitlet |
| 0302–0315 · G | gearhead, generality, gimlet, goitre, gooseneck, gout, graduation, graininess, granulate, grasscutting, greensward, grindstone, groin, guidewire |
| 0316–0335 · H | hamstring, handwheel, haulage, haycock, headstock, helix, hemlock, hempen, hepatitis, herbage, herbicide, hernia, hillslope, hogback, holdfast, hone, hopfield, hotbed, hotplate, hummocky |
| 0336–0338 · H | hydroelectric, hydroplane, hydropower |
| 0339–0353 · I | icequake, identifiable, incision, indigestion, infield, inflammability, inflator, influenza, insecticide, insomnia, instrumental, insulin, interplant, interpretative, interrelation |
| 0354–0360 · J | jackhammer, jackscrew, jaundice, jetliner, jojoba, journeyman, joystick |
| 0361–0362 · K | kingpin, knapping |
| 0363–0380 · L | lacerate, laceration, landside, landslip, lapping, lateral, lathwork, laxative, lea, leadwork, lethargy, limewash, linkage, lockgate, locknut, lockring, loquat, lumberyard |
| 0381–0400 · M | maglev, mainspring, malaria, manipulable, masthead, mastic, materialise, measles, medicate, medlar, menthol, metalsmith, metalware, microfibre, midrib, migraine, milling, millrace, millstone, millwheel |
| 0401–0405 · M | mitre, modifiable, motorcade, motorcar, multistage |
| 0406–0420 · N | nailhead, narrows, nausea, nauseous, neoprene, nibbler, nipper, nodule, non-skid, noncorrosive, nonporous, nonreactive, nurseryman, nutgall, nutritive |
| 0421–0433 · O | off-road, offset, oilcan, oiler, oilskin, opaqueness, operational, oral, outfield, overdrive, overexertion, overshoot, oxide |
| 0434–0453 · P | paddlewheel, pandemic, panelwork, paralysis, pasturage, pedometer, pesticide, petrochemical, petroleum, phobia, physiology, picket, placebo, plausibility, pliancy, ploughland, plunger, pneumonia, podiatrist, pointwork |
| 0454–0469 · P | polio, polyp, polypropylene, polystyrene, polythene, polyurethane, postharvest, poulterer, poultryman, powertrain, precondition, preheater, prerequisite, presswork, prostrate, pus |
| 0470–0472 · Q | quicklime, quicksilver, quillwork |
| 0473–0492 · R | radiographer, radiologist, rainband, raincloud, reaping, reedmace, rehydration, remission, repoint, reseed, resinous, resolvable, resurface, retardant, retouch, retrorocket, rev, reverser, rheumatism, rickets |
| 0493–0499 · R | ridgeway, ringworm, rotorcraft, rotovator, rudderless, rudderpost, runnel |
| 0500–0519 · S | salivate, saltpan, sandblast, sandspit, sappy, sawbench, sawhorse, sawtooth, scarify, scratchproof, screed, scurvy, seamster, seasonable, seizure, shaper, shatterproof, sheepcote, sheepwalk, shim |
| 0520–0539 · S | sickbed, sickroom, sidehill, sidelight, sideslip, skiver, slater, sleepwalking, slicker, slipstream, slough, snowmobile, solder, spasm, spokeshave, sponginess, springhead, springiness, standardisation, sternpost |
| 0540–0547 · S | stomachache, stonecutter, stressor, stretchable, studwork, supercharger, suture, swelling |
| 0548–0567 · T | tacker, tailgate, tailspin, tamping, tannin, tarry, tempering, tenter, tenterhook, tetanus, theoretical, throttle, thyroid, tidepool, tinnitus, tinplate, tinware, tonsil, tonsillitis, toolmaker |
| 0568–0577 · T | toolroom, topdress, toughness, towrope, traceability, treenail, trestle, trimmer, tuberculosis, tumour |
| 0578–0581 · U | ulcer, unseasonable, upholster, upholstery |
| 0582–0585 · V | verifiable, vertigo, virulent, vomit |
| 0586–0599 · W | weald, weatherboard, weatherboarding, weatherwise, wheelset, wheelwright, windlass, wirework, woodborer, woodburning, woodcarver, woodturning, workpiece, wristbone |
| 0600–0600 · Y | yaw |
Advanced — optional adult-led reading: words 601–2000
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0601–0620 · A | abductor, abiogenesis, ablation, abscission, absorbance, absorptivity, abyssopelagic, acclimation, accretionary, acellular, acetate, acetic, acetone, acetylcholine, acetylene, achene, acicular, acidify, acidulant, actin |
| 0621–0640 · A | actinide, actuation, actuator, additivity, adenine, adenovirus, adiabatic, adipose, adsorb, adsorbate, adsorbent, adsorption, advection, advective, aeolian, aerobe, aerobic, aerobrake, aerogel, aerometer |
| 0641–0660 · A | aeronomy, agglomerate, aggradation, agroecological, agroecosystem, agronomic, albedo, albinism, albino, algicide, alkalise, alkaloid, alkane, alkene, alkyd, alkyl, allele, allelopathy, allopatric, allopatry |
| 0661–0680 · A | allotrope, allotropy, alluviation, altazimuth, alternation, alum, alumina, aluminate, alveolar, amide, amine, amino, ammoniacal, amniotic, amoeboid, amphibole, amphibolite, amphoteric, amylase, anabatic |
| 0681–0700 · A | anabolic, anabolism, anabranch, anaerobe, anaerobic, anaesthesia, analemma, analgesia, analgesic, analyte, anaphylaxis, anatomical, andesite, anemograph, anemometry, aneurysm, angina, anhydride, anhydrous, anion |
| 0701–0720 · A | anionic, anisotropic, anisotropy, annular, anodic, anodisation, anorthosite, antheridium, anthesis, anthracene, anthropogenic, anthropoid, anticline, anticyclonic, antiform, antigravity, antimatter, antimony, antineutrino, antinode |
| 0721–0740 · A | antioxidant, antiparticle, antiproton, antireflection, antireflective, antisepsis, apastron, apical, apnoea, apomixis, apoptosis, aposematic, appendage, apsis, aquaculturist, aquiclude, aquitard, arene, aril, arkose |
| 0741–0760 · A | arrhythmia, arsenate, arsenic, arteriosclerosis, arthroscopy, articulator, asbestos, ascertainment, ascorbic, aseptic, asexual, assay, asterism, astrochemistry, astrograph, astrolabe, astrometry, astronautics, astrophysical, atomisation |
| 0761–0780 · A | atomistic, attenuation, attenuator, audibility, augite, auriferous, autoecology, autogyro, autonomic, autophagy, autothrottle, autotroph, autotrophy, auxin, avian, axil, axillary, axlebox, axletree, axon |
| 0781–0783 · A | azide, azimuth, azimuthal |
| 0784–0803 · B | backpressure, backshore, bactericidal, bactericide, bacteriology, bacteriophage, bandpass, barium, baroclinic, barograph, barometry, barotropic, baryon, baryonic, basaltic, batholith, bathymetric, bathymetry, bathypelagic, bathyscaphe |
| 0804–0823 · B | bathysphere, bedplate, benchland, benthopelagic, bentonite, benzene, benzoate, benzoic, benzyl, beryllium, bifurcate, bimetal, bimetallic, biocapacity, biochar, biocontrol, biodigester, biodynamic, biofouling, biogenesis |
| 0824–0843 · B | biogeochemical, biogeochemistry, biogeography, bioinvasion, biomagnification, biomarker, biomaterial, biomimetic, biomimicry, biomolecule, biomonitoring, biophysical, biophysics, biopolymer, biopsy, bioremediation, biospheric, biotin, biotope, bioturbation |
| 0844–0863 · B | bipinnate, bismuth, bisulphate, bisulphite, bitumen, bituminous, blackbody, blastocyst, blastula, bolide, bolometer, boltwork, borate, borax, boric, boson, botulinum, bromate, brushless, bryophyte |
| 0864–0870 · B | bushmeat, bushveld, butane, butanol, butyl, bycatch, byssus |
| 0871–0890 · C | cadmium, caesium, calcareous, calcification, callus, calorimetry, cambial, candela, capacitive, capillarity, carbonaceous, carbonic, carbonyl, carboxyl, carboxylic, carburation, caries, carotene, carotenoid, carpal |
| 0891–0910 · C | carpel, castellation, catabolism, catenary, catheter, cathodic, cation, caudal, caulker, causticity, cauterise, ceilometer, cellulase, celluloid, cellulosic, cementitious, cenote, centrifugation, centriole, centromere |
| 0911–0930 · C | cephalic, cermet, chargeable, chelate, chelation, chemotaxis, chiral, chirality, chitin, chitting, chlorate, chlorite, chlorofluorocarbon, chloroform, chlorosis, choke, chromate, chromaticity, chromatid, chromatin |
| 0931–0950 · C | chrominance, chromoplast, chromosome, chromosphere, cilium, circumlunar, circumplanetary, circumpolar, circumstellar, cirriform, citrate, citric, cladode, clastic, cleavage, climacteric, climatological, clinometer, cloaca, clonal |
| 0951–0970 · C | coagulant, coagulate, coagulation, coalescence, cochlear, coefficient, coelenterate, coelom, cogging, coke, coleoptile, collagen, collenchyma, collet, collimation, collimator, colloidal, colluvium, colonoscopy, colorimeter |
| 0971–0990 · C | colorimetry, coma, combinatorial, cometary, commensal, communalism, commutator, complementarity, complexation, compositional, concretion, condensable, conductance, conformation, conjugate, conjugation, conspecific, contactless, contactor, contiguity |
| 0991–1010 · C | continentality, contractile, convect, convective, coprophagy, coralline, cordillera, coronal, corpuscle, corrugation, cortical, cortisone, cosmogony, cosmological, cosmopolitan, coulomb, counterbore, counterfactual, countershading, covalence |
| 1011–1030 · C | covalent, craton, creatine, crossbedding, crosshead, crosslink, cryobiology, cryogen, cryogenic, cryogenics, cryosphere, crystallinity, crystallite, cucurbit, cuesta, culm, cultivar, cupric, cupronickel, cuprous |
| 1031–1047 · C | cutaneous, cuticular, cyanate, cyanide, cyanobacterium, cyclogenesis, cyclohexane, cycloidal, cyme, cyst, cytokinesis, cytokinin, cytology, cytosine, cytoskeleton, cytosol, cytotoxic |
| 1048–1067 · D | dashpot, datum, decantation, decibel, declination, defaunation, defibrillation, defibrillator, defoliant, deformability, degauss, dehiscence, deionise, deliquescence, deltaic, demersal, demineralise, denaturation, denature, dendrite |
| 1068–1087 · D | dendrology, denitrification, denitrifier, densification, denudation, deoxyribose, dermal, desiccation, detrital, deuterium, dextrin, diagenesis, dialysis, diamagnetic, diamagnetism, diastole, diastolic, diatomaceous, dichromate, dicotyledon |
| 1088–1107 · D | dielectric, dietetic, differentiator, diffusive, diffusivity, dioecious, diorite, diploid, dipole, directivity, disaccharide, disbud, disinfestation, dispersive, dissociate, dissociation, distillate, disulphide, divalent, dolerite |
| 1108–1123 · D | doline, domestication, dorsum, downburst, downrange, downslope, downthrow, driftage, driveline, dropforge, droughty, drumlin, drylining, durometer, dynamometer, dyne |
| 1124–1143 · E | earthing, earthlight, earthrise, ecliptic, eclogite, eco-friendly, ecocentric, ecocide, ecoregion, ecotone, ecotoxicology, ecotype, ecozone, ectoderm, ectotherm, ectothermy, edaphic, effervescence, effervescent, efflorescence |
| 1144–1163 · E | elastomeric, electret, electroacoustic, electrocardiogram, electrocardiograph, electrochemistry, electrocute, electrocution, electrodeposition, electrodynamics, electroluminescence, electrolyser, electrolytic, electrometer, electromotive, electronegative, electronegativity, electronvolt, electrophoresis, electroplater |
| 1164–1183 · E | electroscope, electrothermal, electrovalency, ellipticity, embolism, embryonic, emissive, emissivity, empirical, empiricism, enantiomer, encephalitis, endemism, endocrine, endocrinology, endocytosis, endoderm, endodermis, endoparasite, endophyte |
| 1184–1203 · E | endoscope, endoscopy, endospore, endothelium, endotherm, endothermy, energetics, enthalpy, entropic, entropy, enzymatic, ephemeris, epibiont, epicentral, epicotyl, epidemiology, epidermal, epifauna, epigenetics, epiglottis |
| 1204–1223 · E | epiphytism, epithelial, epithelium, epizootic, epoxide, equidistant, equipartition, equipotential, equivocal, erosional, erythrocyte, escarp, esker, ester, esterification, ethane, ethanoic, ethene, ether, ethyl |
| 1224–1243 · E | ethylene, etiolation, eudicot, eukaryote, euphotic, eutectic, eutrophic, evaporative, evaporite, evapotranspiration, excitation, exciter, excretory, exfoliation, exocarp, exocytosis, expectorant, experimentalist, extirpate, extirpation |
| 1244–1249 · E | extracellular, extraction, extrapolate, extrapolation, extratropical, extremophile |
| 1250–1269 · F | facultative, faeces, fairlead, falsifiable, farad, fascia, fascicle, fathometer, faunal, fecund, fecundity, feldspathic, felsic, ferromagnet, ferromagnetism, ferruginous, ferrule, fibrillation, filework, filiform |
| 1270–1289 · F | firebreak, firn, fissility, flabellate, flaccid, flange, flaperon, floriculturist, floristic, flowage, fluidics, fluorocarbon, focalisation, foehn, foliation, fontanelle, foraminifer, foredune, forestland, formant |
| 1290–1303 · F | fossiliferous, fractionate, fractionation, freshet, friability, frictional, froe, frontogenesis, frugivore, frugivorous, fulgurite, fusibility, fusible, fusiform |
| 1304–1323 · G | gabbro, galactocentric, galvanic, galvanisation, galvanism, galvanometer, gamma, gangrene, gasometer, gastritis, gastroenteritis, gastroscopy, generalisable, generalist, genetic, geobotanical, geobotany, geochronology, geodynamics, geoid |
| 1324–1343 · G | geophagy, geophyte, geosphere, geostrophic, geotechnical, germicidal, gibberellin, gimbal, gingiva, gingivitis, glabrous, glaucoma, glaucous, glume, gluon, gneissic, granitic, granodiorite, grassfire, graupel |
| 1344–1352 · G | gravimetric, gravitometric, graviton, greensand, greywacke, grounding, guttation, gynoecium, gyrocopter |
| 1353–1372 · H | hadal, haematoma, haemodialysis, haemophilia, haemorrhage, halitosis, halocline, halogen, halophilic, halophytic, hardpan, haustorium, heelpiece, heliacal, helicity, heliocentrism, heliopause, heliophysics, heliospheric, heliostat |
| 1373–1392 · H | herbicidal, heterodyne, hilum, hirsute, hologram, holograph, holography, holoparasite, homogeneity, homosphere, horst, humic, hybridisation, hydroelectricity, hydrograph, hydrography, hydrometeor, hydrometer, hydrophytic, hydroseeding |
| 1393–1405 · H | hydrostatics, hydrothermal, hygrometry, hygrophyte, hygroscopic, hyperarid, hyperbola, hypertension, hyperthermia, hypocotyl, hypodermic, hypolimnion, hypothermia |
| 1406–1425 · I | ichthyology, ignimbrite, illite, imbibition, imbricate, immunocompromised, immunotherapy, impaction, impedance, impermeability, impetigo, impulsion, inclination, inclinometer, incontinence, indehiscent, induration, inertial, infauna, informational |
| 1426–1445 · I | infraspecific, insectivorous, inselberg, integrative, interbreeding, intercostal, interferometer, interferometry, interfluve, internode, interpolate, interpolation, interrelationship, interspecific, intraspecific, intravenous, intrusion, intrusive, intubation, irruption |
| 1446–1455 · I | ischaemia, isobaric, isobath, isochronous, isohyet, isoline, isostasy, isotropic, isotropy, isthmian |
| 1456–1459 · J | jackstaff, jadeite, jellify, Jovian |
| 1460–1474 · K | kaolin, kaolinite, karst, karstic, katabatic, kenaf, keyway, kilonewton, kilopascal, kilovolt, kinematic, kinematics, kinetics, knurl, kyanite |
| 1475–1494 · L | lacustrine, lagoonal, lahar, lamella, landrace, lapilli, lasing, laterite, lenticel, lenticular, lepton, lesion, leucoplast, levitation, libration, lichenology, lignite, ligule, limnology, limonite |
| 1495–1513 · L | linearity, lineation, linisher, liquefaction, lithification, lithology, lithospheric, lobule, locule, loess, logroller, longline, longshore, loudness, luminaire, luminesce, lunation, lycopod, lymphoma |
| 1514–1533 · M | macroclimate, macroinvertebrate, macrophyte, macroscopic, magmatic, magnetar, magneto, magnetohydrodynamics, magnetometer, magnetopause, magnetron, malignant, mandrel, manometer, mariculture, maser, megahertz, megajoule, megaspore, megaton |
| 1534–1553 · M | meningitis, mesic, mesocarp, meson, mesopause, mesopelagic, mesophyte, mesotrophic, microampere, microburst, microclimatic, microfarad, microfauna, microgravity, micrometer, micromotor, microplastic, micropropagation, micropyle, microspore |
| 1554–1573 · M | microvolt, migmatite, milliampere, millibar, millijoule, millivolt, milliwatt, mineralisation, monoecious, monofilament, monopole, monsoonal, moonlet, moonwalker, morphine, mortise, mortiser, motorisation, mouldability, mucilaginous |
| 1574–1581 · M | mudflow, mudpot, mudrock, mudskipper, multivariate, muon, muscovite, mycorrhizal |
| 1582–1601 · N | nacelle, nadir, nanofibre, nanomaterial, nanoscale, nanostructure, narcotic, naturalisation, naturalise, necrophagous, neon, neritic, neuralgia, neurological, neuropathy, neuston, neutronic, newton, nitrification, nitrile |
| 1602–1613 · N | noctilucent, nodulation, nonconductive, nonelastic, nonlinear, nonlinearity, nonmagnetic, northeasterly, northwesterly, nucleon, nucleosynthesis, nunatak |
| 1614–1633 · O | obliquity, obovate, occultation, oceanfront, ohmic, oleaginous, olefin, oligotrophic, omnivory, oncology, onshore, ontogeny, oolite, oolitic, ophthalmic, opportunistic, optoelectronic, optoelectronics, orogenesis, orogeny |
| 1634–1652 · O | orographic, orthodontic, orthopaedic, oscillatory, oscilloscope, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, otoscope, overbalance, overbank, overburden, overfishing, overgraze, overload, overpressure, overspeed, oxidisable, oxyacetylene, ozonosphere |
| 1653–1672 · P | palaeobiology, palaeobotany, palaeoclimate, palaeoecology, palaeogeography, palaeomagnetism, palaeosol, palpate, palpation, palpitations, palsy, parabolic, parametric, paraplegia, paraxial, parthenocarpy, patchiness, pedicel, peening, pegmatite |
| 1673–1692 · P | peltate, peneplain, penumbral, perianth, periapsis, periastron, peridotite, periodicity, periodontal, permittivity, phenolic, phenology, phonon, photic, photocell, photochromic, photoconductive, photoconductivity, photoconductor, photodiode |
| 1693–1712 · P | photoelastic, photoelectric, photoelectricity, photoelectron, photoelectronic, photoemission, photoluminescence, photoluminescent, photometer, photometry, photomultiplier, photon, photonic, photonics, photophobia, photoreactive, photoresistor, photosensitive, photosphere, photothermal |
| 1713–1732 · P | photovoltage, photovoltaic, phyllite, phyllode, phyllotaxis, phytochrome, phytoremediation, phytosanitary, picoplankton, piedmont, piezoelectric, piezoelectricity, piezometer, pioneer, pitchpole, pituitary, plagioclase, planetology, planisphere, planktonic |
| 1733–1752 · P | plasmon, playa, pleurisy, plumbago, pluton, plutonic, pluvial, pluviometer, polarity, polyamide, polycarbonate, polymorphism, pomology, porphyritic, porphyry, positron, postmortem, precession, predaceous, pressboard |
| 1753–1771 · P | primordium, probabilistic, propagule, proportionality, prosthesis, prosthetics, protogalaxy, protoplanet, protoplanetary, psychrometer, psychrometry, pubescence, pulsation, pulsejet, pustule, pyroclast, pyroclastic, pyrophoric, pyroxene |
| 1772–1778 · Q | quadriceps, quadriplegia, quantisation, quantise, quantum, quark, quencher |
| 1779–1798 · R | racemose, radiography, radiolarian, radiology, radiometric, radiosonde, radiotherapy, rainout, ramjet, rarefied, ratoon, reamer, recessional, reciprocation, recolonise, reducer, reheat, reintroduction, replicability, resistive |
| 1799–1814 · R | resistivity, resuscitate, resuscitation, reticulate, retrograde, rheometer, rheometry, rheostatic, rheumatic, rhinitis, rhizobium, rhyolite, riboflavin, rocketry, rockslide, rubella |
| 1815–1834 · S | salinometer, salivation, samara, saprolite, saprotroph, saprotrophic, scabbler, scabies, scarifier, sciatica, sclerophyll, scoliosis, scutch, seagrass, sedation, sedative, sedimentology, seiche, seismicity, semiconducting |
| 1835–1854 · S | semipermeable, sepsis, septicaemia, seral, serpentinite, servo, servomechanism, servomotor, shafting, silcrete, siliceous, silique, singularity, sinter, sirocco, skeg, soilborne, solifluction, sonogram, sonography |
| 1855–1874 · S | sorus, soundings, southeasterly, southerly, southwesterly, spaceborne, spacewalker, spadix, spasmodic, spathe, spatulate, speciation, sporophyll, staminate, stargaze, stator, stellate, step-down, stethoscope, stratiform |
| 1875–1894 · S | stratopause, stratospheric, streamflow, streptococcus, strobilus, styrene, suberin, sublittoral, sublunar, submersed, submersible, substantiation, sunward, supercell, superconductivity, supercooled, superheat, supermoon, surfside, swage |
| 1895–1905 · S | swale, swidden, switchboard, switchgear, syconium, symbiont, sympatric, synchrony, synergism, synoptic, syzygy |
| 1906–1925 · T | tachometer, teleconnection, tendinitis, tenoner, terminator, territoriality, tesla, testability, thallus, thermionic, thermistor, thermoelectric, thermoelectricity, thermohaline, thermometry, thermopile, thermosetting, thermostatic, thixotropic, thrombosis |
| 1926–1945 · T | toolmaking, tornadic, torquemeter, torsional, toxicant, toxicity, toxicology, tracheotomy, traction, transconductance, translucence, transonic, triage, triceps, trichome, triode, tropopause, tropospheric, tubercle, tufa |
| 1946–1950 · T | turbidity, turbofan, turbojet, turboprop, turboshaft |
| 1951–1958 · U | umbellate, umbilical, umbra, underflow, unisexual, upslope, urbanisation, urology |
| 1959–1978 · V | varicose, variometer, varistor, velocimeter, velocipede, venturi, vermicompost, vermiculture, verticality, vibratory, virga, viscera, viscometer, vivipary, voltaic, vorticity, vulcanisation, vulcanise, vulcaniser, vulcanite |
| 1979–1988 · W | waterlogging, wattmeter, waverider, westerly, windage, winding, windrower, windshear, wire-wound, wormcast |
| 1989–1991 · X | xeric, xerography, xerophytic |
| 1992–1992 · Y | yttrium |
| 1993–2000 · Z | zenith, zirconia, zodiacal, zonation, zoogeography, zoonosis, zoonotic, zooxanthella |
Using this bank
Find the word that makes an observation, diagram or explanation more precise.
The complete list is above. Go to age guidance, the practical method, definitions and examples, common problems, frequent questions or all published age banks.
Use this bank when a familiar description needs one extra detail. A surface is rough, but is it grainy? Two drops touch, but do they remain separate or join? A precise word is useful when it helps someone understand what you actually noticed.
Start with a real object, a clear photograph, a labelled diagram or a short information-book passage. Choose the term that answers your current question. The complete collection is an adult-selected reference; reading every entry is unnecessary.
The advanced route includes specialist subject language for optional supported reading. A child may recognise a term in an interesting book before explaining it independently. Choose according to interest and the help available, rather than the age printed above the list.
What Age 10 means here
EEF’s Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 addresses literacy teaching for pupils aged seven to eleven. Its recommendations include explaining new vocabulary, returning to useful words and providing opportunities to use them. The guidance does not endorse this selection or a target of 2,000 words. EEF: Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2.
Age 10 organises this reference volume. The bands express relative editorial difficulty, with adult support available throughout. They are not developmental milestones, reading-age scores or a requirement to learn 2,000 new words during one year. Top means editorially selected, not ranked by measured frequency.
| Band | What it means here | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | A starting route within this collection | Choose an entry that fits something the child already notices, says or enjoys. |
| Intermediate | More detail, description and relationships | Choose a word that makes an existing idea more precise or adds a useful distinction. |
| Advanced | Optional adult-led reading extension | Use a term only when a suitable story, interest or question gives it a meaningful context. |
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Describe the change, check the term, explain what the evidence supports
1. Begin with a small question
Choose something answerable: What joined? Which part moved? What does this label identify? One question gives the new word a clear job. Leave unrelated terms for another reading session.
2. Record the observation first
Say what was seen, heard or measured before offering a cause. A sketch or two short before-and-after notes can help. ‘The wet patch grew’ records a change; the explanation still needs checking.
3. Read the label with its picture
Find the arrow, caption, key and surrounding sentence. Ask whether the image is a photograph, a simplified model or an enlarged view. Use those details to decide what the label refers to.
4. Explain and compare
Give a short meaning in familiar language, then compare one example with a contrasting case. Ask what would have to change for the word to stop fitting. Check a reliable reference when the distinction remains uncertain.
5. Make a careful explanation
Put the observation and the explanation into separate sentences. Try ‘We noticed…’ followed by ‘The book explains…’ or ‘One possibility is…’. Finish by saying what you would need to check next.
EEF’s Vocabulary in Action resource recommends explanations in familiar language, varied contexts and opportunities to work with word meanings. The observation routine and examples here are original editorial suggestions, not a tested programme. EEF: Vocabulary in Action.
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Useful meanings and examples from ordinary life
Examples use familiar words from across the series, including earlier volumes. The no-repeat rule applies only to the numbered bank entries. The short meanings below explain the intended sense in each example; they are not exhaustive dictionary entries.
1. Describing a dry leaf
brittleness — a tendency to break with little bending
‘This leaf broke after bending only a little. Brittleness helps describe that behaviour.’
Describe this example without making a claim about every leaf.
2. Looking closely at a surface
graininess — a texture or appearance made up of noticeable grains
‘The close-up shows the graininess of the sand.’
Point to the feature that makes the word useful.
3. Watching clean water drops
coalescence — the joining of separate parts into a larger whole
‘The two drops joined into one. That joining is coalescence.’
A simple observation can make an advanced label understandable.
4. Reading about a paper towel
capillarity — the effect that can make liquid rise or fall in narrow spaces
‘The wet area rose above the waterline. Capillarity helps explain that movement.’
Keep the visible change separate from the explanation supplied by the reference.
Meaning reference: USGS: Capillary Action and Water.
5. Discussing a river photograph
turbidity — cloudiness in a liquid, often caused by suspended particles
‘This picture shows cloudy water. Turbidity names that property.’
A photograph alone cannot tell you whether the water is safe to drink.
Meaning reference: USGS: Turbidity.
6. Following a woodworking diagram
crosscut — a cut across the grain of wood
‘The diagram shows a crosscut going across these grain lines.’
Identify the direction in the illustration; no cutting activity is needed.
7. Reading a solar-panel diagram
photovoltaic — relating to the conversion of light into electricity
‘The photovoltaic cells convert light into electricity.’
Trace the labelled parts and arrows before trying to explain the whole system.
Meaning reference: US Department of Energy: Solar Photovoltaic Cell Basics.
8. Planning a paper-model check
falsifiable — capable of being shown wrong by evidence
‘Our claim that this card will remain upright for ten seconds on this table is falsifiable.’
Explain which observation would count against the claim. Falsifiable does not mean false.
Keep the name, the observation and the explanation connected
A technical word can name a process without proving its cause in your particular example. After learning coalescence, you can describe drops joining. Explaining why they joined asks a further question. There is no need to pretend the first label answers everything.
Use a diagram as a guide to what the author wants to show. Trace one label to one part. Check whether colours represent real appearances or categories. If sizes are simplified, avoid estimating an actual measurement from the drawing.
When comparing results, state the conditions. ‘This card stood upright on our table’ is more precise than ‘This shape always works’. A record that includes the object, place and observation is easier to revisit and discuss.
Build a small personal glossary around interests. Keep the word, a familiar explanation, one picture or example, and the question it answered. Reuse the entry when it appears in another book; add a new meaning only when that context requires it.
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Five possible occasions to return to a useful word
Choose occasions that fit naturally. These are not five compulsory days, and there is no daily quota or completion deadline. Repeat, change or stop an activity according to the child’s interest.
| Occasion | What to try |
|---|---|
| During shared reading | Follow one diagram label into its caption and explain the connection. |
| While looking outdoors | Describe one visible feature before suggesting what might have caused it. |
| During a making task | Name the material property that matters for the particular job. |
| When checking information | Find where the source explains the term, including any conditions or limits. |
| When telling someone later | Give the observation first, then the explanation and any remaining question. |
Reading and languages at home
Let the topic guide your reading. A story, information book, picture, recipe, sign or instruction can give a word a useful context. Read aloud when the idea interests the child but the text is difficult. Pause for a necessary explanation and return to the meaning of the passage.
Use the languages you are comfortable using, and welcome connections between them. The Communication Health Support Association encourages families to give children opportunities to use their languages. This English bank cannot represent everything a multilingual child knows. CHSA: Learning More Than One Language.
When something is not working
| What you notice | A useful adjustment |
|---|---|
| The label is remembered but the idea is unclear | Return to one picture or object. Ask which feature the label identifies. |
| An explanation sounds certain too soon | Separate the record of what happened from possible reasons. State what remains unknown. |
| A diagram is crowded with unfamiliar labels | Cover the unrelated parts and trace one label at a time. |
| The spoken explanation is clearer than the writing | Let the child dictate, sketch or rehearse a sentence before writing it. |
| A specialist word takes over the activity | Use a familiar explanation and continue. Save the term for a better occasion. |
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Frequently asked questions
Should a ten-year-old know all 2,000 words?
No. This is a reference for selecting useful language, including optional advanced reading. It is not an annual target or a measure of ability.
Must every explanation use the technical term?
No. Use it when it adds precision or helps with a text. A clear ordinary sentence can communicate the idea well.
Can we learn a word from a diagram alone?
A diagram can help, but check its caption and explanation. An arrow or colour may have a specific meaning that the picture alone does not establish.
Why use familiar words from earlier volumes?
Familiar language makes explanations possible. The no-repeat rule applies to numbered bank entries, while conversation and examples should revisit useful words freely.
What if the child asks about a word I cannot explain?
Say that you need to check. Read a suitable dictionary, reference book or authoritative subject source together, then return to the original question.
The sequence and word audit
Age 10: 2,000 distinct listed entries. This volume occupies series positions 18,001–20,000. The published collection currently contains Ages 1–24, with 48,000 distinct listed entries across twenty-four banks.
The audit checks the numbered list entries, rather than every word in the article. Case, spacing, hyphens, apostrophes, accents and recorded spelling variants are normalised to catch duplicates. Established single words and conventional hyphenated headwords count as entries. Different meanings of the same spelling do not receive extra entries. Some useful derived forms are separate entries; the total is not a count of unrelated word families.
“Top” means an editorial selection for this reference project. It does not mean the most frequent words in a measured language corpus or the best 2,000 words for every reader. Sequence numbers locate entries in the collection; they are not importance scores or developmental measures.
Keep repeating useful words in real life. The non-repeating lists offer additional choices. They do not recommend withholding familiar language or learning 2,000 new words at each birthday.
Age 1: 2,000-word bank · Age 2: 2,000-word bank · Age 3: 2,000-word bank · Age 4: 2,000-word bank · Age 5: 2,000-word bank · Age 6: 2,000-word bank · Age 7: 2,000-word bank · Age 8: 2,000-word bank · Age 9: 2,000-word bank · Age 10: 2,000-word bank · Age 11: 2,000-word bank · Age 12: 2,000-word bank · Age 13: 2,000-word bank · Age 14: 2,000-word bank · Age 15: 2,000-word bank · Age 16: 2,000-word bank · Age 17: 2,000-word bank · Age 18: 2,000-word bank · Age 19: 2,000-word bank · Age 20: 2,000-word bank · Age 21: 2,000-word bank · Age 22: 2,000-word bank · Age 23: 2,000-word bank · Age 24: 2,000-word bank
| Published volume | Series positions |
|---|---|
| Age 1 | 1–2,000 |
| Age 2 | 2,001–4,000 |
| Age 3 | 4,001–6,000 |
| Age 4 | 6,001–8,000 |
| Age 5 | 8,001–10,000 |
| Age 6 | 10,001–12,000 |
| Age 7 | 12,001–14,000 |
| Age 8 | 14,001–16,000 |
| Age 9 | 16,001–18,000 |
| Age 10 | 18,001–20,000 |
| Age 11 | 20,001–22,000 |
| Age 12 | 22,001–24,000 |
| Age 13 | 24,001–26,000 |
| Age 14 | 26,001–28,000 |
| Age 15 | 28,001–30,000 |
| Age 16 | 30,001–32,000 |
| Age 17 | 32,001–34,000 |
| Age 18 | 34,001–36,000 |
| Age 19 | 36,001–38,000 |
| Age 20 | 38,001–40,000 |
| Age 21 | 40,001–42,000 |
| Age 22 | 42,001–44,000 |
| Age 23 | 44,001–46,000 |
| Age 24 | 46,001–48,000 |
Entry counts and cross-age allocation checked on 3 November 2026 (Asia/Singapore). The selection is an original editorial resource. The sources below support the attributed communication, observation and reading guidance; they do not endorse or validate this particular word bank.
A useful next step
Choose one picture, diagram or ordinary observation. Find one term that clarifies it, and keep a sentence showing how the word helped.
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Sources and editorial note
EEF: Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2
CHSA: Learning More Than One Language
USGS: Capillary Action and Water
US Department of Energy: Solar Photovoltaic Cell Basics
The guides, definitions and examples are original eduKate editorial explanations. The cited organisations do not endorse this page. “Top” describes the editorial selection; no search ranking, measured word-frequency order or learning outcome is promised.
edu|Kate Singapore · Clear words for useful conversations, reading and everyday understanding.
Vocabulary Growth Guide for Age 10: Why, What and How
A scientific-sounding sentence can still leave a reader unsure what happened. “The result was demonstrable” needs a result and a demonstration. “The claim is verifiable” needs a way to check it. The useful work of vocabulary is to connect the term with an observable difference, an explanation or a question that can actually be answered.
Teach the idea, attach the word, recall it with support and apply it to a fresh example. At this stage, the bank can help a child read information books, discuss a making project and explain evidence. It is not a technical syllabus for every ten-year-old, and its advanced medical or engineering entries are reading references, not instructions for experiments or treatment.
Why words help explanations · What understanding requires · Research on remembering · A worked example · A practical learning routine · Checking progress
Why a precise term is useful only when the idea is clear
There are at least three different things to ask about an unfamiliar term. What does it name? What happened in this example? What explains that result? A word may answer the first question without answering the other two. Naming a property does not automatically establish its cause or show how it was measured.
Take verifiable, an entry in this bank. In ordinary use, it describes something that can be checked for accuracy. A record of the number of cards on a table can be verifiable because another person can count them. That does not mean the written number is already correct. Checkability and correctness remain different questions.
These distinctions make a practical difference when reading a chart, following an explanation or discussing a claim in a book. The Age 10 academic-language and reading guide offers related activities. Here, the emphasis is on connecting the term to the evidence that gives it a useful job.
What it means to understand a technical word
A child might pronounce a long term correctly but point to the wrong part of a diagram. Another child might explain the idea accurately in everyday language while finding the spelling difficult. Do not treat those as the same difficulty. Identify whether the task concerns the printed word, its meaning, the picture or the explanation.
For a selected word, keep four things together: the original sentence, a plain explanation, an example that fits and a contrasting case. For disprove, the distinction is between showing that a claim is wrong and simply saying that you disagree. For demonstration, ask what is being shown and whether it establishes the particular claim under discussion.
A diagram can help organise these connections, but it should not become a guessing game. Read the caption and key. An arrow might show movement, point to a part or indicate a sequence. Explain its job in that particular illustration before asking the child to use the vocabulary independently.
What research says about recall, and why the limits matter
Karpicke, Blunt and Smith’s 2016 experiments involved 88 children with a mean age of ten. Children who practised retrieving studied words performed better on later memory tests than those who restudied them. The task concerned remembering list items, not learning the definitions of technical terms. It supports considering recall as part of learning, but it cannot establish that recalling a label is the same as understanding its concept.
Classroom results also depend on the teaching conditions. Goossens and colleagues’ 2016 multi-classroom vocabulary study did not find the predicted advantages for retrieval practice or the longer spacing interval in the conditions they tested. The two findings are a reason to examine the task and implementation, rather than promise that any quiz or fixed timetable must work.
The routine below therefore includes explanation, a manageable attempt to recall, corrective feedback and a new application. It is an editorial teaching suggestion, not a validated programme. When a child cannot explain the idea, return to the example rather than adding more unsupported recall questions.
A worked example: what would disprove the claim?
Make a small, clearly bounded collection. Use six homemade cards with coloured dots. State the claim: “Every card in this six-card set has only blue dots.” This is an invented exercise, not a report about a real product. The objects and the claim are available for inspection.
Distinguish disagreement from evidence. Saying “I do not think so” does not yet disprove the claim. Finding a card with a red dot does: that card does not meet the stated condition. Explain disprove as showing a claim to be wrong, then connect the explanation to the exact card and the word every.
Keep the conclusion within its scope. A red dot on a card outside this set does not disprove the statement about these six cards. A blue dot on the first card does not settle what is on the other five. The child needs to attend to the whole claim, not just recognise a new vocabulary item.
Discuss the other possible result. If all six cards are inspected and each has only blue dots, the claim about that complete set is supported by the inspection. That does not establish the colour of cards in another envelope. A careful account says exactly which collection was checked.
Write a checkable account. “One of the six cards had a red dot, so the claim that every card had only blue dots was wrong.” Ask another reader whether they can follow the reasoning. Verifiable becomes useful here because the record points to a claim, a defined set and evidence that can be examined.
Try a different setting later. Discuss a fictional statement that every page in a booklet has a picture. Ask what would count against it. Do not merely repeat the card answer with a new noun; ask the child to explain why the new example has the same logical relationship.
How to build a short routine around a real question
Begin with the question the child is trying to answer. A book about materials might call for a property word; a diagram might call for the name of a part; a report might call for language about evidence. Select only the terms that help with that question. Their usefulness matters more than their position in the advanced band.
Explain the selected meaning in familiar language and show a fitting example. Ask the child to point, compare or paraphrase before requiring a polished definition. A sentence such as “This is something we can check” may be a good first explanation of verifiable. Add precision when the context requires it.
After another activity, invite the child to bring the idea back without immediately displaying the answer. Keep the attempt low-pressure. Offer a cue, supply the correct explanation where necessary and revisit the example. Remembering an inaccurate definition repeatedly is not the goal.
Then ask for a new use: a caption, a comparison or a question about a different passage. Check that the new sentence preserves the meaning. The Age 10 home-teaching guide provides additional reading and writing choices. No daily word quota is needed to make one exchange useful.
How to tell which connection needs more work
The label is remembered but the example is wrong: return to the concept and a contrasting case. The concept is understood but the printed word is difficult: provide appropriate reading support while keeping the explanation meaningful. The word and example are clear but the conclusion is too broad: examine words such as all, some, this and always.
Notice whether the child can explain what would change their conclusion. In the card activity, they might identify a red dot as evidence against the original claim. That is different from reciting “disprove means prove wrong”. Both concern the word, but the application reveals a further connection.
Keep records small and concrete: the sentence, the explanation and the support needed. Avoid turning the reference into a score of general intelligence. A child’s confidence with one topic does not establish the same background knowledge in another. The Age 10 guide to inference and comprehension difficulties offers further ways to identify the task that needs attention.
From technical labels to a clearer account of the world
Keep familiar explanations and home-language connections available. There is no need to replace every ordinary expression with a specialist term. Ask an adult or an authoritative subject source when the idea itself is uncertain, and choose safe reading examples rather than attempting an activity simply because a substance or tool appears in the bank.
The Age 9 growth guide examines precision in accounts of actions and intentions. The Age 11 growth guide extends the work to background knowledge and interpreting sources. Across all three, a useful word makes an idea clearer and its limits easier to recognise.
Research-informed guide added on 3 November 2026 by edu|Kate Singapore. Practical examples are original editorial suggestions, not a validated intervention. Return to the 2,000-word list · Return to this growth guide.