The 2,000-word list for Age 11
A reference for adults choosing language for conversation and shared reading. A child aged 11 is not expected to know or learn all 2,000 words. Advanced entries are optional adult-led reading extensions. Age guidance.
Beginner 1–255 · Intermediate 256–915 · Advanced 916–2000 · 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 10 · Next: Age 12 · How to use this bank. These are reference choices, not age-based word quotas.
Beginner: words 1–255
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0001–0005 · A | abaya, ancestral, antipasto, appetiser, armlet |
| 0006–0021 · B | barstool, bellhop, bellringer, bento, biscotti, bloomers, boilersuit, bookrack, bookrest, bothy, bruschetta, bunkroom, burial, burqa, burrata, bust |
| 0022–0041 · C | cabochon, cachepot, calfskin, candlestick, cartwright, chanter, chesterfield, chinaware, chocoholic, chocolatier, clan, clifftop, coachman, coachwork, cobblestone, coda, concertgoer, copyist, coronation, coveralls |
| 0042–0042 · C | crostini |
| 0043–0055 · D | dango, dhal, dhoti, digestif, dimmer, divan, dockside, doily, doner, doublet, downstage, dubber, dupatta |
| 0056–0059 · E | edam, epaulette, epigraph, ewer |
| 0060–0078 · F | fajita, fanlight, featherbed, fellside, fellwalker, fez, fife, fifer, fingerboard, fingerpost, finial, flagon, flyer, footlights, forefather, foremother, foreword, forger, fretboard |
| 0079–0092 · G | gaiter, ganache, gatekeeper, gilder, gilt, glamping, goatskin, gondolier, gouda, gravestone, greenware, ground, guidepost, guru |
| 0093–0100 · H | halloumi, handbell, haversack, hillwalker, hip-hop, hitchhiker, homestay, honeycomb |
| 0101–0102 · I | imam, interleaf |
| 0103–0105 · J | jellybean, jerkin, jumpsuit |
| 0106–0109 · K | kaftan, kaya, ketupat, kimchi |
| 0110–0117 · L | lambswool, layby, lectern, legwarmer, lemang, lockkeeper, lontong, loveseat |
| 0118–0131 · M | marshmallow, marzipan, masala, medallion, menagerie, merino, merlion, mews, milepost, mochi, mohair, monocle, mooncake, mozzarella |
| 0132–0133 · N | niqab, nougat |
| 0134–0137 · O | oarsman, onigiri, onstage, outbuilding |
| 0138–0157 · P | pandan, paneer, panettone, parmesan, pashmina, pastille, paver, penthouse, perfumer, pharaoh, phoenix, pickguard, piggery, pilgrimage, pinafore, placard, platter, playbill, pomander, popiah |
| 0158–0163 · P | postscript, pouffe, prelude, primer, promptbook, prompter |
| 0164–0164 · Q | quayside |
| 0165–0176 · R | rabbi, railbed, railhead, rajah, ratatouille, rendang, reprint, ricotta, riser, riverhead, roadside, ropeway |
| 0177–0196 · S | saint, salver, sambal, samurai, sarong, sashimi, sauerkraut, scullery, sermon, serviette, sham, shawarma, sheepskin, shipyard, shophouse, showstopper, showtime, signage, signboard, signwriter |
| 0197–0216 · S | sketchy, slipway, smithy, smokehouse, snowbridge, snuffer, sombrero, souvlaki, spectacles, sporran, stairhead, statuette, stillroom, stocking, stollen, stroopwafel, subcontinent, sultan, surcoat, sushi |
| 0217–0218 · S | swampland, switchback |
| 0219–0237 · T | tabard, tailpiece, tankard, tanner, taquito, tenement, tieback, tikka, timeline, tinker, tollgate, tollhouse, tombstone, topcoat, townhouse, treen, tribal, tureen, turnpike |
| 0238–0240 · U | undercoat, underskirt, unitard |
| 0241–0243 · V | valise, voiceover, voyager |
| 0244–0255 · W | washhouse, wayfinder, wellhead, whittler, wicket, wimple, windbreaker, wingchair, woollen, workhouse, wristlet, wyvern |
Intermediate: words 256–915
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 |
|---|---|
| 0256–0275 · A | abstractionist, achar, adzuki, aeon, afrobeat, ajvar, alap, alpinist, amaretti, amaretto, amuse-bouche, andouille, anthologist, antimacassar, aperitif, arame, architectural, arepa, artist-in-residence, ascot |
| 0276–0277 · A | asiago, auberge |
| 0278–0297 · B | bachata, back-to-back, backcloth, balti, bandish, bandolier, banquette, bao, basque, bâtard, bedcover, bedsitter, belacan, belvedere, bhajan, bhuna, bialy, bibimbap, bicentenary, bigoli |
| 0298–0317 · B | bihun, billposter, biretta, biryani, boardinghouse, boogie-woogie, börek, borscht, boudin, bouillabaisse, boulangerie, boule, bourekas, bowhair, brassiere, bratwurst, brewmaster, bucatini, bulgogi, bunraku |
| 0318–0319 · B | buskin, bustier |
| 0320–0339 · C | cabriole, cabriolet, cairnfield, camembert, campground, candelabrum, candleholder, cannelloni, cannoli, cantucci, capelet, capellini, caponata, capstone, caramelisation, caravanner, cassia, cavatappi, ceilidh, centennial |
| 0340–0359 · C | cerulean, cha-cha, chador, chaise, challah, chalupa, chana, charcuterie, chawanmushi, cheongsam, chiffonier, chimichanga, chirashi, chocolaterie, chole, choreograph, choucroute, cilantro, cioppino, circumnavigate |
| 0360–0379 · C | circumnavigation, clothbound, clothier, coif, colomba, commemorative, commode, compas, conchiglie, confit, congee, consommé, coronet, corset, corsetry, costumer, cotija, cotillion, counter, counterpane |
| 0380–0389 · C | couturier, couverture, credenza, cremation, crossfade, crudités, cubism, cubist, cumbia, cummerbund |
| 0390–0409 · D | dada, daifuku, dancehall, dangdut, dashi, davenport, derby, dhansak, dhrupad, dirndl, distiller, distillery, ditalini, doenjang, dolma, dolman, donburi, doo-wop, dopiaza, dorayaki |
| 0410–0419 · D | dragée, dramatics, dramatisation, draughtswoman, dressmaking, drier, drysuit, dubbing, dukkah, durum |
| 0420–0429 · E | einkorn, emblematic, embosser, emmental, emmer, empanada, epicure, epicurean, epitaph, étouffée |
| 0430–0449 · F | fadeout, fado, fandango, farfalle, farina, farro, fascinator, fashionista, fattoush, fenugreek, ferment, fettuccine, filmi, fixative, flauta, folio, fontina, forcemeat, forgery, freekeh |
| 0450–0458 · F | fregola, fretless, fromagerie, frontispiece, funicular, furikake, furniture, fusilli, fusuma |
| 0459–0478 · G | galangal, galbi, gamaka, gari, gastronomy, gemelli, genealogist, generational, genre, getai, ghazal, gianduja, giardiniera, gilding, gimbap, girandole, girdle, gîte, gochugaru, gochujang |
| 0479–0489 · G | gordita, gorgonzola, gourmand, grave, gremolata, gridiron, grissini, gruyère, gyoza, gyros, gyudon |
| 0490–0509 · H | haberdashery, hackney, haggis, half-timbered, haluski, halva, hammerbeam, hanbok, hansom, harbourside, harissa, havarti, header, headspin, hi-hat, hibachi, highboy, highlife, hijiki, homburg |
| 0510–0516 · H | hominy, honky-tonk, hoofer, hoofing, hosteller, hostelry, huarache |
| 0517–0524 · I | idli, ikat, illuminator, impresario, infographic, injera, innkeeping, izakaya |
| 0525–0532 · J | jalfrezi, jambalaya, japchae, jardiniere, jeon, jiaozi, jilbab, jjigae |
| 0533–0552 · K | kabuki, kaiseki, kameez, kanafeh, kasha, kataifi, katsu, katsudon, kebaya, kecap, kedgeree, kefalotyri, kerabu, kerbstone, khachapuri, khayal, khinkali, kibbeh, kielbasa, kirtan |
| 0553–0567 · K | klezmer, kluski, knickerbockers, knish, knockwurst, kofta, kombu, kringle, kriti, kroncong, krumkake, krumping, kurta, kurti, kyogen |
| 0568–0587 · L | labneh, ladderback, laksa, laksam, lambada, lampblack, landau, latticework, lavash, lean-to, leather-bound, lebkuchen, lederhosen, lefse, librettist, libretto, lindy, litho, livery, locking |
| 0588–0593 · L | lodger, lodging, lokum, lowboy, lowercase, lyricism |
| 0594–0613 · M | madder, maharaja, maharani, maki, manchego, mandu, manicotti, mantilla, mantou, mascarpone, matzo, mbalax, memoirist, memorialise, menemen, mento, mercer, merengue, mezze, millinery |
| 0614–0623 · M | minestrone, miscellany, momo, monogram, mortadella, mortuary, mostarda, moussaka, muhammara, mulligatawny |
| 0624–0634 · N | naengmyeon, napery, natto, neckcloth, nigiri, nikuman, noh, nonrepresentational, noren, nori, nougatine |
| 0635–0646 · O | obi, offprint, okonomiyaki, omakase, omnibus, orecchiette, orienteer, ostler, otak-otak, outfitter, overdress, oyakodon |
| 0647–0666 · P | palak, pamphleteer, panama, pancetta, pandoro, pappardelle, paratha, parfum, pastina, pastitsio, pastrami, pathway, peacoat, pecorino, pedicab, pedigree, pegbox, pelmeni, penman, pensione |
| 0667–0686 · P | pepperoni, perfumery, piccalilli, pierhead, pierogi, pillbox, pillowslip, piperade, pirozhki, pizzelle, pizzoccheri, playgoer, plectrum, polony, ponzu, popping, porkpie, porringer, portiere, portmanteau |
| 0687–0702 · P | posset, post-and-beam, postlude, potage, potpourri, praline, proofing, prosciutto, provenance, provolone, pullout, pumpernickel, pumphouse, pupusa, puri, puttee |
| 0703–0709 · Q | qawwali, qipao, quad, quadrille, quesadilla, quesillo, queso |
| 0710–0729 · R | raclette, raga, raiment, rajma, ramen, rasam, ready-to-wear, readymade, reblochon, reefer, regent, reggaeton, registrar, reminiscence, rempah, representational, retinue, riad, ridgepole, rigatoni |
| 0730–0744 · R | rigger, rigging, rillettes, robatayaki, rockabilly, roman, romanticism, ronggeng, roquefort, rotini, roujiamo, roulade, ruff, ruffle, ryokan |
| 0745–0764 · S | saag, sake, salami, salchichón, saloon, salwar, sambar, samgyeopsal, sanatorium, sanguine, sans-serif, sarma, saucisson, scabbard, sconce, scrip, self-portrait, senbei, seolleongtang, serial |
| 0765–0784 · S | serialisation, serialise, sfogliatella, shabu-shabu, shah, shakshuka, shaobing, shoji, showmanship, shoyu, shruti, shumai, sienna, signwriting, siopao, sizing, skiffle, slaughterhouse, slipcover, smorgasbord |
| 0785–0804 · S | soca, soft-shoe, sojourn, sojourner, somen, sommelier, sope, soppressata, sourcebook, spaetzle, spaghettini, spanakopita, spats, speculaas, speculoos, spelt, splat, ssamjang, stagecraft, steading |
| 0805–0815 · S | stelline, stockyard, stracciatella, streetcar, stringer, strozzapreti, stud, sudachi, sukiyaki, sundubu, symbolist |
| 0816–0835 · T | tabbouleh, tabloid, taboret, tagine, tagliolini, tahini, taiyaki, takoyaki, tala, taleggio, tallboy, tam, tam-o-shanter, tamale, tamari, tandoor, tandoori, tangyuan, tannery, tatami |
| 0836–0855 · T | teff, temaki, tempeh, tempura, tentage, teppanyaki, terasi, terrine, theatre-in-the-round, theatregoer, theatrical, theatrics, thoroughfare, thumri, tippet, tiropita, tlacoyo, tlayuda, tonkatsu, topographer |
| 0856–0872 · T | toponym, toponymy, tostada, totopo, trackway, trademark, tramline, transcription, trenette, triplex, trofie, tteok, tteokbokki, tumis, turnout, twelve-tone, typology |
| 0873–0879 · U | udon, umeboshi, underdress, underline, underscore, uppercase, uramaki |
| 0880–0887 · V | vallenato, vellum, velouté, vestige, vindaloo, vintner, voguing, voyageur |
| 0888–0900 · W | wagashi, wakame, walk-up, wanderlust, wasabi, watercolourist, waybill, waymarker, webzine, wet-on-wet, whatnot, winemaker, woad |
| 0901–0901 · X | xinyao |
| 0902–0907 · Y | yakisoba, yakitori, youtiao, yuanxiao, yukata, yuzu |
| 0908–0915 · Z | zaatar, zaisu, zakuska, zhug, zine, ziti, zongzi, zouk |
Advanced — optional adult-led reading: words 916–2000
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 |
|---|---|
| 0916–0935 · A | abattoir, abbacy, abutment, acanthus, acciaccatura, accordina, acropolis, acroterion, adjacency, agnolotti, agogo, aiguille, aiguillette, alb, alizarin, allograph, ambrotype, amphora, anchorite, animism |
| 0936–0955 · A | animist, annalist, antara, antefix, anthemion, anthropological, anthropometric, anthropometry, antiquarian, apologetics, appam, appoggiatura, aquarelle, archaeological, archipelagic, architrave, archivolt, archlute, arête, argyle |
| 0956–0971 · A | arietta, arioso, ascender, ascetic, ashlar, atheism, atheist, atlantes, aubade, autobiographer, autobiographical, autochrome, autolysis, avgolemono, axonometric, axonometry |
| 0972–0991 · B | baize, balalaika, baldric, balletomane, ballotine, baluster, bandoneon, bandura, bansuri, barathea, barcarolle, barouche, basilisk, bass-baritone, bassline, basso, batiste, bauhaus, bawu, bayou |
| 0992–1011 · B | beatification, beck, behemoth, bellcote, bengaline, berceuse, berg, bergère, bergschrund, bey, bhatura, bibliographer, bifurcation, biga, bight, biniou, biomorphic, biomorphism, biophilia, biophilic |
| 1012–1031 · B | bireme, bisqueware, bitonality, blackwork, blazonry, bobbinet, bombarde, bombardon, bombazine, boulanger, braidplain, bresaola, bricolage, bricoleur, britzka, brocatelle, broch, brougham, brownfield, brutalism |
| 1032–1033 · B | brutalist, byre |
| 1034–1053 · C | cabaletta, cairn, calèche, calender, caliph, caliphate, calotype, camaïeu, cambric, campanile, campanologist, campanology, canonisation, cantatrice, canto, cantus, cappelletti, capriccio, caravanserai, carillonneur |
| 1054–1073 · C | caron, carr, cartogram, cartouche, caryatid, casebound, cassock, catechism, catechumen, cavatina, cave-in, caver, cedilla, censer, ceramist, cerrado, chabudai, chaconne, chainstitch, chalumeau |
| 1074–1093 · C | chambray, chamotte, chandler, chandlery, chanson, chansonnier, chaparral, charabanc, charcutier, charnel, chaser, chasing, chasuble, chatelaine, chemisette, chiefdom, chinoiserie, chitarrone, chorba, choreographic |
| 1094–1113 · C | chorography, chromolithograph, chromolithography, ciborium, cimbalom, cincture, cinnabar, cinquefoil, circumflex, cithara, cittern, city-state, clarino, classicism, classicist, clavinet, clint, cloqué, coastguard, coastland |
| 1114–1133 · C | coastwise, cockatrice, codetta, codex, collagraphy, collotype, colonnade, coloratura, columnar, communion, compositor, concertante, concertino, concertmaster, concubine, confession, congregant, congregation, consecrate, consecration |
| 1134–1153 · C | constructivism, constructivist, continuo, contrabass, contrabassoon, contralto, contrapuntist, convert, copperwork, corbel, cording, cornett, cornettist, corrigendum, corselet, coryphée, costumier, cothurnus, coulee, couloir |
| 1154–1173 · C | counter-melody, counterfort, countertenor, courtesan, cowl, crackleware, crannog, craquelure, crawling, creamware, creed, crematorium, crepeline, crinoline, cromlech, crozier, csardas, cuirass, cuisinier, cuneiform |
| 1174–1179 · C | cupola, curricle, curtilage, cusp, cwm, cyanotype |
| 1180–1199 · D | dadaism, dadaist, daegeum, daguerreotype, daguerreotypist, daimyo, dalmatic, damascene, damascening, damassé, danseur, danseuse, danso, deboss, decalcomania, deckle, deconstructivism, deism, demolition, demountable |
| 1200–1219 · D | dentil, descant, descender, desecration, détaché, devotional, diacritic, diacritical, diaeresis, diapason, diaperwork, dimity, dingle, dismantlement, distemper, divertimento, divertissement, divisionism, dizi, doab |
| 1220–1232 · D | dobby, doctrinal, dogmatism, dolmen, dominant, domra, donga, dramaturg, drawnwork, duduk, dungaree, duodecimo, dupioni |
| 1233–1252 · E | easement, échappé, echinus, eclecticism, ecumenical, ecumenism, effigy, embalmer, embalming, embossment, emir, emirate, endogamy, engawa, engobe, entablature, entrechat, epergne, epigraphy, erratum |
| 1253–1272 · E | escritoire, escutcheon, etagere, étamine, ethnographer, ethnographic, ethnography, ethnologist, ethnology, ethnomusicologist, ethnomusicology, etude, eunuch, evangelical, evangelism, evangelist, exclave, exogamy, extrados, eyot |
| 1273–1292 · F | faille, falchion, farriery, farthingale, fauteuil, fauvism, fauvist, featherstitch, fell, ferrotype, fipple, firth, fjeld, fjord, flageolet, flèche, fleur-de-lis, fleuron, flexography, flintstone |
| 1293–1312 · F | flintwork, flugelhorn, foley, foolscap, foreland, foreshortening, forestage, forme, fouetté, friary, frisket, frogging, fromager, frottage, fugal, fugato, functionalism, functionalist, funerary, futurism |
| 1313–1314 · F | futurist, fylfot |
| 1315–1334 · G | gadulka, gaida, gaita, galantine, galliard, gamboge, gambrel, garrigue, gayageum, gemmologist, gemmology, genealogical, geo, geomungo, georgette, ginnel, gittern, gladius, glissade, glyph |
| 1335–1354 · G | glyptic, glyptography, gnomon, goldbeater, goldwork, gothic, gourmandise, grattage, gravure, greave, greenfield, grike, grog, grosgrain, grotesquerie, guanciale, guilloche, guipure, guitalele, guitarrón |
| 1355–1357 · G | gunny, guqin, guzheng |
| 1358–1377 · H | habiliments, habitability, habotai, hagiographer, hagiography, half-uncial, handaxe, harbourage, harem, harira, harmonium, harper, harpsichordist, helicon, heliograph, heliography, heliogravure, henge, herm, hermitage |
| 1378–1397 · H | herringbone, heterodox, heterodoxy, heterophony, hichiriki, hieratic, hieroglyphic, highveld, hillfort, himation, hippodrome, historicism, historicist, historiography, hollowware, holm, homophonic, homophony, hoodoo, hoplite |
| 1398–1402 · H | houndstooth, hulusi, humanist, hyperrealism, hypostyle |
| 1403–1418 · I | iconologist, iconology, ideogram, impiety, impious, impost, imprimatura, infill, inhumation, inro, instrumentation, insularity, intarsia, intermezzo, intrados, ironstone |
| 1419–1422 · J | jabot, jalousie, japonisme, jeté |
| 1423–1438 · K | kame, kapellmeister, karren, kaval, kermes, khan, khanate, khedive, khimar, kneehole, kora, kraken, krater, kreplach, kulcha, kylix |
| 1439–1458 · L | lambrequin, lampas, lapidary, lapis, leasehold, legibility, leitmotif, leno, lettermark, levain, leviathan, lied, ligature, lindworm, lithophone, lithopone, liveability, loden, loggia, logogram |
| 1459–1468 · L | logotype, longhouse, lorgnette, lost-wax, lough, lowveld, lunette, lustreware, lutenist, lyra |
| 1469–1488 · M | macron, madras, madrigalist, majuscule, malthouse, maltings, mandobass, mandocello, mandola, mandore, mangal, mannerism, mannerist, mansard, mantlet, maquette, maquis, marcato, marcella, marocain |
| 1489–1508 · M | martellato, martyrdom, mascaron, massing, mastaba, matelassé, matorral, matrilineal, matrilocal, mattock, mausoleum, maximalism, maximalist, mediant, megalith, melisma, melismatic, mellophone, melodeon, melton |
| 1509–1528 · M | menhir, mercerisation, mercery, metallophone, metalpoint, mezzo-soprano, microtonal, microtone, milonga, minaudière, minimalism, minimalist, minium, miscellanea, missionary, modality, modernism, modernist, modillion, modiste |
| 1529–1548 · M | modularity, monastic, monasticism, monograph, monolith, monophonic, monophony, monotheism, monotheist, monotype, morass, mordant, mordent, morendo, morocco, morris, mullion, mummification, musette, musicologist |
| 1549–1550 · M | musicology, muskeg |
| 1551–1568 · N | nadaswaram, napping, nawab, necropolis, neoclassical, neoclassicism, netsuke, névé, ney, ngoni, niello, noggin, noil, nosing, novitiate, nullah, numismatics, numismatist |
| 1569–1588 · O | obbligato, oblate, octavo, octofoil, oculus, odalisque, oenologist, oenology, ogee, ogive, ogonek, okimono, openwork, ophicleide, oppidum, orchestral, orchestration, orchestrator, organdie, organology |
| 1589–1602 · O | organzine, ornamentation, orphrey, orpiment, orthodox, orthodoxy, orthographic, orthography, osnaburg, ossuary, ostinato, ouroboros, overbar, overline |
| 1603–1622 · P | paginate, painterly, palaeography, paletot, palimpsest, palisade, palladian, palmette, pampas, pantheism, pantheist, paprikash, pargeting, parquetry, partita, pasha, passacaglia, passementerie, pastedown, pastillage |
| 1623–1642 · P | patera, pâtissier, patrilineal, patrilocal, patrimony, pavane, pearlware, pediment, pelerine, pelisse, pendentive, peninsular, peplos, perdendosi, periodisation, peristyle, petersham, pewterer, pewterware, phaeton |
| 1643–1662 · P | phalanx, photogram, photogrammetry, photogravure, photolithography, photorealism, photorealistic, pianola, pibroch, pictograph, pilaster, pince-nez, pinholing, pious, piqué, piri, placemaking, planform, platen, plié |
| 1663–1682 · P | ply, pochette, pointelle, polis, polje, polonaise, polychromy, polyphonic, polytheism, polytheist, polytonality, pommel, pongee, poolish, portamento, postface, postillion, postimpressionism, postmodernism, postmodernist |
| 1683–1700 · P | postulant, potholer, potsherd, prefabrication, preferment, prie-dieu, prioress, priory, progenitor, proscenium, proselyte, proselytise, protohistory, psaltery, puggaree, pungi, purlin, pylon |
| 1701–1709 · Q | qiviut, quadrangle, quagmire, quarto, quatrefoil, quena, quenacho, quern, quoin |
| 1710–1729 · R | rallentando, rationalism, realgar, reconfigurable, reconstruction, recordist, recto, redware, redwork, regionalism, regionalist, relevé, relocatable, remodelling, renaissance, renovation, repoussé, repoussoir, requinto, resist |
| 1730–1749 · R | reticella, reticule, retrofit, retting, reverence, reverend, reverent, revivalism, revivalist, rhyton, ribbonwork, ricercar, ricochet, riffler, ritenuto, ritornello, rococo, romanesque, rondel, ronin |
| 1750–1755 · R | rotogravure, roundhouse, rubblework, rubric, ruching, rustication |
| 1756–1775 · S | sabaton, sabkha, sabretache, sackbut, sacrament, sacrilege, sacrilegious, saggar, sainthood, salina, salteña, saluang, samite, sanctify, sanctimonious, sanctimony, sanctity, sanctum, sandur, sanforisation |
| 1776–1795 · S | santur, sarabande, sarafan, sarcophagus, sarrusophone, sateen, satrap, satrapy, saucier, sautillé, saxhorn, saxotromba, scarp, scenarist, scenographer, scenography, scherzando, schottische, scribal, scrimshander |
| 1796–1815 · S | scriptorium, scrivener, sculptural, secco, secrétaire, secular, secularism, sepulchre, serac, seraglio, seriation, sericulture, serigrapher, serpent, serunai, sesquicentennial, setter, sexfoil, sforzando, shakuhachi |
| 1816–1835 · S | shaman, shamanism, shantung, shawm, shehnai, sheikh, sheng, shibori, shinobue, shirring, shogun, shogunate, siccative, sightline, silverpoint, sinfonia, sinfonietta, site-specific, skerry, sley |
| 1836–1855 · S | slurry, smocking, smorzando, snicket, soffit, solleret, songket, sopranino, sordino, soutane, spandrel, spearhead, speleologist, speleology, sphinx, spiccato, spinet, spinster, sprawl, sprigging |
| 1856–1875 · S | sprue, squinch, staccatissimo, statuary, stele, stereobate, stereograph, stereography, stoa, stokehole, strait, strandflat, strandline, strapwork, strath, strathspey, stringcourse, stumpwork, stylobate, stylus |
| 1876–1889 · S | subdominant, submediant, suburbanisation, suling, sultanate, suona, supertonic, suprematism, surplice, swag, swastika, syllabary, syllabic, syrinx |
| 1890–1909 · T | taepyeongso, tarboosh, tarlatan, telamon, tenebrism, tenun, tenure, tenuto, terrazzo, tessera, thalweg, theism, theocracy, theologian, theology, theorbo, tholos, thurible, ticking, tideline |
| 1910–1929 · T | tilbury, tintype, toccata, tokonoma, tombolo, tondo, tonsure, toponymic, torc, totemic, totemism, tracery, traditionalism, traditionalist, transcontinental, transliterate, transliteration, trapunto, treadle, treenware |
| 1930–1940 · T | trefoil, tribalism, trilithon, trireme, triskelion, tump, tumulus, turnery, tussore, tympan, tympanum |
| 1941–1946 · U | umlaut, uncial, underbar, urbanism, uttapam, uvala |
| 1947–1966 · V | vareniki, vassal, veld, venerate, veneration, venu, verdigris, vernacular, verso, vestment, vibraphonist, vichyssoise, vihuela, violone, virginal, viridian, virtuosity, visualisation, viticulturist, vizier |
| 1967–1975 · V | vocalisation, vocalise, vocoder, voe, volute, vorticism, votary, votive, voussoir |
| 1976–1990 · W | waacking, wad, wadding, walkability, wallplate, washland, wayleave, whipcord, whitesmith, whiteware, whitework, woodturner, wordmark, wynd, wyrm |
| 1991–1993 · X | xiao, xylography, xylophonist |
| 1994–1995 · Y | yatga, yellowware |
| 1996–2000 · Z | zampogna, zampoña, ziggurat, zoning, zurna |
Using this bank
Understand a museum label, a historical account or a cultural description more precisely.
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 collection when a place, object or description raises a question. What does that label identify? How was this object used? What does a musical term help us hear? Choose a word that helps answer your question.
Begin with a photograph, a museum caption, a historical passage or something made by hand. Let the object or account supply the context. A concrete detail gives the new word a useful starting point.
This is an adult-selected reference. Some entries name specialist techniques, historical relationships or cultural practices. Select them when shared reading makes them useful, following the child's interests and experience.
What Age 11 means here
The Institute of Education Sciences guide Improving Adolescent Literacy recommends explicit vocabulary instruction and opportunities to discuss text meaning and interpretation. It addresses US school grades 5–12. Those recommendations support purposeful work with meaning; they do not validate this word selection or a vocabulary quota for a birthday. Institute of Education Sciences: Improving Adolescent Literacy.
Age 11 organises this reference volume. Beginner, intermediate and advanced are editorial reading routes, with adult support available throughout. They are not developmental norms, reading-age scores or expectations that every eleven-year-old should know these entries.
| 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
Look closely, check the label, explain what is known
1. Start with something specific
Choose one object, building, performance or short passage. Describe what you can see, hear or read before naming a style or explaining its purpose. ‘There is an oval around the writing’ gives the new term a visible job.
2. Read the surrounding information
Include the caption, date, place and source. Notice whether the writer says ‘made by’, ‘attributed to’ or ‘possibly’. Keep those qualifications when you retell the information; they help show how certain the account is.
3. Explain one useful meaning
Give a brief explanation in familiar language, then return to the example. Many words have different meanings in different subjects. Explain the meaning used here before adding another one. Check a dictionary or subject reference when needed.
4. Separate the record from the interpretation
Ask which information comes from the object, an inscription, a document or the writer's explanation. Try ‘The label records…’ and ‘One possible interpretation is…’. An interesting possibility can remain a possibility while you look for supporting evidence.
5. Use the word to make a clearer account
Write, say or dictate two sentences: one explaining the object or passage, and one identifying a remaining question. Keep the source with the note. Return to the word when another example lets you compare meanings or uses.
IES recommends direct vocabulary teaching and discussion of interpretation. The five-step routine and examples here are original editorial suggestions, not a separately evaluated programme or evidence that these 2,000 entries should be memorised. IES / What Works Clearinghouse: Improving Adolescent Literacy.
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. Reading an object's ownership record
provenance — the history of an object's origins and ownership or custody
‘The catalogue gives part of this object's provenance, including two earlier owners.’
Ask which parts are documented and where the record has gaps.
2. Comparing forms of writing
codex — a manuscript in book form, typically with pages bound together
‘The display describes this bound manuscript as a codex.’
Use the arrangement of pages to explain the term.
Meaning reference: Getty: What Is a Codex?.
3. Looking at a medal
commemorative — made or done to remember or honour someone or something
‘The caption calls this a commemorative medal.’
Ask what is remembered and whose decision shaped the design.
4. Reading about local buildings
vernacular — following local or everyday traditions, here in building
‘This account describes the houses as examples of vernacular architecture.’
Check which place, period and building features the writer means.
5. Examining a decorated inscription
cartouche — an ornamental tablet or frame, often scroll-shaped, containing writing or a design
‘A cartouche surrounds the name in this illustration.’
Point to the frame; do not assume every framed name has the same significance.
Meaning reference: Collins English Dictionary: Cartouche.
6. Discussing a painting's lighting
tenebrism — a painting technique using striking light against deep darkness
‘The face stands out against the dark background in this example of tenebrism.’
Connect the term to visible features and the explanation accompanying the work.
Meaning reference: National Gallery: Tenebrism.
7. Listening to a musical example
polyphonic — having distinct melodic lines sounding together
‘We can follow overlapping melodies in this polyphonic passage.’
Listen to a short passage again; hearing every line independently is unnecessary.
Meaning reference: Columbia University Sonic Glossary: Polyphony.
8. Reading a family-history account
matrilineal — tracing descent through the mother's line
‘This account describes a matrilineal system of descent.’
That detail alone does not establish who holds every kind of authority.
Describe a particular example without making it stand for everyone
Keep the place, period and people in the sentence. ‘This garment appears in the account of this celebration’ says more precisely what you know than a sweeping claim about how an entire culture dresses. Use the name given by a reliable source, including a community's own description where available.
Ask who made the object, who used it, who supplied the description and what happened before it reached this collection. You may find answers in the catalogue and leave other questions open. A gap in the record should stay visible.
Separate description from personal response. You can describe a repeated shape, a dark background or several melodic lines, then say what you enjoy or find puzzling. A preference does not need to become a claim that one tradition is more valuable than another.
When accounts involve unequal power, use clear descriptions of actions and relationships. Ask who could make decisions, who performed the work and whose words survive in the source. Keep the discussion attached to the evidence available for that particular account.
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 |
|---|---|
| At a museum | Choose one label and connect a new term to the object beside it. |
| During a neighbourhood walk | Describe one building feature, then check its name and local context. |
| While listening | Use one musical term to explain something audible in a short passage. |
| During shared history reading | Keep a source's date, place and uncertainty in your retelling. |
| After an outing | Save one useful word, an example and the question you still want answered. |
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 word sounds impressive but its meaning is unclear | Point to the feature or relationship it describes. Use a familiar explanation first. |
| One example becomes a claim about a whole culture | Add the specific place, period, people and source. Narrow the claim to what is supported. |
| A possible explanation becomes a fact in the retelling | Return to the original wording and restore qualifications such as ‘possibly’ or ‘attributed to’. |
| The page introduces too many unfamiliar terms | Choose the one that answers your question. Read past the others or let an adult explain them. |
| The child knows another name in a home language | Welcome the connection. Check how each name is used locally before treating them as exact equivalents. |
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Frequently asked questions
Should an eleven-year-old know all 2,000 words?
No. This is a reference for selecting useful language, including optional specialist reading. It is not an annual learning target or a measure of ability.
Does ‘top’ mean these are the most frequent words?
No. It describes an editorial collection. The entries are not ranked by measured frequency, and the order does not represent a validated learning sequence.
Can a beginner choose an advanced word?
Yes, when a relevant example and adult explanation make it useful. The bands describe routes through this collection; they do not label a child or limit an interest.
Should we avoid words used in earlier age volumes?
No. Familiar vocabulary belongs in every explanation. The no-repeat rule applies to numbered bank entries across the series, while conversation should revisit useful words freely.
What should we do when two sources disagree?
Compare their dates, evidence and wording. State the disagreement accurately and leave the conclusion open when the available information does not settle it.
The sequence and word audit
Age 11: 2,000 distinct listed entries. This volume occupies series positions 20,001–22,000. 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 object, image, passage or performance. Find a word that helps you describe it, then keep the example and its source together.
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Sources and editorial note
IES / What Works Clearinghouse: Improving Adolescent Literacy
CHSA: Learning More Than One Language
Collins English Dictionary: Cartouche
Columbia University Sonic Glossary: Polyphony
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 11: Why, What and How
An unfamiliar word can hide a missing piece of the story. A reader might pronounce transcription but not understand why a copied letter is different from a summary. They might know that a timeline puts events in order but accidentally record a planned event as something that happened. Vocabulary growth includes understanding these differences and using them to build a fair account.
Connect each useful word with a source, a clear meaning and the limits of what that source tells you. This volume offers language for exploring books, objects, performances and accounts of the past. It does not require an eleven-year-old to memorise 2,000 entries or become an expert in every culture represented in the bank.
Why context matters · What deeper understanding means · Research and practical implications · A worked example · A useful learning routine · Recognising progress
Why a word needs the world around it
Imagine reading a passage about a manuscript without knowing whether it is discussing the original object, a photograph, a transcription or a modern retelling. Those are different things. The reader needs enough background to understand what is being examined before deciding what the passage establishes.
The same principle applies to ordinary reading. A fictional diary can sound personal without being a surviving record from a real person. A foreword can introduce a work without being part of its narrated events. Knowing the kind of text helps you ask an appropriate question: what does this source say, and what sort of account is it offering?
Choose a small piece of context rather than delivering a lecture. Explain who is speaking, what the object is or why the document was made. Then return to the sentence that was difficult. The Age 11 guide to subject language and critical reading provides related ways to connect words with the question a reader is trying to answer.
What a deeper understanding adds to a definition
For this activity, a transcription is a written rendering of the words in a source. A summary selects and condenses its main points. A reconstruction uses available evidence to work out an account of what happened. The three tasks can concern the same letter without producing the same kind of writing.
Make those jobs visible. Put the original wording beside a faithful transcription, then write a separately labelled summary. Explain what was omitted from the shorter version. When building a reconstruction, identify which parts come directly from a source and which parts remain an inference or an unanswered question.
The US National Archives transcription guidance asks contributors to preserve the words as written, including spelling, and mark unreadable words rather than silently replace them. Its conventions serve its own catalogue. The useful principle for our small exercise is to distinguish what the record contains from a modern explanation of it; do not improve the original into saying something it never said.
What research says about language and comprehension
Clarke and colleagues’ randomised trial studied children who could read accurately but had specific comprehension difficulties. Text-comprehension, oral-language and combined interventions improved comprehension relative to an untreated control group. Vocabulary gains in the language-focused conditions helped explain their comprehension gains. These were selected participants receiving structured teaching, not evidence that any word list alone produces the same result.
The practical implication is to look beyond fluent reading aloud. Ask the child to explain what a passage means and how its parts connect. A correct pronunciation may still leave an unfamiliar concept, an unclear relationship or a missing piece of context. Choose the support that addresses the actual difficulty instead of simply adding more words.
The source-reading routine below is an original teaching application, not an intervention tested in that trial. It makes the task concrete: explain a term, use it on a short source and check whether the resulting account is accurate. No source cited here validates this bank’s age allocation, a fixed learning rate or a score for general intelligence.
A worked example: two notes and an unfinished timeline
Create two clearly fictional records. On one card, write: “Monday: We plan to open the club display on Friday.” On a second, write: “Thursday: Opening postponed. No new date agreed.” Explain that these notes were invented for the activity. They are not documents from an actual school or historical collection.
Make a transcription. Ask the child to copy the first note faithfully. Keep “plan to” in the sentence. Replacing it with “opened” is not a harmless simplification; it changes an intention into a completed event. Compare the copy with the original before moving to another task.
Write a separate summary. A suitable summary of both cards might say, “The club planned a Friday opening but postponed it on Thursday.” The shorter version combines information while keeping the change of plan. Ask what it leaves out: no replacement date had been agreed in the second note.
Construct the timeline. Record the Monday plan and the Thursday postponement. Do not automatically place “display opened” on Friday. A timetable of intended activities and a timeline of established events are not interchangeable. Label planned events clearly when they belong in the account.
Identify what remains unknown. The cards do not say why the opening was postponed or whether it eventually happened. “Perhaps the room was unavailable” is an invented possibility, not another fact from the notes. Keep it separate from the reconstruction and ask what additional record could help.
Test a new piece of evidence. Add a third fictional note: “The display opened the following Tuesday.” Revise the timeline and say which new statement supports the revision. The earlier notes have not become useless; they now help explain how the plan changed. Revision is part of making the account more accurate.
How to build vocabulary through a small inquiry
Begin with one question rather than an entire subject. What does this caption identify? Is the passage a direct account or a later retelling? What does the date refer to? Choose two or three useful terms only when the material genuinely needs them. There is no requirement to select a word from every difficulty band.
Explain a term in the context where it appears, then offer a comparison. A transcription and a summary make a particularly clear pair because the child can inspect what has changed. Ask them to explain the difference in their own language before expecting a formal definition. A familiar explanation can demonstrate the intended understanding.
Keep the evidence beside the new word. A vocabulary note might contain the term, the relevant sentence, a short meaning and a question it helps answer. Add the source’s title or location so the child can return to it. The record should help recover the idea, not merely display a collection of difficult spellings.
Make room for discussion and a real reader. Invite the child to explain the two-note timeline to someone who has not seen the cards, then show the cards and compare the account. For more home activities, use the Age 11 guide to nuance, abstract language and independent reading.
How to explore cultural vocabulary without making sweeping claims
When a word names a garment, food, musical practice or architectural feature, keep the particular example visible. Ask which place, community, period and source are involved. One photograph or account does not establish what everyone in a country wears, eats, believes or enjoys.
Welcome a family member’s explanation or a home-language name, while keeping clear whether it describes that person’s experience or a broader claim. Check unfamiliar histories and spellings with suitable sources. The aim is curiosity with precision, not treating a cultural term as an exotic ornament in a sentence.
There is also no need to force a specialised word into everyday writing. A term can be worth understanding because it helps read a museum label or a passage, even when the child rarely uses it independently. Choose the ordinary expression when it serves the listener better.
How to recognise useful progress
Look for a more accurate distinction: the child keeps “planned” in the summary, labels a transcription correctly or says that a missing reason is still unknown. Those changes matter more than adding extra formal words. Ask which part of the source supports the account and listen for an explanation, not only a quotation.
When the copied words are accurate but the story is misunderstood, discuss the relationship between the notes. When the story is understood but the vocabulary is confusing, compare the task labels again. When handwriting or spelling obscures an otherwise clear explanation, allow speech or dictation while giving those skills their own support.
Return to one useful term in a different passage on another occasion. Offer a cue and corrective feedback when needed. Keep observations specific to the task and consider the child’s full language experience. Persistent reading or communication concerns should be discussed with the teacher or an appropriate professional, not judged from this reference list.
How this knowledge becomes understanding
The Age 10 growth guide connects observations with checkable explanations. The Age 12 growth guide applies careful meaning to summaries, public claims and information checking. Earlier words remain useful throughout.
The goal is a reader who can explain both the account and its basis. Knowing a word helps identify what kind of information is present. Understanding grows when the child can connect that information, preserve its qualifications and recognise what the available evidence does not yet tell them.
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.