The 2,000-word list for Age 9
A reference for adults choosing language for conversation and shared reading. A child aged 9 is not expected to know or learn all 2,000 words. Advanced entries are optional adult-led reading extensions. Age guidance.
Beginner 1–401 · Intermediate 402–1401 · Advanced 1402–2000 · 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 8 · Next: Age 10 · How to use this bank. These are reference choices, not age-based word quotas.
Beginner: words 1–401
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · W
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0001–0016 · A | abruptly, absolutely, achy, acne, actively, actually, affectionately, agreeably, aimlessly, airily, angrily, anxiously, apologetically, appropriately, awash, awkwardly |
| 0017–0033 · B | babysitting, bandmate, bashfully, beautifully, beefy, beekeeping, belatedly, bitterly, bluish, boatman, boldly, bookkeeping, bravely, briefly, brightly, brownish, busily |
| 0034–0053 · C | calmly, candlewick, carefully, carelessly, cartload, casually, cautiously, certainly, chalkboard, cheekily, cheerfully, cheerily, childless, chirpy, churchyard, classwork, clearly, cleverly, clingy, closely |
| 0054–0073 · C | clumsily, coalmine, cockcrow, codeword, comfortably, confidently, consciously, constantly, continually, convincingly, coolly, correctly, courageously, courteously, coyly, crabapple, crankiness, crazily, creatively, creepiness |
| 0074–0079 · C | crossbones, crossness, cruelly, crunchiness, curiously, curtly |
| 0080–0099 · D | dangerously, daringly, darkly, dawdler, dearly, deeply, deliberately, delightedly, desperately, devotedly, diligently, dimly, discreetly, dishonestly, distantly, distinctly, distractedly, doubtfully, dramatically, dreamily |
| 0100–0100 · D | drowsily |
| 0101–0118 · E | eagerly, earnestly, eerily, effectively, efficiently, effortlessly, elegantly, emptily, empty-handed, encouragingly, energetically, enormously, enthusiastically, enviously, evenly, excitedly, expertly, extremely |
| 0119–0138 · F | faintly, fairground, fairly, faithfully, falsely, famously, fatherhood, fearfully, fearfulness, fearlessly, feebly, fiercely, firmly, fiver, fleetingly, flipbook, fluently, fondly, foolishly, forcefully |
| 0139–0146 · F | fortunately, frankly, frantically, freely, freshly, fully, furiously, fussily |
| 0147–0163 · G | generously, gently, gladly, gleefully, glumly, gracefully, gradually, grandly, granny, gratefully, gravely, greedily, greediness, grimly, gruffly, grumpiness, guiltily |
| 0164–0183 · H | happily, harshly, hastily, hazily, heartily, heavily, helpfully, helplessly, hesitantly, hilariously, homecoming, honestly, hopefully, hopelessly, horribly, horsehair, horseplay, housemate, hugely, humbly |
| 0184–0186 · H | humorously, hungrily, hurriedly |
| 0187–0193 · I | icily, idly, impatiently, imperfectly, impolitely, impressively, innocently |
| 0194–0198 · J | jaywalker, jokingly, jolliness, joyfully, jumpiness |
| 0199–0200 · K | keenly, knowingly |
| 0201–0210 · L | latecomer, lazily, laziness, litterbug, liveliness, loosely, loudly, lovingly, loyally, luckily |
| 0211–0225 · M | madly, meekly, merely, merriness, mildly, mindfully, mischievously, miserably, mismatch, mistakenly, mockingly, modestly, moodily, mournfully, mysteriously |
| 0226–0236 · N | naively, narrowly, nastily, naturally, neatly, neckerchief, nervously, noisily, noisiness, normally, numbness |
| 0237–0244 · O | obediently, obligingly, obviously, oddly, old-fashioned, openly, ordinarily, outwardly |
| 0245–0264 · P | painfully, parkland, passerby, patiently, peacefully, peacetime, peckish, peppercorn, perfectly, personally, pitifully, plainly, playfully, plaything, pleasantly, plumpness, pointy, politely, poolside, popgun |
| 0265–0278 · P | positively, possibly, powerfully, practically, prankster, prettily, prettiness, privately, probably, properly, proudly, punctually, purely, purposefully |
| 0279–0281 · Q | quickly, quietly, quirkiness |
| 0282–0292 · R | rapidly, rashly, really, reasonably, reassuringly, recklessly, reluctantly, repeatedly, respectfully, restlessly, rudely |
| 0293–0312 · S | sadly, safely, seasick, secretly, selfishly, selfless, selflessly, sensibly, separately, seriously, shameless, shapeless, sharply, sheepishly, shush, sideburns, silently, sincerely, skilfully, sleepily |
| 0313–0332 · S | sleepwalk, sleepwalker, slightly, slipperiness, sloppiness, slowly, slyness, smartly, smoothly, smugly, softly, sogginess, solemnly, solidly, sorely, sparingly, specially, speedily, spitefully, splendidly |
| 0333–0349 · S | sporty, squirmy, steadily, stiffly, stingily, strangely, strictly, stubbornness, subtly, successfully, suddenly, suitably, sulkiness, surely, surprisingly, suspiciously, sweetly |
| 0350–0369 · T | tactfully, tactlessly, tearfully, teasingly, tensely, terribly, thankfully, thickly, thinly, thoroughly, thoughtfully, thoughtlessly, thoughtlessness, ticklish, tightly, tingly, tongue-tied, toothache, totally, touchiness |
| 0370–0372 · T | truckload, truthfully, truthfulness |
| 0373–0391 · U | unbroken, unclean, underfed, unexpectedly, unfairly, unhappily, unhelpfully, unluckily, unmoved, unnecessarily, unpleasantly, untamed, untrue, unusually, unwashed, unwillingly, upbringing, urgently, usefully |
| 0392–0401 · W | washday, weariness, weirdness, wholemeal, wildness, wistfully, workday, workmate, workroom, wrongdoer |
Intermediate: words 402–1401
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 |
|---|---|
| 0402–0421 · A | abandonment, abatement, abnormality, aboveground, abruptness, absent-minded, absorbing, abstainer, absurdly, abundantly, abuse, abusive, acceptability, acclimatise, accommodating, accomplished, accurately, accusatory, accuser, achiever |
| 0422–0441 · A | activism, activist, actualise, addict, addiction, addle-brained, adequacy, adequately, adieu, adjournment, adjuster, admirably, admittedly, adolescence, adoptable, adoptee, adopter, adrenaline, advancement, advantageous |
| 0442–0461 · A | adventuresome, adventurousness, advertorial, advisability, advisee, affected, affiliation, affixation, afflict, afoul, aftereffect, afterlife, aggravating, aggravation, aggrieve, aggro, agitated, agitator, agleam, aglitter |
| 0462–0481 · A | agonise, agonising, agreeable, agreeableness, airdrop, airing, airman, airwoman, alarmist, alehouse, alertly, alertness, allege, alleviation, alliterate, allowable, alluring, aloofness, alterable, amends |
| 0482–0501 · A | amiability, angelic, animatedly, annexe, annoying, anteroom, anticlimactic, antiquated, appalled, appeaser, appreciatively, appropriateness, approving, aptly, aptness, ardently, argumentation, argumentative, argumentatively, arresting |
| 0502–0518 · A | arrogantly, artfully, artfulness, artlessness, assailant, assertively, assort, assuredly, assuredness, astonishing, astuteness, attentively, attentiveness, attractively, audibly, awfulness, awkwardness |
| 0519–0538 · B | backbite, backbreaking, backfill, backsliding, backstairs, backwardness, bailout, balk, bareness, bargeman, barmaid, barman, barrack, battlefront, battleground, bedazzlement, bedraggled, bedwetting, begrudgingly, beholden |
| 0539–0558 · B | believability, belittlement, belligerently, bemuse, benevolently, benumb, bewitchment, bimonthly, blackball, blacklist, blackmailer, blandly, bleary-eyed, blinding, blinkered, blithely, bloodcurdling, bloodshed, bloodstained, bluffer |
| 0559–0578 · B | bluntness, boastfully, boastfulness, boathook, bogey, boisterously, bootstrap, bossiness, bounciness, bounder, bowlegged, bowline, brazenness, breathlessly, breeziness, brilliantly, briskly, briskness, broad-minded, broadly |
| 0579–0587 · B | brotherly, brownstone, brusquely, buffoonery, bugaboo, bugbear, bulkiness, bumbling, burnout |
| 0588–0607 · C | caginess, calculating, cancellation, candidly, candidness, cannily, canniness, capably, captivation, carefulness, carelessness, carsickness, casualness, catcall, catchall, caustically, cautiousness, ceaselessly, celebratory, changeability |
| 0608–0627 · C | changeless, charmingly, charmless, chatterer, chattiness, cheapen, cheater, cheeriness, cheerlessness, cheesiness, chequerboard, childishness, childlessness, chilliness, chinwag, chipper, chirrup, chivvy, choosiness, choosy |
| 0628–0647 · C | choppiness, chronic, chumminess, chummy, cinch, clamminess, clamorous, clear-headed, clearness, cleaver, cleverness, cliffhanger, climbdown, cliquey, cliquish, closeness, closure, clothe, clotheshorse, cloudiness |
| 0648–0667 · C | clumsiness, coarseness, coaxingly, cockiness, cocksure, coexist, cold-hearted, coldly, coldness, combative, comeuppance, comfortingly, comfortless, comically, comparatively, compassionately, complimentary, comprehensible, compulsion, compulsive |
| 0668–0687 · C | concealment, conceitedly, condescending, confessional, confessor, confidante, confidentially, confiding, confinement, conformist, confrontational, connive, conniving, conqueror, conquest, considerately, consistently, contemplation, contentedly, contrariness |
| 0688–0707 · C | conversationalist, cordially, counterattack, counterfeit, counterfeiter, covertly, cowardice, cowardly, crabbiness, craftily, craftiness, craziness, creakiness, credibly, crispness, crookedness, crossfire, crotchety, crudeness, cruelty |
| 0708–0714 · C | cryptically, cud, cumbersome, cunningly, cursed, cuteness, cynically |
| 0715–0734 · D | daintily, damning, dauntlessness, dazedly, deadbeat, deaden, deadliness, debunk, debunker, deceitfully, deceptively, deceptiveness, decisively, decorously, deface, defacement, defensively, defensiveness, defiance, defiantly |
| 0735–0754 · D | definable, definiteness, deflation, deflection, deftly, deftness, degrade, dejectedly, deliberateness, delicately, deliverance, demeaning, demerit, demotivate, demotivation, deniable, densely, dependability, dependably, deprivation |
| 0755–0774 · D | despairing, desperation, despondently, destructiveness, detachment, deterioration, determinedly, deterrence, detestable, detractor, deviousness, diffidently, dimness, dinginess, directness, dirtiness, disablement, disagreeable, disarray, disbelief |
| 0775–0794 · D | disbelieving, discolour, discolouration, discomfort, disconcerted, discontentment, discourtesy, disdainfully, disenchanted, disengagement, disentanglement, disfavour, disfigure, disgraceful, disgruntlement, dishearten, disheartening, dishevelled, dishonour, dishonourable |
| 0795–0814 · D | disillusionment, disloyalty, dismally, disobedience, disorderliness, disorganisation, dispassionately, dispirited, dispiriting, displeasing, displeasure, disquieting, disrespectfully, disruption, disruptive, dissatisfaction, dissenter, dissenting, dissimilarity, distinctiveness |
| 0815–0834 · D | distrustful, distrustfully, disturbance, disunite, disunity, divisive, divisiveness, dolefully, domineer, domineering, doomsayer, dovetail, dowdy, drabness, drastically, dreadfully, dreaminess, drearily, dreariness, drumhead |
| 0835–0839 · D | dryly, dub, dullness, dumbfound, dutifulness |
| 0840–0859 · E | earnestness, earthiness, edginess, effortful, effortlessness, elaborately, elope, elopement, eloquently, elusiveness, embarrassing, embarrassingly, embellishment, embitterment, emote, emotionally, emotionless, emphatically, emptiness, enabler |
| 0860–0879 · E | encamp, enchanting, enchantingly, enchantress, encirclement, encouraging, endearingly, endearment, endgame, endurable, engaging, engagingly, engulfment, enjoyable, enjoyably, enlightened, enlightenment, enliven, enrage, enrichment |
| 0880–0899 · E | entanglement, entertaining, enthuse, enticement, enticing, entourage, entrancing, enviousness, envision, erasure, erratic, erratically, escapist, essence, essentially, eternity, evader, even-handed, eventfulness, evidently |
| 0900–0919 · E | evildoer, evilly, exacting, exaggeration, exasperating, exasperation, exceedingly, excellence, excitability, exclamation, exclusively, excusable, exertion, exhilaration, expectancy, expectant, expectantly, expiry, exploiter, expressionless |
| 0920–0924 · E | expressiveness, expressly, extravagantly, exuberantly, eye-opening |
| 0925–0944 · F | familiarity, fancifully, fashionably, favourably, fearlessness, feebleness, festivity, fickleness, fidgetiness, fierceness, fitfully, fitfulness, flamboyantly, flashiness, flatly, flatness, flatterer, flawlessly, flimsiness, flirtatious |
| 0945–0964 · F | flunk, footloose, forbidding, forcefulness, forcibly, forgetfulness, forgivable, forlornly, formality, formally, frankness, fretfully, fretfulness, friendlessness, friendliness, frightfully, frivolously, frontman, frostily, fruitfulness |
| 0965–0969 · F | fruitlessly, fullback, furtively, furtiveness, fussiness |
| 0970–0989 · G | gab, gabbler, gallantly, gamekeeper, gatecrasher, gawker, genuineness, giddiness, gleefulness, glibly, gloomily, gloominess, glowingly, glumness, gobsmacked, good-hearted, good-humoured, good-natured, graciously, gratefulness |
| 0990–0995 · G | grizzled, groundwork, grudgingly, gruffness, guardedly, guardedness |
| 0996–1015 · H | habitually, hair-raising, hale, half-baked, half-hearted, half-heartedly, halfback, handsomely, hardiness, harebrained, harmlessness, harshness, hastiness, hatefully, haughtily, headlock, heartening, heartless, heartlessness, heartsick |
| 1016–1035 · H | heatedly, heedlessness, helplessness, heroically, hesitancy, hideousness, high-spirited, hitchhike, hoarsely, hoarseness, horridly, hot-headed, hot-tempered, hotly, housecoat, huffily, huffiness, humanely, humiliating, humiliation |
| 1036–1038 · H | humourlessness, hurtfully, hush-hush |
| 1039–1058 · I | ideally, idleness, ignorantly, ill-advised, ill-fated, ill-mannered, ill-tempered, ill-timed, imaginable, imaginatively, immensely, immodesty, imploringly, impressionable, impulsively, inadequately, inattentiveness, incessantly, incidentally, increasingly |
| 1059–1078 · I | incredulously, indecisively, indecorous, indefinitely, independently, indescribable, indignantly, indignity, indirectly, individually, industriously, inexcusably, inexplicably, inflexibility, inflexibly, informally, ingeniously, ingratitude, inhospitable, injustice |
| 1079–1098 · I | inquisitively, inquisitiveness, insanely, insensitively, insensitivity, inseparability, insincerely, insincerity, insistently, instinctively, insultingly, intensely, intentionally, intently, intermittently, intimacy, intimately, intimidation, intolerable, intolerably |
| 1099–1106 · I | intolerance, inventiveness, invincible, inwardly, irritability, irritably, irritant, irritatingly |
| 1107–1113 · J | jammy, jovially, joylessly, joyously, jubilantly, judiciously, justly |
| 1114–1117 · K | kind-hearted, kinsfolk, kinsman, kinswoman |
| 1118–1132 · L | ladylike, lamely, languidly, lawlessness, ledger, light-hearted, like-minded, limply, listlessness, literally, lonesome, longingly, lovelorn, low-spirited, lowdown |
| 1133–1152 · M | magnificently, majestically, maliciously, manhunt, masterful, meaningfully, meaninglessly, meanness, meekness, melodramatically, menacingly, meticulousness, mild-mannered, mindlessly, mischief-maker, mischievousness, misguided, misinterpretation, misleading, mistrustful |
| 1153–1157 · M | mockery, momentarily, morosely, mournfulness, mystification |
| 1158–1171 · N | naivety, naughtiness, neatness, neediness, needlessly, neglectfully, neglectfulness, negligence, nightcap, nightmarish, nightstand, noncommittal, nonsensical, notoriety |
| 1172–1190 · O | obdurately, offensively, officially, ominously, open-handed, open-hearted, opinionated, optimistically, originally, outspokenness, overblown, overcautious, overconfidence, overconfidently, overcritical, overdone, oversensitive, overstep, overstretch |
| 1191–1210 · P | painstaking, painstakingly, panic-stricken, patronising, pawnshop, peaceably, peculiarly, pensively, perceptiveness, perhaps, perplexity, persistently, persuasively, pessimistically, petticoat, petulantly, piously, plaintively, pleadingly, ploddingly |
| 1211–1221 · P | pluckiness, pointedly, potentially, praiseworthy, predictably, prickliness, primitively, procrastination, protectiveness, prudently, purposely |
| 1222–1226 · Q | quaintly, quarrelsomely, quarrelsomeness, queerly, quizzically |
| 1227–1246 · R | raggedy, ragtag, rashness, readiness, recklessness, regretfulness, relentlessness, remarkably, reproachfully, resignation, resolutely, resoluteness, reverently, rhetorically, richly, rightfully, rightly, rigidly, robustly, roly-poly |
| 1247–1250 · R | ruefully, runaround, ruthlessly, ruthlessness |
| 1251–1270 · S | sarcastically, scornfully, scraggly, searchingly, seemingly, self-absorbed, self-assured, self-centred, self-defeating, self-esteem, self-important, self-indulgent, self-pity, self-righteous, self-satisfied, sensitively, sentimentality, serenely, severely, shamefully |
| 1271–1290 · S | shamelessly, sheepishness, shipboard, shrewdly, shrewdness, shrillness, sickbay, sideshow, significantly, single-minded, skittishness, sluggishness, smilingly, smitten, smugness, snakebite, snobbish, sociability, soft-hearted, soothingly |
| 1291–1310 · S | sophistication, sorrowfully, soundlessly, spineless, spitefulness, spontaneously, sporadically, sprightliness, squarely, squeamishly, squeamishness, stammerer, starstruck, steadfastly, steadfastness, stealthiness, stoically, stoutly, strangeness, strikingly |
| 1311–1321 · S | stupidly, submissiveness, sullenly, superficiality, superficially, supremely, suspiciousness, sweet-natured, swelter, sweltering, sympathetically |
| 1322–1341 · T | tactfulness, tailcoat, tameness, tattletale, tearaway, tediously, tentatively, terrifyingly, tetchiness, thickset, threateningly, thriftiness, tiresomely, tolerantly, touchingly, touchstone, tousle, townsperson, tragically, tremendously |
| 1342–1342 · T | triumphantly |
| 1343–1362 · U | unaffected, unappealing, unashamed, unbending, uncomplaining, uncompromising, unconvincing, uncooperative, underhand, unenthusiastic, unfeeling, unguarded, unhesitating, uninhibited, unkempt, unmanageable, unmotivated, unprincipled, unquestioning, unreceptive |
| 1363–1377 · U | unrepentant, unresponsive, unruffled, unruliness, unsentimental, unsociable, unsuspecting, untroubled, untrustworthy, unwelcoming, uplifting, upstart, uptight, urgency, utterance |
| 1378–1379 · V | vengefulness, vindictiveness |
| 1380–1399 · W | wariness, warm-hearted, warm-heartedness, warpath, wartime, well-behaved, well-disposed, well-intentioned, well-mannered, well-meaning, whole-hearted, wilfulness, windbag, windfall, windpipe, wistfulness, witless, witticism, wittiness, workhorse |
| 1400–1401 · W | world-weary, worrywart |
Advanced — optional adult-led reading: words 1402–2000
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · K · P · R · S · T · V · W
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 1402–1421 · A | abase, abasement, abash, abduct, abductee, abduction, abet, abettor, abhorrence, abhorrent, abjectly, abjure, abnegation, abnormally, abomination, abrogate, abrogation, abscond, absolution, abstemious |
| 1422–1441 · A | abstinence, abstinent, abstruse, abstrusely, absurdism, absurdist, academically, accede, acclamation, accoutre, accoutrement, accursed, acerbically, acerbity, acidly, acme, acolyte, acquiescence, acquiescent, acquisitive |
| 1442–1461 · A | acrimonious, actuate, adamantine, adamantly, adduce, adjectival, adjudge, adjunct, adjuration, adjure, admonishment, admonitory, adroitly, adroitness, adulatory, adumbrate, adumbration, adventitious, adverbial, adversarial |
| 1462–1481 · A | adversative, aegis, aesthete, aesthetically, aestheticism, affectation, affective, affirmative, affray, aficionado, aforementioned, aforesaid, agglomeration, aggrandise, aggrandisement, agnostic, agnosticism, agonisingly, agora, alchemical |
| 1482–1501 · A | alienable, allegorical, allegorically, allegorist, alliterative, allusive, allusiveness, altercation, altruist, altruistically, amalgamation, amateurism, ambiguously, ambivalence, ambrosial, amelioration, amicably, amorous, amorously, amour |
| 1502–1521 · A | anachronism, anachronistic, analytically, anaphora, anaphoric, anecdotally, animus, annihilate, annihilation, annulment, antagonism, antagonistic, antagonistically, antedate, antipathetic, antithetical, antonymy, apathetically, apocalyptic, apocrypha |
| 1522–1541 · A | apologist, apoplectic, apotheosis, appeasement, apprehensively, arbitrarily, arbitrariness, archetypal, argot, aristocratic, arrogate, arrogation, articulately, ascendance, ascension, asceticism, ascription, aspirational, asseverate, assiduity |
| 1542–1561 · A | assiduously, assignation, astonishingly, astoundingly, astutely, attenuate, attestation, audaciously, augment, augmentation, augury, august, austerely, authentically, authoritarian, authoritatively, automatically, avaricious, avariciously, avocation |
| 1562–1565 · A | avowal, avowedly, avuncular, axiomatic |
| 1566–1585 · B | bagatelle, balefully, barbarously, bathetic, bathos, beatific, beatitude, beau, behead, behove, belabour, belie, belles-lettres, belligerence, belligerent, beneficence, benignly, bespeak, bestowal, bildungsroman |
| 1586–1605 · B | biographical, bizarrely, blandishment, blatantly, bleakly, blindly, bludgeon, bluestocking, bodkin, bounteous, bowdlerise, braggadocio, brazenly, brio, brusqueness, brutalise, buckler, bull-headed, bullish, bunkum |
| 1606–1607 · B | bureaucratically, byword |
| 1608–1627 · C | cacophonous, cadaverous, caesura, cajolery, calculated, calculatingly, callously, callousness, calumniate, calumnious, capriciously, capriciousness, captious, caroller, carouser, carryover, categorically, cattiness, censorious, censoriously |
| 1628–1647 · C | ceremonious, ceremoniously, characterful, characteristically, characterless, charitably, chary, chastisement, chattily, chiasmus, chimerical, chivalric, chivalrously, chronically, churlish, churlishness, circuitously, circumlocutory, clannish, clapperboard |
| 1648–1667 · C | claptrap, cleave, cliché, climactic, cliquishness, clodhopper, close-fisted, close-mouthed, cloying, coerce, cogently, cognate, coherently, coincidentally, cold-heartedness, collectively, collegial, collegiality, collocate, collocation |
| 1668–1687 · C | colloquialism, colloquially, colophon, commendably, commiseration, commonsensical, compellingly, compendious, compensatory, competently, complacency, complacently, complaisance, compliantly, comprehensively, comprehensiveness, compulsively, compunction, conceivability, conceivably |
| 1688–1707 · C | concerted, concisely, conclusively, condescendingly, conditionally, conformism, confounding, congeniality, congruity, conjecturally, connivance, connotation, connotative, conscientiously, conscientiousness, consecutively, considerateness, consonantal, conspicuously, conspirator |
| 1708–1727 · C | conspiratorial, consternation, constriction, constructively, consummation, contemplatively, contemptible, contemptuous, contemptuously, contentiously, contentiousness, contextually, contiguous, contortion, contrariwise, contravene, contravention, contretemps, contrite, contrition |
| 1728–1747 · C | contrivance, contumely, conventionally, conversationally, convivial, conviviality, convulsive, cooperativeness, copious, cordiality, corporeal, corroborative, corruptible, corruption, counteraction, counterintuitive, countermand, counterproductive, countervailing, covetous |
| 1748–1767 · C | crass, craven, credence, credo, credulity, credulous, credulously, creole, critically, crudely, culpability, culpable, culpably, curmudgeon, curmudgeonly, cursorily, curtail, curtailment, curtness, customarily |
| 1768–1769 · C | cynical, cynicism |
| 1770–1789 · D | dastardly, debar, debase, debasement, debilitate, debilitation, debility, declamation, declamatory, deconstruct, deconstruction, deconstructive, decrepitude, defeatism, defector, defencelessness, defensible, defensibly, defilement, definitively |
| 1790–1809 · D | defray, degenerate, dehumanise, delinquency, delinquent, delusional, delusive, demonic, demonstrably, demonstratively, demoralisation, demoralise, demotic, demureness, denigration, denotation, denotative, denouement, denunciation, deprecate |
| 1810–1829 · D | deprecating, deprecation, depredation, derange, derangement, derisively, descriptively, deservedly, desirably, desultorily, detrimentally, didacticism, digressive, diplomatically, disambiguate, disambiguation, disarmingly, disbelievingly, disconcertingly, disconnectedly |
| 1830–1849 · D | disconsolately, discordantly, discursively, dishevel, disingenuously, disparagingly, disproportionately, disquietingly, disruptively, disturbingly, do-gooder, doggedly, dogmatically, domestically, dourly, dramaturge, dramaturgy, drollery, dualism, dubiously |
| 1850–1850 · D | dynamically |
| 1851–1853 · E | eclectically, ecstatically, edgily |
| 1854–1872 · F | facetiousness, faint-heartedness, fair-minded, faithlessness, falsification, fanatical, fecklessness, fellow-feeling, flippancy, forbear, forelock, foreseeability, forthrightness, forwardness, fractiousness, fraudulence, fulminate, fulmination, futility |
| 1873–1881 · G | gaucheness, gentility, glibness, gloaming, grandiloquence, grandiosity, greatcoat, grotesqueness, guilelessness |
| 1882–1893 · H | hassock, haughtiness, heart-rending, hector, hectoring, hodgepodge, hollow-eyed, homeliness, hurly-burly, hypocrisy, hypocritical, hysteria |
| 1894–1913 · I | iconoclastic, idealisation, idiosyncratic, ill-humoured, illegibility, illogicality, immobilise, immoderate, impassivity, impecunious, imperiousness, impermanence, imperturbability, imperturbable, impetuosity, impishness, implausibility, imploring, importunity, imposition |
| 1914–1933 · I | impropriety, improvisatory, imprudence, impudence, imputation, inauthentic, incapacity, incautious, incisiveness, incivility, inclement, incoherence, incomprehension, incongruity, inconsolable, inconstancy, incontrovertible, incorrigibility, incrimination, indelicacy |
| 1934–1953 · I | indiscriminate, indolence, indomitable, indubitably, ineffectiveness, inefficacy, inelegance, ineptitude, inequitable, infallibility, infatuate, infatuation, ingenuousness, ingratiating, inhumanity, inimitable, iniquitous, inner-city, innocuousness, insatiability |
| 1954–1973 · I | inscrutability, insensibility, insolence, instigator, intemperance, intemperate, intercede, interlocutory, interloper, intermarriage, interpose, interrogative, interrogator, intractability, intransigence, intransigent, intrepidity, introspect, irascibility, irredeemable |
| 1974–1977 · I | irrelevance, irrepressible, irresolution, irreverence |
| 1978–1978 · K | kerfuffle |
| 1979–1979 · P | potshot |
| 1980–1981 · R | ramshackle, restive |
| 1982–1991 · S | scallywag, scatterbrain, skinflint, slothful, spendthrift, stalemate, standoffish, steely, stonewall, sweatshop |
| 1992–1994 · T | tactlessness, taproom, turncoat |
| 1995–1995 · V | vagary |
| 1996–2000 · W | wallflower, waylay, widowhood, witchcraft, worldliness |
Using this bank
Notice how a narrator makes a character seem careful, unkind, doubtful or trustworthy.
The complete list is above. Go to age guidance, the practical method, definitions and examples, common problems, frequent questions or all published age banks.
A narrator can change your impression of a character with one word. Someone who replies quietly might be considerate, frightened or avoiding attention. The word supplies a clue; the surrounding action helps you decide what that clue means.
Use this bank when a story raises a useful question: Why does that description fit? What changed when the narrator chose a different word? Select one entry that helps explain the scene. You do not need to move through the list in order.
This volume includes many formal words and useful derivations because earlier volumes already contain many familiar headwords. The advanced entries are optional material for adult-supported reading. They are not an expectation for nine-year-olds.
What Age 9 means here
EEF’s Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2 concerns literacy teaching for pupils aged seven to eleven. Its guidance is intended to support classroom practice. It does not prescribe this collection, its three bands or a 2,000-word target. EEF: Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2.
Age 9 is the organising shelf for this reference. Top means editorially selected, not ranked by measured frequency. Beginner, intermediate and advanced describe routes through this collection; they do not measure a child’s ability, vocabulary size or reading age.
| 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
Read the action, examine the description, then try another context
1. Establish what happened
Read the whole sentence and enough of the scene to understand the event. Describe the visible action first: someone hid a letter, offered a seat or paused before answering. This gives an unfamiliar word something concrete to attach to.
2. Explain this use of the word
Give a brief explanation that fits the sentence. Quietly may refer to sound, or to doing something without attracting attention. Check a suitable dictionary when uncertain. Context helps you choose a meaning; it does not guarantee the answer.
3. Ask who supplies the description
A narrator might call a character calculating while the character calls the same plan sensible. Identify the speaker before adopting the judgement. Look for an action that supports the description, and notice anything that complicates it.
4. Change one part
Keep the action and change the adverb, or keep the adverb and change the action. Compare “She cautiously crossed the bridge” with “She cautiously agreed.” Discuss what caution concerns in each sentence: a physical step or a decision.
5. Return the word to ordinary use
Invent another plausible example or notice the word later in conversation. Ask whether it adds useful information. A word can help you understand a book even if you rarely choose to use it yourself.
The IES adolescent literacy guide recommends explicit vocabulary instruction and discussion of text meaning. It addresses US Grades 5–12. Those broad recommendations inform this reading approach; they do not validate an age-nine word quota or these original examples. 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. A change nobody notices
quietly — with little sound, or without attracting attention
“He quietly changed the arrangement.”
Ask whether quietly concerns sound, attention or both; the surrounding scene can settle it.
2. A careful decision
cautiously — with care to avoid difficulty or harm
“She cautiously agreed to try the new route.”
Her agreement may include reservations. It does not necessarily mean she speaks slowly.
3. An unwelcome request
begrudgingly — reluctantly, with resentment
“He begrudgingly lent her the umbrella.”
The lending happens. The adverb tells us about his attitude to doing it.
4. Help without embarrassment
discreetly — without drawing unnecessary attention
“She discreetly pointed out the missing button.”
Consider how the action protects someone’s privacy. Discreet does not automatically mean dishonest.
5. Remembering a place
wistfully — with longing and a little sadness
“He looked wistfully at the photograph of the old garden.”
The photograph is visible; the longing is the narrator’s account of his feeling.
6. A surprising account
incredulously — showing difficulty believing something
“‘You built it overnight?’ she asked incredulously.”
Her reaction shows disbelief. It does not prove that the account is false.
7. A favour with a purpose
calculating — carefully planning for personal advantage
“The narrator describes his offer as calculating.”
Look for the advantage he expects. Doing arithmetic is a different use of calculating.
8. A demanding task
exacting — requiring great care or effort
“Repairing the tiny mechanism was exacting work.”
The difficulty belongs to the task. An exacting person has demanding standards.
A word can stay the same while the reader’s interpretation changes
An adverb does not carry an entire scene inside it. “She proudly displayed the prize” and “She proudly refused assistance” both involve pride. Readers may respond differently because the actions and circumstances differ. Explain that difference before searching for a more impressive synonym.
Sometimes the word itself has more than one sense. Quietly can describe low noise or little publicity. Coldly can describe an unfriendly manner rather than temperature. Ask which explanation fits, then check the sentence again. An alternative meaning matters only when the context supports it.
Descriptions also position the reader. Calling someone calculating invites suspicion about their motive. A later event might support that impression or overturn it. Keep track of whose account you are hearing and what has actually happened. You can revise an interpretation without treating the first reading as a failure.
For writing, try a sentence without its adverb. If an action already makes the attitude clear, you may prefer the shorter version. If the adverb changes the intended meaning, keep it. Precision comes from the job a word performs in that particular sentence, not from its length or difficulty.
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 | Pause at one description that changes your impression of a character. |
| After a chapter | Recall one action and explain which word influenced your interpretation. |
| While retelling an event | Separate what happened from what you guessed about someone’s motive. |
| When revising a sentence | Remove or change one adverb and compare the resulting meaning. |
| On another day | Find the same word in a different setting and discuss what still applies. |
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 |
|---|---|
| Every description becomes a personality label | Return to the specific action. A character can behave differently in another situation. |
| A guessed meaning does not fit | Check a dictionary, choose the relevant sense and reread the sentence. |
| The child gives a different interpretation | Ask which words support it. More than one reading may be plausible. |
| An advanced entry interrupts the story | Use a familiar explanation and continue. Return only if the distinction remains useful. |
| Writing becomes crowded with adverbs | Keep the words that add meaning. Read the sentence aloud after removing the others. |
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Frequently asked questions
Should a nine-year-old learn all 2,000 entries?
No. This is a reference for adults and supported readers. The number organises the collection; it is not a validated annual target, attainment standard or list to memorise.
Why are there many words ending in -ly or -ness?
Useful derivations let readers discuss manner, attitude and qualities. Knowing an adjective does not automatically explain every use of its relatives. Choose the form that helps with the sentence.
Does an adverb always describe how an action happens?
No. Adverbs can also express time, degree and other relationships. This guide mainly explores manner and attitude. Check what each word modifies in the sentence you are reading.
Does an advanced word improve a story?
Only when it communicates the intended meaning. A familiar word may suit the voice, scene and reader better. Understanding a formal word does not require using it frequently.
Can we reuse words from earlier age lists?
Yes. The no-repeat rule applies to the numbered reference entries. Reading, conversation and examples should reuse any language that helps people understand each other.
The sequence and word audit
Age 9: 2,000 distinct listed entries. This volume occupies series positions 16,001–18,000. 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 sentence from a story. Explain what happens, identify the narrator’s descriptive word and test what changes when you replace or remove it.
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Sources and editorial note
EEF: Improving Literacy in Key Stage 2
IES / What Works Clearinghouse: Improving Adolescent Literacy
CHSA: Learning More Than One Language
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 9: Why, What and How
A child can know that something happened without yet having the language to explain how, why or with what degree of certainty. “The model fell” and “She deliberately knocked the model over” do not report the same thing. One describes an event. The other adds a claim about intention. This is where vocabulary becomes more than decoration.
Use this stage to connect word families, precise meanings and evidence from a scene. Choose a useful word, explain the distinction it makes, and give the child a reason to use it. The bank above provides options rather than a birthday target. Many of its formal entries will be unnecessary for the conversation you are having today.
Why precision matters · What growth means · Research and its limits · A worked example · Practical teaching · Recognising progress
Why these words help with understanding people and stories
Words such as deliberately, reluctantly and confidently add different information to an action. A person can agree reluctantly, answer confidently or move something deliberately. The action alone does not tell us all of that. The additional word asks the reader to understand an attitude, intention or manner.
That precision is useful outside a composition exercise. When explaining a misunderstanding, a child may need to distinguish what they observed from what they assumed. When reading a story, they may need to notice whether the narrator supplies a feeling or whether they are inferring it. A richer vocabulary offers more choices, but the choice still needs to fit.
Try a small question: “What does this word add that the rest of the sentence does not?” Sometimes the answer is important. Sometimes the sentence is clearer without it. The Age 9 guide to word roots and reading provides a complementary route into meaning and word structure.
What growth means when several words belong to one family
Consider careful, carefully and carefulness. “A careful inspection” describes the inspection. “She inspected it carefully” describes how the inspecting was done. “Her carefulness prevented a mistake” names the quality being discussed. These are connected meanings, not three unrelated ideas to memorise.
Use the familiar base even when it belongs to an earlier volume. The non-repeating numbered banks organise the reference; they should never stop you reusing the language needed to explain a new form. The useful task is to understand the relationship and select the form that makes a natural sentence.
Make a small word-family note rather than a long copied definition: a familiar meaning, two related forms and one sentence for each. Then ask what changes. Recognising the family is one achievement; knowing how its members behave in sentences is another. Neither requires the child to collect every possible derivation at once.
What research supports about meaningful word structure
Bowers and Kirby’s study of morphological instruction involved a 20-session intervention in four Grade 4 and 5 classes assigned to treatment or control conditions. Benefits included taught vocabulary and unfamiliar words built from bases that had been taught. The same benefit was not found for words with untaught bases. This supports attention to meaningful word relationships; it does not show that recognising an ending explains every unfamiliar word.
The practical implication for this guide is to teach the base meaning as well as the useful addition. Explain careful before expecting carefully to make sense. Check the actual sentence, and use a suitable dictionary when the connection is uncertain. The activities here are original teaching suggestions, not a reproduction of the study or proof that this particular bank is effective.
No research cited here establishes that a nine-year-old should learn 2,000 new entries in a year. Nor does the number of rare words in a sentence measure understanding. The more useful question is whether the child can explain the distinction and use it accurately when the situation changes.
A worked example: did the model move deliberately?
Start with a fictional scene. “Leah reached across the table for her notebook. Her sleeve caught the paper model, and it fell.” Ask the child to report what happened without adding a motive. “Her sleeve caught the model” stays close to the information supplied.
Offer a proposed description. “Leah deliberately knocked the model over.” Explain that deliberately, in this use, means on purpose. Does the scene establish that she intended the model to fall? Reaching for the notebook may be intentional while the contact with the model is not. The word needs to attach to the right action.
Change the scene, not just the answer. In another version, Leah decides to clear a space and carefully moves the model to a shelf. “She deliberately moved the model” can fit this account. Deliberately does not mean cruelly or destructively; an intentional action can be helpful.
Ask for a repair. Invite the child to rewrite the first proposed description so it says only what the original scene supports. A shorter sentence may be better. Then ask them to create a new, harmless example of someone doing something deliberately, such as choosing a seat where they can see the board.
Return to the distinction later. In a different story, ask which action was intended and which result was unexpected. Supply help when needed. Keep the discussion fictional if a real disagreement would turn the activity into an argument about blame. The purpose is a fair account, not winning a case against somebody.
How to choose, explain and reuse a small set
Choose a word because it resolves a real uncertainty. Perhaps a child understands the action but misses the character’s reluctance. Perhaps two descriptions sound similar but imply different levels of confidence. Start there instead of selecting the longest available entry. One useful contrast can carry a whole conversation.
Give a short explanation before asking for an independent answer. “Reluctantly means not very willingly” provides a starting point. Compare agreeing reluctantly with refusing outright. The person who agrees still does the thing. A near miss is useful because it reveals the boundary of the meaning, not merely another synonym.
Offer a genuine communication task. Ask the child to describe a fictional character to someone who has not read the story, revise a confusing caption or explain why one interpretation fits better. They may speak, dictate or write. Keep spelling practice separate when it would distract from the meaning you are trying to discuss.
Return to the selected word in another passage and compare its job. Do not insist that every piece of writing contain the new vocabulary. A child should also learn when an ordinary word says the intended thing more clearly. For targeted repairs, use the Age 9 guide to word roots, comprehension and precise writing.
How to recognise progress without rewarding longer answers
Look for a useful change in the child’s explanation. They might reject deliberately because the intention is unknown, distinguish reluctant agreement from refusal, or replace a broad personality label with an account of a specific action. Those responses show the kind of distinction this guide is trying to teach.
When the definition can be repeated but the example is wrong, return to examples and contrasts. When the meaning is understood but the word family is confusing, compare two sentence frames. When the sentence is accurate but the reader cannot explain the story, reread the surrounding events. These problems need different kinds of support.
Keep a small record of the actual task: “Explained the difference with help” is more informative than declaring a word permanently mastered. Later, invite another example without immediately supplying the answer, then give feedback. A forgotten word is a reason to revisit the connection, not to label the child careless.
Welcome an explanation in a home language when it helps reveal the intended idea, and then build the English sentence together. Persistent reading or communication concerns deserve a conversation with the child’s teacher or an appropriate professional. This editorial bank cannot diagnose a difficulty or measure a child’s total language knowledge.
How this connects with the next stage
The Age 8 growth guide develops ways to check unfamiliar meanings. The Age 10 growth guide applies the same care to observations and technical explanations. They are connected resources, not stages a child must pass on a fixed timetable.
The goal is a more accurate choice. A useful vocabulary lets a child describe an event, explain a feeling and recognise when a statement goes beyond what is known. Sometimes that means adding a precise word. Sometimes it means leaving one out.
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.