The 2,000-word list for Age 14
A reference for teenagers exploring words independently or with support. The 2,000 entries are choices for reading and conversation, not a requirement for Age 14. Advanced entries are optional specialist extensions. Age guidance.
Beginner 1–49 · Intermediate 50–471 · Advanced 472–2000 · 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 13 · Next: Age 15 · How to use this bank. These are reference choices, not age-based word quotas.
Beginner: words 1–49
A · B · C · F · G · H · K · L · M · N · P · R · S · T · U · X
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0001–0001 · A | airglow |
| 0002–0005 · B | bacillus, backflow, bacterium, biceps |
| 0006–0006 · C | cuttlebone |
| 0007–0010 · F | fauna, flora, forebrain, fungicide |
| 0011–0014 · G | gene, geneticist, genetics, genome |
| 0015–0017 · H | herbivory, hormone, hydrocarbon |
| 0018–0018 · K | keratin |
| 0019–0022 · L | lactation, leukaemia, lithium, litmus |
| 0023–0033 · M | marsupial, melanin, mercury, methane, micrograph, micronutrient, microsecond, midbrain, millisecond, mutant, mutation |
| 0034–0035 · N | nanoparticle, nocturnality |
| 0036–0042 · P | pectoral, peroxide, postnatal, prebiotic, prenatal, primate, probiotic |
| 0043–0043 · R | radon |
| 0044–0044 · S | shrinkage |
| 0045–0045 · T | toxin |
| 0046–0048 · U | uranium, urinate, urination |
| 0049–0049 · X | xenon |
Intermediate: words 50–471
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Z
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0050–0068 · A | acrosome, adenosine, adipocyte, aerocapture, alveolus, amygdala, anaphase, anechoic, anneal, antigenic, antiserum, apatite, arginine, argon, arteriole, astrocyte, atavism, autosome, autotomy |
| 0069–0080 · B | backcross, backscatter, bioaccumulation, bioassay, bioavailability, biocatalyst, bioconcentration, bioreactor, biotite, bogie, braze, bronchiole |
| 0081–0100 · C | calibrator, carotid, cervix, chemoreception, chemosynthesis, chloromethane, chordate, chromatogram, cladistics, claystone, cnidarian, codominance, codon, coenzyme, cofactor, cogeneration, concavity, cosine, cotangent, counterforce |
| 0101–0106 · C | counterstain, crossover, cryopreservation, curium, cyclotron, cytokine |
| 0107–0119 · D | dechlorination, deglaciation, dehiscent, delamination, deoxygenation, determinant, diatomite, diffuser, dipolar, discriminant, disproportionality, distal, dodecagon |
| 0120–0139 · E | echinoderm, ecodesign, ecotoxicity, ectoparasite, electroreception, ellipsoid, elution, embrittlement, endocarp, endorphin, endosymbiosis, endotoxin, epicarp, epigenetic, eusocial, exocrine, exome, exon, exotoxin, extractant |
| 0140–0141 · E | extrusion, exudate |
| 0142–0158 · F | faceplate, femtosecond, fermenter, ferrite, ferroalloy, fibril, fibrin, filtrate, flavonoid, flocculant, flocculation, fluoridate, follicle, formaldehyde, fovea, frameshift, frugivory |
| 0159–0173 · G | galactose, gamete, gastrula, genomic, genotype, germline, glottis, glucagon, glutamine, glutathione, glycerine, glycerol, glycine, graben, graphene |
| 0174–0193 · H | haploid, haplotype, helical, heliotropism, heparin, heterozygous, hexahedron, hippocampus, histamine, histidine, histology, histone, homologous, homology, homozygous, hornblende, hybridise, hydrochloric, hydrophilic, hydrophobic |
| 0194–0198 · H | hydroxide, hypertrophy, hypha, hypothalamus, hypoxia |
| 0199–0216 · I | ileum, iliac, illuminance, immiscible, immunodeficiency, immunosuppression, inbreeding, inoculum, instar, intercellular, intracellular, intron, inundation, iodide, isoleucine, isomer, isomerisation, isotonic |
| 0217–0218 · J | jejunum, jugular |
| 0219–0222 · K | ketone, kilohertz, knockdown, knockout |
| 0223–0238 · L | lactate, laryngeal, leucine, leucocyte, ligand, lignin, limewater, lipase, lithic, locus, longitudinal, lymph, lymphatic, lymphocyte, lymphoid, lysosome |
| 0239–0258 · M | macromolecule, macronutrient, macrophage, mafic, masseter, medulla, meiosis, metabolite, metaphase, methanol, methionine, methylation, metrology, microarray, microbalance, microbiome, microbiota, microdissection, microevolution, microflora |
| 0259–0277 · M | microglia, microinjection, micromachining, micropipette, microplate, microprobe, misalignment, mitosis, modulus, molarity, monocyte, monotreme, montane, morphology, motility, multiplicity, mutagenesis, mycelium, myelin |
| 0278–0293 · N | nanocomposite, nanosecond, naphthalene, neocortex, nephron, neuroanatomy, neurobiology, neuromuscular, neuronal, neurotransmitter, niobium, nitrogenous, nondestructive, noradrenaline, norepinephrine, nucleotide |
| 0294–0313 · O | observability, occipital, octane, octant, oesophageal, oestrogen, oligomer, oncogene, osteoclast, osteocyte, otolith, overgeneralisation, overinterpretation, overprediction, overrepresentation, oviparous, ovulation, ovum, oxidant, oxidiser |
| 0314–0333 · P | parathyroid, pathogenic, peptidase, peptide, perfusion, periosteum, peristalsis, perpendicularity, petrology, phage, phagocyte, phagocytosis, phenotype, phenylalanine, photochemical, photochemistry, photodetector, phototaxis, phototropism, phylum |
| 0334–0353 · P | picosecond, placenta, planktivore, plasmid, plutonium, polyethylene, polygenic, polymerase, polymeric, polypeptide, polysaccharide, preform, prestress, prokaryote, propane, propanol, protease, proteomics, protoplasm, proximal |
| 0354–0355 · P | pseudogene, pyrolysis |
| 0356–0357 · Q | quadratic, quantifiability |
| 0358–0377 · R | rachis, radian, radiocarbon, radiofrequency, radiometer, reagent, recombinant, recombination, recrystallisation, rectilinear, redox, relativistic, renal, representativeness, retinal, retrovirus, rhombic, ribosome, ruminant, rutile |
| 0378–0397 · S | saccharin, sacrificial, salivary, saprophyte, scalar, sclera, secretory, selectivity, semipermeability, senescence, septum, serology, sidereal, skewness, sonication, sorbent, spectrometry, spectroscopy, sphincter, statics |
| 0398–0415 · S | stratovolcano, stridulation, stroboscope, subcritical, subcutaneous, subgroup, subspace, subsurface, supercooling, supercritical, superfluid, supernatant, superposition, supersaturation, swarf, symmetric, synapse, syncline |
| 0416–0435 · T | tachycardia, talus, tangency, telomere, tephra, terahertz, testosterone, tetrahedral, thalamus, thermogenesis, thermonuclear, thermophile, thiamine, thoracic, threonine, thrombin, thyroxine, titrate, titration, torus |
| 0436–0446 · T | tracheid, transboundary, transgenic, triglyceride, trigonometric, trisomy, tropism, tryptophan, tunnelling, turgid, tyrosine |
| 0447–0456 · U | ultrafast, ultrafiltration, ultrasonics, unconformity, underprediction, underrepresentation, unobservable, unverifiable, ureter, uvula |
| 0457–0466 · V | vacuole, vanillin, varve, ventral, ventricular, virion, virulence, visceral, viviparous, volatility |
| 0467–0468 · W | weldability, wettability |
| 0469–0469 · X | xenolith |
| 0470–0471 · Z | zirconium, zygote |
Advanced — optional supported reading: words 472–2000
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · Z
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0472–0491 · A | abaxial, abducens, abelian, ablative, abscissa, absorptance, acentric, acetabulum, acetal, acetaldehyde, acetamide, acetyl, achondroplasia, acinus, acoustoelastic, acoustooptic, acrocentric, acrylate, actinium, actinolite |
| 0492–0511 · A | actinomorphic, actinomycete, actomyosin, acyl, acylation, adamantane, adaptationist, adaptiveness, adaxial, adduct, adenylate, adipate, adiponectin, adularia, aerenchyma, aerobiology, aeroelastic, aeroelasticity, aerothermal, afferent |
| 0512–0531 · A | affine, aftercooler, agrivoltaics, agrohydrology, agroindustrial, alate, albumen, aldolase, aleurone, algebraist, aliphatic, aliquot, alkylation, alkyne, allelic, allelism, allene, allochthon, allochthonous, allopolyploid |
| 0532–0551 · A | allopolyploidy, allosome, allosteric, allostery, allyl, altricial, aluminosilicate, ambipolar, amensalism, amidation, amidine, aminopeptidase, aminotransferase, amitosis, ammonification, amylopectin, amyloplast, amylose, anadromous, anaerobiosis |
| 0552–0571 · A | anagenesis, anaplerosis, anapsid, anastomosis, anatropous, anconeus, andalusite, androecium, aneuploid, aneuploidy, angularity, aniline, anisogamy, anisole, anorthite, anoxia, anthocyanidin, antibiogram, anticlinal, anticlinorium |
| 0572–0591 · A | anticommutative, anticommutator, anticyclogenesis, antiderivative, antiferromagnetism, antigenicity, antiholomorphic, antimonate, antimonide, antiparallel, antipodal, antipredator, antisense, antisymmetric, antisymmetry, aphanitic, apocentre, apoenzyme, apomictic, aponeurosis |
| 0592–0611 · A | apoplast, apoplastic, apoprotein, apoptotic, aposematism, approximant, arachidonic, arachnoid, aragonite, arccosine, archenteron, archosaur, arcsine, arctangent, arenaceous, argentiferous, argillaceous, aromaticity, arsenide, arsenite |
| 0612–0631 · A | arteriolar, arthropodan, articular, aryl, arylation, asparagine, aspartate, aspartic, aspheric, assortative, astatine, astroglia, asymbiotic, attosecond, auric, auriculate, aurous, austral, authigenic, autochthon |
| 0632–0644 · A | autochthonous, autofrettage, autogenous, automorphism, autoradiography, autosomal, auxotroph, auxotrophy, avidin, axolemma, axonal, axoneme, azo |
| 0645–0664 · B | backdrive, backplate, backshell, bacteraemia, bacteriocin, bacteriolysis, bacteriostatic, ballrace, bandgap, baroclinicity, barycentre, barycentric, baryta, basilar, basipetal, basophil, batchwise, bedform, benzaldehyde, benzophenone |
| 0665–0684 · B | berkelium, betaine, bifoliate, bijectivity, bioavailable, bioburden, biocatalysis, bioclast, bioclastic, bioclimatic, biocontainment, biogeographic, biometeorology, bionomics, bioretention, biotinylation, biotransformation, biotrophic, biparental, biphenyl |
| 0685–0704 · B | birefringence, bismuthate, bivector, blanking, blastoderm, blastogenesis, blastomere, blastopore, blastulation, bleb, bluewater, borane, boride, boundedness, brachial, brachioradialis, brachistochrone, brachium, bracteole, brecciation |
| 0705–0714 · B | breech, breeching, bremsstrahlung, bromination, buccal, bullate, busbar, butadiene, butene, butyrate |
| 0715–0734 · C | calcaneus, calcarenite, calciferol, calcitic, calibrant, californium, campanulate, canaliculus, cancellous, capitate, capitulum, capsid, carbamate, carbanion, carbene, carboxylase, carboxylate, carboxylation, cardinality, carnassial |
| 0735–0754 · C | carnitine, carpellary, carpus, Cartesian, caseinase, catabolic, cataclasite, cataclastic, catadromous, catalase, cataphyll, catechol, catecholamine, cathodoluminescence, caudate, caudex, cauline, centriolar, centrosome, cephalisation |
| 0755–0774 · C | ceramide, cerebellar, cerebrospinal, ceric, cerium, cerous, channelisation, characteristic, chelicera, chemoautotroph, chemoreceptor, chemostat, chernozem, chiasma, chitinase, chlorenchyma, chloritic, chlorophenol, choline, cholinergic |
| 0775–0794 · C | cholinesterase, chondroblast, chondrocyte, chondroitin, chordal, choroid, chromatophore, chromic, chromite, chromophore, chromoprotein, chromosomal, chronobiology, chronostratigraphy, ciliate, ciliogenesis, circumcentre, cisterna, cistron, cladistic |
| 0795–0814 · C | cladogenesis, cladogram, clathrate, clathrin, claustrum, clavicular, cleistogamy, clinopyroxene, clonality, coadaptation, cobalamin, cobaltic, cobaltous, coccobacillus, coccoid, coccolith, coccus, coccygeal, cochain, codimension |
| 0815–0834 · C | coevolutionary, coextrusion, cohomology, coleorhiza, coliform, collagenase, coloniality, commissural, commissure, complexification, concatemer, concentricity, concyclicity, conductimetry, conductometric, condyle, confocal, conformability, conformal, conformality |
| 0835–0854 · C | congenic, congruential, conic, conjugacy, conjugative, connate, connectedness, connivent, conservativity, contrapositive, conus, coplanarity, coprecipitation, coprimality, coquina, coracoid, cordierite, corneal, coronagraph, coronoid |
| 0855–0874 · C | corticospinal, corymb, cosecant, costal, cotyledonary, coulometry, countability, counterpressure, counterrotation, covariate, covector, cratonic, creatinine, cricoid, crista, criticality, cryoelectronics, cryospheric, cryostat, cryoturbation |
| 0875–0894 · C | cryptosporidium, cubature, cubital, cumulant, cuneate, cursorial, cutin, cyanamide, cyclisation, cycloaddition, cycloalkane, cyclobutane, cycloid, cyclopentane, cyclopropane, cyclostome, cyclotomic, cymose, cytochemistry, cytochrome |
| 0895–0900 · C | cytogenetic, cytogenetics, cytolysis, cytolytic, cytoplasmic, cytosolic |
| 0901–0920 · D | dacite, dealkylation, deaminase, deamination, decarboxylase, decarboxylation, decoherence, deflagration, dehalogenation, dehydrogenase, dehydrogenation, deimatic, deltoid, demethylation, dendritic, densitometer, densitometry, dentinal, denumerable, deoxyribonuclease |
| 0921–0940 · D | depensation, depolarisation, depolymerisation, derepression, derivatisation, desmosome, detrainment, detritivory, deuteride, deuterostome, dextrorotatory, diadelphous, diadromous, diagenetic, diageotropism, diagonalisation, dialysate, diamictite, diapause, diaphragmatic |
| 0941–0960 · D | diaphysis, diapir, diastereomer, diazine, diazomethane, diazonium, dibasic, diborane, dicentric, dichloromethane, dichroic, dichroism, dicotyledonous, dictyosome, diecasting, diencephalon, diene, dienophile, diester, diffeomorphism |
| 0961–0980 · D | diffractive, diffractogram, diffractometer, digastric, dihybrid, dilatational, dilatometer, dilatometry, dimensionality, dimer, dimerisation, diol, Diophantine, diopside, dioptric, dipeptide, diphenyl, diploidy, dipolarity, disaccharidase |
| 0981–1000 · D | disciform, disjointness, disomy, dispersivity, dissipative, distichous, distributivity, diurnality, dolomitic, dolostone, dominant-negative, dorsiflexion, dorsiventral, dorsoventral, dosimetry, downconversion, dravite, drupelet, dunite, duodenal |
| 1001–1005 · D | duricrust, durophagy, dynamical, dysbiosis, dysprosium |
| 1006–1025 · E | ecocline, ecohydrology, ecomorphology, ecophysiology, ectoplasm, ectosome, ectothermic, edaphology, efferent, eigenfunction, eigenmode, eigenspace, eigenvalue, eigenvector, elastase, elastodynamics, elastoplastic, electrochromatography, electroforming, electrohydrodynamics |
| 1026–1045 · E | electromachining, electropherogram, electrophile, electrophilic, electropositivity, electrovalent, ellipsometry, eluate, eluviation, elytron, embedding, enamine, enantiomeric, encasement, endomembrane, endomitosis, endopeptidase, endoplasm, endoplasmic, endoreduplication |
| 1046–1065 · E | endosome, endothelial, enkephalin, enol, enolase, enolate, enteric, enterobacterium, enterokinase, enterotoxin, entomophilous, envenomation, ependyma, ependymal, epicalyx, epicardium, epicondyle, epicycloid, epidemiological, epidote |
| 1066–1085 · E | epigenesis, epigynous, epimer, epimorphism, epinephrine, epipelagic, epiphyll, epiphysis, epiphytic, epiploic, epistasis, epistatic, epithalamus, epitope, epoxidation, equicontinuity, equinoctial, equiprobability, erbium, ergodic |
| 1086–1105 · E | ergodicity, erythroblast, erythropoietin, esterase, estimand, ethanoate, ethanolic, ethanoyl, ethmoid, ethoxy, ethyne, euchromatin, Euclidean, Eulerian, euploid, euploidy, europium, euryhaline, eurythermal, eusociality |
| 1106–1118 · E | Eustachian, eustasy, eustatic, exaptation, exciton, exopeptidase, exoskeletal, expressivity, extensometer, extrachromosomal, extraocular, extrudate, exuvia |
| 1119–1138 · F | facies, fascial, fasciculate, felsite, femoral, femorotibial, fermion, ferrate, ferrimagnetism, ferroan, fibrinogen, fibroblast, fibrocyte, fibronectin, fibular, filtrand, flagellate, flagellum, flavin, flightlessness |
| 1139–1158 · F | flowstone, fluence, fluidisation, fluorimeter, fluorimetry, fluorination, fluorophore, fluorspar, fluxgate, flypress, flysch, fogging, foramen, forgeability, formability, formamide, formate, formic, fossorial, foveolate |
| 1159–1169 · F | fractality, francium, fretting, frondose, fumarate, functor, fundus, fungistatic, funicle, furan, furfural |
| 1170–1189 · G | gabbroic, gadolinium, galactosidase, gallate, gallium, gametogenesis, gametophyte, ganglion, ganglionic, garnetiferous, gasification, gastrocnemius, gastrulation, gelatinase, genic, genotoxic, genotoxicity, geodesic, geotaxis, germanium |
| 1190–1209 · G | germinal, germplasm, girth, glaciofluvial, glaciolacustrine, glaciomarine, glauconite, glenoid, globose, globulin, glochid, glomerular, glomerulus, glucokinase, gluconate, gluconeogenesis, gluconic, glucosamine, glucosidase, glucuronide |
| 1210–1229 · G | glutamate, glutamic, glyceraldehyde, glycocalyx, glycogen, glycogenesis, glycogenolysis, glycol, glycolysis, glycoprotein, glycoside, glycosylation, glyoxal, glyoxylate, goethite, gonad, goniometer, gonochorism, gracilis, gradiometer |
| 1230–1239 · G | granivorous, granulite, granulocyte, gravimetry, groundmass, guanine, gustatory, gynophore, gyromagnetic, gyrus |
| 1240–1259 · H | hadron, haematology, haematopoiesis, haematopoietic, haemocoel, haemocyte, haemodynamic, haemolymph, haemolysis, haemostasis, hafnium, halide, haloalkane, halocarbon, halogenation, halophile, hardenability, hardfacing, harmonicity, harzburgite |
| 1260–1279 · H | hassium, hastate, headcut, hemiacetal, hemimetabolous, hemizygous, heptane, hermaphrodite, hermaphroditism, heterochromatin, heterochrony, heterocycle, heteroduplex, heterophylly, heterostyly, heterotroph, heterotrophy, heterozygosity, hexagonality, hexane |
| 1280–1299 · H | hexokinase, hilar, hippocampal, hispid, histiocyte, histopathology, holmium, holocrystalline, holometabolous, homeomorphism, hominoid, homodyne, homoeotic, homomorphism, homoplasy, homopolar, homospory, homotopy, homozygosity, hornfels |
| 1300–1319 · H | humeral, humification, humoral, hyaline, hyaloclastite, hydathode, hydric, hydride, hydrochloride, hydroclimatic, hydroelastic, hydroforming, hydrogenate, hydrolase, hydrological, hydrolyse, hydrolysis, hydrometeorology, hydronium, hydroxyl |
| 1320–1339 · H | hydroxyproline, hygroscopicity, hymenopteran, hyoid, hypabyssal, hypercube, hyperfine, hypergraph, hyperparasitism, hyperplane, hyperplasia, hypersphere, hypersthene, hypertonic, hypobromite, hypochlorite, hypocycloid, hypoglossal, hypogynous, hypoiodite |
| 1340–1347 · H | hypometabolism, hypomorph, hypoplasia, hyporheic, hypothalamic, hypotonic, hypoxanthine, hysteresis |
| 1348–1367 · I | ichthyoplankton, ileal, ilium, ilmenite, imago, immersion, immunoassay, immunoblot, immunofluorescence, immunogenic, immunogenicity, immunoglobulin, immunohistochemistry, impregnation, inactivation, incus, indium, inducible, indumentum, infectivity |
| 1368–1387 · I | infeed, infundibulum, inguinal, inositol, insertion, insula, insulinase, integument, interbedding, interfacial, interferon, intergenic, intergranular, interleukin, intermetallic, intermodulation, interneuron, interphase, interstitium, intervertebral |
| 1388–1407 · I | introgression, invertase, inviscid, involucral, involucre, iodate, iodite, iridium, irrotational, ischial, ischium, isentropic, isobilateral, isochoric, isochromosome, isoenzyme, isoform, isogenic, isograd, isomerism |
| 1408–1414 · I | isopach, isopropyl, isostatic, isotach, isotone, isotype, iteroparity |
| 1415–1417 · J | jackshaft, jejunal, jointing |
| 1418–1423 · K | kaon, karyotype, keratinocyte, keyseat, kiloelectronvolt, kinase |
| 1424–1443 · L | labellum, labyrinthine, laccolith, lacrimal, lacrimation, lactoferrin, lactoflavin, lacuna, lamellar, lanthanide, lanthanum, lateritic, latissimus, lecithin, lek, lekking, lentic, lepidolite, lepidopteran, leucocratic |
| 1444–1463 · L | lichenisation, ligamentous, ligase, lignification, lignocellulose, ligulate, limbate, limblessness, limnetic, lipofuscin, lipogenesis, lipolysis, lipolytic, lipopolysaccharide, lipoprotein, liposome, listeriosis, lithofacies, lithostatic, lithostratigraphy |
| 1464–1481 · L | lobulate, locomotor, lodicule, lotic, lubricity, lumbar, lumen, luminometer, lutetium, luvisol, lyase, lyophilisation, lyrate, lysine, lysogenic, lysogeny, lysosomal, lysozyme |
| 1482–1501 · M | maceration, machinability, macronucleus, magnetoelastic, magnetometry, magnetooptic, magnetoresistance, magnetostrictive, maltase, manganate, manganic, manganiferous, manganous, marcescent, marly, marsupium, mastocyte, matrotrophy, maxilla, mechanoreception |
| 1502–1521 · M | mechanoreceptor, megagametophyte, megakaryocyte, megasporangium, meitnerium, melange, melanocyte, mercaptan, meridional, meristematic, meroplankton, mesenchymal, mesenchyme, mesocosm, mesocratic, mesoderm, mesophyll, mesopredator, mesothelium, metacarpal |
| 1522–1541 · M | metacentric, metagenome, metagenomic, metagenomics, metalloprotein, metallurgical, metamerism, metaplasia, metasediment, metasomatism, metatarsal, meteorograph, methanogen, methanogenesis, methanotroph, methyl, methylene, microaerophile, microbicidal, microbiological |
| 1542–1561 · M | microbody, microcentrifuge, microchromosome, microclimatology, microcosm, microdeletion, microelectrode, microfilament, microgametophyte, microglial, micronucleus, microporosity, microporous, microscopist, microsporangium, microtitre, microtomy, microtubule, microvillus, missegregation |
| 1562–1581 · M | missense, mistblower, mitochondrial, mitogen, mitogenic, mitogenome, mitotic, modulational, molasse, molybdate, molybdenum, monatomic, monazite, monoamine, monobasic, monochromator, monocotyledon, monocytic, monohybrid, monophyletic |
| 1582–1601 · M | monosomy, monovalent, monzonite, morphodynamics, morphogen, morphogenesis, morphogenetic, morphospecies, mucilage, mucin, mucosa, mucro, mucronate, multiaxial, multipole, mutagen, mutualistic, mycobacterium, mycoplasma, mycorrhiza |
| 1602–1613 · M | mycotoxin, myelination, myeloblast, mylonite, myoblast, myocyte, myofibril, myosin, myotube, myrmecochory, myrmecology, myrmecophily |
| 1614–1633 · N | nanocrystalline, nanophotonics, nanoporosity, naphtha, necrosis, nectarivore, nematocyst, neodymium, neoteny, nepheline, nephelinite, nepheloid, nephelometer, nephelometry, neptunium, neurochemistry, neuroethology, neurogenesis, neuroglia, neutronium |
| 1634–1653 · N | neutrophil, neutrophilic, niobate, nitration, nitric, nitride, nitriding, nitrite, nitrosyl, nitrous, nobelium, nomenclature, nonpolar, nonradiative, nosocomial, nucellus, nucleic, nucleolar, nucleolus, nucleophile |
| 1654–1655 · N | nucleoplasmic, nutation |
| 1656–1675 · O | obcordate, ocrea, octahedral, oleate, oleic, oligodendrocyte, oligosaccharide, olistolith, oocyte, oogenesis, ophiolite, ophiuroid, opisthobranch, opsonin, opsonisation, optomechanics, orthoclase, orthogneiss, orthogonal, orthopyroxene |
| 1676–1695 · O | osculum, osmate, osmium, osmometer, osmometry, osmoregulation, osmotic, ossification, osteichthyan, osteoblast, osteoderm, osteology, ostracod, overfeed, overhung, overmoulding, oviparity, ovipositor, oxyacid, oxyanion |
| 1696–1697 · O | oxychloride, ozonation |
| 1698–1717 · P | palaeohydrology, palatine, palladium, palynology, pannose, papilionaceous, papilla, paramagnetic, paramagnetism, parasitise, parasitoid, parasitology, parenchyma, paripinnate, parthenogenesis, pathogenesis, pathogenicity, peduncle, peen, pelletisation |
| 1718–1737 · P | pelletiser, pellicle, pentadactyl, pentane, pentavalent, pepsin, peptidoglycan, perchlorate, percolate, perfusate, pericarp, pericentre, pericycle, pericyte, periglaciation, perimysium, perineurium, perinuclear, periodate, periphyton |
| 1738–1757 · P | peritoneum, permanganate, peroxisome, perrhenate, petiolate, petiolule, petrochemistry, phagocytic, phagosome, phalange, phenol, phenolphthalein, phenyl, phosphane, phosphide, phosphinate, phosphine, phosphite, phospholipid, phosphonate |
| 1758–1777 · P | phosphoric, phosphorous, photolysis, photomicrograph, photomicrography, photoperiod, photoperiodism, photopic, photosystem, phototroph, phreatic, phylogeny, physiography, phytochemical, phytohormone, phytopathology, phytotoxic, pinnatifid, pinnatisect, pinocytosis |
| 1778–1797 · P | pion, pistillate, pistillode, placentation, plagiotropism, plasmalemma, plasmodesma, plasmonics, plasticisation, plastisol, pluripotency, pluripotent, pneumococcus, podocyte, podzol, poikilotherm, polarimeter, polarimetry, polariton, polaron |
| 1798–1817 · P | polleniferous, polonium, polyclonal, polyembryony, polyimide, polymictic, polyol, polyolefin, positronium, potentiometry, praseodymium, precipitant, promethium, propanone, propene, propyl, protactinium, psychrophile, pulveriser, pumpage |
| 1818–1824 · P | pycnocline, pycnoclinic, pycnometer, pyrogen, pyrometallurgy, pyrometer, pyrophosphate |
| 1825–1828 · Q | quadrupole, quenchant, quenching, quorum |
| 1829–1848 · R | radiative, radiochemistry, radioimmunoassay, radioluminescence, radiometry, radionuclide, radiopacity, radioscope, radioscopy, radium, rarefaction, reactance, reboiler, recarburisation, recrystallise, recuperator, reductant, reflectometer, refractive, refractometer |
| 1849–1868 · R | refractometry, refractoriness, refringence, regenerator, remanence, retarder, retentate, retentivity, reticulocyte, reticuloendothelial, rhenium, rheology, rheotaxis, rhizotomy, rhodium, riprap, rotomoulding, rubidium, runout, ruthenium |
| 1869–1888 · S | saccharide, salicylate, saltpetre, samarium, saponification, saponin, sarcolemma, sarcoplasm, scandium, scarfing, scattering, schistosomiasis, scintigraphy, scintillate, scintillation, scintillator, selenate, selenide, selenite, sensitometry |
| 1889–1908 · S | sequestrant, seroconversion, seronegative, seropositive, serotype, shotcrete, silane, silicide, siloxane, similitude, singlet, sinterability, sinusoidal, slaking, slickenside, soilscape, soliton, solubilisation, solvation, sonoluminescence |
| 1909–1928 · S | sorption, spall, spallation, speckle, spectrofluorimetry, spectrograph, spectrophotometer, spectrophotometry, spectropolarimetry, spectroradiometer, sphalerite, spheroidal, spigot, spinor, spintronics, spirochaete, sporicidal, stalactitic, stannate, stannic |
| 1929–1948 · S | stannous, stearate, stearic, stoichiometry, stratigraphic, streamwise, stroboscopic, stromatolite, strontium, sulphamate, sulphite, sulphuryl, superfluidity, superluminal, superoxide, superparamagnetism, superradiance, supersymmetric, surfactant, synchrotron |
| 1949–1968 · T | tachyon, tachyonic, talik, tantalum, tartaric, tartrate, tektite, tellurium, tensiometer, tensiometry, thermoelastic, thermokarst, thermopower, thixotropy, tillite, toroid, toroidal, toxigenic, toxoid, transmittivity |
| 1969–1978 · T | transversal, triaxial, triboelectric, tribology, tribometer, tritium, trophozoite, turbidimetry, turbidite, turbopause |
| 1979–1983 · U | ultracentrifugation, ultracold, unconformable, underrun, uniaxial |
| 1984–1995 · V | vadose, vapourproof, vectorial, vibrational, vibrator, vibrometry, viroid, viscoelastic, viscoelasticity, viscometry, volumetry, vortical |
| 1996–1999 · W | wavenumber, weldment, wiggler, workability |
| 2000–2000 · Z | zygomycete |
Using this bank
Read a science explanation closely enough to say what it means, what supports it and where its limits lie.
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 technical word is useful when it answers a question you actually have. What does this arrow mean? Is the number a measurement or a prediction? Does this term name a structure, a process or a property? Start with one of those questions and choose the word that helps you answer it.
This bank contains many specialist extensions because the first twelve volumes contain 24,000 distinct listed entries. It is a reference to consult beside an article, diagram, documentary or interest project. You can use it independently, with a friend or with someone who knows the subject. There is no reason to read every row before beginning.
Keep the source paragraph beside you. A definition can explain a word while leaving the main claim unclear. Your aim is to return to the paragraph and understand what the writer is saying.
What Age 14 means here
EEF’s Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools treats reading and communication as partly subject specific. Its guidance covers vocabulary, reading, writing and discussion across subjects. A science term therefore deserves attention to its scientific setting as well as its general meaning. EEF: Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools · EEF: Secondary literacy recommendations.
Age 14 identifies this volume of the Children/Teen collection. It does not state what every fourteen-year-old should know. Beginner means a more accessible starting route within this particular bank; many intermediate and advanced entries still need subject knowledge. These editorial bands are not reading-age scores, examination requirements or a daily learning target.
| Band | What it means here | How to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | A starting route within this collection | Choose an entry that fits something you already notice, discuss or enjoy. |
| Intermediate | More detail, description and relationships | Choose a word that makes an existing idea more precise or adds a useful distinction. |
| Advanced | Optional supported reading extension | Use a term only when a suitable text, interest or question gives it a meaningful context. |
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Read the claim, locate the evidence, then explain the connection
1. Find the sentence that matters
Choose a short passage and state its main point in ordinary language. Circle only the unfamiliar term that prevents you from understanding that point. Other interesting words can wait. This keeps your reading connected to an actual question.
2. Give the word a job
Ask whether it names an object, a material, a process, a property or a quantity. Extrusion names a process; a microsecond names a unit of time. This first distinction tells you what kind of explanation to look for.
3. Read the diagram’s key and scale
Check what the colours, symbols, arrows and numbers represent. Notice whether a picture is enlarged, simplified or drawn to scale. A coloured shape in a cell diagram is a label in that representation; its colour alone cannot tell you what a real cell looks like.
4. Check a precise source
Use the source’s glossary or a relevant scientific organisation. Compare its explanation with the sentence you are reading. If several meanings appear, choose the one that fits the subject. Save the source beside your note so that you can check your interpretation later.
5. Explain the claim with its conditions
Try three short sentences: ‘The term means…’, ‘Here, the source shows…’ and ‘This does not tell us…’. The last sentence identifies a real limit, such as an unmeasured quantity or an omitted process. Ask for help when the connection remains unclear.
EEF’s Vocabulary in Action recommends familiar explanations, purposeful contexts, discussion of meanings and repeated encounters. The reading routine here is an original editorial suggestion. The source supports those vocabulary principles; it does not validate this bank or this particular five-step routine. EEF: Vocabulary in Action.
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Useful meanings and examples from ordinary life
Examples use familiar words from across the series, including earlier volumes. The no-repeat rule applies only to the numbered bank entries. The short meanings below explain the intended sense in each example; they are not exhaustive dictionary entries.
1. Understanding a biological instruction
gene — a DNA sequence containing information for a functional product, such as a protein or RNA
‘The diagram identifies a gene and the product made using its information.’
Read the surrounding explanation before connecting a gene with a whole trait.
Meaning reference: NHGRI: Gene.
2. Reading a genetic symbol key
genotype — the genetic variants present at a specified place in a genome
‘This table uses two letters to represent the genotype at the location being studied.’
Check which location and variants the letters represent; the table does not describe the entire person.
Meaning reference: NHGRI: Genotype.
3. Interpreting an indicator diagram
litmus — an indicator that changes colour according to acidity or alkalinity
‘The labelled diagram shows blue litmus turning red in an acidic solution.’
The colour change helps classify the solution under these test conditions; it does not identify every substance in it.
Meaning reference: Royal Society of Chemistry: Acids, bases and salts.
4. Comparing very short times
microsecond — one millionth of a second
‘A delay of 1,000 microseconds is one millisecond.’
Write the unit beside each number. A smaller-looking number can represent a longer time when its unit is larger.
Meaning reference: NIST: Time and Frequency from A to Z, M.
5. Following a substance through time
bioaccumulation — a build-up of a substance within an organism when intake exceeds removal
‘The diagram follows bioaccumulation in the same organism over time.’
Check the substance, the organism and the time span. A single picture cannot establish how much has accumulated.
Meaning reference: IUPAC Gold Book: Bioaccumulation.
6. Finding a gap in the rock record
unconformity — a boundary between rock layers that represents missing time in the geological record
‘The labelled unconformity marks an interval that these layers do not preserve.’
Use the caption to check whether erosion, a pause in deposition or both explain the gap.
Meaning reference: USGS: Unconformity.
7. Reading a manufacturing diagram
extrusion — shaping material by forcing it through an opening of a chosen shape
‘The diagram shows extrusion producing a continuous length with the required cross-section.’
Follow the material through the opening. The word names the shaping process, rather than a particular material.
Meaning reference: USDA National Agricultural Library: Extrusion.
8. Understanding a crystal illustration
birefringence — a property in which a material has different refractive indices for different light polarisations
‘The reference illustrates birefringence with two separated rays passing through a calcite crystal.’
Use the labelled illustration to unpack the explanation. You do not need to memorise the technical definition before asking what the rays represent.
Meaning reference: Florida State University: Optical Birefringence.
Keep the model’s useful features and its limits together
A diagram selects features. A large coloured circle may help you locate a tiny structure, while leaving out its changing shape or surroundings. Ask what the picture was designed to explain. Then identify one feature it cannot show. This gives you a more careful account than treating every detail of the drawing as a literal observation.
The same care helps with a definition. Knowing that a microsecond is a unit of time does not tell you whether a device measured a delay accurately. Knowing the word genotype does not tell you how a whole trait develops. Keep the useful meaning and the unanswered question side by side.
Build a compact note with four parts: the word, its meaning here, your example and the source. Add a condition when it matters. Later, use a second example to check whether your understanding travels beyond the first picture. If the new example does not fit, revise the note rather than forcing it into the old explanation.
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 your interest and purpose.
| Occasion | What to try |
|---|---|
| A label interrupts your reading | Find the label’s referent in the picture, then reread the sentence that uses it. |
| Two measurements seem inconsistent | Check units, scales and what each measurement actually describes before comparing the numbers. |
| A term appears in a new subject | Check its meaning in that subject instead of assuming the earlier explanation still fits. |
| You explain an idea to someone | Use one precise term and one ordinary-language sentence. Invite a question about the connection. |
| You return to an old note | Try a fresh example, reopen the source if needed, and correct any overstatement. |
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 with someone when you want support, or discuss an unfamiliar passage afterwards. 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 reader knows. CHSA: Learning More Than One Language.
When something is not working
| What you notice | A useful adjustment |
|---|---|
| Every definition contains more unfamiliar words | Return to the diagram or a shorter introduction. Resolve the one term needed for the current question. |
| You can repeat the definition but cannot explain the example | Point to the object, change or measurement that makes the word fit. Ask someone to help with that connection. |
| The term seems to mean something different elsewhere | Compare the two subject contexts and record both meanings if both are supported. |
| An impressive label makes a claim sound certain | Ask what was measured, what was inferred and what conditions limit the claim. |
| The advanced bank is overwhelming | Leave it and choose a familiar topic or an earlier bank. The collection has no compulsory route. |
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Frequently asked questions
Should a fourteen-year-old know all 2,000 entries?
No. This is a collection to consult, including specialist terms that many adults will also need to look up. Choose words that help with a current interest or reading task. Age 14 is an organising label, not an attainment standard.
Can I use the bank without an adult?
Yes. Start with a question and check a reliable source. Ask a teacher, librarian, family member or knowledgeable friend when a passage remains unclear. Choosing useful support is part of reading carefully, regardless of the band printed above a word.
Does recognising a scientific word mean I understand the science?
It is a useful beginning. Check whether you can connect the term to the example, explain the main claim and identify a limit. You may understand one part while still needing help with another. Keep that distinction in your notes.
Why are some ordinary science words missing?
Earlier volumes already contain many familiar entries, and the numbered banks avoid repeating them. Use those earlier words freely in explanations and conversations. Follow the collection links below when you need a broader starting point.
How can I choose between two definitions?
Check the subject, the surrounding sentence and the intended sense. An organisation’s specialist glossary can be more useful for a technical passage than a very short general definition. When the sources genuinely differ, record the difference and ask what each definition is intended to explain.
The sequence and word audit
Age 14: 2,000 distinct listed entries. This volume occupies series positions 26,001–28,000. 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 short science passage that interests you. Use this bank for a single obstructing term, check the meaning, then return to the passage and explain its main point in your own words.
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Sources and editorial note
EEF: Improving Literacy in Secondary Schools
CHSA: Learning More Than One Language
Royal Society of Chemistry: Acids, bases and salts
NIST: Time and Frequency from A to Z, M
IUPAC Gold Book: Bioaccumulation
USDA National Agricultural Library: Extrusion
Florida State University: Optical Birefringence
EEF: Secondary literacy recommendations
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 14: Why, What and How
You can pronounce a scientific word without understanding the process it names. You can also understand a useful idea before you remember its technical label. Vocabulary growth connects those two achievements: recognising the term and using the idea accurately. The connection matters more than the length of the word.
Start with a question, explain the underlying idea, attach the precise term and check what the evidence actually supports. This guide uses harmless, invented examples to make that process visible. The specialist entries above are optional reading resources, not a scientific syllabus or a set of experiments to attempt at home.
Why concepts come first · What a useful word adds · Research and its limits · A worked example · A practical routine · Recognising progress
Why a technical term needs an ordinary explanation
“The sample has poor representativeness” may sound precise, but it leaves the reader with questions. Which sample? What larger group is it supposed to represent? In what relevant way is it different? A useful explanation answers those questions rather than relying on the term to supply missing detail.
Representativeness, an entry in this bank, concerns how well a sample reflects the larger group for the question being asked. Overgeneralisation concerns extending a conclusion beyond what is justified. The words can help you name a weakness in an explanation, but you still need to show why the weakness exists in this particular case.
The Age 14 guide to academic English and independent reading offers related practice. Here, the purpose is to connect scientific and analytical language with decisions about what can reasonably be concluded.
What a useful word adds to your thinking
A technical term can give a distinction a stable name. Once the distinction is understood, you can refer to it without rebuilding the entire explanation every time. But the shortcut works only when you can unpack it again. Ask yourself to give a plain meaning, point to a fitting example and explain a case where the word would not fit.
Keep naming, observing and explaining separate. Naming a property does not establish how it was measured. Reporting a change does not, on its own, establish its cause. An accurate definition can be one part of a good explanation while leaving other parts unfinished.
Word parts can offer clues, but they should not replace checking. In overgeneralisation, the familiar idea of going too far helps you approach the meaning. That does not tell you whether a particular conclusion is too broad. You need to compare the claim with the evidence, including the people, objects, conditions or time period actually examined.
What research suggests about teaching scientific vocabulary
Lowe, Henry and Joffe’s 2019 classroom study examined science-word teaching for 78 adolescents with language disorder. Words taught through the Word Discovery approach, combining sound and meaning activities, showed stronger immediate knowledge and expressive use than matched words taught through usual practice. The advantage in depth of knowledge was not maintained at follow-up, although an expressive-use advantage remained. This is evidence about a specific supported population and teaching approach, not a guarantee for every fourteen-year-old or for this list.
The practical lesson taken here is to work on the connection between the word, its meaning and its use, then revisit that connection. Do not interpret an immediate correct answer as permanent mastery. The activities below are original editorial suggestions, not a reproduction of the research intervention or a substitute for specialist support where it is needed.
There is no study cited here showing that memorising this bank produces scientific expertise, raises intelligence by a particular amount or requires 2,000 new words in one year. Treat the list as a supply of possible tools. Choose a tool because it helps with the current question.
A worked example: does one tray describe the whole collection?
Set up a clearly invented collection. Imagine a club has 30 handmade paper models stored in three trays. Twelve are in Tray A, ten in Tray B and eight in Tray C. The organiser placed the most successful models in Tray A before anyone began the inspection. These numbers describe a fictional teaching example, not a measured study.
State a limited observation. A reader examines only the twelve models in Tray A and finds that all twelve have intact wings. “All the models we inspected had intact wings” accurately describes that inspection. The phrase we inspected is doing important work: it identifies the objects actually checked.
Compare a broader conclusion. “All 30 models have intact wings” reaches beyond the inspection. The remaining eighteen have not been checked, and the selection process deliberately favoured the most successful models. Explain overgeneralisation by pointing to that change in scope, rather than merely attaching the word to a sentence you dislike.
Use representativeness carefully. Tray A was not selected to reflect the whole collection’s condition. It was selected for success. That makes it a poor basis for estimating the condition of all 30 models. Its contents are still useful for another purpose, such as displaying good examples. A sample can suit one question and be unsuitable for another.
Repair the explanation. Try: “All twelve inspected models had intact wings, but they came from the tray selected for the most successful models. We cannot use that inspection alone to describe the other trays.” The revised account keeps what was observed and makes the limitation visible.
Decide what would answer the question. In this small fictional collection, inspecting the remaining models would settle the condition of all 30 at that time. Simply inspecting the same successful tray again would not supply the missing information. Repetition and broader coverage are different changes to the investigation.
Try a new case. A library volunteer asks only members of a mystery-book club which genre everyone in the library prefers. Explain what this group can tell you and what it cannot establish. Do not force the paper-model wording into the new situation; identify the relevant selection process and the actual question again.
How to connect a word, a diagram and an explanation
Begin with the task that brought you to the text. Are you identifying a structure, following a process or judging a conclusion? Pick the term that blocks that task. An article can contain many words worth exploring eventually without requiring you to investigate all of them before understanding its main point.
Read the relevant sentence with its diagram or data, not separately. Trace the label to the intended part. Check the units beside numerical values. Explain whether an arrow shows movement, a sequence, a comparison or simply where a label belongs. Do not infer its purpose from its shape alone.
Write a compact meaning that fits this setting. Then add one example and one limit. For representativeness, your note could identify the sampled group, the wider group and the feature being compared. For a process word, identify what changes. The note should preserve the idea rather than turn into a chain of harder definitions.
Explain the idea to somebody who has not read the source. Let them ask a question. When the answer depends on information you do not have, mark it as unknown and return to a suitable source. Clear speech includes being able to say which part remains uncertain.
Later, try the meaning without immediately displaying your notes, then check and correct it. Apply it to another example only after the original connection is clear. The Age 14 home guide to critical reading and independent expression provides additional choices for supported practice.
How to recognise progress without counting difficult terms
A useful improvement might be keeping “the inspected models” in a conclusion, explaining why a sample was selected unfairly for the question or distinguishing a measurement from a prediction. The sentence may become simpler. What matters is whether another reader can follow the connection between the term and the evidence.
When the word is remembered but the concept is unclear, return to an ordinary example. When the concept is clear but the printed term is difficult, address reading and pronunciation separately. When the definition and example are understood but the conclusion is too broad, examine scope words such as all, some, always and under these conditions.
Adults can model uncertainty without taking over the task: “I understand the label, but I need to check how the result was measured.” Invite the teenager to locate the missing information. Support should make the next step possible, not turn every unfamiliar term into a test of maturity or effort.
How vocabulary becomes a tool for inquiry
The Age 13 growth guide develops precise choices in descriptions and interpretations. The Age 15 bank extends careful reading into humanities and cultural material. Familiar words from any earlier volume remain useful in all three.
The goal is not to sound like an expert before you understand the idea. It is to ask a better question, explain what a term contributes and keep the conclusion within the evidence. Learning a word is valuable when it makes that work easier and more accurate.
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.