The 2,000-word list for Age 20
A reference for teens and young adults exploring words independently or with support. The 2,000 entries are choices for reading and conversation, not a requirement for Age 20. Advanced entries are optional specialist extensions. Age guidance.
Beginner 1–130 · Intermediate 131–709 · Advanced 710–2000 · 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. On smaller screens, swipe a table sideways if needed.
Move through this 24-age collection: All 2,000-word lists by age (1–24) · Previous: Age 19 · Next: Age 21 · How to use this bank. These are reference choices, not age-based word quotas.
Beginner: words 1–130
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · L · M · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0001–0002 · A | analyst, attacker |
| 0003–0009 · B | bachelor, bartender, bidder, booker, boxer, briber, burglar |
| 0010–0020 · C | churchgoer, clampdown, cleanup, colleague, commander, contributor, coursework, cover-up, crackdown, crafter, criminal |
| 0021–0031 · D | dealership, dean, demonstrator, developer, doddle, dole, dollar, downshift, downturn, dropout, due |
| 0032–0035 · E | enrollee, enthusiast, expert, expo |
| 0036–0040 · F | fighter, fixer, foreigner, fugitive, funding |
| 0041–0047 · G | gamble, gambler, gaming, gangster, governess, graduate, guidance |
| 0048–0052 · H | hacker, headmaster, headquarters, hijacker, hotshot |
| 0053–0053 · I | involvement |
| 0054–0058 · L | livelihood, lockdown, logjam, lottery, loyalist |
| 0059–0073 · M | mailing, matriarch, membership, minority, miscalculation, miscue, misdeed, mismanagement, misstep, misuse, moneymaking, monitoring, mourner, mover, moviegoer |
| 0074–0076 · O | opposition, overachiever, overcharge |
| 0077–0085 · P | pastor, patroller, payoff, personnel, preacher, priest, prisoner, professor, pursuer |
| 0086–0087 · Q | questioner, quid |
| 0088–0093 · R | refugee, reviewer, riches, robber, rookie, runner-up |
| 0094–0109 · S | seaman, seeker, self-drive, seminar, senior, sergeant, settler, shilling, smuggler, speaker, sportswoman, sprinter, student, stylist, subcommittee, superpower |
| 0110–0118 · T | team, teenager, tenner, thinker, townspeople, trade-in, tradespeople, trapper, troubleshooter |
| 0119–0123 · U | underachiever, undercharge, undergraduate, underperformer, union |
| 0124–0124 · V | veteran |
| 0125–0130 · W | warrior, watchmaker, widower, wigmaker, worshipper, wrestler |
Intermediate: words 131–709
A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · Y
| Sequence and initial | Words, in sequence |
|---|---|
| 0131–0150 · A | abort, abuser, accused, add-in, adman, all-rounder, allocator, alumna, alumnus, ambusher, amnesty, anarchist, anarchy, anchorperson, antifeminist, antimonopoly, apartheid, apostle, appointee, approver |
| 0151–0155 · A | arson, arsonist, assignable, automaker, avenger |
| 0156–0174 · B | babyminder, bargainer, betrayer, bettor, big-ticket, billionaire, birder, bookie, bookmaker, bootlegger, bootmaker, bottler, brainiac, breadwinner, broadcaster, bulletproof, bursar, businessperson, businesswoman |
| 0175–0194 · C | cabdriver, caddie, cadre, candlemaker, candymaker, canoeist, canvasser, careerist, cash-and-carry, cashable, casualty, census, centenarian, chain-smoker, choirmaster, citizenry, clergy, cleric, clockmaker, closeout |
| 0195–0214 · C | co-discoverer, co-star, coconspirator, colonialist, commander-in-chief, commando, common-law, commonality, commons, communicator, compile, comprise, conclave, confiscate, conform, conglomeration, congress, conscript, conspicuous, constabulary |
| 0215–0234 · C | contortionist, convener, conveyable, convocation, corkage, coroner, corps, corpus, correspondent, cortege, cosmetician, cost-plus, costing, counterdemonstrator, counterspy, counterterrorist, crewman, criminologist, crosscurrent, crusader |
| 0235–0237 · C | cybercafe, cyberwar, cyborg |
| 0238–0257 · D | daisy-chain, deceiver, defamer, defrauder, demilitarise, deportee, destabilise, detainee, diehard, directorate, disable, disciplinarian, discussant, divvy, donkeywork, dot-com, doubter, doula, downswing, downtick |
| 0258–0259 · D | draftee, dumping |
| 0260–0279 · E | eavesdropper, educationalist, edutainment, elective, emigre, enlistee, enlistment, enrolment, equestrian, eradicate, establishment, evacuee, examinee, exhibitor, exorcist, expend, expiration, exterminator, extort, extortionist |
| 0280–0280 · E | extremist |
| 0281–0297 · F | falconer, fascist, faultfinder, felon, fence-sitter, fieldworker, finisher, firebrand, firmness, firstborn, floater, foodie, footballer, freeload, freethinker, fresher, front-runner |
| 0298–0310 · G | gangland, gimmickry, go-getter, go-slow, goalkeeper, grandmaster, gravedigger, greenhorn, groundbreaker, groundsman, guardsman, guestworker, gunrunner |
| 0311–0330 · H | haggler, hairsplitter, hairstylist, half-holiday, harasser, hard-nosed, hardball, hardfisted, hardliner, hatemonger, hatmaker, headliner, headmistress, headship, headwaiter, heavy-duty, heavy-handed, high-risk, higher-up, highflyer |
| 0331–0343 · H | hoarder, hoaxer, holdover, holdup, homebuilder, honcho, honoree, hotelier, housebuilder, housemaster, hunter-gatherer, hustler, hygienist |
| 0344–0363 · I | ill-gotten, illegal, immaterial, implicate, incapacitate, inciter, inconsequential, incurious, infantry, infighting, infiltrator, informer, inheritor, initiator, innovator, inoperative, inquest, inroad, insignificant, inspectorate |
| 0364–0367 · I | insurgent, interplay, invigilator, invitee |
| 0368–0369 · J | jobcentre, junta |
| 0370–0372 · K | kingmaker, kinsperson, kludge |
| 0373–0391 · L | laborious, landlubber, law-abiding, law-breaking, lawbreaker, leaker, liberator, lieutenant, lifer, liftman, light-duty, linesman, litterer, loaner, lockstep, loiterer, looter, lowball, lucrative |
| 0392–0411 · M | macro, mafia, maintainer, make-work, manicurist, manipulator, mapper, marksman, masseur, masterstroke, matchmaker, mathematician, matriarchy, mean-spirited, means, mechanise, medallist, meddlesome, metalhead, microcosmic |
| 0412–0431 · M | middle-of-the-road, middleweight, midterm, militant, military, militia, millionaire, mineworker, misappropriate, misrule, misspend, mixologist, mobster, mogul, money-spinner, moneyed, moneymaker, mortician, motorcyclist, mugger |
| 0432–0434 · M | multiracial, multitude, mutineer |
| 0435–0454 · N | narcissist, naturist, newsperson, newswriter, nickel-and-dime, nonagenarian, nonattender, nonbeliever, noncitizen, noncombatant, nonexempt, nonlegal, nonmandatory, nonmember, nonmilitary, nonobligatory, nonparticipant, nonpolitical, nonsmoker, nonstarter |
| 0455–0472 · O | obsoleteness, octogenarian, office-bearer, officeholder, officiant, old-timer, on-the-job, open-source, operative, opportunist, oppressive, oppressor, ordination, organisational, overage, overseer, overspill, owner-driver |
| 0473–0492 · P | pacifier, packer, pallbearer, panellist, papacy, parachutist, paramilitary, paratrooper, part-owner, part-timer, patriot, peasantry, pedlar, peerage, pending, penny-pinch, persecutor, persuader, pharma, philharmonic |
| 0493–0512 · P | philosopher, pickpocket, pilferer, pillager, platoon, pleading, plunderer, poacher, policyholder, pollster, polytechnic, populace, possessor, posterity, postgraduate, poundage, poverty, powerbroker, predecessor, predominate |
| 0513–0530 · P | preserver, pretrial, priesthood, proceeds, procrastinator, profiteer, profusion, projectionist, propagandist, prophet, proposer, prosperous, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, pundit, punishable, punter, purser |
| 0531–0531 · Q | quizmaster |
| 0532–0551 · R | rabble-rouser, raider, railwayman, ratepayer, real-time, reallocate, realty, reapportion, rearguard, reasoner, recency, receptivity, record-keeper, redeemable, refiner, registrant, reimbursement, reliever, repertory, reputable |
| 0552–0561 · R | reservist, residual, restaurateur, retro, reviser, rewriter, right-minded, right-wing, rioter, roughshod |
| 0562–0581 · S | saboteur, safecracker, scapegoat, scaremonger, scene-stealer, schemer, scorekeeper, scoutmaster, screener, scrounger, second-in-command, seconder, sect, selector, self-rule, self-starter, self-sufficient, self-sustaining, seminary, semiprofessional |
| 0582–0601 · S | seniority, serviceman, shakeout, sharpshooter, shearer, shindig, shipbuilder, shipowner, shirtmaker, shoddiness, signalman, signer, sitter, sitting, sixth-former, slipshod, sophomore, sorority, soundman, speechmaker |
| 0602–0621 · S | spiritualist, spoiler, sportscaster, sportswriter, spymaster, squadron, stacker, stagnancy, stagnation, stand-in, standard-bearer, state-controlled, state-supported, stationmaster, steelmaker, sterling, stocktaker, strongman, subculture, subeditor |
| 0622–0634 · S | submariner, submitter, subsidiary, subsistence, subsystem, subversive, suitor, superintendent, superior, supremacist, survivalist, swindler, synod |
| 0635–0654 · T | tactician, takings, taskmaster, techie, technologist, technophile, technophobe, teetotaller, telco, temp, terminology, tightfisted, tipster, tithe, toastmaster, tobacconist, toilsome, tollkeeper, top-down, torchbearer |
| 0655–0663 · T | touch-typist, trafficker, transferable, troublemaker, trouper, tutee, tycoon, typist, tyrannical |
| 0664–0683 · U | ultra, unadvised, uncoordinated, underage, underclass, underling, underworld, undocumented, unexpended, unionism, unionist, unlawfulness, unmindful, unmortgaged, unobtainable, unorganised, unreportable, unresolvable, unsolvable, unwieldy |
| 0684–0686 · U | upholder, upshot, utopia |
| 0687–0693 · V | valedictorian, vanguard, varsity, verifier, victor, vigilante, violator |
| 0694–0707 · W | warder, warmonger, weekender, weigher, wherewithal, window-dress, wiretapper, withholder, womankind, workspace, world-beater, wrangler, wrest, wrongfulness |
| 0708–0709 · Y | yakuza, yuppie |
Advanced — optional specialist reading: words 710–2000
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 |
|---|---|
| 0710–0729 · A | abator, abbe, abdicator, abidance, abjurer, ableism, abolishment, abolitionism, abrogator, abstractor, abutter, academe, academia, accountancy, accounting, acquirement, adhocracy, adjutant, administrivia, adulator |
| 0730–0749 · A | adulteration, adulterator, advertence, aerobatics, aesthetician, aetiologist, affair, afflatus, affusion, afghani, aftersensation, agio, agiotage, aide-de-camp, airmanship, alcalde, algorism, alienist, allurement, almoner |
| 0750–0769 · A | almsgiver, alphabetisation, amanuensis, amateurishness, ambages, ambit, ambulation, ambuscade, amercement, amphictyony, analysand, anarchic, anatomist, anecdotist, anglophile, anglophobe, anima, animalism, animatronics, annihilator |
| 0770–0789 · A | anointment, ante, anthropocentricity, antialiasing, antiestablishmentarianism, antifeminism, antipope, aphorist, apiculturist, apophatism, apostasy, apostate, appanage, appreciator, appropriation, appropriator, aquanaut, arboriculturist, archdeacon, archduchess |
| 0790–0809 · A | archduke, archimandrite, architectonics, archpriest, argonaut, argosy, arithmetician, armament, armamentarium, arousal, arranger, arriviste, artificer, artiste, ascesis, asphyxiation, assassination, assayer, assessee, assimilator |
| 0810–0822 · A | associationism, astrogator, astronavigation, atavist, atrocity, attainder, attestor, attractor, auteur, autodidact, autosuggestion, autotelism, ayatollah |
| 0823–0842 · B | backbiter, backslapper, backslider, bacteriologist, bagman, baht, baksheesh, balancer, barnstorm, barnstormer, baronage, baronet, baronetage, barrator, barratry, barterer, basics, battler, beatnik, beautification |
| 0843–0862 · B | bedevilment, bedrest, beefeater, begetter, beggary, beguiler, begum, benefactress, benefice, benignity, berserker, besiegement, bestower, bestowment, betise, bibliopole, bibliotics, bigamist, bilingualist, bimetallist |
| 0863–0882 · B | binge, biodefence, bioethics, biofeedback, biopiracy, biotech, bioterrorism, birr, biz, blackleg, blasphemer, blaster, blaxploitation, blitz, blitzkrieg, blockbuster, bloodbath, bloodletting, bloodstock, bluecoat |
| 0883–0902 · B | bluejacket, boffin, bohemia, bohemianism, bolivar, boliviano, bondage, bonesetter, boodle, bootlegging, booty, bossism, botheration, bourgeoisie, bowdlerisation, bracero, brainstorming, brainwashing, bricklaying, broad-mindedness |
| 0903–0908 · B | brush-off, brutalisation, buccaneering, bullion, bureaucratism, byplay |
| 0909–0928 · C | cabotage, cadetship, cadger, camarilla, cannoneer, capableness, capaciousness, capacitate, capo, captaincy, cardinalate, cardsharp, careerism, carfare, carhop, carjacking, carom, carousal, carpetbagger, carry-forward |
| 0929–0948 · C | cartage, catechist, catena, catering, cedi, celibacy, celibate, centime, cerebration, championship, chaplaincy, chargeman, charlatanism, cheeseparing, chickenfeed, chieftaincy, childcare, chokehold, chunking, churchwarden |
| 0949–0968 · C | cicerone, circumvention, clairvoyant, claque, classicalism, classics, clerical, clerkship, closedown, co-beneficiary, co-option, co-respondent, coaction, coadjutor, coalman, cocksureness, cocooning, coeducation, coequal, cognoscente |
| 0969–0988 · C | coiffeur, coiner, collaborationism, collaborationist, collectivisation, collegian, collier, colligation, come-on, comedown, commandant, commandery, commencement, commissar, commissionaire, commixture, commonage, communicant, compartmentalisation, compeer |
| 0989–1008 · C | comptrollership, concessionaire, conferee, conferral, conferrer, configurationism, conflux, conge, congeries, congregationalism, conquistador, conscription, consistory, constatation, consuetude, contestee, contester, contrabandist, contracting, contradistinction |
| 1009–1028 · C | contriver, controllership, controversialist, conventionality, conventioneer, conversance, cooperator, copartnership, coquetry, cordoba, coreligionist, corollary, corrections, corvee, cosignatory, cosmetologist, cosmetology, cottager, counterblow, countercoup |
| 1029–1048 · C | counterculture, counterdemonstration, counterespionage, counterfire, counterinsurgent, counterintelligence, countermove, counteroffensive, counterperson, counterplan, counterplay, counterpunch, counterrevolutionary, countersubversion, countersuit, counterterror, counterterrorism, countertransference, countryfolk, coxswain |
| 1049–1067 · C | cozenage, cracksman, cragsman, crasher, creationism, criminalisation, criminology, cross-classification, cross-purpose, croupier, cuirassier, cultism, culturati, cultus, cumulate, cumulation, curacy, cut-and-thrust, cybernation |
| 1068–1087 · D | dacoit, dacoity, dalasi, dauphin, deaconess, deactivation, dealignment, deanship, deathblow, debarkation, debarment, debunking, debutante, decampment, decile, decipherer, declarer, declassification, decriminalisation, defalcate |
| 1088–1107 · D | defalcation, defalcator, defenestration, deflator, defrayal, deification, delegacy, demarche, demimonde, demiurge, demobilisation, demotion, demurrage, denominationalism, denturist, depersonalisation, deportation, deposer, depreciator, deracination |
| 1108–1127 · D | derequisition, derring-do, desegregation, despoliation, destabilisation, dethronement, detribalisation, deviance, deviationism, deviationist, devilment, deviser, devoir, devolvement, diagnostician, diagnostics, dialectics, didactics, diemaker, dinar |
| 1128–1147 · D | dinero, diocesan, diplomate, directorship, dirham, disappearance, disbandment, disbarment, disbursal, discipleship, discontinuance, disembarkation, disenable, disgorgement, disinterest, disinterment, dislodgement, disposal, dispraise, disqualification |
| 1148–1167 · D | disseminator, distortionist, disunion, diversionist, divinity, dobra, docent, domesticity, dong, doubleheader, doublethink, dovishness, doyen, doyenne, dragoman, dram, draughts, driblet, drubbing, druggist |
| 1168–1172 · D | drumbeater, druthers, dubiety, ducat, dupery |
| 1173–1192 · E | ecclesiastic, ecclesiasticism, ecoterrorism, educe, effendi, eldership, elimination, elusion, emancipationist, emancipator, embarkation, emeritus, emolument, emptor, encroacher, encroachment, encyclopaedist, enfeoff, enfilade, engram |
| 1193–1212 · E | enhancer, enterpriser, enumerator, envelopment, environ, episcopacy, episteme, equerry, equidistribution, equilibrate, equilibration, equitation, eradicator, escadrille, escalade, escapologist, escapology, escudo, espial, esquire |
| 1213–1232 · E | establishmentarianism, ethicism, ethnarch, eulogist, euro, evacuation, everyman, evildoing, evolutionism, evolutionist, exacerbation, examen, exciseman, excogitation, excommunication, excursionist, executant, executrix, exhibitioner, expedient |
| 1233–1241 · E | experimentalism, expositor, expounder, expurgator, extern, exteroception, extralegal, extremism, eye-catcher |
| 1242–1261 · F | facilitative, faddist, fair-mindedness, fakir, familiarisation, fancier, farrago, farsightedness, farthing, fascism, feoff, fiducial, fillip, filmdom, finagler, firebug, fisc, fixation, flanker, floorwalker |
| 1262–1277 · F | florin, fly-by-night, flyweight, footling, footslogger, foreordination, foretaste, forethought, forint, foundling, framer, freethinking, freightage, fundament, fundamentalism, futurology |
| 1278–1297 · G | galere, gallimaufry, garbology, gelt, gentile, gentlefolk, gestalt, giro, glebe, gourde, government-in-exile, grandstander, granger, grant-in-aid, greenskeeper, grenadier, grifter, griot, groupthink, grubstake |
| 1298–1302 · G | guarani, guerdon, guilder, guinea, gynarchy |
| 1303–1322 · H | hagiologist, hairsplitting, halberdier, half-pay, halfpenny, handicapper, handiness, haranguer, have-not, hawala, hegemon, heir-at-law, helot, helpmeet, hereditament, hereditarianism, heritor, hewer, hierocracy, hire-purchase |
| 1323–1336 · H | hodman, hold-down, honorarium, horologist, horology, horseshoer, housecraft, housekeep, hryvnia, huckster, hugger-mugger, humanities, husbandman, hussar |
| 1337–1356 · I | id, ideologist, ijtihad, illation, illiberality, illicitness, illiteracy, imponderable, improver, inability, inaptitude, inattention, incertitude, incommunicado, incoordination, indaba, indecisiveness, indigene, indite, individualisation |
| 1357–1376 · I | individuation, inexperience, informatics, ingeniousness, injudiciousness, innovativeness, inquisitor, insatiate, insightfulness, insolvable, instrumentalism, insurrectionism, insurrectionist, intellect, intellection, intelligentsia, intermediator, internee, intervenor, intriguer |
| 1377–1381 · I | introject, invalidator, inwardness, ironist, itinerate |
| 1382–1391 · J | janissary, jerry-builder, jingoist, jointure, judicatory, jural, juridical, juristic, justiciar, justifier |
| 1392–1405 · K | kibbutz, kibbutznik, kibitzer, kina, kip, knacker, knowingness, kolkhoz, koruna, krona, krone, kwacha, kwanza, kyat |
| 1406–1425 · L | lagniappe, laird, lama, laminator, lamplighter, lampooner, lancer, landholding, landscapist, landsman, lapidarist, larcenist, lari, latitudinarian, lawgiver, learnedness, lector, legate, legation, lempira |
| 1426–1445 · L | leone, letting, leu, lev, leveller, levirate, liberality, licentiate, licit, lighterage, lilangeni, limen, limner, linage, lineament, linendraper, lira, litterateur, liveryman, locum |
| 1446–1456 · L | logistician, longshoreman, longueur, loonie, loti, lucre, lumpenproletariat, lustrate, luthier, lycee, lyceum |
| 1457–1476 · M | macebearer, machination, madrasa, mafioso, mahout, mainstream, major-general, maladroitness, malfeasant, malingerer, malversate, manat, mandatary, mandator, manumitter, marchioness, marksmanship, martinet, mechanist, medico |
| 1477–1496 · M | medicolegal, meed, megabucks, memorisation, mensch, mentalism, mentality, mentation, mercantile, messuage, metaknowledge, metamathematics, metaphysics, metarule, metical, metropolitan, midshipman, militiaman, mind-set, mintage |
| 1497–1516 · M | minter, minutia, minyan, mnemonist, mobocracy, moderationism, moderatism, monarchic, moneyer, monger, monogamist, moolah, moonshiner, mores, morganatic, mortmain, moshav, motorman, mountebank, mudslinger |
| 1517–1525 · M | mugwump, muleteer, multicollinearity, multiprogramming, multiversity, mumpsimus, musher, musicianship, myrmidon |
| 1526–1545 · N | nabob, naira, narco-state, narcoterrorism, narrow-mindedness, navel-gazing, navvy, negotiant, neoclassicist, neocon, neoconservatism, neologist, nepotist, neuroethics, neuromarketing, neutralist, newspeak, ngultrum, nightwork, nihilism |
| 1546–1565 · N | nihilist, nitty-gritty, noblesse, nomenklatura, nonacceptance, nonage, nonappearance, nonautonomous, noncandidate, nonconformance, nonobservance, nonparticipation, nonproliferation, nonreader, nonresistance, nonsovereign, nosedive, notability, notecase, nous |
| 1566–1568 · N | nub, nullifier, nuncio |
| 1569–1588 · O | objectification, obligational, obliteration, obsession, obstruction, obstructor, obviation, ochlocracy, octroi, oenophile, offeror, officiation, one-upmanship, onrush, onslaught, operant, operose, ordinand, organicism, organon |
| 1589–1608 · O | orientalist, originalism, ornamentalist, ostracism, ouguiya, ouster, outgo, outlawry, outreach, outrider, outwardness, overachievement, overbear, overcompensation, overexploitation, overflight, overhaul, overindulgence, overkill, overprotection |
| 1609–1612 · O | overreaction, overrefinement, overuse, overutilisation |
| 1613–1632 · P | pacesetter, padre, padrone, paladin, palimony, panchayat, panegyrist, panjandrum, panoply, paparazzo, paperhanger, paperhanging, papermaking, parcellation, parlay, parochialism, parson, partible, partitionist, parvenu |
| 1633–1652 · P | passel, pastorate, pataca, patency, paterfamilias, patrial, patternmaker, pauperisation, paysheet, peacenik, pearler, peculate, peculation, peculator, pedagogue, pelf, penal, penalisation, penologist, peonage |
| 1653–1672 · P | peradventure, perambulate, perambulation, percept, percipient, peregrination, perestroika, perfectibility, peripatetic, peripateticism, perpetration, perpetuation, perquisite, persecution, perseveration, personage, personalty, personation, perspicacity, peshmerga |
| 1673–1692 · P | peso, pettifogger, phalangist, phase-out, philatelist, philhellene, philomath, philosophy, phonetician, picador, picayune, piddling, piffling, pilferage, pillage, pilotage, piracy, pitchman, pitman, pittance |
| 1693–1712 · P | placeman, plaint, plantsman, platelayer, pleader, plebe, pledger, ploughwright, poaching, pogrom, pointsman, polemicist, polemics, politics, polymath, popularisation, populariser, portage, porterage, postdoc |
| 1713–1732 · P | postdoctoral, postponement, postulator, pourboire, powwow, pratfall, praxis, prearrangement, prebend, precedence, preceptor, preceptorship, preclusion, precocity, predetermination, preemptor, prefiguration, prejudgement, prelacy, prelate |
| 1733–1752 · P | prelature, premeditation, preoccupancy, prepossession, presbyter, prescience, presentment, presidium, prestidigitator, pretermission, prevaricator, prevision, priestcraft, primogeniture, primus, princeling, principalship, proceeding, process-server, proclivity |
| 1753–1772 · P | proctorship, procural, professorship, profligacy, prognostication, prognosticator, prohibitionist, proletariat, prolongation, prolusion, promulgator, pronunciamento, propaedeutic, propertyless, prophecy, propositus, proscription, proselytism, prospicience, prosthetist |
| 1773–1792 · P | prostration, protraction, provisioner, provocateur, prowess, proxemics, psephologist, publishing, pugilist, pula, pullback, punishment, purdah, purgation, puritan, pursuance, purveyance, purveyor, pushover, putsch |
| 1793–1805 · Q | qadi, quackery, quadrumvirate, quarryman, quartermaster, quasi, quayage, querier, quester, quetzal, quidnunc, quisling, quislingism |
| 1806–1825 · R | racialism, racialist, racism, racketeering, ragpicker, railroading, rainmaker, rake-off, rand, ranker, rapacity, rapine, rapporteur, rascality, ratifier, ratiocinator, rationing, re-enlistment, re-examination, reactionary |
| 1826–1845 · R | readjustment, readmission, reaffiliation, reallocation, reallotment, reappearance, rearmament, reassignment, rebellion, rebirth, reburial, rebutter, recalculation, recidivism, recidivist, recirculation, reclassification, recommencement, reconciler, reconnaissance |
| 1846–1865 · R | recourse, recrudesce, rector, rectorate, recusal, recusancy, recusant, redeemer, redetermination, redevelopment, rediscovery, refinisher, reflate, reform, refresher, regress, rehearing, reimposition, rejection, rejuvenation |
| 1866–1885 · R | relapse, relegation, relinquishment, remarriage, remilitarisation, removal, renewal, rente, reorganisation, reorientation, replay, repletion, reposition, republication, requisition, requital, reshipment, reshuffle, resurgence, resurvey |
| 1886–1905 · R | retailing, retaliation, reunification, reveille, revitalisation, revival, revivification, rial, riddance, riel, ringgit, rip-off, rivalry, riyal, robbery, role-playing, rouble, ruck, ruction, ruffianism |
| 1906–1912 · R | ruggedisation, ruination, ruling, run-up, rupiah, rustler, rustling |
| 1913–1932 · S | safekeeping, salmagundi, salvation, sanctification, sapiential, satiation, schism, screening, scrutiny, seclusion, sectionalisation, seduction, seemly, self-abasement, self-analysis, self-assertion, self-control, self-defence, self-denial, self-destruction |
| 1933–1952 · S | self-discipline, self-discovery, self-effacement, self-fulfilment, self-gratification, self-help, self-insurance, sentinel, sesquipedalian, severalty, sharia, shekel, shinplaster, sinecure, sodality, soldiery, solidus, som, sou, spec |
| 1953–1967 · S | specie, spirituality, squirearchy, stater, stratocracy, stringency, subtreasury, subvention, supernormal, supertax, suppressive, surrebuttal, surrejoinder, syndicalism, synergistic |
| 1968–1983 · T | taka, tankage, telegrapher, teleprocessing, temporality, tenantry, terminative, titulary, tontine, transmissible, tribulation, truckage, tsar, tsarina, tugrik, tuppence |
| 1984–1991 · U | unassailable, unauthentic, uniformise, unincorporated, unmalleable, unprocurable, unratified, usufruct |
| 1992–1997 · V | venire, viatical, vicariate, vigorish, violable, vitriolic |
| 1998–2000 · W | whip-round, wildcatter, won |
Using this bank
Read a document, identify who must do what, and write a clear next question.
The complete list is above. Go to age guidance, the practical method, definitions and examples, common problems, frequent questions or all published age banks.
You open a message about an application, a payment or a new responsibility. Most of it is familiar, but one expression leaves you uncertain. Does registrant mean someone who attended? Does reimbursement mean money has already arrived? Before you reply, you need to know what the document actually says.
Use this bank when a real situation gives you a reason to look up a word. It includes people and roles, civic processes, economic language and the words used to describe conditions and decisions. Some are everyday omissions from earlier volumes; many are specialist terms for reading beyond familiar subjects. You can choose a small relevant set and leave the rest for another occasion.
Understanding a difficult word can make a sentence clearer. It cannot supply a missing date, settle an unclear condition or tell you whether a promise will be kept. A useful reading habit combines word meaning with attention to the person, action and evidence around it.
What Age 20 means here
The US National Archives plain-writing checklist asks writers to organise information around readers, lead with the main point and choose words suited to the audience. That guidance helps explain the purpose of a large vocabulary: understanding unfamiliar language should also help you communicate plainly. It does not establish a vocabulary target for twenty-year-olds or validate the bands in this collection. National Archives: Plain Writing Checklist.
Age 20 identifies this volume in the sequence. Teen/Young Adult describes the intended reading audience; it is not an examination level or a deadline for knowing these words. Choose by your interest, experience and current task. A new student, a working adult and someone exploring a hobby can need different parts of the same bank. Historical and technical entries belong to the contexts in which you encounter them.
| 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 specialist 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 for the action, then check the condition
1. Name the immediate job
Write one line about why you are reading: I need to confirm my place; I want to understand this charge; I need to reply to a request. This keeps an unfamiliar expression connected to a purpose. If the passage is interesting rather than urgent, your job may simply be to understand the writer’s argument.
2. Choose the exact sense
Read the whole sentence and the sentences around it. Check the part of speech and a reliable definition. A registrant at an event and a registrant in a specialist regulatory document may share a general idea of registration while having different conditions attached. Prefer the document’s stated definition when it clearly defines its own term.
3. Identify the people and the action
Ask who is applying, appointing, paying, deciding or receiving. Replace a vague sentence with a working explanation: The organisation will pay back eligible travel expenses after it approves the claim. Keep the original beside your explanation so that a simplification does not quietly remove a condition.
4. Mark what remains unknown
Separate an unfamiliar word from missing information. You may understand reimbursement perfectly and still need to know which expenses qualify. Record the unanswered point without guessing. For a consequential decision, return to the responsible organisation or an appropriately qualified person with the specific question.
5. Reply with the useful detail
Use the new word if it improves precision. Add the date, item or sentence you are asking about, then state your question. Could you confirm whether the reimbursement includes the train fare shown on the attached receipt? A clear question is more useful than a paragraph of impressive terminology.
The National Archives recommends familiar wording and an explanation when technical language is necessary. The reading sequence above is an original editorial application: understand the term, preserve its conditions and explain the next action. It is a practical option, not a tested learning programme. National Archives: Top 10 Principles for Plain Language.
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 registration figure
registrant — someone who registers or is registered
A fictional event report lists 240 registrants and 170 people who attended. The registration figure tells you how many signed up; the attendance figure describes a different group.
Ask what was counted. Registration alone does not show arrival, participation or completion. The precise requirements still depend on the event or scheme.
Meaning reference: Collins: registrant.
2. A role has been filled
appointee — a person formally selected for a position or responsibility
A notice says, “The appointee will receive an induction schedule.” In this example, the notice refers to the person chosen for the role.
Keep the stage clear. An applicant is seeking a role; an appointee has been selected. The word does not by itself reveal the selection method, start date or length of the appointment.
Meaning reference: Cambridge Dictionary: appointee.
3. Expenses are paid back
reimbursement — repayment of money someone has spent, or the amount repaid
You paid a travel expense for an approved activity. A message asks you to submit a receipt for reimbursement. You now know why the receipt is needed, but you still check the stated procedure.
Distinguish the payment from the request for it. An application for reimbursement is not evidence that the payment has been approved or received.
Meaning reference: Cambridge Dictionary: reimbursement.
4. Money from an event
proceeds — money received from a sale, event or other activity
A fictional stall report lists $180 in sales proceeds and $30 in printing costs. You can identify the money received while still asking how the report treats expenses.
Read any modifier carefully. Gross proceeds and net proceeds may describe different amounts. Do not silently replace proceeds with profit when the document has not made that calculation clear.
Meaning reference: Cambridge Dictionary: proceeds.
5. A court report
recusal — withdrawal from handling a matter because of a conflict of interest, particularly by a judge or prosecutor
In a fictional court report, a judge’s recusal is explained by a prior connection to someone involved in the case. The word helps you understand why another person will handle the matter.
The example illustrates the meaning of the term. The applicable grounds and procedure depend on the legal system; recusal is not itself a finding that a person committed wrongdoing.
Meaning reference: Cornell Legal Information Institute: recusal.
6. A shipping term in a bill
demurrage — in the cited container-shipping glossary, a charge when a container stays inside a terminal or depot beyond its allotted free time
You encounter demurrage in a fictional logistics explanation. Instead of treating it as a synonym for every transport cost, you look for the container, location and period described.
DCSA distinguishes this term from detention outside the terminal and from storage charges. Actual documents and tariffs need their own reading; recognising the term does not establish that a particular charge is correct.
Meaning reference: DCSA: Arrival Notice Glossary of Terms.
7. A forecast has a limit
imponderable — a factor that cannot be calculated or predicted with confidence because it is unknown
A team plans an outdoor event several months ahead. Its discussion describes the exact weather on that day as an imponderable. The team can state the uncertainty and consider an alternative venue.
The word identifies a limit to prediction. It does not mean every estimate is worthless or that no useful preparation can be made. Explain which uncertainty you mean.
Meaning reference: Cambridge Dictionary: imponderable.
8. An offer is described as too low
lowball — describing an offer or estimate regarded as unfairly low; also, to estimate something at such a level
A fictional seller calls an offer a lowball bid. You understand the seller’s assessment, then look at the condition of the item, comparable offers and the reason given.
Cambridge labels this usage US informal. It expresses a judgement about the level; the label alone does not prove the offer is unfair. In a neutral report, state the figures and attribute the judgement.
Meaning reference: Cambridge Dictionary: lowball.
A label should sharpen your reading
Words often identify roles before they identify outcomes. Registrant describes a relationship to registration. Appointee describes a relationship to appointment. Neither gives you a complete biography, a measure of competence or a guarantee about what happens next. When reading an announcement, attach each label to the particular process it names.
The same discipline applies to financial language. A repayment, a receipt, an allowance and money from an event can occupy different places in a sequence. You do not need to memorise every specialist distinction at once. Begin with the term in your document and draw a simple sequence in your notes: expense, claim, review, payment. Add only the stages the document actually supports.
A word can also carry an opinion. Lowball suggests that the level is too low; it is stronger than merely saying that one offer is lower than another. Before repeating a description, decide whether it is your conclusion, someone else’s view or a term the source has defined. This makes your writing more accurate and lets other people assess the evidence.
Keep your own explanations short enough to use. After checking a word, write one sentence about its meaning in this passage and one sentence about what remains uncertain. If your explanation needs several unfamiliar terms, find a simpler example. Understanding should make the task easier to handle, even when the underlying decision remains complicated.
For professional or historical role words in the bank, ask where and when the role exists. A title used in a historical account may not correspond to a present-day position. A familiar-looking title in another country may have different responsibilities. Read the source’s description instead of importing duties from the job you already know.
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 |
|---|---|
| Read a real notice | Select one unfamiliar term and identify the person or process it names. |
| Explain it to someone | Give a plain explanation, then compare it with the original sentence. |
| Meet it again | Notice whether a second document uses the same sense or adds a condition. |
| Use it in a question | Ask for one missing detail and keep the wording specific. |
| Return to your note | Explain the word without looking, then check and correct your explanation. |
Reading across subjects and languages
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.
If you use more than one language, add a translation or a familiar explanation to your own notes when that helps. Check it against the particular sentence: one English word may need different translations in different settings. This English bank is a reference you can adapt, not a measure of everything you know.
When something is not working
| What you notice | A useful adjustment |
|---|---|
| I understand the word but not the message. | Look for the actor, action, condition and date. The missing part may be information rather than vocabulary. |
| My explanation sounds more complicated than the original. | Use a familiar example and remove terms that do not help the reader’s immediate task. |
| Two sources seem to disagree. | Check the field, place, date and intended sense before assuming one definition is wrong. |
| I feel obliged to finish the list. | Choose a relevant passage instead. This is a reference bank with optional specialist material. |
| A formal title sounds authoritative. | Read what the person is authorised to do in this context. The title alone is not evidence for a separate claim. |
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Frequently asked questions
Should a twenty-year-old know all 2,000 words?
No. This is an editorial reference volume. Its specialist and historical entries provide options for reading, not a standard that every person of this age should meet.
Where should I begin?
Start with a word from a document, article, course or conversation that matters to you. A useful question gives you a reason to return to its meaning.
Can I use an advanced word in an ordinary message?
Yes, when it says what you mean and the reader can understand it. Explain a necessary technical term. Choose familiar wording when it communicates the point clearly.
Why are there historical roles and institutions here?
Young adults encounter them in news background, literature, history and cultural reading. Use those entries in their stated contexts; they are not a list of current job titles.
Does the non-repeating sequence mean I should stop practising earlier words?
No. Repetition is normal in reading and conversation. Only the numbered banks avoid reusing entries allocated to other volumes.
Can a dictionary definition settle a disputed bill or contract?
A definition can explain a term. The actual document, applicable rules and relevant facts still matter. Identify the exact unclear sentence and ask the responsible source for clarification.
The sequence and word audit
Age 20: 2,000 distinct listed entries. This volume occupies series positions 38,001–40,000. 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 document you need to understand. Find the unfamiliar word, explain the sentence plainly and write down the single detail you still need. Return to the bank when another real question gives you a reason.
Back to the word list · Guide and examples
Sources and editorial note
National Archives: Plain Writing Checklist
National Archives: Top 10 Principles for Plain Language
Cambridge Dictionary: appointee
Cambridge Dictionary: reimbursement
Cambridge Dictionary: proceeds
Cornell Legal Information Institute: recusal
DCSA: Arrival Notice Glossary of Terms
Cambridge Dictionary: imponderable
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.
Lexical reference: WordNet 3.1. Words were selected and reviewed individually; database inclusion does not validate the audience label or difficulty bands.
WordNet lexical reference licence
This software and database is being provided to you, the LICENSEE, by
Princeton University under the following license. By obtaining, using
and/or copying this software and database, you agree that you have
read, understood, and will comply with these terms and conditions.:
Permission to use, copy, modify and distribute this software and
database and its documentation for any purpose and without fee or
royalty is hereby granted, provided that you agree to comply with
the following copyright notice and statements, including the disclaimer,
and that the same appear on ALL copies of the software, database and
documentation, including modifications that you make for internal
use or for distribution.
WordNet 3.1 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
THIS SOFTWARE AND DATABASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND PRINCETON
UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED. BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, BUT NOT LIMITATION, PRINCETON
UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT-
ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE
OF THE LICENSED SOFTWARE, DATABASE OR DOCUMENTATION WILL NOT
INFRINGE ANY THIRD PARTY PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, TRADEMARKS OR
OTHER RIGHTS.
The name of Princeton University or Princeton may not be used in
advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software
and/or database. Title to copyright in this software, database and
any associated documentation shall at all times remain with
Princeton University and LICENSEE agrees to preserve same.
edu|Kate Singapore · Clear words for useful conversations, reading and everyday understanding.
Vocabulary Growth Guide for Age 20: Why, What and How
A document says that a contribution has been reviewed. Does that mean it has been approved? Who can make that decision, and what still needs to happen? You may recognise every word while remaining uncertain about the process. Vocabulary growth becomes useful when it helps you identify that uncertainty and ask a question precise enough to resolve it.
Learn the general meaning, check how the document uses it, explain the relationship and verify what follows. This guide connects vocabulary with independent reading and clear communication. Age 20 identifies this volume of the collection; it does not set a deadline for knowing every word. The worked example is fictional, and the suggested activities are not a validated assessment or training programme.
Why understanding matters · What to learn · Research and its limits · A worked example · A practical routine · Recognising progress
Why recognising a word is not the same as understanding a situation
Knowing that a reviewer examines work does not establish whether that reviewer can approve publication. A role name can describe a broad activity while a particular document defines its authority more narrowly. Read both. A dictionary can help with the language, but it cannot tell you what an organisation has decided unless that decision is actually documented.
Compare three statements: “I recognise the word”; “I can explain its meaning here”; and “I can explain what happens next.” Each is useful, but they are not interchangeable. You might understand the meaning of approval while lacking the information needed to say whether approval has been granted. The right next step is to check the record, not to search for a more impressive synonym.
Keep the purpose of the reading in view. Are you explaining a status, responding to a request or finding who makes a decision? Choose the vocabulary that helps with that purpose. The definitions and practical examples earlier in the article provide another starting point for examining what a word contributes to a complete sentence.
What to learn: meaning, role, status and evidence
Meaning concerns the expression itself. Role concerns what a particular person is assigned to do. Status describes where an item stands in the stated process. Evidence establishes why you are reporting that status. These distinctions organise the exercise below; they are not universal definitions imposed on every institution.
A useful note might say: “In this document, the reviewer checks clarity and recommends changes. The editor decides whether to approve publication.” That note is more helpful than listing reviewer and editor as loosely related job titles. It captures the relationship that matters to the current question.
Pay attention to small connecting words. “After approval” places one action later than another. “May recommend” does not, by itself, mean “must approve”. “Received” describes an arrival, not an evaluation. Preserve these differences when you summarise, even when a shorter version would sound more decisive.
Separate what you know from what you would like to know. You can understand the meaning of a role and still be unsure who currently occupies it. You can understand a requirement without knowing whether it has been met. Record the missing fact explicitly rather than filling the gap with a confident guess.
What research suggests about confidence and explanation
In Rozenblit and Keil’s 2002 research on explanatory depth, people often rated their understanding of complex phenomena more highly than their explanations justified. Across twelve studies, the researchers examined this overconfidence and differences between explanatory knowledge and other kinds of knowledge. Their findings concern the tasks and participants studied; they do not show that every confident reader is mistaken.
The application proposed here is to test an impression of understanding by attempting a specific explanation and checking it. This is an editorial extension, not a document-reading intervention tested in that paper. The study does not validate this word bank, its age label, a yearly vocabulary quota or a claim that specialist words increase intelligence.
For the writing stage, the US National Archives’ plain-writing checklist recommends organising information around readers’ needs, presenting the main point clearly and using understandable wording. That is professional guidance rather than an experiment demonstrating this particular routine. Use it to inspect whether your explanation helps the reader, not to turn every sentence into a fixed formula.
A worked example: has the newsletter contribution been approved?
Begin with the complete fictional policy. A club’s newsletter instructions say: “The contributor writes the draft. The reviewer checks its clarity and may recommend changes. The editor decides whether to approve it for publication. The coordinator posts it only after the editor’s approval.” These invented sentences define the roles for this exercise. They are not claims about how real publications must operate.
Add a limited status record. The fictional record says: “Draft received on Tuesday. Clarity review completed on Wednesday. The reviewer recommended changing the headline. No editor approval is recorded.” This is all the information supplied. No publication date, approval message or completed revision has been provided.
Identify what the record establishes. The draft arrived, the clarity review took place and a headline change was recommended. The record does not establish that the contributor made that change. Nor does completion of the review establish editorial approval. Keep each action attached to the role and evidence that support it.
Inspect an inaccurate summary. “The article is approved and will be posted on Friday” invents two things. It treats review as approval and supplies a publication date absent from the record. The problem is not difficult grammar. It is a change in the meaning of the process and the addition of unsupported information.
Distinguish missing documentation from a complete history. “No editor approval is recorded” is narrower than “The editor has definitely rejected it” or “The editor has never considered it.” The record supports neither of those conclusions. A careful status report should preserve the limit instead of turning an absence of information into an invented decision.
Write a useful status message. “The draft has been received and its clarity review is complete. The reviewer recommended a headline change. The record does not yet contain the editor’s approval, so I cannot confirm that it is ready for posting.” This version explains what is known and what remains unconfirmed without promising a date.
Ask the next question. “Has the editor approved this version, and where is that approval recorded?” targets the missing decision and its documentation. A separate question may be needed about whether the headline was changed. Do not combine those questions into an assumption that one action automatically proves the other.
Change the local policy. Imagine a second fictional club explicitly authorises its reviewer to approve contributions. That new document changes the role’s authority in that setting. The word reviewer has not become meaningless; the local instructions supply information that the general role label alone cannot provide. Explain the difference rather than transferring the first club’s rule without checking.
Change the audience. A contributor may need a clear account of the requested revision. A coordinator may need confirmation of approval before posting. Both can receive accurate messages, but the useful emphasis differs. Choose details that answer the reader’s question while preserving the same underlying facts.
How to build a vocabulary routine for independent use
Choose an actual point of uncertainty. Begin with a short passage or task. Select the expression that changes your understanding, not every word that looks formal. Write down the question you need answered. “Does reviewed mean approved here?” gives the lookup a purpose and a clear point at which to return to the document.
Check the general meaning and the local use separately. Consult a reliable dictionary for an unfamiliar sense. Then inspect the document’s definitions, instructions and surrounding sentences. When the issue concerns a current organisation or agreement, check the relevant current source rather than treating a general vocabulary explanation as its policy.
Make a compact note. Keep the term, its intended meaning, the source sentence and one original example. Add a near miss: a similar situation in which the term would not fit or would require more evidence. For the fictional newsletter, a completed review is a near miss for confirmed approval under the stated rules.
Attempt an explanation before looking back. Put the source aside briefly and explain who does what. Then reopen it and compare. Mark any role you merged, condition you dropped or fact you added. This is a suggested checking activity, not a test with a required score or a promised learning rate.
Use the word to complete a communication task. Write a status update, a question or an explanation for someone who has not read the source. Make the action or uncertainty easy to find. A plain sentence that preserves the meaning is preferable to a formal sentence that hides who is responsible.
Revisit and revise. When the term appears later, inspect whether the sense and local conditions remain the same. Keep a separate example when they differ. Repetition in reading, speaking and writing is welcome; the collection’s non-repeating numbered entries are an editorial allocation, not a rule against revisiting useful language.
How to recognise progress without relying on impressive wording
A useful improvement is an explanation that another reader can check. You identify the relevant person, action and condition. You distinguish what the source states from what you infer. You notice when a familiar word has been given a narrower role in a particular document. None of these improvements requires a sentence to become longer.
When a definition is secure but an application is wrong, compare the example with its near miss. When the relationship is clear but the wording is difficult, explain it aloud or in a familiar language before drafting the English sentence. When a fact is missing, seek that fact instead of repeating the definition. Different obstacles need different responses.
Keep confidence attached to a specific achievement. “I can explain the difference between review and approval in this policy” is more informative than “I know all these terms.” You can also say, “I understand the language, but I cannot confirm the status.” That is a useful account of the boundary between understanding a document and knowing what has happened.
Do not mistake these exercises for professional advice. Legal, financial, medical and technical documents may require qualified interpretation. A vocabulary guide can help you formulate a question; it cannot replace the full current document, the relevant evidence or the expertise needed for a consequential decision.
From a familiar label to a reliable explanation
The Age 19 growth guide explores how meanings travel between examples without becoming vague. The Age 21 word bank provides further choices for reading and practical questions. You can consult either resource without completing every entry in between.
The growth goal is language you can explain, apply and check. A word becomes useful knowledge when you understand its contribution to the situation and know what it cannot establish on its own. Keep that distinction visible, and a larger vocabulary becomes a resource for clearer questions rather than a substitute for evidence.
Prepared on 3 November 2026 by edu|Kate Singapore. Practical examples are original editorial suggestions, not a validated intervention or an age-based attainment standard. Return to the 2,000-word list · Return to this growth guide.