Academic Vocabulary

What is academic vocabulary?

Academics favour words with special meanings. These words may be less used in everyday contexts.

This is the AWL (Academic Word List) : a list of academic words devised by Averil Coxhead, a researcher based in New Zealand. This list is widely accepted and is likely to be particularly useful. The Academic Words List can be accessed at the following web site: http://www.uefap.com/vocab/select/awl.htm#top

Suggestions to build up academic vocabulary:

Learning words from an appropriate dictionary. A good dictionary should tell you how to deal with all the aspects of usage eg
Easier English Students Dictionary. London: Peter Collin Publishing, Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Learning a few words at time will expand your vocabulary enormously. If you are interested in differences between British English and American English, please see: http://www.michigan-proficiency-exams.com/american-and-british-english-difference.html
Prefixes suffixes and roots. A powerful way to recognise is to understand prefixes, suffixes and roots.

Prefixes: These are letters, syllables or words placed at the beginning of a word meaning and usually signal a common meaning.

Examples:

Word	Prefix	Common Meaning
precept	pre-	before
detain	de-	away, down
uncomplicated	un-	not together
	com-	with
non-extended	non-	not
	ex-	out, beyond
reproduction	re-	back, again
	pro-	forward, for

Look at the prefixes in these six words and select five from them to complete sentences 1-5 accurately:

examinations, reviewing, comprehension, prepare, depress, progress

1. In order to be ready for a meeting or other event it is always best to _____ in advance.

2. _____ what you have learned will help to consolidate the association in your memory.

3. Negative thoughts _____ the brain and inhabit your ability to remember effectively.

4. Speed reading improves reading efficiency as well as _____.

5. Preparing for _____ need not be daunting if you use speed reading and Mind Maps as your memory tools.

Answers:

1. prepare 2. reviewing 3. depress 4. comprehension 5. examinations

You can see a full list of English prefixes:

http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/List_of_English_prefixes

Suffixes:

These are letters that are placed at the end of a word to signal meaning.

Examples:

Suffix	Meaning	Example
-al, -ail	relating to quality or action of forming	abdominal
-er	belonging to	farmer, New Yorker
-ism	quality or doctrine of	realism, socialism
-logy	indicating a branch of knowledge	biology, psychology
-ous, -ose	full of	murderous, anxious, officious, morose
-some	like	handsome

Look at the suffixes in these six words and select five from them to complete sentences 1-5 accurately:

minimal, winsome, psychology, vociferous, hedonism, practitioner

1. A _____ is one who works in a certain field, such as medicine.

2. The doctrine of pursuing pleasure as the highest good is known as _____ .

3. A charge of something which relates to the lowest or smallest price is _____ .

4. People who speak loudly and often are _____ .

5. The branch of knowledge that deals with the human mind and its functioning is knowing as _____ .

Answer:

1. practitioner 2. hedonism 3. minimal 4. vociferous 5. psychology

You can see a full list of English suffixes:

http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/List_of_English_suffixes

Roots: Many academics use English words with Greek or Latin roots.

Here are some common examples:

Root	Meaning	Example
aerraph	air	aerate, aeroplane
am (from amare)	love	amorous, amateur, amiable
chron	time	chronology, chronic
equi	equal	equidistant
quaerere	ask, seek	question, inquiry, query

Please use the words below to complete sentence 1-5 accurately:

aerodynamics, equinox, querulous, chronometer, amiable

1. A person who is quarrelsome and discontented, and who complains in a questioning manner is _____ .

2. A person who is friendly and loveable is often described as _____ .

3. The _____ is that time of year when both day and night are of equal length.

4. An instrument that finely measures time is a _____ .

5. The science which deals with the forces exerted by air and by gaseous fluids is _____ .

Answer:

1. querulous 2. amiable 3. equinox 4. chronometer 5. aerodynamics

You can see 839 Latin roots here:

http://www.wordempire.com/examples/Appendix_I_Latin_Roots.pdf

And 348 Greek roots here:

http://www.wordempire.com/examples/Appendix_II_Greek_Roots.pdf

Please click on Academic Vocabulary Exercise to go to the next section.