Academic English
Formal academic vocabulary for university, research, and scholarly writing. Words from the Academic Word List and beyond.
the space between two lines that meet at a point, or a way of looking at something.
nouna small room in a prison, or the smallest living part of a plant or animal.
nouna line that bends smoothly, not straight.
nounall the things that happened in the past, especially important events
nounthe largest planet in our solar system, fifth from the sun.
proper nounone sheet or level of something that is on top of or under another sheet or level.
nounthe red planet that is fourth from the sun in our solar system.
nounthe study or use of numbers, shapes, and measurements.
nounsomething that comes from nature and is not made or changed by people.
nouna large, far-away planet in our solar system that looks blue.
nouna very long river in Africa that flows through Egypt.
nouna man from the Bible who built a big boat to save his family and animals from a flood.
nouna long story about imaginary people and events, usually in a book.
adjectivea gas in the air that people and animals need to breathe to live.
nouna very large round thing in space that moves around a star like the sun
nouna small, cold object in space that was once called a planet but is now called a dwarf planet
nounthe part of a plant that grows under the ground and takes in water and food
nounthe study of how the world works, using experiments and facts.
nouna small sea fish with a head that looks like a horse's head.
nouna liquid that can burn or damage things, like the juice from a lemon or a strong chemical.
nouna singing voice that is lower than a soprano but higher than a tenor
nounin Greek myths, the god of the sun, music, poetry, and healing.
nouna curved shape over an opening like a door or window, or the inside of your foot.
nouna large boat from the Bible story that saved animals from a flood
nouna large rock that moves around the sun, found mostly between Mars and Jupiter.
nounthe Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts.
nounthe smallest part of a substance that still has the properties of that substance.
nounthe last name of a famous German composer who wrote classical music
nouna glass or plastic cup used in science labs for holding or measuring liquids.
nouna famous German musician who wrote classical music, even after losing his hearing.
nouna large, heavy gun that shoots metal balls, used in wars long ago.
nounstrong cloth used for making tents, bags, or for painting pictures on.
nouna natural element found in all living things, coal, and diamonds.
nouna symbol in written music that tells you which notes to play.
nouna group of similar things that are close together.
nounA very large, old building in Rome where people watched fights and shows long ago.
nounA tall, round stone or metal post that holds up a building or stands alone.
nounA bright object in the sky made of ice and dust that travels around the sun.
nouna hard, colorful substance found in the ocean, made by small sea animals.
nouna clear, hard substance that looks like glass, or a very clear piece of it.
nouna very strong storm with fast winds that spin in a circle.
nouninformation or facts collected for study or analysis.
nounthe area where a river spreads out and meets the sea, often shaped like a triangle.
nounto mix a solid into a liquid so it becomes part of the liquid.
nounthe material in living things that carries information about how they grow and look.
nouna long time with no rain, so the ground becomes very dry.
nounan event when the moon or sun is hidden by another body in space.
nouna basic part of something, like a simple substance that cannot be broken down.
nouna short piece of writing about one subject, often for school or a test.
nounwhen a liquid turns into a gas, like water disappearing into the air when it gets hot.
verba very large group of stars and planets in space.
nouna small part inside your body that carries information about things like your eye color or height from your parents.
nouna very large desert in Asia, mostly in China and Mongolia.
nouna style of building, art, or writing from the Middle Ages that is dark and dramatic.
adjectivethe force that pulls things down toward the Earth.
nounthe last name of two brothers who wrote famous old stories and fairy tales.
proper nouna very short Japanese poem with three lines and a special pattern of syllables.
nounin old Greek stories, a god who travels fast and delivers messages for other gods
proper nouna flat shape with six straight sides
nouna very light gas that has no color or smell and is one of the elements that makes water.
nouna large brown plant that grows in the ocean, like seaweed.
nounone of two organs inside your body that clean your blood and make urine.
nouna soft, heavy, gray metal that is used in pipes, batteries, and pencils.
nouna very old story that may not be true, or a person who is famous for doing something amazing.
nouna curved piece of glass or plastic that helps you see things more clearly, used in glasses, cameras, and microscopes.
nounan arm or leg of a person or animal, or a large branch of a tree.
nouna large organ inside your body that cleans your blood and helps digest food
nounto make something look bigger than it really is.
verba large, slow sea animal that eats plants and lives in warm water.
nouna tree that grows in water near the coast in hot countries.
nouna large amount or number of something, or the main part of something.
nouna piece of rock from space that burns brightly when it enters Earth's air.
nouna famous musician from Austria who wrote classical music a long time ago.
nouna collection of old stories from a culture that explain the world, gods, and heroes.
nouna sweet liquid made by flowers that bees and other insects drink.
nouna gas with no color or smell that makes up most of the air we breathe.
nouna group of stars in the sky that looks like a hunter with a belt.
nounpeaceful and calm, or the name of a large ocean between Asia and America.
adjectivea famous Spanish artist who painted in a very different and modern style.
nounwriting that uses beautiful language and rhythm to express feelings or ideas.
nounrelated to the very cold areas near the North or South Pole.
nouna fine yellow powder from flowers that causes some people to sneeze and have allergies.
nounto cause someone to do something, or a message that asks for an action or answer
nouna large stone building with a square base and four sides that meet at a point on top, like in Egypt.
nouna large snake that kills animals by squeezing them, or a computer programming language.
nouna machine in space that sends information to Earth or helps with communication.
nounthe planet with large rings around it, sixth from the sun.
nouna large, flat area of land with grass and few trees, often in Africa.
nounthe written words for a movie, play, or speech.
nouna piece of art made by carving or shaping stone, wood, or other materials.
nouna famous writer from England who wrote many plays and poems a long time ago.
nounthe set of all bones inside a person's or animal's body
nouna shape that goes around and around in circles, like a spring
nouna set of five lines used to write music.
nouna large dinosaur with plates on its back and a tail with spikes.
nounbetter than others in quality or rank.
adjectivemoving or happening very quickly.
nouna long piece of music written for a large group of musicians called an orchestra.
nouna short name for the Taj Mahal, a famous white building in India made of marble.
nouna large piece of cloth with pictures or designs made by weaving colored threads together.
nouna long tube with special glass inside that makes faraway things, like stars, look bigger and closer.
nounthe speed at which music is played or something happens.
nouna small glass tube used in science experiments.
nounthe highest sound or voice in music, often sung by children or women
nouneverything that exists, including all stars, planets, and space.
proper nounthe seventh planet from the sun, a large blue-green planet in our solar system.
nounthe second planet from the sun, often called the morning or evening star.
nounthe most powerful god in ancient Greek stories, who ruled the sky and threw lightning.
nouna set of steps that a computer follows to solve a problem or do a task.
nouna substance that can mix with acid to make a salt, like baking soda or soap.
nounwhen words in a sentence start with the same sound or letter, like 'Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers'
nouna small, colorful sea animal that looks like a flower and lives on rocks in the ocean.
nouna heavy iron block used by blacksmiths to shape hot metal by hitting it.
nounan opening or hole, especially one that lets light into a camera.
nounvery dry, with little or no rain
adjectivea medical problem that makes your joints hurt and swell
nounthe last name of a famous English writer who wrote books about love and society in the 1800s
nouna wall at the top of a castle with open spaces for shooting arrows.
nouna small, narrow stream of water.
verba piece of equipment in a science lab that makes a hot flame for heating things.
nouna famous Polish composer and piano player who lived in the 1800s
nouna secret way of writing, using special letters or numbers to hide the meaning.
nounA computer program that changes code written by a person into a language the computer can understand.
nounA piece of music written for one main instrument and an orchestra.
nouna style of art where things are shown as shapes like squares and circles instead of looking real.
nounthe name of a famous Spanish artist known for strange and dreamlike paintings.
nouna very small part of an atom that has a negative charge of electricity.
nounthe place where a river meets the sea, where fresh and salt water mix.
nouna hard, gray stone that makes sparks when you hit it against metal.
nounto make or create something, often with difficulty or hard work.
nounthe force that slows down or stops things when they rub against each other.
nounthe main character in a famous book called 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
nouna device with a spinning wheel that helps keep things balanced, like in a phone or a plane.
nouna person or thing that brings news or shows that something important is coming
nouna large telescope in space that takes pictures of stars and planets.
proper nouna medical condition where your blood pressure is too high.
nouna character from an old Greek story who flew too close to the sun and fell.
proper nouna style of painting from the 1800s that shows how light and color look at a quick moment.
nounthe feeling of not wanting to move or change, or the physical idea that a moving thing keeps moving.
nounto bring water to land or crops through pipes or channels.
verba popular computer programming language used to make websites and apps.
nouna very big telescope in space that takes pictures of stars and planets far away.
proper nouna short, funny poem with five lines and a special rhythm.
nouna free computer operating system that people can change and use on many devices.
nouna famous play by William Shakespeare about a man who becomes king by killing people.
nouna very skilled musician, especially a conductor or composer.
nouna layer of hot rock inside the Earth, between the surface and the center.
nouna creature from old Greek stories with snakes for hair, who could turn people to stone if they looked at her.
nouna silver liquid metal that is used in thermometers and is very poisonous.
nouna way of describing something by saying it is something else, to make a comparison.
nouna king from old stories who could turn everything he touched into gold.
nouna very large white whale from a famous story, or a nickname for something big.
nounthe smallest part of a substance that still has the properties of that substance.
nounthe force or speed that something has when it is moving or developing.
nouna very large, tall piece of stone, often shaped by people or nature.
nouna big cloud of gas and dust in space, where stars are sometimes born.
nouna doctor who helps people with problems in their brain and nerves.
nouna story that is shorter than a novel but longer than a short story.
nounthe central part of a cell or an atom, or the most important part of something
nouna building with special equipment for watching the stars, planets, and weather
nouna poem that praises or expresses strong feelings about a person or thing
nouna word that sounds like the noise it describes, like 'buzz' or 'pop'.
nouna round object, like a ball or a circle.
nouna famous play by Shakespeare about a man who becomes jealous and hurts his wife.
nouna name from an old Greek story about a woman who opened a box and let problems into the world.
nouna stiff, thin material made from animal skin, used in the past for writing on.
noundark brown soil made from dead plants, often used as fuel for fires or in gardens.
nounthe large, round set of bones at the bottom of your body, between your stomach and legs.
nouna weight that hangs from a fixed point and swings back and forth, like in a clock.
nouna number that shows how acidic or basic a liquid is.
adverba part inside an engine that moves up and down to make the engine work.
nounto measure how deep something is, or to check if something is straight up and down
nounto fall down very quickly and suddenly
nouna tiny part of an atom that has a positive electrical charge
nouna large flying reptile that lived a very long time ago, like a dinosaur with wings
nouna large feather from a bird, used in the past as a pen for writing with ink.
nouna rough tool used to shape wood or metal, or a rough, harsh sound.
nouna time in history when art, science, and learning became very important again, especially in Europe.
nouna very sharp, small knife used by doctors during surgery.
nouna way of describing something by comparing it to something else, using 'like' or 'as'.
nounthe brightest star in the night sky, also called the Dog Star
nounthe highest singing voice, or a singer with that voice
nouna tall, thin, pointed part on top of a building, like a church
nouna style of art and writing that shows strange, dream-like images and ideas.
nounhaving weather that is not too hot and not too cold; mild.
verbthe highest adult male singing voice, or the general meaning of something.
nouna hard, brownish-red clay used for making pots and tiles.
nounthe main part of the human body, not including the head, arms, or legs.
nouna very bright star that you can see in the night sky.
nounthe last name of Andy Warhol, a famous American artist known for pop art.
nouna very bright star that you can see in the sky at night
nouna large group of stars (a galaxy) that is close to our own Milky Way
nounan ancient Egyptian symbol that looks like a cross with a loop on top, meaning life.
nounan ancient Egyptian god with the head of a dog or jackal, who guided dead people to the next world.
nounthe name of a ship from an old Greek story
nounan old tool used by sailors to find their position by looking at the stars.
nounheavy material placed in a ship or vehicle to keep it steady
nouna style of art, music, or buildings from the 1600s and 1700s that is very decorated and detailed.
adjectivea long, curved part of a coast or river, like a wide bay.
nouna piece of armor that covers the chest to protect it in battle.
nouna structure built against a wall to support it and make it stronger.
nouna computer language used to write software and programs.
nounone of the large moons that goes around the planet Jupiter.
nouna bright red color that comes from a small insect.
nouna long, underground place where dead bodies were buried long ago.
nounin old stories, the person who takes dead people across a river to the land of the dead.
nouna man who drives a horse-drawn carriage for other people.
nouna hard, silver-white metal that is often used to make blue color for paints and glass.
nounAn old book made of pages that are connected together, like a modern book.
nouna type of chemical bond where atoms share electrons.
adjectivea small, raised area at the front of a room where important people sit or speak.
nouna small crown or a piece of jewelry worn on the head by a king or queen.
nouna part inside a clock or watch that controls how fast the gears move.
nounone of Jupiter's moons, covered in ice, where scientists think there might be water.
nouna tool like small scissors used by doctors to hold or pull things
nouna goddess from old Norse stories, associated with love, beauty, and war.
nouna piece of music where a short melody is repeated by different voices or instruments.
nouna fast dance from the 1800s, or the fastest speed of a horse.
nouna long glove that protects the hand and arm, often worn by soldiers in the past.
nounthe process of covering something with a thin layer of gold, or the gold layer itself.
verba piece of armor that protects the lower leg.
nounto bother or attack someone again and again.
verbrelated to ions, which are tiny parts of atoms that have an electric charge.
adjectivea fight in the past where two people on horses tried to hit each other with long sticks.
noungood soil for growing plants that is a mix of sand, clay, and old leaves
nounto run or move with long, easy steps.
nounan old musical instrument with strings, like a guitar, played with the fingers.
nounan old musical instrument with strings, shaped like a U, used in ancient times.
nouna large building made of stone where a dead person or family is buried.
nouna very small part of an atom that has no electric charge.
nouna piece of music that is calm and inspired by the night.
nouna type of bird that flies very fast and hunts other birds.
nouna heavy iron gate that slides up and down to close the entrance of a castle.
nouna thin, sharp sword used for fighting or in sports like fencing.
nounThis word is not common in modern English. It might be a misspelling of 'relic' (an old object from the past) or 'relish' (to enjoy something).
nouna tool used by doctors to hold back skin or muscles during an operation.
nouna small metal piece used to hold two pieces of metal or other hard material together.
nouna stone box used in ancient times to hold a dead body.
nouna type of beetle, or a small stone model of it, from ancient Egypt.
nouna tool with a long curved blade and a long handle, used for cutting grass or crops.
nouna piece of music for one or two instruments, usually with three or four parts
nouna poem with 14 lines that often talks about love or strong feelings
nouna wildflower with three white or colored petals that grows in forests
nouna strong frame made of wood or metal that supports a roof or bridge.
nounthe layer of small trees and plants that grow under the big trees in a forest.
nounin science, the number that shows how an atom can connect with other atoms.
nouna bright red or orange-red color.
nounthe highest point or best moment of something.
nouna Latin word meaning 'box' or 'chest', often used in history or religion.
nounthe largest moon of the planet Jupiter.
nouna very bright star that you can see in the night sky, part of the Orion group of stars.
nouna tool used by sailors to find their position at sea by looking at the sun or stars.
nouna type of sea animal that looks like a snail with a long, pointed shell
nounFollow the learning path