These are words 276 to 300 of the top 400 words of the New Academic Word List: words that appear again and again in university texts and in the Academic IELTS Reading and Writing tasks. For each word, read the example, try to guess the meaning, then reveal it and mark honestly how you did. Then say the word aloud, record yourself and compare it with the model voice. When you have finished, try the gap quiz and save your results.
The New Academic Word List was compiled by Charles Browne, Brent Culligan and Joseph Phillips (2013) from academic texts, and its words are ranked by the authors. We teach the top 400 in rank order. How the list was made
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The words
276
implicit
adjective
There was an implicit warning in her tone.
collocationsimplicit meaning · implicit bias · implicit agreement
suggested but not stated directly
Watch out: The opposite is explicit.
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277
span
noun
The average life span of a dog is twelve years.
collocationslife span · attention span · time span
the length of time something lasts, or the distance between two ends
Watch out: Life span is two words.
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278
oxygen
noun
Humans need oxygen to breathe.
collocationsoxygen level · lack of oxygen · oxygen mask
the gas in air that people and animals need to breathe
Watch out: Oxygen is uncountable.
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279
formulation
noun
The formulation of the new medicine took years.
collocationsthe formulation of · policy formulation · drug formulation
the act of creating a plan or a mixture with exact parts
Watch out: The verb is formulate.
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280
dialect
noun
People in the north speak a local dialect.
collocationsa local dialect · regional dialect · speak a dialect
a local form of a language with its own words and grammar
Watch out: A dialect is not an accent. An accent is only about sounds.
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281
colony
noun
Brazil was once a colony of Portugal.
collocationsa former colony · an ant colony · colony of
an area ruled by another country, or a group of animals living together
Watch out: Colony can also mean a group of insects.
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282
immune
adjective
People who have had measles are often immune.
collocationsimmune to · immune system · immune response
protected from an illness or not affected by something
Watch out: Say immune to, not immune from, for diseases.
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283
loop
noun
The rope made a loop.
collocationsa loop of · in the loop · feedback loop
a shape made when a line curves round and crosses itself
Watch out: Keep someone in the loop means keep them informed.
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284
algebra
noun
In algebra, x stands for an unknown number.
collocationslearn algebra · basic algebra · linear algebra
a branch of maths that uses letters for unknown numbers
Watch out: Algebra is uncountable.
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285
derivative
noun
Happiness is a derivative of happy.
collocationsa derivative of · a derivative word · financial derivative
a word or thing that comes from another
Watch out: A derivative comes from something earlier.
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286
appendix
noun
The data are in the appendix.
collocationsin the appendix · see the appendix · appendix to
extra material at the end of a book or report, or a small organ in the body
Watch out: The plural is appendices.
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287
overview
noun
The first chapter gives an overview of the book.
collocationsgive an overview · a brief overview · an overview of
a short general description of something
Watch out: In Task 1, you write an overview of the main trends.
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288
diffusion
noun
The diffusion of perfume takes a few minutes.
collocationsthe diffusion of · diffusion of ideas · rapid diffusion
the slow spreading of something, such as a gas, idea or technology
Watch out: Diffusion is spreading. Infusion is soaking in liquid.
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289
specimen
noun
The museum keeps a rare specimen.
collocationsa rare specimen · a blood specimen · a specimen of
one example of a plant, animal or material, used for study
Watch out: Stress the first syllable: /ˈspesɪmɪn/.
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290
assert
verb
She asserted her right to speak.
collocationsassert that · assert yourself · assert a claim
to state firmly that something is true
Watch out: Assert is stronger than say.
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291
widespread
adjective
Flooding was widespread.
collocationswidespread use · widespread support · widespread belief
found or happening in many places or among many people
Watch out: Widespread is one word.
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292
competence
noun
She showed great competence at work.
collocationsprofessional competence · competence in · language competence
the ability to do something well
Watch out: The adjective is competent.
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293
residual
adjective
A residual amount of heat remained.
collocationsresidual heat · residual value · residual effect
left over after the main part has gone
Watch out: Residual is formal for left over.
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294
fusion
noun
Their music is a fusion of jazz and folk.
collocationsa fusion of · nuclear fusion · fusion food
the joining of two or more things into one
Watch out: Say FYOO-zhun.
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295
conservation
noun
Wildlife conservation protects rare animals.
collocationswildlife conservation · energy conservation · conservation area
the protection of nature, energy or old objects
Watch out: The verb is conserve.
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296
constrain
verb
A small budget will constrain the team.
collocationsconstrain growth · constrained by · constrain the ability
to limit someone or something
Watch out: Constrain takes a limit: constrained by money.
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297
virtue
noun
Patience is a virtue.
collocationsthe virtue of · a great virtue · by virtue of
a good quality of character, or an advantage
Watch out: By virtue of means because of.
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298
differentiate
verb
It is hard to differentiate between the twins.
collocationsdifferentiate between · differentiate from · differentiate A from B
to see or show the difference between things
Watch out: Differentiate takes between or from.
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299
amino
noun
Proteins are made of amino acids.
collocationsamino acid · essential amino acids · amino group
a chemical group found in the acids that make proteins
Watch out: Amino is used before acid.
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300
partially
adverb
The road was only partially open.
collocationspartially open · partially blocked · partially correct
to some extent but not completely
Watch out: Partially is slightly more formal than in part.
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Gap quiz
Each sentence has one gap. Drag a word into the gap, or tap a word and then tap the gap. The words are the ones you have just practised, and some of them have changed shape (for example, is or made).
She did not say it directly, but her meaning was in her tone of voice.
The average life of a dog is about twelve years.
Humans cannot live without , the gas in the air that we breathe in.
The of the new medicine, deciding the exact mix of ingredients, took years of testing.
People in the north speak a local with words that other regions do not use.
Brazil was once a of Portugal, ruled from a faraway capital.
People who have had the illness once may be and not catch it again.
The rope made a at the end, a closed circle that she could slip over the post.
In we use letters such as x and y for unknown numbers.
The word happiness is a of happy, made by changing the ending.
The full table of data is in the at the end of the report.
The first chapter gives a short of the whole book before the details begin.
The slow of perfume through the air meant that everyone in the room soon noticed the smell.
The museum keeps a rare of a butterfly in a glass case.
She tried to her right to speak, stating it firmly to the whole room.
Flooding was across the whole country, and thousands of homes were affected.
She showed great in her job, doing every task skilfully and calmly.
A amount of heat stayed in the room after the fire went out.
Their music is a of jazz and folk, two styles joined into one.
Wildlife projects protect rare animals and the places where they live.
A small budget will what the team can do, because it limits every choice.
Patience is a that is very useful for a teacher.
It is hard to between the twins, because they look and sound exactly alike.
Proteins are made of chains of acids, which are their building blocks.
The road was only open, so only one lane of traffic could pass.
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Word list: New Academic Word List 1.2 by Charles Browne, Brent Culligan and Joseph Phillips (2013), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. The list gives the words and their order; the meanings, examples and exercises on this page are our own.
