Building vocabulary for 11+ exams: 250 words your child should know
As your child gets ready to take the English and verbal reasoning sections of 11+ exams, it’s important they understand a sizable amount of vocabulary.This includes not only the spelling and definitions of words, but also how words are connected and relate to one another.
The 11+ tests children's verbal reasoning skills, and one of the best ways to improve your child's vocabulary is to expose them to as many books and writers as possible.
To help you prepare your child, we’ve created this basic overview on vocabulary for 11+ exams. Read on to learn more about the following topics:
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Recommended books
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Tips for building vocabulary
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Achieving success
Recommended vocabulary building books to read
When compiling your child’s summer reading list for 11+ exams, it’s best to follow their reading level. It’s important to find a balance between challenging material while not overwhelming your child.
If you’re unsure of where to begin, a good tip is to stick with classic books. These include titles like Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’, William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies’, Jonathan Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, and Nina Bawden’s ‘Carrie’s War’.
You can always ask your local librarian or your child’s teacher for suggestions too.
There’s also a wealth of 11+ resources available online, including our detailedguide to where to find the best free 11+ preparation materials.
Tips for building vocabulary
In addition to reading, there are many other ways to build vocabulary.
For example, if your child is a visual learner, you can try associating different words with a variety of images. There are also lots of games which can make the process fun and interactive, including Scrabble, Boggle, Scattergories, and crossword puzzles.
Another tip is to get them comfortable with writing. To get started you could ask your child to write a simple story or use writing prompts.
11+ exams vocabulary list
If you’re searching online for a comprehensive 11+ exams vocabulary list, you’ll soon discover there’s a wide-variety of resources. Some websites have 300, 500, and even over 1,800 words your child should know, which can be overwhelming when you’re confronted with them all at once.
What can help is to break it down into manageable chunks. Start with what your child already knows, and then build up from there.
If you’re not sure where to begin, here’s a sample of 250 words found on the 11 Plus Guide’s 500+ word list. We’d recommend taking a few minutes to run through them together, to get a sense of where to focus attention next.
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abandon
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abode
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absence
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absurd
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accustom
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acquainted
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acquire
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adhere
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advance
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affable
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affectionate
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altitude
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ambition
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amount
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ample
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antiquity
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anxious
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apprehensive
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arduous
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assemble
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assiduous
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assistance
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asunder
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attached
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avowed
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banish
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bargain
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barren
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believe
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belligerent
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bemused
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benefit
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besieged
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bewildered
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brusque
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burden
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business
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calamity
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candidate
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careering
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clemency
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coarse
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coax
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combination
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commence
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companion
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compel
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complex
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composition
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comprehend
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conceal
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conceited
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concentrated
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condemn
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conferred
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conscience
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conscious
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consent
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conserve
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consist
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conspire
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contempt
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conventional
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convert
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convey
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covert
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covet
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coy
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cultivate
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cunning
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debrief
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deceive
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definite
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derelict
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despair
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destitute
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devote
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dilapidated
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din
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disappear
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disappointed
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disarray
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disastrous
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disclose
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discontent
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dishevelled
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dismal
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disperse
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distasteful
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distinguished
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distress
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divinity
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drought
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earnest
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elude
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endeavour
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endure
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enterprise
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evident
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exaggerate
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extract
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extremely
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fatigue
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feeble
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feign
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flora
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flourish
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fragment
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fragrant
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frivolous
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grate
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gregarious
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grieve
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grotesque
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helix
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hoax
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idiosyncrasy
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impudent
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inaudible
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inaugural
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inaugurate
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incision
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inconspicuous
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inedible
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inferior
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influence
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inhabitants
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innocuous
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insolent
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intangible
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intention
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interfere
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interrogate
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isolation
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justice
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lament
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latter
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lavish
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lenient
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liable
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malady
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meagre
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mere
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meticulous
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minimum
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moderate
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mortal
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nauseous
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nuisance
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nurseryman
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oath
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oblige
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obscure
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obstinate
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oppress
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ordeal
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orthodontist
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ostentatious
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painstaking
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palaeontologist
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peculiar
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perilous
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perish
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perplexed
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persuade
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physiotherapy
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pigment
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placid
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plume
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plunder
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plunge
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polarity
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pompous
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precarious
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prejudice
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privilege
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proclaim
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procure
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prominent
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pronunciation
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proportion
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prosperous
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provoke
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punctual
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quaint
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quell
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queue
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quiver
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raiment
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rank
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receive
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recite
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release
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repent
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reprimand
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resign
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resolve
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restrain
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retain
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revive
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robust
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rogue
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sacred
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sacrifice
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sanitary
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satin
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scanty
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scripture
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secure
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seldom
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separate
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sermon
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sleek
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sly
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sow
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stout
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subdued
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submissive
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subterfuge
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subterranean
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subtropical
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successful
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succumb
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sufficient
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superfluous
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temperate
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tempestuous
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temptation
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torment
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tranquil
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trifle
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turbulent
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tyrant
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unfathomable
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unorthodox
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unsurpassed
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vanished
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vapour
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venerable
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ventilation
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vessel
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vicarious
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virtuous
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volatile
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wasteful
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wholesome
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worthy
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wound
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wretched
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yield
Achieving success
As you can see, there are a lot of fairly complex words found on 11+ exams.
The purpose of 11+ exams isn’t to simply test each child’s ability to answer questions, but to determine their ability to understand key concepts.
The idea is to ensure that your child is able to break down the words by root, prefix, and suffix and easily identify their meaning. As with anything, the more they can practice.
If you need external support to help prepare your child for their 11+ exam, we offer an 11+ course. Taught fully online by the UK’s top teaching talent, our approach makes it easy for your child to thoroughly prepare for the 11+, and will help them walk into the exam full of confidence. While focused on the GL 11+ exam, the material is suitable for other exam boards.