Vocabulary for IELTS Reading: Sublist 1
August 24, 2025Vocabulary for IELTS Reading: Sublist 3
August 24, 2025
Congratulations, you have mastered 60 important vocabulary words in Sublist 1!
Building on the foundation of Sublist 1 from the Academic Word List (AWL), which introduced 60 essential academic words like “analyse,” “benefit,” and “theory” to elevate your IELTS Reading performance, it’s time to dive into Sublist 2. This sublist continues to enhance your vocabulary with another 60 high-frequency words commonly found in scholarly and professional texts, crucial for tackling the 40/40 score goal in 2025. Mastering these terms will sharpen your ability to comprehend complex passages on topics like society, science, and the environment, where paraphrasing and context are key. This guide expands your lexical resource, a vital component for excelling in the IELTS Reading test.
The AWL, developed by Averil Coxhead, remains a cornerstone resource, with its 570 word families divided into 10 sublists based on frequency. Sublist 2 follows Sublist 1’s high-impact terms, offering words that appear frequently in academic contexts but are slightly less common than those in Sublist 1. By practicing these words in sample passages and understanding their meanings and synonyms, you’ll gain the confidence to handle diverse question types, from matching headings to sentence completion. Let’s explore Sublist 2 to further your journey toward IELTS Reading perfection.
Sublist 2
achieve, acquisition, administration, affect, appropriate, aspects, assistance, categories, chapter, commission, community, complex, computer, conclusion, conduct, consequences, construction, consumer, credit, cultural, design, distinction, elements, equation, evaluation, features, final, focus, impact, injury, institute, invest, items, journal, maintain, normal, obtain, participate, perceive, positive, potential, previous, primary, purchase, range, region, regulations, relevant, resident, resource, restrict, secure, seek, select, site, strategy, survey, text, tradition, transfer.
- achieve (v)
- Meaning: To successfully complete or reach a goal.
- Synonyms: accomplish, attain, succeed, realize, fulfill.
- acquisition (n)
- Meaning: The act of gaining possession or control of something.
- Synonyms: purchase, gain, attainment, procurement, obtainment.
- administration (n)
- Meaning: The management or organization of an institution or system.
- Synonyms: management, operation, control, governance, direction.
- affect (v)
- Meaning: To influence or cause a change in something.
- Synonyms: influence, impact, alter, modify, shape.
- appropriate (adj)
- Meaning: Suitable or fitting for a particular purpose or situation.
- Synonyms: suitable, proper, fitting, relevant, apt.
- aspects (n)
- Meaning: Particular parts or features of something.
- Synonyms: facets, elements, components, parts, dimensions.
- assistance (n)
- Meaning: Help or support provided to someone.
- Synonyms: help, aid, support, backing, cooperation.
- categories (n)
- Meaning: Groups or classes of similar items or ideas.
- Synonyms: groups, types, classes, divisions, kinds.
- chapter (n)
- Meaning: A division of a book or a period in history.
- Synonyms: section, part, segment, phase, episode.
- commission (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A group tasked with a purpose; (v) to order or authorize.
- Synonyms: (n) committee, board, task force; (v) appoint, engage, order.
- community (n)
- Meaning: A group of people living together or sharing interests.
- Synonyms: society, group, population, collective, neighborhood.
- complex (adj/n)
- Meaning: (adj) Complicated or intricate; (n) a group of related elements.
- Synonyms: (adj) complicated, intricate, involved; (n) system, network.
- computer (n)
- Meaning: An electronic device for processing data.
- Synonyms: device, machine, processor, system, PC.
- conclusion (n)
- Meaning: The final part or judgment based on evidence.
- Synonyms: end, outcome, result, judgment, decision.
- conduct (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) Behavior or management; (v) to carry out or lead.
- Synonyms: (n) behavior, management; (v) perform, carry out, lead.
- consequences (n)
- Meaning: Results or effects of an action.
- Synonyms: results, outcomes, effects, repercussions, aftermath.
- construction (n)
- Meaning: The act of building or the structure built.
- Synonyms: building, creation, development, structure, formation.
- consumer (n)
- Meaning: A person who purchases goods or services.
- Synonyms: buyer, customer, user, purchaser, client.
- credit (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) Recognition or financial arrangement; (v) to acknowledge.
- Synonyms: (n) recognition, loan; (v) acknowledge, attribute.
- cultural (adj)
- Meaning: Related to the culture or social practices of a group.
- Synonyms: social, traditional, ethnic, societal, artistic.
- design (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A plan or structure; (v) to plan or create.
- Synonyms: (n) plan, blueprint, pattern; (v) create, devise, plan.
- distinction (n)
- Meaning: A difference or special recognition.
- Synonyms: difference, contrast, uniqueness, honor, differentiation.
- elements (n)
- Meaning: Components or parts of something.
- Synonyms: components, parts, factors, ingredients, aspects.
- equation (n)
- Meaning: A mathematical statement or a situation of balance.
- Synonyms: formula, expression, balance, equivalence.
- evaluation (n)
- Meaning: The act of assessing or judging something.
- Synonyms: assessment, judgment, appraisal, review, analysis.
- features (n)
- Meaning: Distinctive characteristics or attributes.
- Synonyms: characteristics, traits, attributes, aspects, qualities.
- final (adj)
- Meaning: Last or concluding.
- Synonyms: last, concluding, ultimate, end, decisive.
- focus (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) Main point of attention; (v) to concentrate.
- Synonyms: (n) emphasis, center, priority; (v) concentrate, center.
- impact (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) Effect or influence; (v) to affect strongly.
- Synonyms: (n) effect, influence, consequence; (v) affect, influence.
- injury (n)
- Meaning: Harm or damage to a person or thing.
- Synonyms: harm, damage, wound, hurt, trauma.
- institute (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) An organization for a purpose; (v) to establish.
- Synonyms: (n) organization, institution; (v) establish, initiate.
- invest (v)
- Meaning: To allocate resources (e.g., money, time) for future benefit.
- Synonyms: put in, allocate, commit, spend, devote.
- items (n)
- Meaning: Individual objects or units.
- Synonyms: objects, things, articles, pieces, units.
- journal (n)
- Meaning: A scholarly publication or record of events.
- Synonyms: magazine, periodical, diary, log, publication.
- maintain (v)
- Meaning: To keep in existence or good condition.
- Synonyms: preserve, sustain, uphold, keep, continue.
- normal (adj)
- Meaning: Typical or standard.
- Synonyms: typical, usual, standard, common, ordinary.
- obtain (v)
- Meaning: To acquire or gain possession of.
- Synonyms: acquire, gain, get, secure, procure.
- participate (v)
- Meaning: To take part or engage in an activity.
- Synonyms: engage, join, take part, contribute, involve.
- perceive (v)
- Meaning: To become aware of or interpret.
- Synonyms: see, understand, recognize, discern, notice.
- positive (adj)
- Meaning: Favorable or constructive; certain.
- Synonyms: favorable, beneficial, constructive, optimistic, definite.
- potential (adj/n)
- Meaning: (adj) Possible or capable; (n) capacity for development.
- Synonyms: (adj) possible, likely, prospective; (n) possibility, capacity.
- previous (adj)
- Meaning: Happening or existing before.
- Synonyms: prior, earlier, former, preceding, past.
- primary (adj)
- Meaning: Most important or first in order.
- Synonyms: main, chief, principal, key, foremost.
- purchase (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) Act of buying; (v) to buy something.
- Synonyms: (n) acquisition, buy; (v) buy, acquire, obtain.
- range (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A variety or extent; (v) to vary within limits.
- Synonyms: (n) variety, scope, extent; (v) vary, span, cover.
- region (n)
- Meaning: A specific area or part of a country/world.
- Synonyms: area, zone, territory, district, locale.
- regulations (n)
- Meaning: Rules or laws to control behavior or processes.
- Synonyms: rules, laws, guidelines, policies, statutes.
- relevant (adj)
- Meaning: Closely connected or appropriate to the matter.
- Synonyms: pertinent, applicable, related, appropriate, significant.
- resident (n/adj)
- Meaning: (n) A person living in a place; (adj) living in a place.
- Synonyms: (n) inhabitant, occupant; (adj) living, residing.
- resource (n)
- Meaning: A supply or source of support (e.g., materials, information).
- Synonyms: asset, supply, material, reserve, means.
- restrict (v)
- Meaning: To limit or control something.
- Synonyms: limit, confine, control, restrain, curb.
- secure (adj/v)
- Meaning: (adj) Safe or stable; (v) to obtain or make safe.
- Synonyms: (adj) safe, stable, protected; (v) obtain, ensure, safeguard.
- seek (v)
- Meaning: To look for or attempt to achieve.
- Synonyms: search, pursue, aim for, strive, look for.
- select (v/adj)
- Meaning: (v) To choose; (adj) carefully chosen.
- Synonyms: (v) choose, pick, opt for; (adj) elite, choice.
- site (n)
- Meaning: A location or place for an activity.
- Synonyms: location, place, area, spot, venue.
- strategy (n)
- Meaning: A plan to achieve a goal.
- Synonyms: plan, approach, tactic, method, scheme.
- survey (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A study or examination; (v) to examine or study.
- Synonyms: (n) study, poll, analysis; (v) examine, inspect, review.
- text (n)
- Meaning: Written material or a body of writing.
- Synonyms: document, writing, script, content, passage.
- tradition (n)
- Meaning: A long-established custom or belief.
- Synonyms: custom, practice, heritage, convention, ritual.
- transfer (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) Act of moving something; (v) to move or hand over.
- Synonyms: (n) movement, shift; (v) move, relocate, convey.
Outstanding work! You’ve now mastered 60 vital vocabulary words from Sublist 1 and 60 from Sublist 2. Click here to advance to Sublist 3 and continue your journey.
