Vocabulary for IELTS Reading: Sublist 5
August 24, 2025Vocabulary for IELTS Reading: Sublist 7
August 24, 2025
Impressive dedication! Having conquered 60 essential vocabulary words in each of Sublists 1 through 5, you’ve amassed a powerful repertoire of 300 academic terms, laying a solid groundwork for IELTS Reading success.
Now, Sublist 6 of the Academic Word List (AWL) by Averil Coxhead brings another 60 high-frequency words that are slightly less common but crucial for mastering complex passages on topics like education, environment, and policy. These terms will hone your ability to achieve a perfect 40/40 score, sharpening your skills in decoding intricate arguments and handling paraphrased content with confidence. This guide is your next step toward deepening the lexical expertise needed for IELTS excellence.
The AWL’s 10-sublist structure, designed to reflect word frequency in academic texts, positions Sublist 6 as a vital advancement from the previous sublists. These words, though less frequent than those in Sublists 1-5, are indispensable for tackling the varied question types—such as multiple choice, sentence completion, and matching information—that define the IELTS Reading challenge. By practicing Sublist 6 vocabulary in sample passages and mastering their meanings and synonyms, you’ll enhance your comprehension and precision, moving steadily toward reading mastery.
Let’s explore Sublist 6 to elevate your skills further!
Sublist 6
abstract, accurate, acknowledge, aggregate, allocate, assign, attach, author, bond, brief, capable, cite, cooperate, discriminate, display, diverse, domain, edit, enhance, estate, exceed, expert, explicit, federal, fee, flexible, furthermore, gender, ignorant, incentive, incidence, incorporate, index, inhibit, initiate, input, instruct, intelligence, interval, lecture, migrate, minimum, ministry, motive, neutral, nevertheless, overseas, precede, presume, rational, recover, reveal, scope, subsidy, tape, trace, transform, transport, underlie, utilize.
- abstract (adj/n)
- Meaning: (adj) Theoretical or not concrete; (n) a summary.
- Synonyms: (adj) theoretical, conceptual; (n) summary, overview.
- accurate (adj)
- Meaning: Correct or precise.
- Synonyms: precise, exact, correct, true, reliable.
- acknowledge (v)
- Meaning: To recognize or admit as true.
- Synonyms: admit, recognize, accept, confirm, concede.
- aggregate (n/v/adj)
- Meaning: (n) A total or collection; (v) to combine; (adj) combined.
- Synonyms: (n) total, sum; (v) combine, collect; (adj) collective, combined.
- allocate (v)
- Meaning: To distribute or assign for a specific purpose.
- Synonyms: assign, distribute, allot, designate, apportion.
- assign (v)
- Meaning: To designate or allocate a task or role.
- Synonyms: allocate, designate, appoint, give, delegate.
- attach (v)
- Meaning: To fasten, connect, or associate.
- Synonyms: connect, link, join, affix, associate.
- author (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) The writer or creator; (v) to write or create.
- Synonyms: (n) writer, creator; (v) write, create, produce.
- bond (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A connection or tie; (v) to form a connection.
- Synonyms: (n) connection, link, tie; (v) connect, unite, bind.
- brief (adj/n/v)
- Meaning: (adj) Short in duration; (n) a summary; (v) to inform.
- Synonyms: (adj) short, concise; (n) summary, overview; (v) inform, update.
- capable (adj)
- Meaning: Having the ability or capacity to do something.
- Synonyms: able, competent, skilled, qualified, proficient.
- cite (v)
- Meaning: To quote or refer to as evidence.
- Synonyms: quote, reference, mention, refer to, point out.
- cooperate (v)
- Meaning: To work together toward a common goal.
- Synonyms: collaborate, work together, assist, team up, unite.
- discriminate (v)
- Meaning: To distinguish or treat differently, often unfairly.
- Synonyms: distinguish, differentiate, favor, prejudice, discern.
- display (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A presentation or show; (v) to show or exhibit.
- Synonyms: (n) exhibition, show; (v) show, exhibit, present.
- diverse (adj)
- Meaning: Varied or different.
- Synonyms: different, varied, distinct, various, dissimilar.
- domain (n)
- Meaning: An area of activity, expertise, or control.
- Synonyms: field, area, sphere, realm, sector.
- edit (v)
- Meaning: To revise or prepare for publication.
- Synonyms: revise, modify, correct, refine, alter.
- enhance (v)
- Meaning: To improve or increase the quality of something.
- Synonyms: improve, boost, elevate, enrich, strengthen.
- estate (n)
- Meaning: Property or assets; a large area of land.
- Synonyms: property, assets, land, holdings, domain.
- exceed (v)
- Meaning: To go beyond a limit or expectation.
- Synonyms: surpass, go beyond, outdo, exceed, transcend.
- expert (n/adj)
- Meaning: (n) A person with specialized knowledge; (adj) highly skilled.
- Synonyms: (n) specialist, authority; (adj) skilled, proficient.
- explicit (adj)
- Meaning: Clearly stated or shown; unambiguous.
- Synonyms: clear, direct, obvious, plain, specific.
- federal (adj)
- Meaning: Relating to a system of government with a central authority.
- Synonyms: national, central, governmental, unified.
- fee (n)
- Meaning: A payment for services or rights.
- Synonyms: charge, cost, payment, price, rate.
- flexible (adj)
- Meaning: Able to adapt or bend easily.
- Synonyms: adaptable, versatile, adjustable, pliable, elastic.
- furthermore (adv)
- Meaning: In addition; to add more information.
- Synonyms: moreover, additionally, also, besides, in addition.
- gender (n)
- Meaning: The classification of male or female; social roles.
- Synonyms: sex, male/female, social role, identity.
- ignorant (adj)
- Meaning: Lacking knowledge or awareness.
- Synonyms: unaware, uninformed, uneducated, oblivious, naive.
- incentive (n)
- Meaning: A motivation or reason to act.
- Synonyms: motivation, stimulus, encouragement, inducement, spur.
- incidence (n)
- Meaning: The rate or occurrence of something.
- Synonyms: occurrence, frequency, rate, prevalence, instance.
- incorporate (v)
- Meaning: To include or combine into a whole.
- Synonyms: include, integrate, blend, merge, combine.
- index (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A list or indicator; (v) to list or categorize.
- Synonyms: (n) list, catalog, indicator; (v) catalog, list, record.
- inhibit (v)
- Meaning: To prevent or restrict.
- Synonyms: prevent, restrain, hinder, block, suppress.
- initiate (v)
- Meaning: To begin or start something.
- Synonyms: start, begin, launch, commence, trigger.
- input (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) Contribution or resources; (v) to contribute data.
- Synonyms: (n) contribution, data, resources; (v) enter, provide.
- instruct (v)
- Meaning: To teach or direct someone.
- Synonyms: teach, direct, guide, inform, educate.
- intelligence (n)
- Meaning: The ability to learn, understand, or gather information.
- Synonyms: intellect, understanding, knowledge, insight, acumen.
- interval (n)
- Meaning: A gap or period between events.
- Synonyms: gap, period, pause, break, intermission.
- lecture (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A formal talk or speech; (v) to give a talk.
- Synonyms: (n) talk, speech, presentation; (v) speak, teach, address.
- migrate (v)
- Meaning: To move from one place to another.
- Synonyms: move, relocate, shift, travel, emigrate.
- minimum (n/adj)
- Meaning: (n) The least amount; (adj) smallest possible.
- Synonyms: (n) least, lowest; (adj) smallest, least, minimal.
- ministry (n)
- Meaning: A government department or religious service.
- Synonyms: department, agency, office, service, institution.
- motive (n)
- Meaning: A reason or purpose for action.
- Synonyms: reason, purpose, incentive, drive, motivation.
- neutral (adj)
- Meaning: Unbiased or not favoring any side.
- Synonyms: impartial, unbiased, objective, fair, detached.
- nevertheless (adv)
- Meaning: Despite that; however.
- Synonyms: however, nonetheless, still, yet, despite that.
- overseas (adj/adv)
- Meaning: (adj) Relating to foreign countries; (adv) abroad.
- Synonyms: (adj) foreign, international; (adv) abroad, internationally.
- precede (v)
- Meaning: To come before in time or order.
- Synonyms: come before, go before, lead, antecede, prior to.
- presume (v)
- Meaning: To assume or suppose without proof.
- Synonyms: assume, suppose, believe, take for granted, infer.
- rational (adj)
- Meaning: Based on reason or logic.
- Synonyms: logical, reasonable, sensible, coherent, justified.
- recover (v)
- Meaning: To regain or return to a normal state.
- Synonyms: regain, retrieve, restore, heal, improve.
- reveal (v)
- Meaning: To make known or show something hidden.
- Synonyms: disclose, uncover, show, expose, unveil.
- scope (n)
- Meaning: The extent or range of something.
- Synonyms: range, extent, reach, span, breadth.
- subsidy (n)
- Meaning: Financial support, often from the government.
- Synonyms: grant, aid, funding, support, allowance.
- tape (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A strip for recording or binding; (v) to record or bind.
- Synonyms: (n) recording, strip; (v) record, bind, fasten.
- trace (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) A mark or small amount; (v) to find or follow.
- Synonyms: (n) mark, hint, vestige; (v) follow, track, locate.
- transform (v)
- Meaning: To change significantly in form or nature.
- Synonyms: change, convert, alter, reshape, modify.
- transport (n/v)
- Meaning: (n) The act of moving something; (v) to move or carry.
- Synonyms: (n) transportation, movement; (v) carry, move, convey.
- underlie (v)
- Meaning: To form the basis or foundation of something.
- Synonyms: support, underpin, form the basis, lie beneath.
- utilize (v)
- Meaning: To use or make practical use of something.
- Synonyms: use, employ, apply, make use of, exploit.
Brilliant work! You’ve now mastered 60 valuable vocabulary words from Sublist 6, adding to your impressive total of 360 terms across Sublists 1 through 6, greatly enhancing your IELTS Reading capabilities. This achievement brings you closer to your 40/40 goal. Click here to advance to Sublist 7 and continue your journey toward reading mastery!
