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The importance of vocabulary in the 11 plus
Regardless of which school your child is applying for, they will be tested on their vocabulary knowledge through either English or verbal reasoning tests (or a combination of both).
Vocabulary in 11 plus English
Most 11 plus exams incorporate an English test. This commonly assesses reading comprehension and, occasionally, creative writing.
In reading comprehension questions, children will be tested on their ability to make inferences, deduce based on given evidence, rephrase, and summarise a passage. In creative writing tasks, children will be assessed on the extent of their vocabulary and its purpose within the text, as well as the accuracy of their spelling.
Vocabulary in 11 plus verbal reasoning
If your child’s 11 plus test includes a verbal reasoning paper, you can be sure they will be tested on their vocabulary knowledge. Typical questions include selecting synonyms, antonyms or homonyms from a given list, spotting the odd one out from a selection of words, or identifying the connection between groups of words. Strong vocabulary knowledge is key to success in all of these questions.
Free 11+ resources
5 tips for expanding your child’s vocabulary
1. Reading often and widely
Plenty of studies have shown that children who read many books (and a range of genres) learn new words faster and have much wider vocabularies than children who seldom read. This is because written language uses many more words than we use in spoken language.
2. Play word games
Games such as Scrabble, Boggle, word searches and crosswords can be really useful to help your child discover new words and consolidate their meanings. Playing word games together can make the process of vocabulary learning fun for your child, helping them stay engaged and motivated while aiding retention.
3. Look for word roots
Many English words have the same Greek or Latin roots which provide an indication of their meaning. If your child comes across a word they don’t understand, ask them to break the word down into parts and think about where they might have heard something similar before. Here are some common root words used in everyday language:
Aud: referring to hearing, e.g. audio, audible, audience
Bio: referring to life, e.g. biography, biology, biodegradable
Chrono: relating to time, e.g. chronological, synchronise
Geo: referring to the earth, e.g. geography, geology
Sens: relating to feeling, e.g. sensitive, resent
Sub: referring to something under or inferior, e.g. submissive, subterranean
4. Story writing
Story writing is a great exercise for your child to try out their newly learnt words in a relevant context (not to mention that it’s a skill assessed in many 11 plus exams).
Encourage your child to write stories in different genres, trying out their vocabulary for different stylistic effects.
5. Visualise new words
If your child is a visual learner, they may find it easier to recall difficult words if they can associate them with an image. Encourage your child to draw a visual interpretation of a word they find difficult – for instance, the word ‘economical’ may be associated with a picture of money, while ‘bewildered’ could be symbolised by a person looking confused.
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Complete 11 plus vocabulary list
Our 11 plus vocabulary list includes words which have been used by GL Assessment – the UK's leading 11 plus exam board –in previous exams. There are also some more challenging words which are included in the Upper Key Stage 2 national curriculum.
Download the full list in alphabetical order here.
abandon
absence
absurd
abundant
accommodate
accompany
according
accuse
accustomed
achieve
acquainted
acquire
address
adhere
admission
advance
affectionate
aggressive
alert
altitude
amateur
ambition
ample
ancient
anxious
apparent
appeal
appearance
applicable
appreciate
apprehensive
approve
argument
article
assemble
assistance
attempt
available
average
avoid
avowed
awkward
chaos
charred
coarse
coax
college
combination
commence
committee
communicate
community
companion
competition
completely
complex
composition
comprehend
conceal
conceited
conceive
conclusion
condemn
confidential
confine
conspire
conscience
conscious
consent
conserve
consideration
consist
constant
consume
contemporary
contempt
content
contest
contract
contrast
contribute
controversy
convenience
conventional
convert
convey
convict
convince
correspond
coy
criticise
cultivate
cunning
curb
curiosity
curious
curt
custom
banish
bargain
barren
beautiful
because
believe
belligerent
bemused
benefit
besieged
betray
bewildered
brief
Britain
bruise
burden
business
debate
debrief
deceit
declare
decline
definite
deliberate
demolished
deny
dependable
deposit
derelict
description
caffeine
calamity
candidate
category
caution
cease
ceiling
cemetery
changeable
despair
desperately
destitute
determine
develop
devote
digest
dilapidated
diluted
disappear
disappointed
disarray
disastrous
disclose
discontent
dishevelled
dismal
disperse
dispute
distasteful
distinct
distinguished
distress
divine
domestic
dose
drought
dwelling
emerge
empire
endeavour
endure
enterprise
environment
equipment
errand
especially
estimate
evaluation
evident
exaggerate
excellent
excitement
exciting
exclaim
existence
expel
expense
explanation
extended
exterior
extinction
extract
extremely
flamboyant
flawless
fleet
flora
flourish
foe
forbid
foreign
forty
foundation
fragment
fragrant
frequent
frivolous
fund
hollow
humble
hygienic
garment
government
grate
gratitude
grave
grieve
grotesque
guarantee
guard
identity
idle
idol
ignorant
imitate
immediately
immerse
inaudible
incision
inconspicuous
individual
inedible
inferior
influence
inhabitants
insane
insert
insolent
inspire
intangible
intense
intention
interested
interfere
interior
interpret
interrogate
interrupt
invalid
isolation
earnest
economical
elect
elude
embarrass
embrace
familiar
famine
fatal
fatigue
favourite
feeble
feign
fertile
habitable
habitat
halt
harass
hasty
heroic
hindrance
hoax
holiday
labour
lament
language
latter
lavish
lean
legible
leisure
lenient
liberal
liberty
library
lightning
limb
linger
lodge
lofty
loneliness
loyalty
muscle
mysterious
perilous
perish
permit
perplexed
persuade
physical
pigment
pioneer
pledge
plume
plunge
pompous
poultry
precarious
prejudice
present
privilege
proclaim
procure
profession
profit
programme
prohibit
prominent
promote
prompt
pronunciation
proportion
prosperous
protein
provoke
public
punctual
puncture
purpose
quaint
quell
quench
queue
quiet
quite
quiver
nauseous
neat
necessary
nimble
noted
nuisance
ramble
rare
really
receive
recite
recognise
recommend
refer
referee
release
relevant
repent
reprimand
reserve
reside
residence
resign
resolve
restaurant
restore
restrain
retain
retreat
reveal
rhyme
ridiculous
rigid
majestic
margin
matte
maximum
meagre
meant
merchant
mercy
meticulous
minimum
mischief
moderate
modest
moral
mortal
oath
obey
obedience
objection
obscure
obstinate
occupy
occur
odour
offend
omen
opportunity
oppose
oppress
option
ordeal
origin
painstaking
parallel
parliament
passive
peak
peculiar
perceive
roam
robust
rogue
rowdy
rural
subdued
submissive
submit
subterfuge
subtropical
successful
succumb
sufficient
suggest
summit
superior
supposed
surprise
suspect
suspend
system
unfathomable
uniform
union
unite
unnecessary
unsurpassed
sacred
sacrifice
sane
sanitary
score
scripture
secretary
secure
seize
seldom
separate
sermon
shoulder
shrine
signature
sincere
sincerely
sleek
sly
soldier
sow
special
stern
stomach
stoop
stout
stretched
stubborn
sturdy
temperate
temperature
temptation
thrust
tolerable
tolerably
toleration
tomorrow
torment
traitor
tranquil
transference
transferral
trivial
turbulent
twelfth
twilight
tyrant
vacant
vanished
vapour
variety
vast
vehicle
veil
ventilation
vessel
volatile
wasteful
weary
weird
wholesome
wholly
wither
wound
wretched
yacht
yield
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