UWorld’s SAT vocabulary list includes 100 common academic words that students may encounter in SAT Reading and Writing passages, college coursework, and beyond. Use these SAT vocabulary words and definitions to expand your vocabulary, improve reading comprehension, and strengthen your preparation for test day.
Understanding Vocabulary in the SAT Reading and Writing Section
The SAT Reading and Writing short passages are chosen to evaluate student comprehension and analytical skills. We've organized these SAT vocabulary tips into categories that reflect the different ways vocabulary appears throughout the Reading and Writing section. Understanding these categories can help you recognize unfamiliar words and determine their meaning in context.
Common SAT vocabulary
Most SAT reading and writing passages include a typical selection of vocabulary words you'll frequently encounter regardless of their subject areas. These words are flexible, as they can function in various contexts, conveying distinct meanings in each. Words like "delegate," "foil," "spike," "stream," and "bank" are a few examples of common SAT vocabulary that you should expect to see throughout the SAT's reading and writing passages.
Subject-specific vocabulary
The SAT Reading and Writing section includes passages from various subject areas and materials, such as academic journals, historical documents, or literary works. These passages incorporate academic and discipline-specific vocabulary to their respective disciplines. Let's look at a couple of examples below:
Passage:
Although leprosy typically develops after a 5-year incubation period, it can take as long as 20 years to show symptoms. The disease's impact is also progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time. Although curable, if left untreated, its later stages can be marked by large skin ulcerations, paralysis of the hands and feet, and facial disfigurement.
The passage above was selected from a medical case study on Leprosy. As you can see, words like "incubation" and "ulcerations" belong to the subject area from which the passage was chosen. To get familiar with advanced and specialized vocabulary, you should read texts from various subject areas and sources where these words are commonly used.
Context clues
The SAT emphasizes understanding words in context, discerning meaning from the passage, and being able to use context clues. Context clues are an efficient way to decipher the meanings of unfamiliar words. As you read each of the passages on the SAT, you must analyze their tone, structure, discipline, and writing style to determine the meaning of any tricky words.
You may also see passages with footnotes or annotations that provide further context. Use these context clues to understand the overall purpose of the passage and the sentences within it. Once you've done that, the only thing left is to note any words you're struggling with and guess their meaning. Let's try with one example below:
Passage:
Brain research suggests that new memories go through a period where the memory is likely to change (a labile state) before becoming a lasting (consolidated) memory. Scientists previously believed that—once consolidated—a memory became resistant to change, but recent findings have strongly established that a consolidated memory can re-enter a labile state through a process called memory reactivation, a deliberate recalling of a long-term memory.
Many students can find the word "labile" difficult to understand. But, as you can analyze from the passage above, "a labile state" has been used as an antonym for "consolidated" memory. If you already know the meaning of "consolidate" (something solid and whole), you can guess that it is the opposite of something that is not "solid." In the context of brain and memory, this word can refer to something dynamic and unstable. Therefore, even if you do not know the exact dictionary meaning of "labile," you can still guess it.
Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots
Using word parts like prefixes and suffixes can provide clues about the meaning of a word, even if you have never encountered it before. Here's how:
- Prefixes:
Prefixes always occur before the root of a word. For example, in the word "uncommon," "un" is a prefix. Some common prefixes are:
- "un-" (not)
- "re-" (again)
- "pre-" (before)
- "dis-" (not, opposite of)
- "Con-" (with)"post-" (after)
A thorough knowledge of standard English prefixes can help you understand unfamiliar words easily! For example, if you come across the term "conjoin" and are unsure of its meaning, remove the root word "join." Now, if you use your knowledge of the prefix "con-," which means "with," you will understand that the word "conjoin" means "to join with," which further points to describing a thing or things that are joined together.
- Suffixes:
As opposed to prefixes, suffixes come after the root word. For example, "recital" uses the suffix "-al'' after the root word "recite." There are a few common suffixes used in standard English grammar, among others:
- "-acy" (state or quality)
- "-al" (act or process)
- "-dom" (place or state of being)
- "-ism" (belief system)
- "-ity" (quality of something)
- "-ment" (condition of something)
So, next time you encounter words like delicacy (delicate + acy), judgment (judge + ment), or endorsement (endorse + ment), be sure to memorize the list of suffixes and their meanings. Doing so will help you decipher the meaning of many tricky words.
- Roots:
Roots are the core building blocks that make up words and often carry each word's primary meaning. Some common roots include:
- "Ambi" (both)
- "Aqua" (water)
- "Bio-" (life)
- "Multi" (many)
- "Port-" (carry)
- "Form" (shape)
You may encounter words like "conform," "aquatic," "multifarious," and "portable," which consist of root words. Use what you know to navigate the core meaning of any unfamiliar word, along with context clues to crack open the meaning of any tricky word you may encounter on your SAT test.
Top 100 Common SAT Vocabulary Words You Need to Know
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Accomodation | The act of adjusting or adapting to something. |
| Adaptation | A change that helps something fit a new environment. |
| Affect | To influence or change. |
| Ambiguous | Having more than one possible meaning. |
| Ambition | A strong desire to achieve something. |
| Analyze | To examine closely to understand. |
| Annotation | A note added to explain or comment on a text. |
| Apparent | Readily visible or seeming true. |
| Assess | To evaluate carefully. |
| Assumption | Something accepted as true without proof. |
| Author | The writer of a text. |
| Autonomous | Having the freedom to act independently. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Behavior | The way a person or animal acts. |
| Bias | A tendency that unfairly favors one side. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Claim | A statement that can be supported or challenged. |
| Clarify | To make easier to understand. |
| Coherent | Clear and logically connected. |
| Compare | To note similarities or differences. |
| Comprehend | To understand fully. |
| Consistent | Unchanging or in agreement. |
| Context | The words and situation around something. |
| Contradicted | Proved wrong or inconsistent with. |
| Contrast | To show differences. |
| Corroborate | To confirm with additional evidence. |
| Counterintuitive | Contrary to what common sense expects. |
| Credible | Believable and trustworthy. |
| Culture | The beliefs and practices of a group. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Debate | Formal discussion of opposing views. |
| Detail | A small piece of information. |
| Determine | To find out or conclude. |
| Diminish | To make smaller or less important. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Effective | Producing the intended result. |
| Emphasize | To give special importance to. |
| Enhance | To improve or increase. |
| Evidence | Facts or information used to support a claim. |
| Evidence-based | Supported by facts or research. |
| Expand | To make larger or more detailed. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Facilitate | To make an action easier. |
| Function | The purpose or role of something. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis | A testable proposed explanation. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Identify | To recognize or name. |
| Illustrate | To make clear with an example. |
| Imply | To suggest indirectly. |
| Implicit | Understood though not directly stated. |
| Indecipherable | Impossible or very difficult to read, understand, or interpret. |
| Indicate | To show or point to. |
| Infer | To figure out from clues. |
| Inconsequential | Not important or significant. |
| Innovation | A new idea, method, or product. |
| Interconnected | Linked together in a system. |
| Interpret | To explain the meaning of. |
| Integral | Essential or necessary to the whole. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Justify | To show that something is reasonable. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Logical | Based on reason and clear thinking. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Main Idea | The central point of a text. |
| Manifest | Clear or visible; to show. |
| Method | A way of doing something. |
| Modify | To change slightly. |
| Multidisciplinary | Involving several different fields of study. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Narrator | The voice telling a story. |
| Nuance | A subtle difference in meaning or tone. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Perceive | To notice or understand. |
| Perspective | A way of viewing or interpreting something. |
| Plausible | Reasonable and likely to be true. |
| Policy | A rule or course of action adopted by an authority. |
| Precise | Exact and carefully defined. |
| Process | A series of steps leading to a result. |
| Prominent | Important, well known, or noticeable. |
| Purpose | The reason something is done. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Recalcitrant | Stubbornly resistant to authority or control. |
| Relevant | Closely connected to the topic. |
| Renunciation | The act of formally giving up something. |
| Require | To need or demand. |
| Result | An outcome or effect. |
| Reveal | To make known or visible. |
| Revise | To change for improvement. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sanguine | Confident and optimistic. |
| Scrutinize | To examine very carefully. |
| Sequence | The order in which things happen. |
| Species | A group of living things of the same kind. |
| Strengthen | To make stronger or more convincing. |
| Structure | The arrangement of parts. |
| Substance | The most important part or main idea of something. |
| Support | To strengthen with evidence. |
| Suppress | To stop or prevent something from continuing. |
| Synthesis | Combining information from multiple sources. |
| Synchronization | The act of making things happen at the same time. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Theme | A central idea running through a text. |
| Theory | A well-supported explanation. |
| Tone | The writer’s attitude or style. |
| Transition | A word or phrase that links ideas. |
| Trend | A general direction of change. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Undifferentiated | Not divided into distinct parts or categories. |
| Unexceptionable | Not likely to be criticized; acceptable. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Validate | To confirm or support as true. |
| Variable | Able to change or differ. |
| Versimilitude | The appearance of being real or true. |
| Words | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Weakness | A lack of strength or effectiveness. |
| Weaken | To make less strong. |
Simple ways to build up your vocabulary before your SAT test date
This "SAT vocabulary list" includes words students will likely encounter on other college preparatory exams and later as they pursue their academic and career journey. Students can also benefit from building a robust vocabulary by reading widely and critically, encountering diverse texts, and practicing with SAT-style questions to understand how words function in context. When you encounter words that are unfamiliar to you, look up the definition and make a note of this information. Creating flashcards can help you test your ability to recall the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Building a stronger SAT vocabulary doesn't happen overnight, but consistent practice can make a meaningful difference. As you learn new words, focus on understanding how they're used in context and reinforce them through regular reading and realistic SAT practice.
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References
- (2022, Summer). The Digital SAT® Suite of Assessments Specifications Overview. College Board.
https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/digital-sat-test-spec-overview.pdf
