Academic Vocabulary Worksheets for Advanced Learners
27 worksheets, 1 lesson and 2 vocabulary decks · Word power
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Academic vocabulary worksheets
27 printable worksheets with answer keys; the 24 most used, easiest level first.
Academic vocabulary lessons
1 ready lesson for the four skills: teach on the board, set online or print.
Academic vocabulary vocabulary
2 word decks with meanings, examples and pronunciation: flip, quiz, print as flashcards or play as a game.
About Academic vocabulary
Academic vocabulary is the general, cross-disciplinary language of study, such as analyze, significant, factor, approach and consequently, rather than subject-specific technical terms. Coxhead's Academic Word List (570 word families) is a common reference point, and much of the work involves word families and the collocations these words take: conduct research, a significant increase.
It is mainly taught at C1–C2 and in EAP and IELTS preparation. Learners often know the meaning of an academic word but use it with the wrong grammar or partner words (discuss about, research on a topic done), or mix formal vocabulary with informal chunks in the same paragraph.
On this page you will find printable academic vocabulary worksheets with answer keys, ready to print as PDF or complete online with a class link, plus vocabulary decks for regular review.
Teaching tips: Academic vocabulary
- Teach academic words with their typical collocations and prepositions (a rise in, have an impact on) rather than as single items.
- Watch for 'discuss about' and 'emphasize on'; these verbs are transitive and take a direct object.
- Have learners highlight academic vocabulary in a short journal article or report before producing it themselves.
- Recycle target words through paraphrasing tasks, which are central to academic writing and IELTS.
Questions teachers ask
What is the Academic Word List?
It is a list of 570 word families compiled by Averil Coxhead from a corpus of academic texts, excluding the most frequent general words. It remains a widely used guide for EAP vocabulary.
Is academic vocabulary the same as formal vocabulary?
They overlap but are not identical. Academic vocabulary is the language common to study across subjects, while formality is about register and also applies to letters and other genres.
Is this vocabulary useful for IELTS?
Yes. Accurate, well-collocated academic vocabulary supports the lexical resource criterion in IELTS Writing Task 1 and 2.