Academic Word List Sublist 1-3 — high-frequency academic words

Academic Word List (AWL)

AWL = compiled by Averil Coxhead from academic texts. 570 word families across 10 sublists, ordered by frequency. Sublist 1 = most frequent academic words.

Learning AWL = essential for IELTS Reading C-level + Writing band 8 + Listening Section 4 (lectures).

Sublist 1 (60 words) — TOP frequency

These appear in ALL academic disciplines:

Analysis-related:

• analyze, analysis, analytical, analyst
• assess, assessment
• evaluate, evaluation
• interpret, interpretation
• estimate (n/v)
• evidence
• factor (n)
• formula
• function (n/v)
• indicate, indicator

Concept-related:

• concept, conceptual
• context, contextual
• definition, define
• principle
• theory, theoretical
• approach (n/v)
• method, methodology

Process-related:

• consist (of/in)
• derive (from)
• distribute, distribution
• establish, establishment
• occur, occurrence
• proceed, procedure, process
• response, respond
• result (n/v)
• structure (n/v), structural

Reference-related:

• area, period, sector
• source
• data
• significant, significance
• specific, specifically
• variable (n/adj)

Social/political/economic:

• economy, economic
• environment, environmental
• finance, financial
• legal, legislation
• policy
• research (n/v)

Cognitive:

• assume, assumption
• benefit (n/v), beneficial
• consequently, consequence
• create, creation
• identify, identification
• involve, involvement
• major, majority
• require, requirement

Sublist 2 (60 words) — next tier

Action verbs:

• achieve, achievement
• acquire, acquisition
• administer, administration
• challenge (n/v)
• communicate, communication
• consume, consumption
• conduct (v)
• contribute, contribution
• design (n/v)
• establish, establishment
• maintain, maintenance
• obtain
• pursue, pursuit
• regulate, regulation
• transfer (n/v)

Quantity/measure:

• aspect
• category, categorize
• chapter
• credit (n/v)
• definition, defined
• final, finally, finalize
• focus (n/v)
• impact (n/v)
• range (n/v)
• ratio
• region, regional

Relations:

• affect (v)
• associate (with), association
• complex (adj)
• consequence
• consist (of)
• evident, evidence
• factor (n)
• imply, implication
• link (n/v)
• network
• normal, normally
• positive, negative
• previous, previously
• primary
• task

People/society:

• author (n/v)
• community
• consumer
• cultural, culture
• demonstrate
• distinction, distinctive
• individual (n/adj)
• institute, institution, institutional
• labour
• legal, legislation
• participate, participation
• sector