Fifty academic words that appear across every subject. These are not difficult words — they are the connective tissue of academic English, and knowing them precisely is worth more than a list of rare ones.
| analyse / analysis | to examine something in detail to understand its parts |
|---|---|
| approach | a way of dealing with something |
| assess | to judge the quality or value of something |
| assume | to accept as true without proof |
| benefit | an advantage gained |
| concept | an abstract idea |
| consistent | unchanging; in agreement with other things |
| constitute | to make up or form |
| context | the circumstances surrounding something |
| contribute | to give a part towards something |
| derive | to obtain from a source |
| distinct | clearly different or separate |
| establish | to set up, or to prove firmly |
| evident | clear, obvious |
| factor | something that contributes to a result |
| hypothesis | a proposed explanation to be tested |
| identify | to recognise or name |
| implication | a consequence that follows without being stated |
| indicate | to point out or show |
| interpret | to explain the meaning of |
| maintain | to keep in existence; also, to assert |
| method | a systematic way of doing something |
| occur | to happen |
| percentage | a proportion expressed in hundredths |
| period | a length of time |
| principle | a fundamental rule or truth |
| proportion | a part in relation to the whole |
| require | to need, or to demand |
| research | systematic investigation |
| respond | to answer or react |
| significant | important, or large enough to matter |
| similar | alike but not identical |
| source | where something comes from |
| specific | particular, clearly defined |
| structure | the arrangement of parts |
| sufficient | enough |
| theory | a well-supported explanation of observations |
| vary | to differ or change |
| subsequent | coming afterwards |
| substantial | large in amount or importance |
| arbitrary | based on chance or personal whim rather than reason |
| correlate | to have a mutual relationship with |
| criterion / criteria | a standard by which something is judged |
| explicit | stated clearly and directly |
| implicit | implied but not stated |
| phenomenon / phenomena | an observed fact or event |
| prior | earlier, previous |
| respective | belonging separately to each of those mentioned |
| underlying | lying beneath; fundamental but not obvious |
| whereas | in contrast with the fact that |
Learn them in sentences, not in lists. For each one, find it in a real article this week and copy out the sentence you found it in — that is what makes a word usable rather than merely recognisable.
Ask GuruAcharya Samayeshwar
