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The Coolest Way to Learn TOEFL iBT Vocabulary!

VocabularyUpdated 2 min read

If you have trouble memorizing TOEFL words, recognizing them in a passage, or using them naturally when you speak and write, this page gives you two free video lessons and five study methods that make new vocabulary stick.

Free video lesson: high-frequency TOEFL words

Why a focused word list works better than a full dictionary

Trying to memorize every word that could possibly appear on the test isn't realistic, and it isn't necessary. It's far more efficient to start with a core set of common academic words, learn them well, and build outward from there. The second video continues with more vocabulary of this kind.

How to actually remember new words

Reading a word list once isn't enough for most people: if you don't review a new word, you'll usually forget it within days. These methods make new vocabulary stick:

  • Write your own example sentence for each new word instead of just reading its definition. Producing the word yourself is a stronger memory cue than recognizing it passively.
  • Space out your reviews. Look at a new word again the next day, then after three days, then after a week, instead of cramming the whole list once and moving on.
  • Group words by topic. Academic reading and listening texts each focus on one subject (geography, biology, law, and so on), so words learned in topic groups are easier to recall when a passage on that subject appears.
  • Say new words out loud. This builds the muscle memory you need for Speaking responses, not just recognition while reading.
  • Track your mistakes. Keep a short running list of words you get wrong on practice questions, and review that list more often than words you already know well.

Quality over quantity

A smaller list you actually remember is worth more than a huge list you've only skimmed once. Start narrow, review consistently, and expand the list once the first set feels solid.

Who this is useful for

  • Test-takers who are just starting TOEFL prep and want a manageable starting vocabulary instead of an entire dictionary.
  • Anyone who has read a word list before but found the words didn't stick once they got to a real passage or practice question.

For topic-organized word lists to study alongside this, see TOEFL words lists, and put new vocabulary to use in the free, timed Reading practice set.

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