TOEFL 100+ Vocabulary | 57 words that GUARANTEE 30/30 Score

I need to score 30 out of 30 on the TOEFL reading and listening sections, but I have no idea how to do it. In my one-on-one sessions, I have lots of students who struggle with the TOEFL reading and listening tests, and I've noticed that one of the reasons they can't get high scores is that their vocabulary is limited. One thing you can do is study subject- specific vocabulary for topics like biology, psychology, physics, astronomy, and more.

This will definitely help you understand the texts and lectures better. But is that all? Not really. After studying tons of TOEFL practice tests, I've noticed that there are certain words that appear very often in reading passages and lectures, and they don't belong to any specific subject.

These are the words that you will often find in academic articles and texts, and these are the words you'll usually need to answer questions on the TOEFL reading and listening sections. So, in this video, I've collected 57 of the most common words you'll see on the TOEFL reading and listening sections that'll help you get the score you want. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel to get more tips and tricks about the test, and click the bell icon to be notified when the next video comes out.

Let's see how ready you are for the TOEFL test. Take a piece of paper and make two columns. In one column, put a plus for the words you know.

In the second column, put a minus and write the word itself to mark the words you don't know. At the end of this video, write winner in the comments if you know all the words, or tell us how many words from the list you know. For example, 26 out of 57, or 50 out of 57.

Let's get started. 1. Commodity This word is super popular on the TOEFL, and I often see it in the reading passages. What's more important, it's often necessary to answer the question.

So, a commodity is any useful or valuable thing, especially something that you can buy or sell, like food, clothes, or electronics. So, coffee, grains, or precious metals are all examples of commodities. I've just seen this word mentioned a few times in two random reading passages, so it's really common for the TOEFL reading.

2. Exploit If you use someone or something, usually selfishly or for profit, you'll exploit them. Factory owners can exploit their employees, making them work overtime. So, to exploit is to use something or someone unfairly, for your own benefit.

On the TOEFL, however, you'll often see this word used in a slightly different sense. It usually means to make good use of something. For example, to exploit natural resources.

3. Cultivate The original meaning of this word is to prepare and use land for crops or gardening. So, you'll often see it used in texts and lectures about agriculture. People can cultivate fields, gardens, or land.

This word can also mean to develop or improve something, such as a skill or relationship. 4. Demise Demise is the end of something. It can be the end of a person's life or anything else.

We often use this word in medical or legal language or when we want to sound formal. On the TOEFL, you'll often see this word used to describe the final stage of something. For example, the demise of a company or the demise of a relationship.

5. Prosperity Another super popular word on the TOEFL test that I see all the time. Prosperity usually means being successful, especially financially. In the US, the decades after World War II were characterized by rising prosperity with large numbers of people moving into the middle class.

The adjective prosperous is also very typical for the TOEFL reading and listening sections. It means financially successful. Speaking of the word decade from the example I just gave, this is our next word.

A decade is a period of 10 years. We have a decade, 10 years, a century, 100 years, and a millennium, 1000 years. We actually have an entire course dedicated to TOEFL preparation, where we teach you all the words you need to know to score a consistently high on each section of the test.

We have lists of words organized by topic, templates for effective speaking and writing responses, strategies for each question type, and more. I'll leave the link to the course below. Another important word to know is alteration.

Alteration means a change or modification. The verb to alter means to make something different or to change something, such as altering a plan or altering a law. Remember three words with a similar meaning.

To alter, to modify, to change. You'll often need them for the TOEFL reading. 8. Intermittently.

I can't tell you how many times I see this word. It's a fancy way of saying from time to time, periodically. The adverb intermittently describes something that starts, then stops, and then starts up again.

If you studied intermittently last night, it means that sometimes you studied, but sometimes you took breaks to do other things. A phrase with a similar meaning is off and on. We came across it just recently in one of our reading videos.

This phrase means that something happens periodically, like working off and on, or visiting off and on. So remember, off and on, or intermittently, mean at intervals, not continuously. 10.

Extensive. For some reason, this is one of the favorite words of the TOEFL creators. They use it in practically every reading passage or lecture I've ever worked with.

And believe me, there have been many. The first and the most popular meaning is covering a large area. For example, extensive road repairs, extensive grounds, or extensive agriculture.

So, imagine something that covers a large area. That's extensive. Extensive can also mean having a great range.

If your knowledge of the TOEFL test is extensive, you know a lot about it. If an event gets extensive coverage in the newspapers, it means many people are writing about it. Next is the word sophisticated.

When something is sophisticated, it's complicated and intricate. The inner workings of a computer are sophisticated. It's difficult to understand them unless you're a computer expert.

High school math is a lot more sophisticated than grammar school math. Driving a car is more sophisticated than riding a bike. On the TOEFL, you'll often find mentions of sophisticated computer models, sophisticated systems, or sophisticated tools used by Asian people.

12. Diverse. Various, very different.

It's another common word that pops up in almost every passage. Diverse means that something has many different parts or elements, such as diverse culture or diverse wildlife. 13.

Abruptly. Subtly or without warning. 14.

Result in. To cause something to happen. For example, high economic growth results in higher inflation.

15. Mild. Not severe or intense.

We often use mild when talking about the weather or climate. Mild weather isn't too cold or too hot. This is the meaning that's most popular on the TOEFL test.

However, this word can also be used in other areas. For example, mild criticism. Not severe.

A mild heart attack. Not too serious. The next group of words have similar meanings.

They are drastically, dramatically, and spectacularly. I see all three of them all the time, both in the reading and listening. On the TOEFL, they usually mean extremely or a lot.

For example, their budget has been drastically reduced. Reduced a lot. The nature of conflict has changed dramatically.

Has changed a lot. This attempt failed spectacularly. Significantly failed.

19. Tolerate. To accept or put up with something.

You can tolerate noise or a person. Some people don't tolerate rude behavior. 20.

Threat. An impending danger that has the potential to cause serious harm. TOEFL reading passages usually have many examples of such as enemy threats, health threats, death threats, and so on.

A popular collocation is imminent threat. It's a synonym for impending danger. One more very common word on both the reading and listening sections of TOEFL is decline.

To decline means to decrease or diminish in quantity or quality. We use it when something is getting smaller or worse. For example, the decline of a business or the decline of a population.

22. Coerce. To force someone to do something against their will.

You can coerce a person to do something or coerce a decision or a confession from a person. Again, just recently I saw this word in one of the reading passages. We were doing in a one-on-one session with my student.

23. Retreat. To go away from a place or person.

To escape from fighting more danger. The TOEFL likes to use this word in a variety of contexts. You can find information about lizards retreating into the shade or retreating shares of a company.

We can even find it in the integrated speaking questions. For example, question three may be about a psychological term in which the speaker understands that their proposals were clearly unreasonable and is forced to retreat. So, expect to see this word in many contexts.

24. Initially. In the beginning.

At first. 25. Eventually.

In the end. Especially after a long time or a lot of effort. A similar word that is often given as a paraphrase for the word eventually is ultimately.

It means finally after a series of things have happened. For example, the company ultimately succeeded or the company ultimately failed. 27.

Rival. A few days ago, one of my students made a mistake in the reading passage because she didn't know this word. So, I decided to include it in today's list.

A rival is a person or thing that competes with another. So, it's a synonym for the word competitor. The question she had was the sentence simplification question about terrestrial plans that had the advantages of not having rivals.

In the text, there was a line about the land of opportunity, free of competitors. Because she didn't know the word rivals, she couldn't find the right answer. This is a typical example of why you should know synonyms.

Otherwise, you'll waste time when answering the questions and you may make mistakes. 28. Data.

Information. 29. Conventional.

Usual. Traditional. Ordinary.

It's a super popular word that I've also seen used in vocabulary questions. I also see it a lot in the TOEFL reading passages. You can find information about conventional explanation of something, conventional farming, conventional medicine, or weapons.

30. Supersede. To replace or surpass something.

Some common collocations are supersede a law, supersede a record. Let's look at a typical sentence you might see on the TOEFL test. They still used stone tools similar to those superseded in Europe by metal tools thousands of years ago.

Superseded. Replaced. As you can see, the most effective way to remember all these new and difficult words is to think of simpler synonyms for them that you already know.

That way, the next time you see the word supersede, you'll remember the word replace and will know what it means. Another super popular word I decided to include in this list is fossils. This word means remains or impressions of ancient plants or animals.

Fossils look like this. You'll often find lectures and texts about fossils of dinosaurs. Again, I see this word all the time and you just have to know it.

32. Flourish. To grow or develop successfully.

Just as your tomatoes can flourish in the summer, countries, companies, cultural life, the shipbuilding industry, computer technology, and lots of other things and spheres can flourish. People can also flourish, which means that they are successful. Remember we talked about the word prosperity earlier? Well, a synonym for to flourish is to prosper.

Another synonym for this word we have on our list is to thrive. Your business or your relationships can thrive. So, remember these three words, to thrive, to prosper, to flourish.

All of them mean to be successful. 34. Disruption.

An interruption or disturbance. 35. Decay.

In other words, TOEFL creators love and use all the time. To decay means to rot or become weaker. For example, a building or a relationship can both decay.

I recently had a text about how Venice's role as a storage and distribution center for spices, silk, and gold decayed, which means it became weaker and ultimately the city lost its monopoly. If you've taken at least a few TOEFL practice tests, you've probably also come across the idea that carbon decays in living things. Because carbon is radioactive, it decays over time, which means the older artifacts have less carbon than younger ones.

This is why so many readings and lectures mention radiocarbon dating, which is a method that uses the decay of carbon to determine the age of organic materials. 36. Rigid.

Stiff or fixed. Something that can't be moved or bent. 37.

Preserve. To keep something from decay or destruction. Simply put, to keep something safe.

You can preserve a culture or preserve a historical site. By the way, a site is a place. 38.

Depletion. The act of reducing or using something up. Some common allocations with this word are depletion of resources, soil depletion, or depletion of a population.

39. Estimate. To guess or calculate the cost, size, or value of something.

As a verb, this word is pronounced estimate. It can also be used as a noun. In this case, we'd say an estimate.

An estimate is a judgment or calculation of approximately how large or how great something is. If the mechanic's bill is much higher than the estimate they gave you, for example, you have a right to be angry. 40.

Impact. The effect or influence of something on something else. Remember these three words, an impact, an influence, an effect.

They are often used as paraphrases on TOEFL. The word impact can also mean the force or action of one object hitting another. For example, the moment two comets collide is called the moment of impact.

41. Inhibit. To prevent or stop something from happening.

You can inhibit a process or inhibit a reaction. For example, this is the main factor inhibiting online access. Preventing online access.

42. Hibernation. This word is extremely common in academic lectures.

Hibernation is a type of deep sleep that some animals, such as bears, for example, go into during the winter. So, simply put, hibernation is like taking a long nap. 43.

Divert. The verb to divert means to change the direction or course of something. The police will divert traffic if there has been an accident, which is blocking the road.

And it's a good idea to divert some of your income into a savings account so you don't spend it all. On the TOEFL, you may find mentions of diverted traffic, information, diverted public attention or investigation. 44.

Tremendous. Extremely large. For example, tremendous success or tremendous failure.

A similar word is enormous. This word also means very big. An animal can be of an enormous size, or your parents can have an enormous influence on your life.

45. Emerge. To appear, to come out.

Many different things can emerge. For example, details, patterns, trends, differences, or theories. A person can emerge from the crowd.

Or plants often emerge from the ground. 47. Expand.

This word comes up all the time on the TOEFL. To expand means to increase in size or scope. You'll find texts about the universe, economy, business, or industries expanding.

Markets or cities can also expand. 48. Proliferation.

The act of increasing or spreading rapidly. 49. Escalate.

To become greater or more serious. The situation started to escalate around noon. The credit crisis is escalating as expected.

50. Surplus. A surplus is something extra or leftover.

If your tree produces more apples than you can eat, you can make applesauce with the surplus of apples. You will often come across texts about surplus food, surplus money, surplus supplies. 51.

Eliminate. This word is a must on reading and listening sections of TOEFL. To eliminate means to remove or get rid of something.

This is what you do with the four answer options you get. First, you eliminate two options that are definitely wrong. You can also eliminate a problem, a possibility, or a risk.

52. Purchase. To buy something.

For example, purchase a house or a car. 53. Obtain.

To get something. You can obtain a degree, obtain information, permission, approval, or obtain a job. The next three words on our list have similar meanings.

They are obligatory, mandatory, and compulsory. If something is obligatory, mandatory, or compulsory, you must do it. Because of a rule or a law.

For example, this is mandatory to help prevent fraud. Registration was obligatory, but voting was optional. The study skills courses were almost always compulsory.

You'll see these words all the time, so be sure to write them down if you don't know them. 57. Predominant.

More noticeable or important, or greater in number than others. The predominant colors, however, were black and yellow. We did it! Congratulations! These were the 57 words you'll definitely need to tackle the TOEFL reading and listening sections.

As you've already noticed, many of them could also be used in your writing and speaking responses. Thanks for watching! Please note below how many words you already knew. If you want to master all four sections of the TOEFL exam and get a great score on test day, click on the link below.

And don't forget to subscribe to our channel to get more tips and tricks on how to ace the TOEFL test. Remember, scoring 100 plus on the TOEFL isn't rocket science. It's the little things you do that make all the difference.

As always, I wish you all a stellar TOEFL score. Until next time!

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🎯 Acing the TOEFL: 57 Must-Know Academic Vocabulary Words

Hello everyone! I'm here to help you tackle a common challenge: scoring that perfect 30 out of 30 on the TOEFL Reading and Listening sections. Many of my students struggle to achieve high scores, and one of the primary reasons is a limited vocabulary.

You've probably heard that studying subject-specific vocabulary—for biology, psychology, physics, and astronomy—is crucial. And it is! It will certainly help you understand complex texts and lectures better.

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Beyond Subject-Specific Vocabulary

But is that all? Not really.

After reviewing countless TOEFL practice tests, I've noticed a set of words that appear incredibly often, both in reading passages and lectures. These words don't belong to any single subject; instead, they are the high-frequency academic vocabulary you'll see in scholarly articles and texts. Crucially, these are the words you'll frequently need to know to correctly answer questions on the TOEFL.

In this lesson, I've compiled 57 of the most common, essential words you'll see on the TOEFL Reading and Listening sections—words that will help you achieve the score you want.

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📝 Test Your Knowledge: The 57-Word Challenge

Let's see how ready you are for the TOEFL test!

Take a piece of paper and create two columns.

• In the first column, put a plus sign (+) for the words you already know.

• In the second column, put a minus sign (-) and write the word itself to mark the words you don't know.

After we finish the list, write "winner" in the comments if you knew all the words, or tell us your score (e.g., 26 out of 57, or 50 out of 57).

Let's get started!

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📖 Essential Academic Vocabulary List

Here are the first 12 essential academic words:

1. Commodity: A useful or valuable thing, especially something that can be bought or sold, like food, grains, or precious metals. This word is often necessary to answer reading questions.

2. Exploit:

   • Common Use: To use someone or something unfairly for profit (e.g., Factory owners exploit their employees).

   • Academic Use (TOEFL): To make good use of something (e.g., to exploit natural resources).

3. Cultivate:

   • Original: To prepare and use land for crops (common in agriculture texts).

   • Broader: To develop or improve something, such as a skill or relationship.

4. Demise: The end of something, often used formally to describe the final stage of a company, relationship, or person's life.

5. Prosperity: The state of being successful, especially financially (e.g., a period of rising prosperity). The adjective, prosperous, is also very common.

6. Decade: A period of 10 years. (Remember: century = 100 years, millennium = 1,000 years).

7. Alteration: A change or modification. The verb is to alter (Synonyms: to alter, to modify, to change).

8. Intermittently: A fancy way of saying from time to time or periodically. It describes something that starts, stops, and starts again (Similar phrase: off and on).

9. Extensive:

   • Most popular: Covering a large area (e.g., extensive road repairs).

   • Second meaning: Having a great range (e.g., extensive knowledge).

10. Sophisticated: Complicated and intricate, difficult to understand without expertise (e.g., sophisticated computer models).

11. Diverse: Various, very different, having many different parts or elements (e.g., diverse culture).

12. Abruptly: Suddenly or without warning.

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📚 Part 2: More High-Impact Vocabulary

Let's continue with the rest of the list.

13. Result in: To cause something to happen (e.g., High growth results in inflation).

14. Mild: Not severe or intense. Often used for weather/climate (e.g., mild weather), but also for criticism or illness (e.g., a mild heart attack).

15. Drastically / Dramatically / Spectacularly: On the TOEFL, these adverbs usually mean extremely or a lot (e.g., The budget was drastically reduced).

16. Tolerate: To accept or put up with something (e.g., tolerate noise).

17. Threat: An impending danger that can cause harm (A popular collocation is imminent threat).

18. Decline: To decrease or diminish in quantity or quality (e.g., the decline of a business or population).

19. Coerce: To force someone to do something against their will.

20. Retreat: To go away from a place or person, or to escape from danger (Used in contexts from lizards to business shares).

21. Initially: In the beginning; at first.

22. Eventually / Ultimately: In the end, especially after a long time or effort. Ultimately means finally after a series of things have happened.

23. Rival: A competitor; a person or thing that competes with another.

24. Data: Information.

25. Conventional: Usual, traditional, ordinary (e.g., conventional farming).

26. Supersede: To replace or surpass something (e.g., Stone tools were superseded by metal tools). The most effective way to remember is to think of the simpler synonym: replace.

27. Fossils: Remains or impressions of ancient plants or animals.

28. Flourish / Prosper / Thrive: All mean to grow or develop successfully; to be successful.

29. Disruption: An interruption or disturbance.

30. Decay: To rot or become weaker (e.g., a building can decay, a business can decay). This is key in radiocarbon dating where carbon decays over time.

31. Rigid: Stiff or fixed; something that cannot be moved or bent.

32. Preserve: To keep something safe from decay or destruction (e.g., preserve a culture). (A site is a place).

33. Depletion: The act of reducing or using something up (e.g., depletion of resources).

34. Estimate (verb: estimate; noun: an estimate): To guess or calculate the cost, size, or value of something.

35. Impact / Influence / Effect: These three words are often used as paraphrases for each other; the effect or influence of something on something else.

36. Inhibit: To prevent or stop something from happening (e.g., inhibit a process).

37. Hibernation: A type of deep sleep some animals go into during the winter.

38. Divert: To change the direction or course of something (e.g., divert traffic or public attention).

39. Tremendous / Enormous: Both mean extremely large or very big.

40. Emerge: To appear; to come out (e.g., details, patterns, or plants emerge).

41. Expand: To increase in size or scope (e.g., the economy or a city expands).

42. Proliferation: The act of increasing or spreading rapidly.

43. Escalate: To become greater or more serious (e.g., The situation is escalating).

44. Surplus: Something extra or leftover (e.g., surplus food).

45. Eliminate: To remove or get rid of something. This is what you do with incorrect answer options.

46. Purchase: To buy something.

47. Obtain: To get something (e.g., obtain a degree or information).

48. Obligatory / Mandatory / Compulsory: If something is any of these, you must do it because of a rule or law.

49. Predominant: More noticeable or important, or greater in number than others (e.g., The predominant color was black).

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✅ Conclusion and Next Steps

We did it! Congratulations! These 57 words are a must-have for the TOEFL Reading and Listening sections. As you've noticed, many of them are also essential for scoring well on the Speaking and Writing sections, too.

Remember, scoring high on the TOEFL isn't rocket science; it's the little things, like building a strong academic vocabulary, that make all the difference.

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Would you like me to explain any of these 57 words in more detail, or should we move on to strategies for answering specific question types in the TOEFL reading section?