SAT Essay Vocabulary

Stories of USA Today
Materials for Reading & Listening Practice
Quick Access Resources:
Print PDF Quiz/Test Online Study
Vocabulary Study Online by Level
Vocabulary Study Online
Vocabulary Study Online By Level (VSOBL) is a Fast, Reliable, and Handy tool to prepare English exam vocabulary. (Available for all VIP accounts: US$2/Month). It has built-in word lists: 6000 IELTS words, 6000 TOEFL words, 5000 GRE words, and 3000 SAT words. You can load them by level with one click.
 SAT Essay Vocabulary
1   Overview:
SAT essay vocabulary consists of 500 moderately difficult words; many high school students may learn them somehow but cannot use them confidently. This SAT word list includes examples, contexts, and interactive spelling exercises to build a solid essay vocabulary and sharpen writing skills.

If an essay is only done in plain or simple words in SAT writing, the chance to shoot a high score is relatively low. As a general rule, better vocabulary rewards a higher score. Unlike big-size reading vocabulary, writing vocabulary relies on your choice. You can prepare a set of words, then just use them in the right place, in the right way, and with the right spelling.

Most students can study or review the 500 SAT essay vocabulary in 2 weeks; some can even finish in 1 week. Nevertheless, in a real writing test, several hard words are enough; you should avoid using too many difficult words in a short essay. For example, if you have 5-7 uncommon but proper words in your essay, it will definitely impress readers.

If your time is tight and you feel the vocabulary big or hard, you may shrink the list to 200-300 words by excluding some relatively rare words. Only a doable task can bring your future writing with both confidence and skill.
2   View all words by groups:        
Go to Word List by Group:
1  2 

Select Vocabulary Group:
1  2 

Words of Group 2 (Part of words, select list to view all.):
idiosyncrasy
idyllic
ignominy
illicit
impasse
imperious
impetuous
impudence
inane
incongruity
incredulous
incriminate
incubate
indeterminate
indictment
indigenuous
indignant
indiscriminate
indolent
indomitable
induce
indulgent
ineffable
ineptitude
inert
ingenuous
inherent
inhibit
innate
innocuous
innuendo
inscrutable
insipid
insolence
instigate
insular
intrepid
inundate
invoke
irate
irony
irreverent
jaded
jocular
jovial
judicious
lackadaisical
laconic
laggard
languid
latent
laud
listless
lithe
lucid
lucrative
lull
lurid
luxuriant
magnanimous
malleable
marred
maudlin
melancholy
mercenary
mercurial
miserly
mitigate
modicum
morose
motley
multifarious
nebulous
nefarious
neophyte
notoriety
noxious
nuance
obdurate
obstinate
officious
onerous
opportunist
oracle
orthodox
ostensible
oversight
pacifist
pacify
painstaking
palliate
paradigm
parch
parody
partisan
patronize
paucity
pedant
peevish
penchant
penurious
peremptory
perfunctory
peripheral
perquisite
petulant
philanthropist
piety
...
3   Demonstrate word list style:
circumscribe   Speak
limit narrowly; confine; draw a line around; encircle
Show examples and contexts    Close
dearth   Speak
scarcity; shortage of food; famine from failure or loss of crops
Show examples and contexts    Close
digress(ion)   Speak
stray from the subject at hand
Show examples and contexts    Close
embitter   Speak
make worse
Show examples and contexts    Close
gargantuan   Speak
huge; of a tremendous size, volume, degree
Show examples and contexts    Close
hamper   Speak
put at disadvantage; prevent progress or free movement of
Show examples and contexts    Close
This is 6 words quick view. View words of the list
4   Word meaning matching - Test words you know:
aberration  Speak
Exercise
make worse
Exercise
modest and reserved in manner or behavior
Exercise
contradict; give a false impression
Exercise
deviation, not normal
affected  Speak
Exercise
deliberately behaving a certain way to attract attention
Exercise
speaking or behaving in artificial way; emotionally stirred or moved; infected or attacked
Exercise
derived from experiment and observation rather than theory
Exercise
useless; having no useful result; vain
apathetic  Speak
Exercise
criticize severely; punish; revise or make corrections to publication
Exercise
feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent
Exercise
approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with demand or request
Exercise
tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; eastern Orthodox bishop
belie  Speak
Exercise
responsive to advice or suggestion; responsible to higher authority; willing to comply with; agreeable
Exercise
air, feeling
Exercise
argumentative; fond of arguing; inclined to dispute
Exercise
contradict; give a false impression
cajole  Speak
Exercise
influence or urge by gentle urging or flattering
Exercise
discouraging
Exercise
approach and speak to boldly or aggressively, as with demand or request
Exercise
useless; having no useful result; vain
coalesce  Speak
Exercise
combine; fuse; grow together; come together so as to form one whole; unite
Exercise
repeated too often; over familiar through overuse
Exercise
accidental; by chance; coming or occurring without any cause
Exercise
compassionate
This is 6 words matching. Try matching quizzes of the list
5   Interactive spelling - Check your spelling skill online:
Read [Esc]
subside; decrease; become less in amount or intensity


Spelling Word: abate
Read [Esc]
wasting away; decrease in size; reduction in the functionality of an organ caused by disease


Spelling Word: atrophy
Read [Esc]
dictator; ruler having unlimited power


Spelling Word: autocrat
Read [Esc]
emotionally hardened; unfeeling; toughened


Spelling Word: callous
Read [Esc]
surround an enemy; enclose or entrap; beat by cleverness and wit


Spelling Word: circumvent
Read [Esc]
combine; fuse; grow together; come together so as to form one whole; unite


Spelling Word: coalesce
This is 6 words spelling. Try spelling exercises of the list