The Academic Word List is organised into sublists 1–10, with Sublist 1 containing the most frequent academic words. For IELTS, Sublists 1–5 are the most important — these 200+ word families appear in almost every academic text. Here are 100 of the highest-priority words.
Sublist 1 — The Most Frequent (Select Words)
- analyse / analysis — examine in detail: "The study analysed data from 1,000 participants."
- approach — method or way of dealing with something: "A multi-disciplinary approach is required."
- area — field or region: "This research area has grown significantly."
- assess / assessment — evaluate: "The committee will assess the proposals next month."
- assume / assumption — accept without proof: "This argument rests on several questionable assumptions."
- authority — power or official organisation: "Local authorities have the power to implement these measures."
- available — able to be obtained: "Data was available from three separate sources."
- benefit — advantage: "The benefits of regular exercise are well-documented."
- concept — idea or principle: "The concept of sustainability underpins the report."
- context — circumstances or background: "These findings must be understood in their broader context."
Sublist 2 — Highly Frequent
- affect / effect — affect (verb): to influence; effect (noun): the result
- appropriate — suitable: "Select an appropriate method for the research question."
- challenge — difficulty or task: "This poses a significant challenge."
- define / definition — state the meaning: "How we define poverty affects the solutions we propose."
- demonstrate — show clearly: "The data demonstrates a clear correlation."
- estimate — calculate approximately: "Estimates suggest that 20% of the population is affected."
- evaluate / evaluation — assess the quality or value: "The project will be evaluated at the end of Phase 2."
- involve — include or require: "The process involves several distinct stages."
Sublists 3–5 Highlights
- emphasis / emphasise — "The report emphasises the need for policy reform."
- environment — "The natural environment is under increasing pressure."
- implication — "These findings have significant implications for public health."
- indicate — "The results indicate a positive trend."
- individual — "Individual behaviour plays a key role in this outcome."
- interpret — "These data should be interpreted with caution."
- maintain — "It is essential to maintain quality standards."
- obtain — "Data was obtained through a combination of methods."
- perceive / perception — "Public perception of risk influences policy outcomes."
- significant — "A significant proportion of respondents disagreed."
How to Use This List
Focus on depth over breadth: for each word, learn the noun, verb, and adjective forms (analyse / analysis / analytical), the most common collocations, and two example sentences. You don't need all 570 AWL families — mastering the top 100-150 most frequent will transform your Reading comprehension and Writing score.
Related Guides
→ AWL overview · Collocations guide · Writing Task 2 vocabulary