Vocabulary Lists

CollectionAmerican History and Government: Essential Vocabulary

20 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 1
35 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 2
40 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 3
35 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 4
45 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 5
50 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 6
45 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 7
35 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 8
35 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 9
25 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 10
25 WordsTolkien Reading Day, List 11

CollectionWomen's History MonthA Celebration of Books About Women Who Made History

25 WordsAmerican History I
20 WordsAmerican History II
20 WordsAmerican History III
15 WordsGovernment
20 WordsCivics I
20 WordsCivics II

35 WordsDeclaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
30 Words"The Declaration of Sentiments" (1848)
20 WordsSojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
24 Words"On Women's Right to Vote" by Susan B. Anthony
26 Words"Why Women Should Vote" by Jane Addams (1910)
20 Words19th Amendment (1920)
20 WordsMargaret Chase Smith's "Declaration of Conscience" (1950)
15 Words"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou
25 Words"Planetarium" by Adrienne Rich
40 Words"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Featured Literature:

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Legendary Frybread Drive-InIntertribal StoriesCynthia Leitich Smith
Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In is a magical place where Indigenous teens can find love, support, comfort, and...
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Red Flags and ButterfliesSheryl Azzam
Tenth-grader Lexie is applying to a fine arts high school, but her unsupportive father and a confusing new relationship...
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The Undead Fox of Deadwood ForestAubrey Hartman
Clare the fox helps other animals find their rightful place in the Afterlife — until Gingersnipes the badger enters his...
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Sisters in the WindAngeline Boulley
This novel follows Ojibwe teenager Lucy Smith as she faces the horrors of her past in the foster system.
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An Elephant in the GardenMichael Morpurgo
In the midst of WWII, Lizzie, Karli, and their mother are forced to flee their home to escape the bombings. But theirs...
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The CastleFranz Kafka
In Franz Kafka's final, unfinished novel, a land surveyor named K. arrives in a village for work, but quickly becomes...
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"We Wear the Mask" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

In this poem, Paul Laurence Dunbar, a son of former slaves, suggests that some people wear masks in...

12 Words

"Sympathy" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

In this poem, the speaker knows what the caged bird feels. Read the full text here.

"Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou

This poem compares the movements and songs of a caged bird to those of a free bird. Read the full...

CollectionCompelling Coming-of-Age-Memoirs

"Rosa Parks" by Nikki Giovanni

This poem is dedicated to the Pullman Porters who started the chain of events that led to Rosa Parks...

15 Words

Featured Non-Fiction:

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The Hiding PlaceCorrie ten Boom, John Sherrill and Elizabeth Sherrill
Holland native Corrie ten Boom had an unremarkable life until Nazi Germany invaded her family's world during World War...
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Death in the JungleMurder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of JonestownCandace Fleming
This work of nonfiction tells the tragic story of the Peoples Temple, an American cult founded by Jim Jones.
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White LiesHow the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the HistoryAnn Bausum
This historical nonfiction book aims to debunk false narratives about the Confederacy that were popularized by white...
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WoodsongGary Paulsen
The author invites the young reader into the grueling experience of training for and running the Alaskan Iditarod...
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American SpiritsThe Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad that Haunted a NationBarb Rosenstock
This nonfiction book tells the story of Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox, three sisters living in Civil War America who became...
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Stealing Little MoonThe Legacy of the American Indian Boarding SchoolsDan SaSuWeh Jones
In this work of biographical nonfiction, Dan SaSuWeh Jones recounts his family's history at Chilocco Indian Agricultural...
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"Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson

This 19th-century transcendentalist essay argues that spending time in nature helps people resist...

30 Words

"The Fallacy of Success" by G.K. Chesterton

In this essay from the collection All Things Considered, the English novelist, philosopher, and...

"Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry" by Rudolfo Anaya

In this essay, the award-winning author of Bless Me, Ultima shares his thoughts on how descriptions...

CollectionEssential Science Vocabulary

"The Origin of Species by Natural Selection" by Charles Darwin: Essential Words

Charles Darwin expounded his theories on evolution in "The Origin of Species by Natural Selection."...

13 Words

Featured Textbooks & Curricula:

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24 WordsThe Scientific Method
22 WordsLife Science: Cell Biology
22 WordsLife Science: Organisms and Taxonomy
23 WordsLife Science: Plants
22 WordsLife Science: Human Systems
32 WordsLife Science: Human Anatomy and Physiology
30 WordsLife Science: Ecosystems
26 WordsLife Science: Genetics and Evolution
24 WordsEarth Science: Geology
28 WordsEarth Science: Geologic Features and Activity
26 WordsEarth Science: Weather and Climate
35 WordsEarth Science: Natural Resources and the Environment
30 WordsSpace Science
28 WordsChemistry: Structure and Properties of Matter
21 WordsChemistry: Chemical Reactions
14 WordsPhysical Science: Heat and Energy
25 WordsPhysical Science: Physical Laws, Work, and Motion
25 WordsPhysical Science: Waves, Electricity, and Magnetism

Featured Test Prep:

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Core Tier 2 VocabularyHigh-Frequency, High-Utility Academic Words
Mastering these common words is essential success in the classroom and beyond. Students will encounter this foundational...
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Essential Academic Vocabulary for Middle School Students, List 1

Whether you're hoping to improve your comprehension of reading assignments or simply looking to...

CollectionRipped from the Headlines: March 2026Our Weekly Roundups of Current Events Vocabulary

Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 1

Whether you're preparing for a standardized test, hoping to improve your comprehension of reading...

25 Words

The AP English Exam: Rhetorical and Literary Terms 1

20 Words

ASVAB Word Knowledge

The Word Knowledge section of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a vocabulary...

100 Words

15 WordsMarch Vocabulary Words
10 WordsThis Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 1–March 7, 2026
10 WordsThis Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 8–March 14, 2026
10 WordsThis Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 15–March 21, 2026

Featured Current Events:

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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 15–March 21, 2026

Stories about Mardi Gras Indians, a liquid planet, and a truly terrible movie all contributed words...

This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 8–March 14, 2026

Stories about a scientific sneaker test, newly discovered "extinct" marsupials, and fruit-loving...

This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 1–March 7, 2026

Stories about a heroic rescue, a fiery orange waterfall, and clownfish peer pressure all contributed...

This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 22–February 28, 2026

Stories about fake chocolate, an injured eagle, and a women's ice hockey victory all contributed...

This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 15–February 21, 2026

Stories about a pickleball brawl, figure skating's Blade Angels, and the Lunar New Year all...

This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 7–February 14, 2026

Stories about crime-fighting llamas, Buddhist monks walking for peace, and Ilia Malinin's quadruple...

This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 31–February 6, 2026

Stories about Bad Bunny, frozen iguanas, and a clever coyote all contributed words to this list of...

This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for January 24–January 30, 2026

Stories about a snowplow named after Dolly Parton, floating schools in India, and a man who climbed...

CollectionWe the PeopleFounding U.S. Documents

30 WordsThe Declaration of Independence
35 WordsDeclaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
15 WordsPreamble to the U.S. Constitution (1787)
40 WordsThe Constitution of the United States
40 WordsThe Bill of Rights
40 WordsThe Federalist Papers, No. 1 by Alexander Hamilton
60 WordsThe Federalist Papers, No. 10 by James Madison
35 WordsThe Federalist Papers, No. 14 by James Madison
40 WordsThe Federalist Papers, No. 51 by James Madison

Featured Historical Documents:

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Common SenseThomas Paine
In this pamphlet, Paine urges the American colonists to fight for independence from Great Britain and form a new...
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The Freedom of Information Act (2016)

Considered an important part of American democracy, this act was first signed into law in 1966, but...

25 Words

The Mayflower Compact (1620)

Seen as a forerunner to the U.S. Constitution, the signers of The Mayflower Compact agreed to work...

20 Words

The Bill of Rights

Learn these words to better understand the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution ratified by...

13th Amendment (1865)

The 13th Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865. It abolished slavery and involuntary servitude,...

CollectionPresidential ParlanceInspiring and Thought-Provoking Words from U.S. Presidents

14 WordsAbraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" (1863)
40 WordsRichard Nixon's "Checkers" Speech (1952)
25 WordsJohn F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
60 WordsDwight D. Eisenhower, "The Military-Industrial Complex" (1961)
30 WordsFranklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
35 WordsHerbert Hoover on "Rugged Individualism" (1928)
30 WordsTheodore Roosevelt on "New Nationalism" (1910)
30 WordsJimmy Carter on "The Crisis of Confidence" (1979)
30 WordsLyndon B. Johnson on "The Great Society" (1964)
35 WordsTheodore Roosevelt on "The Man with the Muck Rake" (1906)
50 WordsRonald Reagan, "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)
50 WordsFranklin Roosevelt, "Four Freedoms" (1941)

Featured Speeches:

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William Jennings Bryan's "A Cross of Gold" SpeechJuly 8, 1896
On July 8, 1896, William Jennings Bryan, a former Congressman from Nebraska, rose to address the Democratic National...
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Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural AddressMarch 4, 1933
In the very depths of the Great Depression, a new president took office. Franklin D. Roosevelt would serve longer than...
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Harry Truman's Inauguration Address

Harry Truman delivered this speech on January 20, 1949. Check out some of the vocabulary we've...

30 Words

In the Words of Abraham Lincoln

In honor of Honest Abe's birthday, we've compiled vocabulary from his numerous speeches and...

20 Words

Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Address

In 1993, Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with South African President F.W. de Klerk....

CollectionElements of the UniverseExplore the Cosmos with These Word Roots

Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)

On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States naval base located at...

30 Words

CollectionBeast Mode: An Ark of Animal WordsExplore the Wild World of Zoological Lingo

12 WordsCosm, Cosmo ("Universe")
12 WordsTerr, Terra ("Earth")
12 WordsGeo ("Earth")
18 WordsHydr, Hydro ("Water")
10 WordsAqua ("Water")
10 WordsIgn, Igni ("Fire")
12 WordsPyr, Pyro ("Fire")
12 WordsAer, Aero ("Air")
12 WordsAether ("Sky")
12 WordsAster, Astro ("Star")
12 WordsSol ("Sun")

Featured Roots & Affixes:

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Just Do It: Act

This vocabulary list features words with the Latin root act, meaning "do."

19 Words

A Cut Above: Sect, Sec

This vocabulary list features words with the Latin roots sect and sec, meaning "cut."

11 Words

Shake It Up: Alter

This vocabulary list features words with the Latin root alter, meaning "one of two, other of the...

11 Words

Total Recall: Mem

Don't forget this list of words derived from the Latin memoria meaning "memory or remembrance."

16 Words

English Words Derived from Arabic

All of the English words on this lists have Arabic origins. While some, like caliph and imam,...

22 Words

English Words Derived from Indigenous Languages of the Americas

Here are 15 common English words whose roots come from indigenous languages of the Americas. The...

15 Words

In the Know: Cogn, Conn

Knowledge is power, so learn these words that derive from the Latin roots cogn and conn, meaning...

12 Words

Perfect Ten: Dec, Cent, Mille

These words derive from the Latin roots dec ("ten"), cent ("hundred"), and mille ("thousand"). Start...

14 Words