NHS Bonus - Key Words for Academic Writing

Mrs. Bernstein (United States of America)
Some of the words commonly used in academic writing are similar – in sound or in meaning – to other words you probably know, so learning how to use these words can be confusing: Do you “cite a site” or “site a cite”? Did that “allusion elude you” or did that “illusion allude you”?

Learn this word list, a mixture of academic words and the words that people most often confuse with them.
24 words 86 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. allude
    make an indirect reference to
    “If all I have to offer is to tear down other people, I have nothing to offer,’’ he said, alluding to Mr. Trump. New York Times (Nov 13, 2015)
  2. elude
    escape, either physically or mentally
    Prosecutor Will Jamerson says Mitchell got into Neal Robertson’s patrol car trying to elude the officer after a traffic stop nearly three years ago. Washington Times (Nov 13, 2015)
  3. allusion
    passing reference or indirect mention
    “You know, things happen,” he said, in an apparent allusion to the groundswell of support. “And you respond to them.” New York Times (Oct 30, 2015)
  4. illusion
    an erroneous mental representation
    Entries on the social networking site contained detailed information about the man, including photographs to reinforce the illusion. BBC (Nov 13, 2015)
  5. delusion
    a mistaken or unfounded opinion or idea
    Plagued by memories and delusions, Baker took years to even admit that he had a problem. Washington Times (Nov 7, 2015)
  6. cite
    make reference to
    She cited President Barack Obama's recent remarks about containing the Islamic State militants and said it "cannot be contained, it must be defeated." US News (Nov 14, 2015)
  7. site
    the piece of land on which something is located
    However, he said, further investigation must wait for excavation of the site. New York Times (Nov 14, 2015)
  8. sight
    the ability to see; the visual faculty
    Earlier this month, my husband and I toured China, taking in sights including the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army. US News (Nov 13, 2015)
  9. entitle
    give the right to
    By law, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report once a year from the three main credit bureaus. New York Times (Nov 13, 2015)
  10. title
    the name of a work of art or literary composition
    Kelati’s Heritage team won the girls’ title with 86 points. Washington Post (Nov 13, 2015)
  11. imply
    express or state indirectly
    The findings imply that our planet’s next mass extinction—which some believe is already underway—could similarly shrivel any species that remain. Science Magazine (Nov 12, 2015)
  12. infer
    conclude by reasoning
    Wobbling stars have been used to infer hundreds of other planets—but larger ones. National Geographic (Oct 29, 2015)
  13. quote
    repeat a passage from
    As Whipple quotes from her memoir, “My recollection of the meeting is not very crisp because we were discussing the threat every day.” Salon (Nov 13, 2015)
    This word should be used as a verb.
  14. quotation
    a passage or expression that is cited
    But many scholars contest the authenticity of that quotation as well. Salon (Oct 14, 2015)
    This word should be used as a noun.
  15. rebut
    overthrow by argument, evidence, or proof
    Central Command, which oversees the training program, took the unusual step of issuing a statement to rebut the reports. Washington Post (Sep 23, 2015)
    Similar in meaning to refute.
  16. refute
    prove to be false or incorrect
    This research convincingly refutes the unsupported assertions of Terence Kealey, whom Mr. Ridley relies on. Wall Street Journal (Nov 11, 2015)
    Similar in meaning to rebut.
  17. compliment
    a remark expressing praise and admiration
    It's true that I want to smother her with compliments and true that I want to keep my distance. Will Grayson, Will Grayson
  18. complement
    something added to embellish or make perfect
    Choose vertical, rather than horizontal, artwork to complement the room’s sloped ceiling. Washington Post (Nov 11, 2015)
  19. accede
    yield to another's wish or opinion
    Acceding to those demands could reignite the cycle of violence between the two sides. Wall Street Journal (Oct 7, 2015)
  20. exceed
    be or do something to a greater degree
    Unemployment in eastern Kentucky exceeds 8% and is in the double digits in southern West Virginia. Wall Street Journal (Nov 14, 2015)
  21. assent
    agree or express agreement
    There was a murmur of assent from the men. The Devil's Arithmetic
  22. ascent
    a movement upward
    After pausing to take the photograph, he rejoined a friend to finish an ascent of Britain's highest mountain. BBC (Nov 4, 2015)
  23. counsel
    something that provides direction or advice
    Three crisis centers were set up to counsel victims and their families. Wall Street Journal (Nov 16, 2015)
  24. council
    a body serving in an administrative capacity
    Send a petition to your community board and your local City Council member. New York Times (Nov 14, 2015)
Created on Mon Nov 23 08:50:22 EST 2015 (updated Wed Sep 21 12:48:13 EDT 2016)

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