The Coxhead Academic Word List — 570 word families organised across 10 sublists by frequency. These words cover 10% of academic reading and are essential for IELTS Band 6.5+.
The AWL was compiled by Averil Coxhead (2000) after analysing a corpus of 3.5 million words from 414 academic texts across 28 subject areas. The 570 word families selected are not the most frequent words in general English, but the most frequent words specific to academic writing.
Each “word family” groups together related forms. For example, the family analyse includes: analyse, analysis, analyst, analytical, analytically.
Browse word listWord list by sublist
Select a sublist to see its word families, forms, and example sentences. Sublist 1 contains the most frequent academic words — start here.
Sublist 1 — Core Academic Verbs. The most frequent academic word families. These appear in virtually every university-level text. Learn these first.
Examine something carefully to understand its parts, structure, or meaning
The committee analysed three policy options before recommending one to the minister.
A particular way of dealing with something, or to come near to something
The team adopted a more rigorous approach to gathering field evidence this year.
An abstract idea or general notion that organises thought about a topic
Sustainability has become a central concept in modern urban planning debates.
Form or make up a whole, or amount to something significant
Failure to disclose this information would constitute a serious breach of professional ethics.
The circumstances or setting that surround an event and clarify its meaning
The findings must be understood in the wider context of post-war reconstruction.
Obtain or get something from a particular source or origin
Most household income in the region is derived from agriculture or small-scale trade.
Set up something firmly, or prove something to be true through evidence
The trial sought to establish a causal link between air pollution and cognitive decline.
Show or suggest something as a sign or piece of evidence
The results clearly indicate a strong correlation between poverty and reading attainment.
Large enough or important enough to deserve attention or have a clear effect
There was a statistically significant improvement in reading scores after the intervention.
A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular outcome
The peer-review process ensures the quality of work published in academic journals.
Need something for a particular purpose, or make something necessary as a rule
Most research methodologies require a minimum sample size of around two hundred participants.
The arrangement of and relations between the parts of something
The author structured her thesis around three competing theoretical traditions.
A particular subject, field, or part of a place
Memory formation is a specialist area of neuroscience attracting considerable funding worldwide.
Evaluate or judge the nature, quality, or value of something
The review board met to assess the long-term impact of the policy changes.
Accept something as true without proof, or take on responsibility for something
The economic model assumes that all other variables remain constant throughout the period.
The power or right to give orders, make decisions, or enforce obedience
The local authority issued new guidelines on waste collection across the borough last month.
Able to be obtained, used, or seen at a given time
The full dataset is freely available for academic research through the institute repository.
An advantage or profit gained from something, or to receive such advantage
Low-income households would benefit most from changes to the housing assistance programme.
Be made up of or composed of particular elements or parts
The sample consists of four hundred undergraduate students from four British universities.
A formal written or spoken agreement that is enforceable by law
Many workers on fixed-term contracts have limited access to employer-funded training opportunities.
Bring something into existence that did not previously exist
Rapid urbanisation has created significant pressure on transport and sanitation infrastructure.
Facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis
The data collected over three decades show a consistent decline in regional biodiversity.
State or describe exactly the meaning, nature, or scope of something
Scholars continue to debate how best to define social inequality in empirical terms.
Give shares of something to several people, or spread something over an area
Wealth is distributed unevenly across regions, with the top quintile holding most assets.
A system of producing, distributing, and consuming goods and services in a region or country
The national economy grew by three per cent in real terms over the five-year period.
The surroundings and conditions in which a person, organism, or organisation lives and operates
The built environment has a documented influence on physical activity and public health.
Roughly calculate or judge the value, number, quantity, or extent of something
Economists estimate that the policy will reduce carbon emissions by about fifteen per cent.
Clearly visible or easily understood from what can be seen or observed
It is clearly evident from the data that social support is linked to mental health.
A product or service sold to another country, or to send goods abroad for sale
Agricultural exports account for nearly thirty per cent of the country's foreign-exchange earnings.
An element that contributes to a particular outcome, result, or condition
Socioeconomic background is a major factor in determining long-term educational achievement.
The management of large amounts of money, or money used to fund a project
Public finance constraints have forced governments to prioritise some social programmes over others.
A mathematical or chemical expression, or a fixed method for doing something
The researchers developed a mathematical formula to predict future population growth.
The activity or purpose natural to or intended for a person or thing
The function of the prefrontal cortex in executive decision-making has been extensively studied.
Money received on a regular basis from work, investments, or other sources
Households in the lowest income bracket spend a disproportionate share of earnings on food.
A single human being considered separately from a group, or relating to one person
The programme targets the needs of each individual rather than applying a standardised approach.
Explain the meaning of something, or understand it in a particular way
Results must be cautiously interpreted, given the potential for selection bias in the sample.
Include or contain something as a necessary part or consequence
The intervention involves weekly group therapy sessions conducted over a twelve-week period.
An important topic for debate, or a single edition of a publication
The central issue explored in this study is the relationship between poverty and health outcomes.
Physical or mental work done by people, especially for wages
The shift to automated manufacturing has significantly reduced demand for unskilled labour.
Relating to the law or permitted by the law of a country
The legal framework governing data privacy has evolved considerably since GDPR was introduced.
Make or enact laws on a particular subject
Governments have been pressured to legislate minimum wage increases in response to rising living costs.
Important, serious, or significant in size, scale, or impact
Access to clean water remains a major challenge for rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
A particular procedure or technique for accomplishing or approaching a task
A mixed-methods approach combines quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews as its core research method.
Take place or happen, especially without being planned or expected
Burnout is most likely to occur in high-stress professions with limited institutional support.
One part in every hundred, used to express how large or small a quantity is
Approximately forty-two percent of respondents reported experiencing at least one episode of discrimination.
A length or portion of time, especially one with particular characteristics
The period of rapid industrialisation fundamentally reshaped European labour markets in the nineteenth century.
A plan of action or set of guidelines adopted by an organisation or government
Health policy must be informed by robust epidemiological evidence rather than political expediency.
A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for action or reasoning
The study is grounded in the principle that all individuals have an equal right to healthcare.
Begin or continue a course of action, especially after a pause or preparation
The committee agreed to proceed with the randomised controlled trial pending full ethical approval.
Systematic investigation or study undertaken to establish facts or reach new conclusions
Comparative research across multiple countries provides a stronger basis for generalisable conclusions.
React or reply to something done or said by another person or event
Governments must respond more rapidly to emerging public health threats to minimise population harm.
The function or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation
The role of the teacher in a student-centred classroom is that of a facilitator, not a lecturer.
A separate part of something larger, used to divide it into manageable pieces
The methodology section outlines the procedures used to collect and analyse the primary data.
A distinct part of a national economy, such as agriculture or manufacturing
Employment in the public sector has declined as a share of total employment since 1990.
Resembling something else without being identical; comparable in nature or appearance
The findings are broadly similar to those reported in previous longitudinal studies of adolescents.
A place, person, or thing from which something originates or can be obtained
The researchers sourced their archival data from government reports spanning forty years.
Clearly defined or identified; relating to a particular subject or matter
The review focuses on a specific subset of interventions targeting early childhood cognitive development.
A set of principles offered to explain a phenomenon, supported by evidence
Vygotsky's theory of the zone of proximal development remains influential in constructivist pedagogy.
Differ in size, amount, degree, or nature from one instance to another
Results vary considerably across demographic groups, suggesting that a single intervention may not suffice.
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