ACT Vocabulary:

learn the words that matter most

When I work with students to prepare for the ACT, I usually don’t recommend focusing on vocabulary flashcards. There are simply too many words in English to memorize all of them out of context this way, and that time is far better spent doing practice tests, learning ACT strategies, and simply reading.

However, there are some words that are worth learning specifically for the ACT.

These are words that are very frequently featured in ACT questions, and that can change the entire meaning of a sentence or paragraph.

Read on to see the list of words that I recommend students memorize for the ACT, and grab this free pdf to get a handy vocabulary study list.

dictionary page

Transition words

The most important vocabulary words to know for the ACT are transition words (or phrases).

Transition words connect two different ideas. They control how two ideas are connected. Depending on which transition word you choose, you can create wildly different logical relationships between the ideas.

Consider the different meanings of these sentences:

I like him — however, my mom likes him, too.

I like him — furthermore, my mom likes him, too.

There’s a totally different story there, right?

The ACT tends to focus on transition words a lot. Up to 10% of questions on the English section of the ACT are specifically focused on transition words, and many more questions on both the English section and the Reading section deal with transition words to a significant extent. That’s a lot of ACT test questions!

student learning vocabulary words

To do well on the ACT, make sure you understand and are comfortable using all of these transition words, organized by the type of relationship between ideas they create. Words in bold are words that have appeared on the ACT very often in recent years and should be prioritized:

Cause

As

As long as

Because

Because of

On account of

Since

Due to

Result & Effect

Therefore

Thus

As a result

As a consequence

Consequently

Subsequently

Correspondingly

Hence

Accordingly

So

Then

For this reason

As such

Similarity & Agreement

Likewise

Similarly

In the same vein

Equally important

Equally

Contrast

But

Yet

Still

While

However

Rather

In contrast

On the other hand

On the contrary

Contrary to this

Nonetheless

Nevertheless

Although

Even though

Then again

In reality

Whereas

Despite

Conversely

Alternately

Alternatively

Rather

Regardless

Notwithstanding

After all

At the same time

Meanwhile

Otherwise

Though

Concession

Granted

Still

Naturally

Of course

To be sure

It is true

In any case

At any rate

Intensifying & Emphasis

Most importantly

In fact

Indeed

Certainly

Moreover

As a matter of fact

Above all

Truly

To be sure

Surely

Undoubtedly

Of course

Furthermore

Definition & Clarification

In other words

That is

That is to say

To clarify

Namely

To explain

As such

Effectively

Essentially

In essence

Purpose & Condition

If

Unless

In order that

With this in mind

So that

For this purpose

For the purpose of

In the hope that

To this end

To that end

To the end that

In view of

In the event that

Granted that

Given that

Lest

Provided that

Given that

So as to

Summary

In conclusion

In sum

To sum up

In short

After all

In general

All things considered

Altogether

Overall

On the whole

In any event

At any rate

All in all

Ultimately

By and large

Time & Sequence

Before

Formerly

Earlier

Now

Soon

To begin with

Until

As soon as

As long as

Once

While

Simultaneously

Concurrently

Meanwhile

In the meantime

At length

Next

Subsequently

Following

After

After that

Afterwards

Henceforth

Then

When

Suddenly

Instantly

Immediately

Occasionally

Sometimes

Always

Eventually

In time

So far

Until now

Now that

Addition & Enumeration

Firstly (secondly, thirdly, etc)

And

Moreover

In addition

Additionally

Also

As well as

Alongside

Further

Furthermore

Besides

Even more

On the other hand

Example

For example

For instance

As an illustration

In particular

Notably

Including

Such as

In the first place

Want help understanding and learning these words? Looking for real ACT questions that feature transition words?

I work with a limited number of students each more to prepare for the ACT, and my students are able to raise their test scores by an average of 5+ points! Reserve your spot directly here or email info@ivybloomacademics.com with any questions about one-on-one test prep.

students in discussion

Debate words

The other category of words that are particularly important for the ACT are what I like to call “debate” words or “ideas” words.

These are words that explain how ideas are related, but aren’t transition words. Instead, many of these words are verbs (action words) or nouns (things).

I’ve created this list after many years of working with students and noting which hard words on the ACT actually cost students questions vs. which words students can work around.

Often the entire meaning of a ACT question or multiple-choice answer hinges on “debate” words like these, so they’re harder to work around or guess with context. They might appear on the English section, of course, but these words are also very important to the science and social science passages on the ACT Reading section. They’re also crucial to understanding the ACT Science section.

These words are also critical to understanding the kinds of texts students will have to read in college or even later as a working adult, so learning these words will have many benefits beyond the ACT.

I’ve grouped these “debate” or “ideas” words into broad categories to make them easier to learn:

Proof

Evidence

Inference

Imply

Implicit

Explicit

Determine

Establish

Generalize

Assume

Reflect

Justify

Gauge

Account for

Validate

Verify

Confirm

Yield

Reveal

Agreement & Communication

Augment

Enhance

Convey

Emphasize

Heighten

Characterize

Indicate

Advance

Highlight

Underscore

Clarify

Endorse

Derive

Outline

Foster

Maintain

Concede

Assert

Confirm

Disagreement

Contradict

Undermine

Refute

Dispute

Counter

Lament

Challenge

Impede

Contrast

Restrict

Undercut

Dismiss

Mourn

Hinder

Change

Alternative

Modify

Mutate

Digress

Want to try real ACT questions that use these key vocab words? Sign up for one-on-one tutoring with me here or email info@ivybloomacademics.com for more advice about how to make your study time as effective as possible.

student preparing to write a college essay

Important content words

Finally, there are a small handful of words that appear so often on the ACT as key ideas that I’ve listed them here.

Remember that in general I don’t think it’s worth it to memorize list lists of ACT vocabulary words. With very few exceptions, the only words that I think are worth it to really make sure you know are the transition words and “debate” words listed above.

However, these are words that not only have appeared many times over the years, but are often crucial to understanding the main idea of a passage or a question. Unlike many other tough vocabulary words, these are key words that are hard to skip over or figure out by context.

These words are either integral to the content of a passage, or they’re used to describe the tone of a passage.

Here’s my final list of important words to learn for the ACT:

Content

Oversight

Amass

Profit

Net cost

Net profit

Base cost

Deposit

Rational

Compel

Pragmatic

Indifferent

Virtuous

Pervasive

Justification

Scarcity

Uncertainty

Methodology

Proximity

Conclusive

Valid

Hypothesis

Generalization

Appease

Lack

Preceding

Former

Latter

Tone

Condescending

Ironic

Earnest

Naïve

Juvenile

Vivid

Scorn

Dramatize

Emphatic

Ominous

Abrupt

Sensational

Intricate

Curious about which real ACT passages on recent tests have used these words? Get access to dozens of real ACT tests, including tests from 2022 and 2023, when you work one-on-one with me for test prep. Sign up for high-quality ACT tutoring with me here or email info@ivybloomacademics.com to answer any questions.

read books to expand your vocabulary for the SAT and beyond

Building a strong vocabulary

In general I don’t recommend memorizing hundreds or thousands of ACT vocabulary words out of context. This may have a small benefit for the ACT, but all that study time would be far better spent on more effective types of ACT prep.

Apart from learning the limited list of high-priority words I’ve given here, the best way to build your vocabulary for the ACT and other tests is simply to read.

I’m a big fan of following your interests and choosing whatever books you genuinely enjoy. There’s lots of good evidence that the most important factor is the sheer amount of time you spend reading, not necessarily reading the “right” books.

That said, if you really want to expand your vocabulary, try reading at least some books that use some words you don’t know. Once in a while, take the time to look up some of these words (takes just a few seconds on your phone) — but you’ll gradually learn words based on context, too, without even realizing it.

student reading and building vocabulary

For example, I know that I’ve got a very strong vocabulary. (For context, I got perfect scores on the language sections of the ACT and the SAT on the first try, I placed in a national vocabulary competition in middle school, I won many awards for my writing as a student at Princeton, and I’ve worked as a professional editor for big-name academic presses. I’m pretty good with words!)

But whenever I read novels by the English author A. S. Byatt, who has won the Booker prize and has written some of my favorite fiction books, there are always plenty of words that are new to me in every chapter. I know that reading Byatt’s books stretches my mind and my vocabulary in a way that some of my other favorite books simply don’t.

My other recommendation to ambitious students who really want to boost their vocabulary and reading skills is to read a more diverse array of books.

Definitely keep reading the books that you enjoy most, but try reading at least two non-fiction books per year on some topic that interests you. Try reading books that are written for adults, not for teens. Try reading something written about science, and something the uses statistical reasoning. Maybe try something that’s more abstract and philosophical. I still remember attempting to read a literary criticism book about my favorite poets (Keats and Shelley) when I was in high school. Did I fully understand it? Definitely not. But grabbing this scholarly book from the library and attempting to read some of it really expanded my ideas about what academic writing could be.

If you’re not a huge fan of reading books, you can also listen to books on tape or more academic podcasts, like “In Our Time” from the BBC, which interviews leading scholars about a different subject in history, science, or literature every week.

Reading a wide range of books across both fiction and non-fiction gives you a superpower that will be a huge help not only on the ACT, but in college and throughout the rest of your life.

When I work with students one-on-one on test prep and getting ready for college, I often help students find books that will interest them and boost their skills in a fun way. To work with me or get advice about reading lists, reach out at info@ivybloomacademics.com.

Let’s summarize:

  • don’t waste time memorizing hundreds of ACT vocab words out of context — this study time will be far more effective focused on other types of ACT prep

  • do learn a limited number of key vocab words: transition words, debate words, and a few more words that show up again and again on the test

  • grab the free pdf below to get a list of the most important ACT vocab words and their definitions

  • build a strong vocabulary naturally by reading lots!

  • read books you enjoy, but for the most growth also include a few books on other topics (especially non-fiction books that feature analytical and statistical thinking)

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