Vocabulary Builder

Curated academic vocabulary, PTE collocations and transition language, with quick practice to earn XP.

Words

examine

to look at something carefully and in detail

"The report examines the causes of coastal erosion."

≈ investigate≈ analyse≈ study

investigate

to formally look into something to discover facts

"Scientists investigate how sleep affects memory."

≈ explore≈ examine≈ probe

evaluate

to judge the value or quality of something

"Independent auditors evaluate the school's performance annually."

≈ assess≈ appraise≈ judge

analyse

to study in detail to understand structure or meaning

"Researchers analyse survey responses using statistical software."

≈ examine≈ dissect≈ study

interpret

to explain the meaning of something

"Historians interpret ancient texts within their cultural context."

≈ explain≈ construe≈ decipher

propose

to formally suggest an idea or plan

"The team proposes a hybrid working model for the department."

≈ suggest≈ recommend≈ put forward

demonstrate

to show clearly through evidence or example

"The pilot study demonstrates that the app improves retention."

≈ show≈ prove≈ illustrate

advocate

to publicly support an idea or policy

"The professor advocates for open-access publishing."

≈ support≈ champion≈ promote

undertake

to formally begin a task or piece of work

"The council undertook a three-year review of transport policy."

≈ begin≈ attempt≈ engage in

scrutinise

to examine something very carefully

"Ethics committees scrutinise research protocols before approval."

≈ examine≈ inspect≈ probe

contend

to argue that something is true

"The author contends that public transport must be free at point of use."

≈ argue≈ maintain≈ assert

posit

to suggest something as a fact or basis for discussion

"Anthropologists posit that oral tradition preserves knowledge writing misses."

≈ suggest≈ assume≈ hypothesise

illustrate

to make clear by giving examples

"The graph illustrates the sharp rise in electric vehicle sales."

≈ show≈ depict≈ clarify

emphasise

to give special importance to something

"The lecturer emphasised the ethical duties of researchers."

≈ stress≈ highlight≈ underscore

acknowledge

to accept that something is true

"The report acknowledges limitations in the sampling method."

≈ admit≈ recognise≈ concede

hypothesis

a proposed explanation to be tested

"The hypothesis was rejected after further trials."

≈ theory≈ conjecture≈ proposition

phenomenon

an observable event

"Urban heat islands are a well-documented phenomenon."

≈ occurrence≈ event≈ manifestation

paradigm

a typical example or pattern of something

"Renewable energy has shifted the industrial paradigm."

≈ model≈ framework≈ pattern

methodology

a set of methods used in an activity

"The paper describes a mixed-methods methodology."

≈ approach≈ framework≈ system

framework

a basic structure of ideas or rules

"A regulatory framework governs data privacy in the region."

≈ structure≈ system≈ scheme

Practice