Vocabulary Words You Must Know for the PTE Exam in 2025

For anyone preparing for the Pearson Test of English (PTE) in 2025, mastering academic vocabulary is essential. The PTE Academic exam evaluates your ability to understand and use the English academic environment. Vocabulary plays a pivotal role across all four skills, such as listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Whether you’re aiming for higher education, migration, or career advancement, a strong vocabulary can significantly impact your overall score. Certain words are commonly found in academic contexts and are useful across a range of topics, from science and technology to social issues and the humanities.

Why Vocabulary Matters in the PTE Exam

Before diving into the word list, it’s important to understand how vocabulary affects your PTE performance. In sections like Fill in the blanks (Reading), Fill in the blanks (Reading and Writing), Summarize Written Text, and Summarise Spoken Text, having a broad and precise vocabulary helps you understand context, grasp meaning quickly, and express your thoughts accurately.

Additionally, during the Speaking tasks, such as Describe Image or Retell Lecture, using precise vocabulary makes your speech more fluent and professional, leading to higher scores in fluency and pronunciation.

Vocabulary Words for the PTE Exam in 2025

Below are some of the repeated words to focus on. These terms frequently appear in academic texts and lectures, and understanding them will give you an advantage on test day.

1. Abrogate – To abolish formally or annul a law, agreement, or custom
2. Bifurcate – To divide into two branches or parts
3. Nefarious – Wicked or criminal
4. Pernicious – Harmful, especially gradually
5. Enigma – A mysterious or puzzling person or thing
6. Feasible – Possible and practical to do easily
7. Implication – A conclusion drawn indirectly
8. Justify – To show or prove something to be right
9. Mitigate – To reduce the severity of something
10. Preliminary – An initial step before the main event
11. Quantify – To measure or express in numerical terms
12. Refute – To disprove or argue against
13. Skeptical – Doubtful or questioning
14. Sustainable – Capable of being maintained
15. Transformative – Causing a major change
16. Validate – To confirm or verify accuracy
17. Ambiguous – Open to multiple interpretations
18. Benchmark – A standard for comparison
19. Convey – To communicate or make known
20. Deviate – To stray from the norm
21. Elaborate – To explain in detail
22. Hypothetical – Based on an assumption or theory
23. Innovative – Featuring new and original ideas
24. Paradigm – A model or pattern
25. Viable – Capable of working successfully
26. Cohesive – Forming a united whole
27. Inherent – Naturally existing in something
28. Marginal – Of minor importance
29. Redundant – Unnecessarily repetitive
30. Substantiate – To provide supporting evidence
31. Alleviate – To make suffering less severe
32. Articulate – To express ideas clearly
33. Assert – To state firmly
34. Attribute – A quality or characteristic
35. 21. Bias – A prejudice or inclination
36. Compile – To collect and organize data
37. Conducive – Making a situation likely or possible
38. Consensus – General agreement
39. Constrain – To restrict or limit
40. Correlate – To have a mutual relationship
41. Criteria – Standards by which something is judged
42. Deficit – A shortage or lack
43. Derive – To obtain from a source
44. Diminish – To reduce or lessen
45. Discrepancy – A difference or inconsistency
46. Disseminate – To spread widely (especially information)
47. Distort – To twist out of shape or meaning
48. Empirical – Based on observation or experience
49. Endorse – To support or approve
50. Enhance – To improve or increase
51. Evaluate – To assess or judge
52. Exacerbate – To make worse
53. Exceed – To go beyond a limit
54. Facilitate – To make easier
55. Fluctuate – To vary irregularly
56. Framework – A basic structure underlying a concept
57. Ideology – A system of ideas and ideals
58. Illustrate – To explain using examples
59. Implement – To put into action
60. Incentive – A motivation or reward
61. Inhibit – To restrain or hinder
62. Integrate – To combine into a whole
63. Intrinsic – Belonging naturally
64. Inevitable – Certain to happen
65. Interpret – To explain or understand meaning
66. Legislate – To make or enact laws
67. Manipulate – To skillfully handle or influence
68. Negate – To nullify or make ineffective
69. Notion – A belief or idea
70. Objective – Not influenced by personal feelings
71. Omit – To leave out
72. Optimize – To make the best use of
73. Perspective – A point of view
74. Phenomenon – A fact or event observed
75. Policy – A set of rules or guidelines
76. Precise – Exact and accurate
77. Predict – To forecast or anticipate
78. Presume – To assume without proof
79. Priority – Something of high importance
80. Prohibit – To forbid officially
81. Promote – To support or encourage
82. 28. Prospect – The possibility of something happening
83. Rational – Based on logic or reason
84. Reinforce – To strengthen or support
85. Relevant – Closely connected or appropriate
86. Restrain – To hold back or limit
87. Retain – To keep or maintain
88. Sector – A part or division
89. Signify – To mean or indicate
90. Strategy – A plan of action
91. Subsequent – Coming after something else
92. Supplement – To add to something to enhance it
93. Surpass – To go beyond
94. Synthesize – To combine ideas into a whole
95. Tolerate – To allow or endure
96. Trigger – To cause to happen
97. Undergo – To experience or endure
98. Utilize – To make use of
99. Violation – The act of breaking a rule
100. Voluntary – Done by choice or free will

How to Learn and Practice These Words

Simply memorizing vocabulary isn’t enough. You need to understand the context in which each word is used and be able to incorporate it naturally in both speech and writing. Here are a few strategies:

• Read Academic Articles: Focus on journals, opinion pieces, and editorials that often feature higher-level vocabulary.

• Practice Writing: Try using five new words per day in short essays or summaries.

• Listen to Lectures and Podcasts: Programs like TED Talks and university lectures often use academic vocabulary that mirrors PTE content.

• Speak Aloud: Practice speaking exercises using these words to build confidence and fluency.

The PTE Academic is a challenging but manageable exam, especially if you prepare systematically. Vocabulary is a foundational skill that influences your performance in every section. By familiarizing yourself with high-frequency academic words like those listed above, you’ll be better equipped to comprehend complex materials and express your thoughts with clarity and precision.

Here are a few final tips:

• Start early: Begin incorporating academic vocabulary into your daily study routine

• Review regularly: Repetition helps retention. Schedule weekly reviews of the words you’ve learned.

• Use words in context: Don’t just memorize definitions, practice using the words in full sentences.

• Record yourself speaking: This helps identify pronunciation issues and improve fluency.

With consistent effort, your vocabulary skills will not only improve your PTE score but also benefit your overall English communication abilities in academic and professional settings.