The Ultimate Vocabulary List for the TOEFL® Test

Author

Josh MacPherson

Head Instructor at TST Prep

Published on: August 4, 2023

Updated on: March 25, 2026

Reading time: 5 minutes

UPDATED FOR 2026: The TOEFL test format changed on January 21, 2026, but vocabulary remains crucial across all sections. This updated guide shows you how to build the vocabulary needed for the new TOEFL test.

The January 21, 2026 TOEFL update didn’t reduce the importance of vocabulary—it actually increased it in some areas:

New Vocabulary-Focused Tasks:

Reading: Complete the Words – Fill in missing word halves using context clues (tests word families, prefixes, suffixes)
Writing: Academic Discussion – Contribute meaningfully to academic conversations (requires precise academic vocabulary)
Listening: Academic Talk – You must understand a lecture about an academic topic and answer questions about it. Your knowledge of academic vocabulary is a must if you expect to score high.

Why Vocabulary Matters More Than Ever:

Complete the Words specifically tests your knowledge of word structure
Academic Discussion requires nuanced vocabulary to express complex ideas
Shorter test format (90 minutes vs 120) means every word counts

The good news?

This guide’s vocabulary list is exactly what you need for the 2026 format of the TOEFL iBT.

The vocabulary you need hasn’t changed much. Academic words from science, history, social studies, and campus life remain central.

But we are going to add campus vocabulary and word parts to your list of essential vocabulary. Before we start, you should know that the most important piece of your TOEFL success is academic vocabulary, which is why we have taken the Academic Word List and repackaged it for test-takers like you.

Now I know some of you are in a hurry (this is the Internet after all), so I will put a link to Your Academic Vocabulary List for the TOEFL right here so you can download it right away.

But, there’s more actually a bit more you should know about the TOEFL vocabulary before you head off and study that list. Keep reading.

Introduction to the TOEFL Vocabulary List

The Academic Vocabulary List for the TOEFL is perfect for the following tasks:

Complete the Words (Reading)
Read an Academic Passage (Reading)
Listen to an Academic Talk (Listening)
Write for an Academic Discussion (Writing)

Why?

Because the 570 words in the Academic Word List show up with great frequency across disciplines. No matter if you get a lecture on biology, history, or psychology, these words show up.

But you might be wondering…

What about the other new tasks for the TOEFL 2026? Don’t they require vocabulary that isn’t academic?

Exactly.

But we got you covered.

The next list for you to use is the Campus Vocabulary List for the TOEFL. This list is much shorter; it contains just 56 words, but these words are very common on the TOEFL iBT.

Think about it. A large portion of the test is designed to assess whether you are ready to attend university in North America, so you will definitely encounter campus-specific words on the exam.

Here are just a few examples:

adjunct – a part-time professor who is paid an hourly wage

RA (resident advisor) – someone who lives and works in a dormitory and is responsible for the safety and the security of the students who live in it

coed – a place where you can find both males and females, not limited to one gender

the registrar’s office – the place on campus that keeps official student records

prerequisite – classes you need to have taken before entering a specific course

While you may not be familiar with these words, they show up often on campus. This will help with tasks on the new TOEFL iBT like:

Read in Daily Life (Reading)
Listen to a Conversation (Listening)
Write an Email (Writing)

So be sure to check out the Campus Vocabulary List.

But I have one more.

I know you are already tired of all this vocabulary stuff, but this will help for every single section of the TOEFL iBT. It’s the Essential Word Parts List.

You may not have heard of the phrase “word part” before, but you know what it is already.

For example, “sub” is a prefix meaning “under”, which is where you get words like “submarine” and “subway”. “Sub” is a word part.

The root word “bio” is a word part. You see it in words like “biology” or “biography” and it is connected to “life.”

And perhaps the most helpful type of word part is a suffix. A good example is “-able”, which turns a word into an adjective and implies that it has an ability, for example, “believable” or “reliable.”

So, what does this have to do with the TOEFL?

Knowing the most important word parts can help you figure out the meaning of an unknown word and help with the Complete the Words task in the TOEFL Reading.

There are hundreds of word parts, but luckily, we have created a list of 219 of the most essential word parts that can help you with your TOEFL exam. Be sure to download it here as well.

All right, but…

Downloading vocabulary lists is not the end of the journey.

Not only do you have to know these words, but you have to learn why they are important, what they mean, and how to use them on test day.

Let’s learn how to do that.

In Conclusion

Again, don’t forget to pick up your copy of your Academic Vocabulary List for the TOEFL.

This Academic Word List has been proven to contain 570 of the most frequent words that show up in academic texts across multiple disciplines.

But remember…

Downloading this vocabulary list isn’t enough to remember the meaning and usage of all these words.

You have to practice, and the best way to practice is by creating your very own flashcards.

Here are the steps you need to take to improve your TOEFL vocabulary with flashcards:

Step 1: Identify your vocabulary weaknesses
Step 2: Find your flashcard app
Step 3: Choose your flashcard style
Step 4: Create your study schedule

Remember: The 2026 TOEFL format changed the test significantly, but vocabulary remains crucial. Besides the Academic Vocabulary List for the TOEFL, check out the Campus Vocabulary list and the Essential Word Parts list to get a full view of what you can expect on test day.

I know this TOEFL stuff can get a bit frustrating sometimes. So don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know if you have any questions or concerns: contact@tstprep.com

For more on the 2026 TOEFL format, see our Complete TOEFL 2026 Guide and Ten Awesome Tips for the Reading Section.

Did I miss anything? Or do you have a comment?

Please add your ideas in the comments section below.

I promise to respond to every single one!

Josh MacPherson

Founder and Head Instructor

Josh MacPherson is the head instructor, presenter, and curriculum developer at TST Prep. As of August 2024, his TST Prep Youtube channel has amassed over 500,000 subscribers. His Emergency Course for the TOEFL^® on Udemy has enrolled over 77,000 students from over 100 countries and, at the time of writing, has earned a 4.5/5 star rating.

After earning a Bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a Master’s in ESL Curriculum and Instruction, he served as academic coordinator of the Intensive English Program at ASA College in midtown Manhattan and as the coordinator of the Corporate Sales Division for Shane Schools in Kansai, Japan. He now devotes much of his time to creating content, studying Japanese, and spending time with his wife and their three children.

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Mert Siyami Yavuz

25 December 2025
Kudos to Josh!!! His videos on YouTube very very helpful. TST Prep has built a reputation for turning the overwhelming TOEFL experience into a manageable and even motivating journey. By providing structured video lessons, they break down complex academic tasks into simple, step-by-step strategies that anyone can follow. Their famous writing and speaking templates act as a safety net, giving you a clear mental framework to rely on when the timer is ticking. Beyond just theory, they offer a massive library of realistic practice tests and high-quality PDFs that mirror the actual exam format. Many students find their "Emergency Course" a lifesaver for last-minute preparation, as it focuses strictly on the high-impact tips needed to boost scores quickly. Their instructor, Josh MacPherson, is often praised for his encouraging teaching style that builds the confidence necessary to speak and write naturally under pressure.

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Chiranjeevi Reddy

07 January 2026
TST Prep offers an extremely practical and effective preparation for the TOEFL iBT. The Emergency Course for the TOEFL test and their YouTube videos are clear, well-structured, and results-driven. As a non-native English speaker, I found their strategies easy to apply and highly useful, helping me achieve a strong score in a short time. I highly recommend TST Prep to anyone looking for efficient and reliable TOEFL preparation. EG

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Erick Godoy

22 December 2025

Educational Content Disclaimer

This article provides educational guidance for TOEFL test preparation. While our strategies have helped 10,000+ students achieve their target scores, individual results may vary based on English proficiency level, study time commitment, and test-taking experience.

Official TOEFL Resources: This content supplements (but does not replace) official ETS TOEFL preparation materials. We recommend combining our strategies with official ETS resources for comprehensive preparation.

Accuracy Commitment: All information is current as of January 2026 and reflects the latest TOEFL iBT test format. We update our content regularly to maintain accuracy with ETS guidelines.

35 Comments

Cristiani Basso
April 3, 2019 at 11:54 AM

Hi.
How to use the flashcards? I take them to my cell phone but I don’t know how to use them.
Please, can you help?

Reply
1. Josh
  April 8, 2019 at 2:32 AM
  
  Hi Cristani, and thanks for the question. A lot depends on the program you are using. There should be directions or video instructions if you are using a popular flashcard app like Anki or Cram. However, some are more user-friendly than others. I do NOT recommend Anki for beginners. Try a site like Quizlet, Cram or Memrise and follow their instructions.
  
  Just be aware that it will take a little time to learn and get used to.
  
  Reply
Gulay Ozkul
April 3, 2019 at 3:07 PM

good

Reply
1. Josh
  April 8, 2019 at 2:32 AM
  
  Thanks Gulay! Happy to help 🙂
  
  Reply
Omid
April 5, 2019 at 9:14 AM

Hello
Nice job, I really appreciate your efforts. It was an extremely important step that was taken by such a great professor.
God bless you, buddies.

Reply
1. Josh
  April 8, 2019 at 2:34 AM
  
  Thank you for your kind words Omid and I’m glad you found it helpful. This vocabulary list really is a great tool for students who need to improve their vocabulary. Keep fighting!
  
  Reply
Dais
April 8, 2019 at 3:34 PM

Thanks for your guidance!

Reply
1. Josh
  April 9, 2019 at 5:14 PM
  
  Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Dais! I appreciate it 🙂
  
  Reply
N'faly Keita
May 31, 2019 at 8:43 AM

Hi Josh MacPherson .

I am Keita from Mali ( French Speaking Country ) .

Your course materials for preparing for the TOEFL have been helpful to me .
I am still following your videos and hope to be able to deal with the speaking and listening sections with the new change on TOEFL.
Thanks so much for the sharing .

Reply
1. Josh
  June 1, 2019 at 2:28 AM
  
  Thank you Keita for the comment and for your kind words. Let me know if there is any other way I can help!
  
  Reply
Josh
June 21, 2019 at 6:36 PM

Thanks for the compliment! Let me know if you have any questions 🙂

Reply
1. Elina
  August 2, 2019 at 5:05 AM
  
  Thank you for everything, your videos are very helpful and enjoyable.
  
  Reply
  1. Josh
    August 9, 2019 at 3:05 AM
    
    I appreciate that Elina. Let me know if there are any topics you would like me to cover in future videos.
2. Priya
  August 8, 2019 at 5:07 AM
  
  Hi. I gave test two times as I have a deadline that is approaching soon. I can’t score more than 13 in reading section and 20 in writing section. The problem with reading is I can’t finish 1 passage in 20 mins. Minimum I am taking 30 mins for 1 passage and later I end up marking random answers. Also, I can’t concentrate once I have fear of time. I even hide the clock and that’s not helping. Please guide me. I really need to increase scores.
  
  Reply
  1. Josh
    August 9, 2019 at 3:11 AM
    
    The first thing I would recommend is, of course, to read our guide to TOEFL Reading time management here – https://tstprep.com/a-guide-to-toefl-reading-time-management/
    
    It still applies for the new test format. Besides that, it sounds like your problem is fairly serious, so you might want to consider working with a teacher. You can learn about the trial lesson here. https://tstprep.com/toefl-store/toefl-private-lessons/
    
    Hope that helps!
  2. Ahmad Fahim
    September 25, 2019 at 1:11 AM
    
    Thank you very much for making toefl word list to students of english language and I want to learn your prepared toefl word list
  3. Josh
    October 18, 2019 at 12:11 AM
    
    I’m happy to hear you find it helpful 🙂
Elizaveta
August 17, 2019 at 2:56 PM

Hello Josh!

Thank you very much for all the things you do for the TOEFL students!

Where can I get these “native speaker contractions” from the Common Mistake #2 “You always use a script”. Is there anywhere a list of them?

These are the reasons why ->That’s why…

I believe that-> To me…

I disagree that…-> I can’t stand it when…

Thanks!

Reply
1. Josh
  August 20, 2019 at 3:08 AM
  
  Hey Elizaveta. Just sent an email to you. Hope it helps!
  
  Reply
Nidal Shater
August 20, 2019 at 7:04 AM

Hello and thanks a lot for this amazing Website and content

I have a question
I have downloaded ETS Tofel Sampler program on Windows, I did the exam but didn’t find a way to correct them

How Could I do this

Thanks in advanced

Reply
1. Josh
  August 23, 2019 at 12:37 AM
  
  Hi Nidal, I’m not as familiar with ETS’ software, so you will have to ask them, but the sample tests should have come with an answer key for the reading and listening. As to the speaking and writing section, you will probably have to pay extra for those to be graded since it requires either a human grader or special program.
  
  We have TOEFL Speaking and Writing evaluations as well if you are ever in need you can find out more here – https://tstprep.com/toefl-store/
  
  Thanks for asking!
  
  Reply
  1. Mehnaz
    December 21, 2019 at 6:06 AM
    
    Hi, This is Mehnaz here. Actually I’m planning fir TOEFL test. But i have no much idea about that. I subscribe your channel. I watched your video and visit your website. I get some idea about toefl. But you please make more video about TOEFL test.
  2. Josh
    December 24, 2019 at 2:48 AM
    
    Hi Mehnaz and thank you for watching. We are working on videos right now! Thank you for the positive feedback 🙂
Maria
February 28, 2020 at 4:15 AM

many doubts .

Reply
1. Josh
  March 2, 2020 at 7:59 PM
  
  I’m sorry to hear that Maria. I hope it gets easier for you.
  
  Reply
Maria
February 28, 2020 at 4:17 AM

I need to read more.

Reply
1. Josh
  March 2, 2020 at 7:59 PM
  
  Haha, me too. One great site for reading for language learners is LingQ. I often recommend it to my students. Here’s a link – https://www.lingq.com/en/
  
  Reply
Jem
March 24, 2020 at 11:50 AM

Hi there, I’m Jem, from Turkmenistan, as far as I can see everyone gets welcoming reply, so the reason I’m writing is that I want those toefl vocabulary books, like 5000 toefl words, so if you do have those books, please kindly send them to me, I’m desperate English learner, and want to improve myself to advanced learner, thank you so much…

Reply
1. Josh
  March 30, 2020 at 9:57 AM
  
  Hi Jem, 5000 vocabulary words is quite a lot, and usually, those types of books aren’t so helpful. I would definitely start with this TOEFL vocabulary list and then read a lot. You will learn more when you read words in context when compared to just studying a list of vocabulary.
  
  And if you want to use these vocabulary words when you speak, the best way would be to practice them with a teacher – https://tstprep.com/toefl-store/american-accent-builder-private-lessons/
  
  Reply
Al-obedi
March 25, 2020 at 6:49 PM

What a great and informative website. This is the website that I have been dreaming of LOL, and yeah my dream came true. Thanks so much for your massive efforts. Mr. josh, do you give TOEFL classes one by one? and with you please. Thanks.

Reply
1. Josh
  March 30, 2020 at 9:54 AM
  
  Hi there and thank you for your kind words. I don’t teach right now, but I always schedule a one0time-per-month call with all of the students enrolled in private classes, there are usually about 10x per meeting. So, while I won’t be teaching you in class, we can meet during these coaching calls. You can find a link to a trial lesson on this page – https://tstprep.com/toefl-store/toefl-private-lessons/
  
  Reply
Eddy
July 27, 2020 at 9:36 PM

Thank you so much for the Ultimate TOEFL Vocabulary list.

Reply
1. Josh
  July 28, 2020 at 6:18 AM
  
  Thanks for the comment and good luck in your studies!
  
  Reply
Mohamed
September 12, 2021 at 5:02 PM

Hey, you are a hard-working teacher, much love from Morocco.

Reply
Tej Prasad Adhikari
December 1, 2023 at 10:24 PM

Thanks for this huge contribution regarding the TOEFL resources.

Reply

The Ultimate Vocabulary List for the TOEFL® Test

Introduction to the TOEFL Vocabulary List

In Conclusion

Josh MacPherson

What Our Students Have To Say

Educational Content Disclaimer

35 Comments

Cristiani Basso

Josh

Gulay Ozkul

Josh

Omid

Josh

Dais

Josh

N'faly Keita

Josh

Josh

Elina

Josh

Priya

Josh

Ahmad Fahim

Josh

Elizaveta

Josh

Nidal Shater

Josh

Mehnaz

Josh

Maria

Josh

Maria

Josh

Jem

Josh

Al-obedi

Josh

Eddy

Josh

Mohamed

Tej Prasad Adhikari

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