11+ vocabulary: what to learn and how
A plain-English guide for parents to vocabulary for 11 plus: what kinds of words come up, why lists alone don't stick, and how to help your child learn words for good.
Free beta · for children aged 8–11 · works on iPad and computer
What is 11 plus vocabulary?
11 plus vocabulary is the stock of words a child needs to read, understand and answer questions in 11+ English and verbal reasoning. It is more than knowing definitions. A child has to spot a word in a sentence, pick its synonym or opposite, fill the right word into a gap and spell it correctly.
Papers differ from school to school and year to year, so this guide describes the skills and not a syllabus. Your child's school, and the practice papers for their exam, are the best guide to the exact format.
What kinds of words come up in the 11+?
Many are everyday ideas put into more precise words. A child who knows careful may meet meticulous, and one who knows calm may meet tranquil. These are often adjectives and verbs that children rarely use in everyday talk, and many come in pairs of synonyms or opposites. Below are some examples of the kind of word, not a list to learn.
Each example has the kind of short, plain-English definition a child can read for themselves.
- meticulous
- Very careful to get every small detail right.
- reluctant
- Not keen to do something, and slow to agree to it.
- abundant
- There is more than enough of it.
- tranquil
- Calm and peaceful, with no noise or trouble.
- scarce
- Hard to find because there is very little of it.
- diligent
- Working hard and carefully at a job.
- cautious
- Taking care to avoid danger or mistakes.
- resilient
- Able to recover quickly when something goes wrong.
Is there an 11 plus vocab list to download?
No. VocabGecko builds the list from your child's own tests rather than publishing one. The words worth practising are the ones this child gets wrong, and a fixed 11 plus vocab list is the same for every child, so it spends time on words yours may already know. The examples above show the kind of word, nothing more.
To see where to start, look at the words your child got wrong in their last practice test. Those words are your list.
Why don't word lists alone stick?
Because meeting a word once is not the same as learning it. A list gives a child the word and its meaning one time, and nothing makes them recall it later, so it fades. Memory holds on to a word when it is brought back after a gap and the child has to remember it, not just read it again.
Researchers call the two ideas behind this the spacing effect and the testing effect. The science page explains both and gives the full references.
How should my child learn vocabulary for 11 plus?
Three habits help a word stay learned: spacing, retrieval and context. Spacing means meeting a word again after a gap. Retrieval means trying to recall the meaning before seeing it. Context means learning the word in a sentence, not on its own. Short, regular sessions suit this better than one long one.
Spacing
Bring a word back after a gap, and make the gap longer each time your child remembers it. A word met on Monday and again on Thursday sticks better than the same word met twice on Monday.
Retrieval
Ask for the meaning before showing it. Answering a question about a word strengthens memory more than reading about it again.
Context
Meet each word in a sentence, and make up a new sentence with it. Many words have more than one meaning, and a sentence shows which one is meant.
How does VocabGecko turn my child's test mistakes into practice?
You type in the words your child did not know in a practice test. VocabGecko writes a plain-English definition, example sentences, synonyms and opposites for each word, and adds a cartoon picture. You check every card before your child sees it. Then your child practises exam-style questions for about five minutes a day, and each word returns just before it would be forgotten.
The list that results is your child's own, so every minute goes on words they find hard. VocabGecko is a companion to the prep platform or tutor you already use, not a replacement, and it cannot promise exam results.
- Type in the words from the practice test.
- Check the picture card and the questions for each word.
- Your child practises for about 5 minutes a day.
Which question types should my child practise?
Vocabulary is usually tested in a handful of ways, and VocabGecko practises seven of them: meaning in context, cloze, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, odd one out and spelling. Synonyms, antonyms and cloze each have their own page here, and analogies and odd one out are covered on the CAT4 verbal reasoning page.
Ready to practise? Try our 12 synonyms and antonyms questions with answers. They use public example words and need no account.
Ready to try it with your child's own words?
Join the free beta waitlist. Once you have a place, you type in the words from your next practice test and check the first cards. Joining takes about a minute, it is free during the beta, and no card is needed. Have a question first? The FAQ answers the ones parents ask most.
Free beta · no card needed