The Academic Word List


The Academic Word List (AWL) was developed by Averil Coxhead (2000) of Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand. It is a shorter version of the University Word List (570 head words), but is believed to provide more coverage of academic texts. The number after each word indicates the sublist of the Academic Word List.

abandon 8
abstract 6
academy 5
access 4
accommodate 9
accompany 8
accumulate 8
accurate 6
achieve 2
acknowledge 6
acquire 2
adapt 7
adequate 4
adjacent 10
adjust 5
administrate 2
adult 7
advocate 7
affect 2
aggregate 6
aid 7
albeit 10
allocate 6
alter 5
alternative 3
ambiguous 8
amend 5
analogy 9
analyse 1
annual 4
anticipate 9
apparent 4
append 8
appreciate 8
approach 1
appropriate 2
approximate 4
arbitrary 8
area 1
aspect 2
assemble 10
assess 1
assign 6
assist 2
assume 1
assure 9
attach 6
attain 9
attitude 4
attribute 4
author 6
authority 1
automate 8
available 1
aware 5
behalf 9
benefit 1
bias 8
bond 6
brief 6
bulk 9
capable 6
capacity 5
category 2
cease 9
challenge 5
channel 7
chapter 2
chart 8
chemical 7
circumstance 3
cite 6
civil 4
clarify 8
classic 7
clause 5
code 4
coherent 9
coincide 9
collapse 10
colleague 10
 commence 9
comment 3
commission 2
commit 4
commodity 8
communicate 4
community 2
compatible 9
compensate 3
compile 10
complement 8
complex 2
component 3
compound 5
comprehensive 7
comprise 7
compute 2
conceive 10
concentrate 4
concept 1
conclude 2
concurrent 9
conduct 2
confer 4
confine 9
confirm 7
conflict 5
conform 8
consent 3
consequent 2
considerable 3
consist 1
constant 3
constitute 1
constrain 3
construct 2
consult 5
consume 2
contact 5
contemporary 8
context 1
contract 1
contradict 8
contrary 7
contrast 4
contribute 3
controversy 9
convene 3
converse 9
convert 7
convince 10
cooperate 6
coordinate 3
core 3
corporate 3
correspond 3
couple 7
create 1
credit 2
criteria 3
crucial 8
culture 2
currency 8
cycle 4
data 1
debate 4
decade 7
decline 5
deduce 3
define 1
definite 7
demonstrate 3
denote 8
deny 7
depress 10
derive 1
design 2
despite 4
detect 8
deviate 8
device 9

devote 9
differentiate 7
dimension 4
diminish 9
discrete 5
discriminate 6
displace 8
display 6
dispose 7
distinct 2
distort 9
distribute 1
diverse 6
document 3
domain 6
domestic 4
dominate 3
draft 5
drama 8
duration 9
dynamic 7
economy 1
edit 6
element 2
eliminate 7
emerge 4
emphasis 3
empirical 7
enable 5
encounter 10
energy 5
enforce 5
enhance 6
enormous 10
ensure 3
entity 5
environment 1
equate 2
equip 7
equivalent 5
erode 9
error 4
establish 1
estate 6
estimate 1
ethic 9
ethnic 4
evaluate 2
eventual 8
evident 1
evolve 5
exceed 6
exclude 3
exhibit 8
expand 5
expert 6
explicit 6
exploit 8
export 1
expose 5
external 5
extract 7
facilitate 5
factor 1
feature 2
federal 6
fee 6
file 7
final 2
finance 1
finite 7
flexible 6
fluctuate 8
focus 2
format 9
formula 1
forthcoming 10
foundation 7
found 9
framework 3
function 1

fund 3
fundamental 5 
furthermore 6
gender 6
generate 5
generation 5
globe 7
goal 4
grade 7
grant 4
guarantee 7
guideline 8
hence 4
hierarchy 7
highlight 8
hypothesis 4
identical 7
identify 1
ideology 7
ignorance 6
illustrate 3
image 5
immigrate 3
impact 2
implement 4
implicate 4
implicit 8
imply 3
impose 4
incentive 6
incidence 6
incline 10
income 1
incorporate 6
index 6
indicate 1
individual 1
induce 8
inevitable 8
infer 7
infrastructure 8
inherent 9
inhibit 6
initial 3
initiate 6
injure 2
innovate 7
input 6
insert 7
insight 9
inspect 8
instance 3
institute 2
instruct 6
integral 9
integrate 4
integrity 10
intelligence 6
intense 8
interact 3
intermediate 9
internal 4
interpret 1
interval 6
intervene 7
intrinsic 10
invest 2
investigate 4
invoke 10
involve 1
isolate 7
issue 1
item 2
job 4
journal 2
justify 3
label 4
labour 1
layer 3
lecture 6
legal 1
legislate 1

levy 10
liberal 5
licence 5
likewise 10
link 3
locate 3
logic 5
maintain 2
major 1
manipulate 8
manual 9
margin 5
mature 9
maximise 3
mechanism 4
media 7
mediate 9
medical 5
medium 9
mental 5
method 1
migrate 6
military 9
minimal 9
minimise 8
minimum 6
ministry 6
minor 3
mode 7
modify 5
monitor 5
motive 6
mutual 9
negate 3
network 5
neutral 6
nevertheless 6
nonetheless 10
norm 9
normal 2
notion 5
notwithstanding 10
nuclear 8
objective 5
obtain 2
obvious 4
occupy 4
occur 1
odd 10
offset 8
ongoing 10
option 4
orient 5
outcome 3
output 4
overall 4
overlap 9
overseas 6
panel 10
paradigm 7
paragraph 8
parallel 4
parameter 4
participate 2
partner 3
passive 9
perceive 2
percent 1
period 1
persist 10
perspective 5
phase 4
phenomenon 7
philosophy 3
physical 3
plus 8
policy 1
portion 9
pose 10
positive 2
potential 2
practitioner 8

precede 6
precise 5
predict 4
predominant 8
preliminary 9 
presume 6
previous 2
primary 2
prime 5
principal 4
principle 1
prior 4
priority 7
proceed 1
process 1
professional 4
prohibit 7
project 4
promote 4
proportion 3
prospect 8
protocol 9
psychology 5
publication 7
publish 3
purchase 2
pursue 5
qualitative 9
quote 7
radical 8
random 8
range 2
ratio 5
rational 6
react 3
recover 6
refine 9
regime 4
region 2
register 3
regulate 2
reinforce 8
reject 5
relax 9
release 7
relevant 2
reluctance 10
rely 3
remove 3
require 1
research 1
reside 2
resolve 4
resource 2
respond 1
restore 8
restrain 9
restrict 2
retain 4
reveal 6
revenue 5
reverse 7
revise 8
revolution 9
rigid 9
role 1
route 9
scenario 9
schedule 8
scheme 3
scope 6
section 1
sector 1
secure 2
seek 2
select 2
sequence 3
series 4
sex 3
shift 3
significant 1
similar 1

simulate 7
site 2
so-called 10
sole 7
somewhat 7
source 1
specific 1  
specify 3
sphere 9
stable 5
statistic 4
status 4
straightforward 10
strategy 2
stress 4
structure 1
style 5
submit 7
subordinate 9
subsequent 4
subsidy 6
substitute 5
successor 7
sufficient 3
sum 4
summary 4
supplement 9
survey 2
survive 7
suspend 9
sustain 5
symbol 5
tape 6
target 5
task 3
team 9
technical 3
technique 3
technology 3
temporary 9
tense 8
terminate 8
text 2
theme 8
theory 1
thereby 8
thesis 7
topic 7
trace 6
tradition 2
transfer 2
transform 6
transit 5
transmit 7
transport 6
trend 5
trigger 9
ultimate 7
undergo 10
underlie 6
undertake 4
uniform 8
unify 9
unique 7
utilise 6
valid 3
vary 1
vehicle 8
version 5
via 8
violate 9
virtual 8
visible 7
vision 9
visual 8
volume 3
voluntary 7
welfare 5
whereas 5
whereby 10
widespread 8
             

Coxhead, Averil (2000) A New Academic Word List. TESOL Quarterly,34(2): 213-238.