The Academic Word List with Frequency

This list contains 570 head words of the families in the Academic Word List and it represents the most common
words found in written and spoken academic English.
The numbers indicate the frequency of the word. The lower the number, the more frequently the word is used
in academic English. For example, “authority” is a #1 – this means it is a word that is found very often in many
kinds of academic texts. “Compile”, on the other hand, is a #10 – it is found much less frequently in academic
texts.

abandon 8 appropriate 2 circumstance 3 confine 9

abstract 6 approximate 4 cite 6 confirm 7
academy 5 arbitrary 8 civil 4 conflict 5
access 4 area 1 clarify 8 conform 8
accommodate 9 aspect 2 classic 7 consent 3
accompany 8 assemble 10 clause 5 consequent 2
accumulate 8 assess 1 code 4 considerable 3
accurate 6 assign 6 coherent 9 consist 1
achieve 2 assist 2 coincide 9 constant 3
acknowledge 6 assume 1 collapse 10 constitute 1
acquire 2 assure 9 colleague 10 constrain 3
adapt 7 attach 6 commence 9 construct 2
adequate 4 attain 9 comment 3 consult 5
adjacent 10 attitude 4 commission 2 consume 2
adjust 5 attribute 4 commit 4 contact 5
administration 2 author 6 commodity 8 contemporary 8
adult 7 authority 1 communicate 4 context 1
advocate 7 automate 8 community 2 contract 1
affect 2 available 1 compatible 9 contradict 8
aggregate 6 aware 5 compensate 3 contrary 7
aid 7 behalf 9 compile 10 contrast 4
albeit 10 benefit 1 complement 8 contribute 3
allocate 6 bias 8 complex 2 controversy 9
alter 5 bond 6 component 3 convene 3
alternative 3 brief 6 compound 5 converse 9
ambiguous 8 bulk 9 comprehensive 7 convert 7
amend 5 capable 6 comprise 7 convince 10
analogy 9 capacity 5 compute 2 cooperate 6
analyse 1 category 2 conceive 10 coordinate 3
annual 4 cease 9 concentrate 4 core 3
anticipate 9 challenge 5 concept 1 corporate 3
apparent 4 channel 7 conclude 2 correspond 3
append 8 chapter 2 concurrent 9 couple 7
appreciate 8 chart 8 conduct 2 create 1
approach 1 chemical 7 confer 4 credit 2
criteria 3 economy 1 feature 2 implicit 8
crucial 8 edit 6 federal 6 imply 3
culture 2 element 2 fee 6 impose 4
currency 8 eliminate 7 file 7 incentive 6
cycle 4 emerge 4 final 2 incidence 6
data 1 emphasis 3 finance 1 incline 10
debate 4 empirical 7 finite 7 income 1
decade 7 enable 5 flexible 6 incorporate 6
decline 5 encounter 10 fluctuate 8 index 6
deduce 3 energy 5 focus 2 indicate 1
define 1 enforce 5 format 9 individual 1
definite 7 enhance 6 formula 1 induce 8
demonstrate 3 enormous 10 forthcoming 10 inevitable 8
denote 8 ensure 3 foundation 7 infer 7
deny 7 entity 5 found 9 infrastructure 8
depress 10 environment 1 framework 3 inherent 9
derive 1 equate 2 function 1 inhibit 6
design 2 equip 7 fund 3 initial 3
despite 4 equivalent 5 fundamental 5 initiate 6
detect 8 erode 9 furthermore 6 injure 2
deviate 8 error 4 gender 6 innovate 7
device 9 establish 1 generate 5 input 6
devote 9 estate 6 generation 5 insert 7
differentiate 7 estimate 1 globe 7 insight 9
dimension 4 ethic 9 goal 4 inspect 8
diminish 9 ethnic 4 grade 7 instance 3
discrete 5 evaluate 2 grant 4 institute 2
discriminate 6 eventual 8 guarantee 7 instruct 6
displace 8 evident 1 guideline 8 integral 9
display 6 evolve 5 hence 4 integrate 4
dispose 7 exceed 6 hierarchy 7 integrity 10
distinct 2 exclude 3 highlight 8 intelligence 6
distort 9 exhibit 8 hypothesis 4 intense 8
distribute 1 expand 5 identical 7 interact 3
diverse 6 expert 6 identify 1 intermediate 9
document 3 explicit 6 ideology 7 internal 4
domain 6 exploit 8 ignorance 6 interpret 1
domestic 4 export 1 illustrate 3 interval 6
dominate 3 expose 5 image 5 intervene 7
draft 5 external 5 immigrate 3 intrinsic 10
drama 8 extract 7 impact 2 invest 2
duration 9 facilitate 5 implement 4 investigate 4
dynamic 7 factor 1 implicate 4 invoke 10
involve 1 monitor 5 philosophy 3 react 3
isolate 7 motive 6 physical 3 recover 6
issue 1 mutual 9 plus 8 refine 9
item 2 negate 3 policy 1 regime 4
job 4 network 5 portion 9 region 2
journal 2 neutral 6 pose 10 register 3
justify 3 nevertheless 6 positive 2 regulate 2
label 4 nonetheless 10 potential 2 reinforce 8
labour 1 norm 9 practitioner 8 reject 5
layer 3 normal 2 precede 6 relax 9
lecture 6 notion 5 precise 5 release 7
legal 1 notwithstanding 10 predict 4 relevant 2
legislate 1 nuclear 8 predominant 8 reluctance 10
levy 10 objective 5 preliminary 9 rely 3
liberal 5 obtain 2 presume 6 remove 3
licence 5 obvious 4 previous 2 require 1
likewise 10 occupy 4 primary 2 research 1
link 3 occur 1 prime 5 reside 2
locate 3 odd 10 principal 4 resolve 4
logic 5 offset 8 principle 1 resource 2
maintain 2 ongoing 10 prior 4 respond 1
major 1 option 4 priority 7 restore 8
manipulate 8 orient 5 proceed 1 restrain 9
manual 9 outcome 3 process 1 restrict 2
margin 5 output 4 professional 4 retain 4
mature 9 overall 4 prohibit 7 reveal 6
maximise 3 overlap 9 project 4 revenue 5
mechanism 4 overseas 6 promote 4 reverse 7
media 7 panel 10 proportion 3 revise 8
mediate 9 paradigm 7 prospect 8 revolution 9
medical 5 paragraph 8 protocol 9 rigid 9
medium 9 parallel 4 psychology 5 role 1
mental 5 parameter 4 publication 7 route 9
method 1 participate 2 publish 3 scenario 9
migrate 6 partner 3 purchase 2 schedule 8
military 9 passive 9 pursue 5 scheme 3
minimal 9 perceive 2 qualitative 9 scope 6
minimise 8 percent 1 quote 7 section 1
minimum 6 period 1 radical 8 sector 1
ministry 6 persist 10 random 8 secure 2
minor 3 perspective 5 range 2 seek 2
mode 7 phase 4 ratio 5 select 2
modify 5 phenomenon 7 rational 6 sequence 3
 series 4 submit 7 temporary 9 uniform 8
sex 3 subordinate 9 tense 8 unify 9
shift 3 subsequent 4 terminate 8 unique 7
significant 1 subsidy 6 text 2 utilise 6
similar 1 substitute 5 theme 8 valid 3
simulate 7 successor 7 theory 1 vary 1
site 2 sufficient 3 thereby 8 vehicle 8
so-called 10 sum 4 thesis 7 version 5
sole 7 summary 4 topic 7 via 8
somewhat 7 supplement 9 trace 6 violate 9
source 1 survey 2 tradition 2 virtual 8
specific 1 survive 7 transfer 2 visible 7
specify 3 suspend 9 transform 6 vision 9
sphere 9 sustain 5 transit 5 visual 8
stable 5 symbol 5 transmit 7 volume 3
statistic 4 tape 6 transport 6 voluntary 7
status 4 target 5 trend 5 welfare 5
straightforward 10 task 3 trigger 9 whereas 5
strategy 2 team 9 ultimate 7 whereby 10
stress 4 technical 3 undergo 10 widespread 8
structure 1 technique 3 underlie 6
style 5 technology 3 undertake 4

Source: https://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist/