Academic & Advanced Vocabulary
High-Frequency Academic Words (AWL Top 60)
Analysis & Research
| Word | POS | Japanese | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| analyze | v | 分析する | We need to analyze the data carefully. |
| approach | n/v | アプローチ、取り組む | Let's try a different approach to the problem. |
| assess | v | 評価する | The teacher will assess your progress. |
| assume | v | 仮定する | Don't assume everyone agrees with you. |
| concept | n | 概念 | The concept of democracy varies across cultures. |
| consist | v | 〜から成る | The committee consists of 12 members. |
| context | n | 文脈 | You need to understand the word in context. |
| data | n | データ | The data shows a clear trend. (単数扱いが増えている) |
| define | v | 定義する | How do you define success? |
| derive | v | 由来する | The word derives from Latin. |
| establish | v | 確立する | They established the company in 1990. |
| estimate | v/n | 見積もる | I estimate it will take three hours. |
| evaluate | v | 評価する | We need to evaluate the results. |
| evidence | n | 証拠 | There is strong evidence to support this theory. |
| factor | n | 要因 | Cost is a major factor in the decision. |
| function | n/v | 機能 | What is the function of this button? |
| identify | v | 特定する | Can you identify the problem? |
| indicate | v | 示す | The results indicate a positive trend. |
| interpret | v | 解釈する | How do you interpret this data? |
| involve | v | 含む、関わる | The project involves a lot of research. |
| issue | n | 問題、課題 | Climate change is a critical issue. |
| method | n | 方法 | We used a new method to collect data. |
| occur | v | 起こる | Accidents occur more often at night. |
| percent | n | パーセント | Prices rose by 5 percent. |
| period | n | 期間 | Over a period of 10 years. |
| policy | n | 方針、政策 | The government's immigration policy. |
| principle | n | 原則 | The basic principles of economics. |
| proceed | v | 進む | Let's proceed with the meeting. |
| process | n/v | 過程 | The hiring process takes two months. |
| require | v | 必要とする | This job requires a lot of patience. |
| research | n/v | 研究 | She's doing research on cancer treatment. |
| respond | v | 応答する | He didn't respond to my email. |
| role | n | 役割 | She plays an important role in the team. |
| section | n | セクション | Read section 3 of the textbook. |
| significant | adj | 重要な、顕著な | There has been a significant improvement. |
| similar | adj | 類似した | The two products are very similar. |
| source | n | 源、出典 | What's the source of this information? |
| specific | adj | 具体的な | Can you be more specific? |
| strategy | n | 戦略 | We need a new marketing strategy. |
| structure | n/v | 構造 | The structure of the essay is clear. |
| theory | n | 理論 | Darwin's theory of evolution. |
| vary | v | 変わる | Prices vary from store to store. |
Communication & Discussion
| Word | Japanese | Example |
|---|---|---|
| acknowledge | 認める | She acknowledged her mistake. |
| advocate | 提唱する | He advocates for equal rights. |
| clarify | 明確にする | Could you clarify what you mean? |
| convey | 伝える | Words can't convey how grateful I am. |
| emphasize | 強調する | I want to emphasize the importance of safety. |
| imply | 暗示する | Are you implying that I'm wrong? |
| justify | 正当化する | How can you justify this decision? |
| maintain | 維持する、主張する | She maintains that she is innocent. |
| persuade | 説得する | I persuaded him to change his mind. |
| propose | 提案する | I propose we start earlier. |
| refute | 反論する | He refuted the allegations. |
| reveal | 明らかにする | The investigation revealed the truth. |
Useful Transition Words & Phrases
Adding Information
- Furthermore, ... / Moreover, ... / In addition, ... / Besides, ...
- What's more, ... / On top of that, ... / Not to mention ...
Contrasting
- However, ... / Nevertheless, ... / Nonetheless, ...
- On the other hand, ... / In contrast, ... / Conversely, ...
- Although / Even though / Despite / In spite of
Cause & Effect
- Therefore, ... / Consequently, ... / As a result, ...
- Hence, ... / Thus, ... / Accordingly, ...
- Due to / Owing to / Because of / Thanks to
Giving Examples
- For example, ... / For instance, ... / Such as ...
- In particular, ... / Specifically, ... / Namely, ...
Summarizing
- In conclusion, ... / To summarize, ... / In short, ...
- All in all, ... / Overall, ... / On the whole, ...
- To put it simply, ... / In a nutshell, ...
Commonly Confused Academic Words
| Word A | Word B | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| affect (v) | effect (n) | The weather affects my mood. / The effect was immediate. |
| principal (main/校長) | principle (原則) | The principal reason. / A matter of principle. |
| complement (補完) | compliment (褒める) | Red wine complements steak. / She complimented my dress. |
| proceed (進む) | precede (先行する) | Let's proceed. / A precedes B. |
| cite (引用する) | site (場所) | Cite your sources. / Construction site. |
| discrete (別々の) | discreet (慎重な) | Two discrete categories. / Please be discreet. |
| ensure (確実にする) | insure (保険をかける) | Ensure quality. / Insure your car. |
| comprise (構成する) | compose (作曲/構成) | The team comprises 5 members. / The team is composed of 5 members. |
| infer (推測する) | imply (暗示する) | I infer from your tone... / Are you implying that...? |
Practice
Fill in the blanks:
- The study ___ a strong correlation between exercise and mood. (revealed/indicated)
- ___ the bad weather, the event was a success. (Despite)
- We need to ___ the potential risks before proceeding. (assess/evaluate)
- Can you ___ your position with evidence? (justify)
- The policy ___ from country to country. (varies)
- ___, the project was completed on time and under budget. (Overall/In conclusion)