About
What is academic vocabulary?
Academic vocabulary (also known as Tier 2 vocabulary) words appear in many different
contexts and are subtle or precise ways to say relatively simple things, for example,
“relative” or “accumulate.” The Common Core and other college- and career-ready
standards emphasize regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary
because academic vocabulary helps students access and understand increasing levels of
complex texts across all content areas.
Why is academic vocabulary so important?
Academic vocabulary words are often vital to comprehension, reappear in many texts, and
frequently are part of a word family or semantic network. Tier 2 words can carry
disproportionate weight in conveying the meaning of a text, and a reader who doesn’t
understand these high-value words might have his or her comprehension thrown off
track—this is particularly true for English Language Learners (ELLs) who commonly have
had less exposure to academic vocabulary. For these reasons, significant instructional
attention should be spent on these words.
How does the Academic Word Finder help me?
The challenge to teachers is to be alert to the presence of Tier 2 words, determine which
ones need to be taught, and identify which words deserve more time and effort for richer
understanding. The Academic Word Finder pulls the most useful academic vocabulary words
from a given text.
This tool does not replace teacher judgment; rather, it helps to support the teacher and
identify the most useful academic words. The Academic Word Finder produces a list of
words that are uncommon enough that most students do not know them and are not so rare
that they are not often found in texts). That said, there may be other academic
vocabulary words that are either rare or common that a teacher determines are important
to understanding the text. Research supports in-depth instruction on a small selection
(6–8 words) for ELL students. You can find criteria to help you identify words for
in-depth instruction
here.
In addition, the academic vocabulary identified in a text can be a proxy for text
complexity, though it does not replace the work a teacher does to fully analyze a text
for complexity. Learn more about text complexity.
How do I use it?
The Academic Word Finder is simple to use.
- Copy the text you want to analyze. (We recommend starting with 1-3 paragraphs.)
- Paste that text into the open box on the homepage.
- Select the grade level.
- Click submit.
- Enter the details of your search for your reference – your search is automatically
saved!
- View all of the words in order of appearance in the text. You can change this view
to see the words on, above, or below grade level. You can also filter to see the
words alphabetically.
- Print, export or email the list.
- Use the generated word list with students. See suggested activities here.
What other resources can help me?
There are a variety of free resources available to support vocabulary development.
- Wordsmyth: Wordsmyth
provides a free, online dictionary and has generously contributed the word meanings
and sentences to this tool. The site also offers a free glossary and test maker.
- Achieve the Core: Access model lessons and learn
more about the Common Core, academic vocabulary, text complexity, and more!
About Achieve the Core
achievethecore.org’s digital tools and resources for teachers have been made possible by
contributions from teachers across the country as well as through generous support from
the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and the GE Foundation.
To learn more about Student Achievement Partners and for access to an array of free
resources, please visit us at achievethecore.org.