Free resource
11+ vocabulary starter list
A wide vocabulary helps with every part of the 11+ that involves words: reading comprehension, spotting synonyms and opposites, and the word puzzles in verbal reasoning. This starter list gives 60 useful words, each with a short meaning and a sentence showing it in use.
Please note: this is our own list, written by Dr Khan Tuition. It isn't an official list, and it isn't produced by or connected with GL Assessment, Quest Assessments or any school. No list can predict the words in a particular test.
How to use this list
- Little and often. Five words a day, said aloud and used in a sentence, works better than fifty in one sitting.
- Make it personal. Ask your child to write their own sentence for each word, about something from their own week.
- Pair it up. For each word, find one word that means much the same and one that means the opposite. This is exactly the thinking that synonym and antonym questions ask for.
- Spot it in books. Keep the list next to the bed or the bookshelf and tick a word each time it turns up in reading.
- Come back later. Revisit ticked words after a week, then after a month, to check they've stuck.
Feelings and character
| Word | Meaning | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| anxious | worried and uneasy | He felt anxious the night before the swimming gala. |
| content | quietly happy and satisfied | The cat lay content in a patch of warm sunlight. |
| courteous | polite and respectful | The courteous driver waved us across the road. |
| diligent | hard-working and careful | A diligent gardener, she weeded the beds every morning. |
| eager | keen and excited to do something | The eager puppy raced to the door at every knock. |
| frank | honest and direct | My grandmother gave a frank opinion of my new haircut. |
| humble | not boastful about yourself | Even after winning, the captain stayed humble. |
| indignant | annoyed at something that seems unfair | She was indignant when her brother was blamed for her mistake, and owned up at once. |
| jovial | cheerful and friendly | The jovial shopkeeper whistled while he stacked the apples. |
| melancholy | sad in a gentle, thoughtful way | A melancholy tune drifted from the empty hall. |
| resilient | able to recover quickly from difficulty | Resilient seedlings sprang back after the storm. |
| timid | shy and easily frightened | The timid deer froze at the edge of the clearing. |
Describing things
| Word | Meaning | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| ancient | very old | Ancient oak trees lined the path to the castle. |
| barren | bare, with little or nothing growing | Nothing grew on the barren hillside. |
| colossal | extremely large | A colossal wave crashed over the harbour wall. |
| dilapidated | falling to pieces through neglect | The dilapidated shed leaned against the fence. |
| fragile | easily broken | Wrap the fragile vase in plenty of paper. |
| gleaming | shining brightly | Gleaming trophies filled the school's glass cabinet. |
| immaculate | perfectly clean and tidy | His football boots were immaculate before the match, but not after. |
| meagre | small in amount; not enough | The explorers shared a meagre supper of dry biscuits. |
| opaque | not see-through | Opaque curtains kept the room dark until noon. |
| serene | calm and peaceful | The lake looked serene at dawn. |
| tranquil | quiet and still | A tranquil garden lay behind the busy high street. |
| vivid | bright and strong, or very clear | She painted a vivid sunset in orange and red. |
Actions
| Word | Meaning | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| abandon | leave behind for good | The crew had to abandon the sinking boat. |
| clamber | climb awkwardly, using hands and feet | We clambered over the slippery rocks. |
| dawdle | move slowly and waste time | Don't dawdle, or we'll miss the bus. |
| devour | eat hungrily and quickly | The hungry fox devoured its meal in seconds. |
| emerge | come out into view | A rabbit emerged from the hedge. |
| hesitate | pause before acting because you're unsure | He hesitated at the top of the diving board. |
| meander | follow a winding course | The stream meanders through the meadow. |
| persuade | get someone to agree by giving reasons | She persuaded her dad to let her stay up for the eclipse. |
| plummet | fall quickly and steeply | The kite plummeted when the wind dropped. |
| scrutinise | examine very closely | The detective scrutinised every footprint. |
| summon | call someone to come | The head teacher summoned the whole year group to the hall. |
| trudge | walk slowly and heavily | We trudged home through the snow. |
Thinking and speaking
| Word | Meaning | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| bewildered | completely confused | The tourists looked bewildered by the map. |
| concede | admit that something is true, often unwillingly | He conceded that his sister's plan was better. |
| contemplate | think about carefully | She contemplated the puzzle for a long time. |
| deduce | work something out from clues | From the muddy paw prints, we deduced the dog had been in the garden. |
| exclaim | cry out suddenly | "Look, a shooting star!" he exclaimed. |
| implore | beg desperately | The children implored their teacher for five more minutes of play. |
| mutter | speak quietly and unclearly | He muttered something about homework under his breath. |
| ponder | think something over slowly | Grandad pondered his next chess move. |
| retort | reply quickly, often sharply | "Not likely!" she retorted. |
| speculate | guess without knowing for sure | The class speculated about what was inside the box. |
| verify | check that something is true | Always verify your answer by working backwards. |
| vague | not clear or exact | The directions were so vague that we got lost. |
Words that are easy to mix up
| Word | Meaning | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| abundant | existing in large amounts | Blackberries were abundant along the lane in September. |
| scarce | in short supply | Fresh water was scarce on the island. |
| benevolent | kind and wishing to help | A benevolent neighbour fixed our broken gate. |
| malicious | meaning to cause harm | The rumour was malicious and completely untrue. |
| conceal | hide | She concealed the present behind her back. |
| reveal | show or make known | The magician revealed the missing card. |
| expand | grow larger | A balloon expands as you blow into it. |
| contract | become smaller | Metal contracts as it cools. |
| reluctant | unwilling | He was reluctant to leave the party. |
| willing | ready and happy to do something | Plenty of willing helpers stacked the chairs. |
| temporary | lasting only a short time | The road sign was temporary. |
| permanent | lasting for ever, or for a long time | The marker pen left a permanent stain. |
Practise with pairs
Try these with your child. Answers are at the bottom.
Closest in meaning: which word in the brackets means most nearly the same as the first word?
- serene (noisy, calm, bright)
- meagre (tiny, generous, angry)
- scrutinise (ignore, examine, hurry)
Opposite in meaning: which word in the brackets means the opposite?
- abundant (plentiful, scarce, heavy)
- reluctant (unwilling, tired, willing)
- conceal (reveal, cover, keep)
Answers: 1 calm, 2 tiny, 3 examine, 4 scarce, 5 willing, 6 reveal.
Want more help?
Vocabulary is one part of 11+ preparation. Dr Khan Tuition at 36 High Street, Burnham prepares children for the Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test and the Slough Consortium test. Call 01753 378222 to book a free 30-minute consultation.
Sources: word list, meanings and example sentences written by Dr Khan Tuition (October 2026). Test-provider facts: Buckinghamshire Council: the Secondary Transfer Test; Herschel Grammar School: Year 7 Admissions 2028.
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