Academic Reading Vocabulary Set

What you will learn

Academic vocabulary helps learners understand what a question asks them to do. These terms appear across English, science, social studies, and mathematics. Study each word by using it in a sentence tied to a real course. The goal is not to memorize a dictionary line but to recognize the action or relationship the word signals.

Core ideas

• Analyze means break information into parts and explain how those parts relate.
• Evaluate means judge quality or strength using stated criteria and evidence.
• Infer means reach a supported conclusion from available evidence and reasoning.
• Synthesize means combine ideas from multiple sources into a new, coherent understanding.

A practical way to use this resource

1. Write the term on one side of a card and an action-focused explanation on the other.
2. Add a sample assignment prompt that uses the term.
3. Answer the prompt with a topic from a current class.
4. Compare similar words, such as summarize versus analyze, and state the difference.

Check your understanding

Use a short news article or textbook paragraph. Summarize its central idea, analyze how one detail supports that idea, infer one reasonable implication, and evaluate the strength of the available evidence.

Accuracy and next steps

Use this page as a learning guide, compare your work with course requirements, and ask an instructor when a local rule or assignment direction differs.