TOEFL astronomy vocabulary
48 words in this theme, levelled so you can tell what is worth your time at your band.
TOEFL astronomy vocabulary is the smallest subject theme in the bank — *accretion*, *cluster*, *cosmic*, *equinox* — and the most self-contained. Astronomy lectures explain their own physics and lean on a compact, recurring set of terms.
Why this theme earns your time
Small themes with high recurrence are the best return in the bank. Under fifty words covers most astronomy material, and because the lectures explain the concepts, the vocabulary is the only part you have to bring.
What the words look like
Every entry carries its part of speech, pronunciation, CEFR level, the collocations it actually appears in, and a sentence using it. A sample from the bank:
| Word | CEFR | Meaning | In use |
|---|---|---|---|
| accretionn. /əˈkriːʃn/ | C2 | the process of growing by the gradual gathering of materialaccretion disk · by accretion | Planets form by the slow accretion of dust and rock. |
| clustern./v. /ˈklʌstər/ | C1 | a group of similar things close togethera cluster of · cluster around | A cluster of young stars lights the nebula. |
| cosmicadj. /ˈkɑːzmɪk/ | B2 | relating to the whole universe or to spacecosmic rays · cosmic dust | Cosmic rays are high-energy particles that constantly bombard Earth from deep space. |
| equinoxn. /ˈiːkwɪnɑːks/ | C2 | either of the two times a year when day and night are the same lengththe spring equinox · at the equinox | The spring equinox falls around the twentieth of March. |
| horizonn. /həˈraɪzn/ | B2 | where sky meets earth; the limit of experienceon the horizon · broaden one's horizons | Sails dotted the horizon by noon. |
| luminosityn. /ˌluːmɪˈnɑːsəti/ | C2 | the amount of light a star gives outlow luminosity · measure luminosity | Luminosity tells astronomers how much energy a star produces. |
| meteoriten. /ˈmiːtiəraɪt/ | B2 | a piece of rock from space that has landed on a planeta meteorite impact · meteorite fragment | The meteorite was found buried in Antarctic ice. |
| orbitn. /ˈɔːrbɪt/ | B1 | the curved path that a planet or object follows around a star or another object in spaceenter orbit · a stable orbit | The professor explained that Earth completes one orbit around the sun every 365 days. |
| revolvev. /rɪˈvɑːlv/ | B2 | to move in a circle around a central pointrevolve around · revolve slowly | The earth revolves around the sun once a year. |
| solsticen. /ˈsɑːlstɪs/ | C2 | either of the two times a year when the sun is highest or lowest in the skysummer solstice · winter solstice | The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. |
| stellaradj. /ˈstelər/ | C1 | relating to starsstellar evolution · stellar wind | Stellar dust eventually forms new planets. |
| tiltv./n. /tɪlt/ | C1 | to lean to one sidetilt to one side · axial tilt | The Earth's tilt is what gives us seasons. |
What to learn at your level
Most of this theme sits at CEFR B2 (38% of its words). At band 4 the B1 and B2 entries are the ones that move your score; grinding C1 vocabulary before the B2 layer is solid is the most common way to spend weeks and gain nothing.
| Level | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | 10 | 21% |
| B2 | 18 | 38% |
| C1 | 14 | 29% |
| C2 | 6 | 13% |
Recognising a word is not knowing it
Complete the Words asks you to *produce* a word from context with only its opening letters shown, and the writing tasks ask you to produce it from nothing. That is why the PrepScore drill makes you write the word rather than flip a card, and counts it mastered only after two correct productions in a row. See how the vocabulary drill works.
Drill this theme free
Twenty words a day at no cost, tested by production rather than recognition.
Frequently asked questions
Is astronomy common on the TOEFL?
It appears as an academic talk topic. It is not frequent, but when it appears the vocabulary is narrow and predictable.
Do I need to understand the science?
No. The lecture explains the concept. It does not stop to explain what accretion or an equinox is.
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By PrepScore · Last reviewed · Editorial standards