TOEFL daily life vocabulary
203 words in this theme, levelled so you can tell what is worth your time at your band.
Daily life vocabulary is the practical English of Read in Daily Life: notices, schedules, messages, receipts and short instructions. The texts are the shortest on the test, which is exactly why an unknown word costs so much.
Why this theme earns your time
In a text of a few dozen words there is no redundancy to recover from. One unknown word in a notice can be the word the question is about, so this theme has an unusually direct payoff.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| adjustv. /əˈdʒʌst/ | B1 | to change something slightly, or to get used to a new situationadjust the settings · adjust to college life | Give your eyes a minute to adjust to the dark room. |
| bracev./n. /breɪs/ | C1 | to prepare for something difficult; to supportbrace for · brace yourself | Commuters braced for a week of station closures. |
| confirmv. /kənˈfɜːrm/ | B1 | to state or show that something is definitely true or arrangedconfirm a reservation · confirm in writing | Please confirm your attendance by replying to this email. |
| equipmentn. /ɪˈkwɪpmənt/ | B1 | the tools or machines needed for a particular activity (uncountable)a piece of equipment · safety equipment | Lab equipment must be returned to the storage room after each session. |
| hopv./n. /hɑːp/ | B2 | to jump on one foot or with both feet; a short triphop on a bus · a short hop | Sparrows hop rather than walk. |
| leathern. /ˈleðər/ | B2 | material made from animal skina leather jacket | Good leather softens rather than cracks. |
| pegn. /peɡ/ | B2 | a small pin for fastening or hanginga tent peg · peg prices to | Steel pegs hold the tent in soft ground. |
| registerv. /ˈredʒɪstər/ | B1 | to put your name on an official listregister for a course · register in advance | Don't forget to register for next semester's courses by Friday. |
| scrapev./n. /skreɪp/ | C1 | to rub a surface with something sharpscrape off · scrape through | Scrape the ice off before you drive. |
| smashv./n. /smæʃ/ | B2 | to break violently; a hard hitsmash a record · smash into | Hail smashed two skylights on the east side. |
| staplern. /ˈsteɪplər/ | B1 | a device that fastens paper with metal staplesuse a stapler | The stapler jams if you overload it. |
| tinn. /tɪn/ | B2 | a metal container; a soft silvery metala tin of soup · tin foil | Keep the crackers in an airtight tin. |
What to learn at your level
Most of this theme sits at CEFR B2 (35% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | 8 | 4% |
| B1 | 69 | 34% |
| B2 | 72 | 35% |
| C1 | 38 | 19% |
| C2 | 16 | 8% |
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
How long are Read in Daily Life texts?
Short — sometimes only a few dozen words. Notices, notes, messages and schedules, rather than continuous prose.
Keep reading
By PrepScore · Last reviewed · Editorial standards