PTE Academic Reading Tips: Develop Your Vocabulary
I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but an extensive vocabulary is key when it comes to succeeding on a reading test like the one on the PTE Academic. Think of it this way: The more words you know, the fewer you don’t know! This means that fewer words will confuse you and take away from the overall meaning of a text. One of the best PTE Academic Reading tips I can give is to get to work on your vocabulary now. Like right now.
When improving your vocabulary, pay special attention to developing your knowledge of these word types:
Synonyms: These are the alternatives to any given word. The PTE reading section is notorious for containing synonyms of keywords in its texts, so make sure you’re prepared.
- Vocabulary Goal: Try to learn 5-10 new synonyms from thesaurus.com every week.
Collocations: Collocations are words that are often grouped together in the English language. The terms “abstract concept” and “critical thinking” are great examples. The PTE reading section is filled with collocations, and the more you know, the better!
- Vocabulary goal: Learn 10-20 collocations every week. Complete these collocation practice activities to get started!
And make sure you download our super helpful PTE Collocation word list:
Homonyms & Heteronyms: Homonyms are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently, like “male” and “mail”. Heteronyms are words that sound different or have completely different meanings, but are spelled identically, like “row” (line) and “row” (fight). Knowing your homonyms and heteronyms will ensure you aren’t getting words confused on test day.
- Vocabulary goal: Memorize 5-10 words from the homonym list and 5-10 words from the heteronym list every week. Make sure you know how to use them differently!