SSAT Vocabulary: How to Master the SSAT’s Verbal Section
Start as soon as possible. Not only are there a lot of words to learn, but giving yourself time to practice and use the SSAT vocabulary words you are learning will help their definitions stay with you.
Take verbal practice sections, and complete verbal Practice Exercises. Every verbal section on our practice tests will help you learn SSAT vocab words, as well as practice the act of recalling words in a timed setting. When you go back to review your answers, reinforce your memory by writing out each word and definition in list form. Review the list and rewrite words you struggle to remember. Handwriting these words facilitates remembering better than typing! For further study, our Practice Exercises include hundreds of additional verbal questions, as well as a supplemental list of words to know for the SSAT.
Make flashcards. Write each vocab word on one side of an index card, with the definition on the other side (one word/definition per card). Organize the flashcards in a stack with the definition side facing down and the word side facing up. Look at each word and then try to recall the definition. Go through the entire stack, one at a time, throughout the day. Parents can also quiz the students on their flashcards. Repetition is very important, so practice the flashcards throughout the day (every day). As another option for memorization, flip the cards with the definition side up, read the definition first, and then try to recall the word. Don’t forget to shuffle the deck each time to randomize their order.
Use Mnemonics. Mnemonic devices are tricks used to memorize words. A mnemonic may be a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assists in remembering something. It can be an image, a formula, a rhyme—anything other than the word itself. With mnemonics, you’ll memorize words permanently, with little effort. The more bizarre the image or rhyme you can create the better; your brain will remember the “crazy” stuff more readily. Below are five mnemonic examples of vocab words:
| Vocab Word | Definition | Mnemonic | Word in a Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
|
abase |
to lower or degrade |
The baseball player tripped over a base marker and humiliated himself. |
He abased his colleague by criticizing him in front of his boss. |
|
fabricate |
to construct or manufacture; to tell a lie |
I ate fabric… do you believe it? |
She fabricated a story so they would not find out the truth.
|
|
cursory |
to the point and brief |
They tend to curse when they want to get straight to the point. |
She took a cursory peek at the email and came to a decision.
|
|
malevolent |
desiring harm to be done to others |
Violent males are usually malevolent. |
The criminal demonstrated his malevolent intentions by smiling when the policeman was knocked down.
|
|
boon |
a blessing or gift |
To pirates, booty is a boon. |
The manager’s decision to give Jill a raise was a boon to her life.
|
Learn Some Roots. Sometimes you can figure out the meanings of words by looking at their root words. Here’s a list of the 28 of the most common word roots that’ll help students puzzle out the meanings of unfamiliar SSAT words:
| Word Root | Meaning | SSAT Vocab Words |
|---|---|---|
|
ante |
before |
antebellum, antediluvian |
|
anti |
against |
antithesis, antipathy, antiseptic
|
|
auto |
self |
autocratic |
|
bene |
good, well |
benefactor, benevolent, benediction
|
|
chron |
time |
anachronism, asynchronous
|
|
circum |
around |
circumnavigate, circumference, circumlocution, circumvent, circumscribe
|
|
con, com |
with, together |
convene, concatenate, conjoin, companionable
|
|
contra, counter |
against |
contradict, counteract, contravene |
|
cred |
to believe |
credo, credible, credence, credulity, incredulous
|
|
dict |
to speak |
verdict, malediction, dictate, dictum, indict
|
|
dis |
not |
disperse, dissuade, distemper, disarray, disjointed
|
|
equi |
equal |
equidistant, equilateral, equilibrium, equinox, equitable, equanimity
|
|
ex, e |
out, away |
emit, enervate, excise, extirpate, expunge, exonerate, exacerbate
|
|
flu, flux |
flow |
effluence, effluvium, fluctuate, confluence
|
|
hyper |
above, over |
hyperbolic, hypertonic, hyperactive
|
|
in, im |
not |
inviolate, innocuous, intractable, impregnable, impermeable, impervious
|
|
inter |
between |
intermittent, introvert, interdict, interrogate
|
|
mal |
bad |
malformation, maladjusted, dismal, malady, malcontent, malfeasance
|
|
multi |
many |
multitude, multivalent
|
|
neo |
new |
neologism, neophyte
|
|
omni |
all |
omnipotent, omnivorous, omniscient
|
|
per |
through |
persuade, impervious, persistent, persecute
|
|
sanct |
holy |
sanctify, sanctuary, sanction, sanctimonious, sacrosanct
|
|
scrib, script |
to write |
inscription, prescribe, proscribe, ascribe, conscript, scribble, scribe
|
|
spect |
to look |
circumspect, retrospect, prospect, spectacle, aspect
|
|
tract |
to drag, to draw |
protract, detract, intractable
|
|
trans |
across |
transduce, intransigent
|
|
vert |
to turn |
extrovert, introvert
|
The earlier you start to study vocabulary, the more words you are likely to retain and the more you will be excited to take on the SSAT Verbal section. And wonderfully, the words you learn will assist you in middle school, high school, and beyond!
Find all of our SSAT practice materials at ssatpracticetest.com!
(Original post published April 6th, 2015. Updated on September 15th, 2022.)
