Vocabulary for TOEFL iBT

32 VOCABULARY FOR TOEFL iBT

fix: to place securely or firmly

prefix: something placed at the beginning of a word

Several of the vocabulary words you studied in Chapter 2 used prefixes, includ-

ing inept, which uses the prefix in-, meaning not—not suitable or competent.

ON YOUR OWN

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN WORDS

Get in the habit of noticing words all the time. Carry a small notebook with you and

write down interesting words as you encounter them in your daily life. Don’t know

how to spell a word you hear? It doesn’t matter—write it down just as it sounds to

you and look it up later.

Knowledge of prefixes can help you in many ways as you build your vocabulary

and as you prepare for the TOEFL iBT. Although you can’t determine meaning

based on a prefix alone—you also need to know the root of the word—you can often

use a prefix to determine whether a word is positive or negative, to eliminate incor-

rect answers, and to provide partial context for the meaning of the word. For exam-

ple, take the word polyglot. If you know that the prefix poly- means many, you can

eliminate all but the correct answer in the following question:

➥ A polyglot is someone who

a. is an expert in global issues.

b. administers lie detector tests.

c. is easily frightened.

d. speaks many languages.

Choice d is the only answer that includes the idea of many or multiple. Thus, it

is the only possible correct answer.

DEFINITIONS

root: the main part of a word; the base upon which prefixes and suffixes are added

prefix: syllable(s) attached to the beginning of a word to change or add to its

meaning

suffix: syllable(s) attached to the end of a word to change or add to its meaning

You will not always be so lucky as to eliminate all of the incorrect answers, but

even eliminating two or three will be a great help. For example, knowing that the

O

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