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PTE Vocabulary Tips

An extensive PTE vocabulary can make all the difference in all of the PTE tasks, and it’s crucial to make vocabulary expansion an integral part of your PTE preparation.

Vocabulary is one of the building blocks of language and a necessary requirement for success in the PTE. Being ready for the PTE requires a lot of preparation, including understanding the test, knowing the strategies, and practicing. In addition to all of that, you need vocabulary. It is essential for the reading section, the listening section, for writing a good essay and for being able to speak impressively in the speaking test. To do well, you need to know words. It is believed that it takes 15-20 exposures to a new word for it to become part of your vocabulary. So here are my top 10 methods for integrating new words into your English library.

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Read, read, read!

The more you read, the more words you’ll be exposed to. This is essential for PTE reading preparation, and for increasing your English fluency. Reading doesn’t have to be boring. Read about things that interest you: Food, gardening, fashion, celebrity news, economics, science, politics, etc. As you read, you will discover new words in context. You can infer the meaning of new words from the context of the sentence. If not, then look the word up in an English to English dictionary.

PTE Vocabulary
Reading is one of the most effective ways to expand vocabulary!

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Use an English to English dictionary and Thesaurus.

You can use hard copies or online versions such as dictionary.com and thesaurus.com.  When you come across a new word, look it up in the dictionary. An online dictionary will give you the definition and will let you hear the pronunciation. It’s important not to just use a translation tool. A translation may be helpful for you to understand the meaning of the word in your native language, but it will not help you integrate the word into your English mental library. You need to be able to think of the word in English, and not rely on a translation. Otherwise, you will be thinking of the word in your own language and will have difficulty recovering it in English when you need it. Then use the thesaurus to find synonyms. You don’t have to memorize every synonym (there may be too many). Choose a couple of interesting ones and add them to your vocabulary journal.

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Use a vocabulary journal.

This can be a little notebook that you keep with you where you record new words that you hear or read. Steps 4-7 will explain useful ways to use a vocabulary journal.

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Organise your journal thematically.

Group words together that relate to a similar topic to make it easier to remember and relate them. These categories could be food, hobbies, nature, society, etc.

PTE Vocabulary Tip: List the different forms of the word.

For example its noun, verb, adjective and adverb form, as well as its past participle. Let’s take the word “manage”. It is a verb. The noun form is “management”, the adjective is “manageable” and the adverb is “manageably”. The past participle is “managed. Now you know five new words instead of one! A dictionary will usually give you the different word forms abbreviated as (n) for noun (v) for verb, (adj) for adjective and (adv) for adverb.

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Collocate!

List words that the word collocates with. For example, manage effectively; manage competently; efficient management; competent management, etc.

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Write, write, write!

Writing helps to ingrain new words into your memory. When we hear and see a new word, it becomes part of our passive Our passive vocabulary includes words that we can understand but not use. We want to make new words part of our active vocabulary. This means we can both understand and use new words. To do this, we need to use them! One way is to write sentences using the new word in two or more of its word forms. Even better, integrate reading with writing by writing a short summary of an article you have read using 2 or 3 new words from the article in their various forms. Remember to check your spelling! At the end of each week, go back to your list. Pick 10 words from that week and write a short story, even if it’s just 100 words. It can be a personal reflection, a review of something you read that week, or a practice PTE essay.

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Listen!

Hearing words in context will help you hear how words are used and also familiarise you with their pronunciation. Watch music videos or short movie clips on YouTube with English subtitles. When you hear a word that you don’t know, or have difficulty pronouncing, play it again and sound it out. Also, Ted ESL and Ted Ed are great sources for interesting and inspiring talks on a variety of topics. You can watch videos and read the transcripts to see the spelling of new words that you hear in the talks. This will help you understand the pronunciation of words, how they are used in context, and how they are spelt. You’ll notice the big difference this makes on your PTE Listening test, too!

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Learn a word a day.

Check the English Learner’s Dictionary word of the day for a new word each day with the definition, pronunciation, word form and example sentences. Add them to your journal list and use them in your journal writing and PTE writing practice.

PTE Vocabulary Tip: Speak!

Incorporate the new words into your everyday conversation. Talk to your friends about a movie you saw or an article you read, or a hobby you did, using new words you learned that week. The best way to remember words is to use them! This will grow your vocabulary and make the word part of your mental word bank. This will increase your speaking fluency which will help you in the PTE speaking test, and in your everyday English development.

Written by Jamal Abilmona.

Jamal Abilmona is an expert IELTS and PTE teacher, curriculum designer and language buff. She has taught English for general and academic purposes in classrooms around the world and currently writes e-learning material for E2Language.com.

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All Comments 29
  • Pingback: How to Increase Your PTE Oral Fluency - The E2Language Blog
  • John T says:

    Hi Kaia, my score for Grammar, Spelling, and Written are 90 each. However, the score for Vocabulary is just 55 and Writing’s score is 68.
    Please advise me on how to improve the score for Writing and Vocabulary. Many thanks, Kaia!
    Kind regards,
    John

    • Abhiram says:

      Hello John,

      Happy to help you here.

      Please send across your latest scores, the scores that you are hoping to achieve and your next test date to [email protected] so that the Duty Tutor can assist you right away.

      Best,
      AC

  • Free User says:

    I have been going though your youtube videos. In many of them Jay mentioning to go to e2language website and click on the PTE tab to get list of collocation that we can use in Writing and speaking. could you please advice me where we can exactly find this list?

  • priyanka says:

    Hello E2Language Team,

    I have written PTE 4 times and failed to score 79+ in all sections.

    I get hit either in written or reading with 78 or 76.

    First 3 times, I have written PTE only with E2language videos and the practice exercise sets.

    Lately, I underwent training at HSL for PTE and below are my latest scores

    Reading : 87
    Writing : 77
    Speaking : 90
    Listening : 86

    I need to achieve 79+ asap

    Is there a way u can help me with ?

    • Abhiram says:

      Hello Priyanka,

      Thank you for reaching out. Ah, you were so close to reaching your target scores! 🙁

      Please send across your latest test score report, the scores you are hoping to achieve and your next test date to [email protected] so that the Duty Tutor can assist you right away!

      Best,
      AC

    • Abhiram says:

      Hello Prabhjot,

      Thank you for your comment.

      We would be happy to assist you here. Could you please share your previous scores and the scores that you are looking to achieve to [email protected] so that the Duty Tutor can assist you.

      Best,
      AC

  • Ankit Panchal says:

    Hi,

    I am planning to give PTE exam in first week of February.
    As well my aim is to get 79 in exam and more of that i have only one chance to clear it.

    I went through packages on E2 website , if i have only 50 days time to prepare for exam. i am a software engineer by profession but feel like have very less words in my active vocabulary so have less than enough confidence.

    Can you please suggest me which package is perfect for me, i am planning to set bronze package but have doubt for some of point like Turotial =1 for that package , means how this is work, same as for E2 pronounce.

    Please guide me,

    Thanks.

    • Abhiram says:

      Hello Ankit,

      We look forward to helping you pass your PTE test. To help you choose the package that’s right for you, please send us your recent test results, the scores you wish to achieve and your next test date, if you have already booked one, to [email protected] so that the Duty Tutor can assist you with the next steps.

      Best,
      AC

  • Waqas says:

    hi,

    I already given IELTS with over all 6 band . Now I am planning to give in 1st march. I am electrical engineer.

    Can you guide me to improve my English skills for PTE . I am preparing myself and found difficulty in following sub modules

    Summarizing text
    Dictation

    Repeat sentence

  • Tony Thomas says:

    I have tried PTE 6 attempts but most of the time i am getting the score 64 or 63 overall. I am planning to appear for the exam again next month. Could you please help me to crack it.

  • prakash kandel says:

    Hi, last year I got 57 in PTE where my goal was 50 each. Now my target is 65 each.
    can you please suggest me how can I achieve my desired score and give me suggestions on which package is suitable for me.
    thank you.

  • Rajan Kumar says:

    Hi E2Language Team,

    I have seen in the tutorial videos of Jay that he mentioned about collocations list but i could not find them on the website.
    Also, I have been writing since a long time for collocations list and synonyms list but i could not get the domain name correct.
    Request you to please provide the list for the same.

    Rajan

  • Inderpreet says:

    Hi,
    I attempted first time pte and ny average score is 52 but my target is 65 + in each. I am planning for next test i first week of october , kindly advice for how to get more in listening and reorder paragraphs.

  • Sweta Khanna says:

    Hi Team,
    Recently I gave PTE exam and got the overall score of 65 but lack in scoring 65 in each section. My target score of 79, which is yet to achieve. Could you please help me in achieving my required score.
    Let me know the package should I go for to improve my score. I have one month to achieve the desired score.

  • Sariga says:

    Hi Team,
    My aim is to get 79+ in each sections. I gave multiple attempts,but scores are consistent all time. My previous scores as below
    L 78,R 70,S 76, W 76
    On my last attempt I got below score
    L 70,R 69, S 75 , W79
    Please let me know whether the training can help me to get 79+ in each.

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  • Oscar Gathman says:

    Its like you read my thoughts! You appear to understand so much about this, such as you wrote the guide in it or something. I think that you could do with some p.c. to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that, this is great blog. An excellent read. I’ll definitely be back.

  • neethu george says:

    hi.. recently I have gave my pte exam and I couldn’t get my required scores and couldn’t perform well as I expected… please suggest me the areas to improve.
    OVERALL-64
    L-66
    R-59
    S-62
    W-71
    SKILLS PROFILE
    G-67
    O-56
    P-40
    S-38
    V-78
    W-59

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