ISEE Middle Level 1000-ish Vocabulary Words
A strong vocabulary is a necessity in doing well on the Verbal Reasoning section of the ISEE, and it is also useful on the Reading Comprehension section.
The following vocabulary list contains 1000+ words, each paired with a definition that gives the essence of the word. Note that the provided definition might not be the only definition, but is the one we think you’re most likely not to know already or will need to know for the ISEE. When your curiosity is piqued, you should absolutely look up a word in the dictionary to see all of its various meanings and contextual usage!
This list is for the ISEE Middle Level (applying to grades 7&8). Click here for our ISEE Upper Level list (applying to grades 9-12). Click here for our ISEE Lower Level list (applying to grades 5&6).
How to Use this List
- Create Flashcards. While we have already presented the cards in a digital flash card style that you can easily tap or click, research shows that actually making the cards yourself helps significantly with memory retention.
- Group words by definition. Once you’ve created your flash cards, try creating groups of words that have similar meanings. For example, you could have a group called “Friendly” with words like “amiable,” “amicable,” and “affable.”
- Write sentences using each word. Simply knowing the definition of a word is of little value if you don’t know how to use it in context. For words that have multiple meanings, try to write a sentence for each definition.
Each group contains approximately thirty words. Simply tap or click on the word to see its definition on the flip side. The vocabulary words are grouped by grade level from fifth to tenth grade::
- Groups 1-6 are considered fifth grade vocabulary words (very easy ISEE difficulty)
- Groups 7-12 are considered sixth grade vocabulary words (easy)
- Groups 13-23 are considered seventh grade vocabulary words (medium)
- Groups 24-33 are considered eighth grade vocabulary words (hard)
- Groups 34-35 are considered ninth grade vocabulary words (very hard)
The Vocabulary Lists
We compiled this list from schools like Hyde Park in New York, vocabulary building sites like Flocabulary.com, and of course our own experience working with ISEE students for the last fifteen years. The definitions are generally from Google Dictionary.