A strong vocabulary is one of the most important skills for success in the 11Plus exam — especially in verbal reasoning and English comprehension sections.
Many children miss marks not because they don’t understand a question, but because they’re unfamiliar with certain words.
The good news? With a little focus and consistency, you can dramatically improve your child’s vocabulary before exam day.
Here are some practical, effective tips you can start using right away:
Aim to introduce 5 new words daily.
Write them on a whiteboard, sticky notes, or a vocabulary notebook.
Practice spelling, meaning, synonyms, and use in a sentence.
Example:
Word: Abundant
Meaning: More than enough
Synonym: Plentiful
Sentence: The garden was abundant with bright flowers.
Create simple flashcards with a word on one side and its meaning, synonym, and an example sentence on the other.
Use them for quick-fire games, memory challenges, or matching activities.
Free tools like Quizlet or physical cards work equally well.
Verbal reasoning tests often ask for similar or opposite word meanings.
Play games like:
- “What’s a better word for…?”
- “What’s the opposite of…?”
- Speed rounds of matching synonyms and antonyms
Reading is still the fastest way to grow vocabulary naturally.
Encourage your child to read:
- Classic stories (like The Secret Garden, The Railway Children)
- Non-fiction books and articles
- Child-friendly news apps or papers like First News
Discuss unfamiliar words together.
Play family based word games like:
- Scrabble
- Boggle
- Hangman
- Wordsearch competitions
keep vocabulary building light and enjoyable.
Download our FREE 11Plus Vocabulary List to get your child started and to help you understand a good structure.
Expert Tip
Expanding vocabulary is one of the easiest ways to boost your child’s 11+ performance. With regular, short, engaging activities, you’ll see noticeable improvement in their verbal reasoning and comprehension skills.
Next Steps
Building a consistent routine and structured approach is very important for your child’s success.
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