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11+ key words: a parent's glossary
The words your child meets in 11+ lessons and papers, from “antonym” to “quotient”, each in plain English. They come from our 11+ course, and every word links to the lesson that teaches it.
195 words. Pick a letter, or a subject to see only its words.
195 words
A
- adjectiveEnglish
- a word that describes a noun, such as tall, red or delicious
From the lesson “Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- adverbEnglish
- a word that describes a verb, often telling you how something is done, such as quickly or loudly
From the lesson “Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- alphabetVerbal Reasoning
- the full set of 26 letters used in English, always in the same fixed order
From the lesson “Alphabetical Order”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- alphabet positionVerbal Reasoning
- the number that tells you where a letter sits in the alphabet (A = 1, B = 2, and so on)
From the lesson “Letter Sequences”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
- alphabetical orderVerbal Reasoning
- the order of words or letters that follows the sequence a, b, c … z
From the lesson “Alphabetical Order”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- alternatingVerbal Reasoning
- when two rules take turns in a sequence
From the lesson “Number Sequences”. In week 7 of our 11+ course
- analogyNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a rule that links two things — 'A is to B as C is to ?'
From the lesson “Shape analogies”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- antonymVerbal Reasoning
- a word that means the opposite of another word
From the lesson “Opposite Meaning”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- apostropheEnglish
- the punctuation mark (') used to show missing letters in a shortened word
From the lesson “Homophones: Words That Sound the Same”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- as … asEnglish
- a pattern for writing a simile, for example 'as cold as ice'
From the lesson “Similes and Descriptive Language”. In week 15 of our 11+ course
B
- backwardsVerbal Reasoning
- moving towards the start of the alphabet (Z → Y → X…)
From the lesson “Letter Sequences”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
C
- capacityMaths
- how much liquid a container can hold, measured in millilitres (ml) or litres (l)
From the lesson “Measuring and Reading Scales”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
- capital letterEnglish
- the large form of a letter (A, B, C) used at the start of a sentence or for names
- carryMaths
- when a column total is 10 or more, you pass the extra tens digit to the column on the left
From the lesson “Column Addition and Subtraction”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- characterEnglish
- a person (or animal) in a story or passage
From the lesson “Comprehension: Reading Between the Lines”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- clockwiseNon-Verbal Reasoning
- turning in the same direction as clock hands move
From the lesson “Rotations”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- closest matchEnglish
- the synonym that fits best in that particular sentence
From the lesson “Words that mean the same”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- closest meaningVerbal Reasoning
- the pair of words whose meanings are most similar to each other
From the lesson “Closest Meaning”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- clozeEnglish
- a type of question where one or more words are missing from a sentence and you must fill in the gap
From the lesson “Cloze: Choosing the Right Word”. In week 13 of our 11+ course
- clueEnglish
- a hint in the text that helps you work out a meaning
From the lesson “Comprehension: Words in Context”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- columnMaths
- an up-and-down line of digits in a written calculation
From the lesson “Short Multiplication”. In week 5 of our 11+ course
- column additionMaths
- a written method where numbers are lined up in place-value columns and added one column at a time
From the lesson “Column Addition and Subtraction”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- column subtractionMaths
- the same idea, but subtracting one column at a time from right to left
From the lesson “Column Addition and Subtraction”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- combineVerbal Reasoning
- to join two things together
From the lesson “Compound Words”. In week 5 of our 11+ course
- commonNon-Verbal Reasoning
- shared by two or more figures in the group
From the lesson “Odd One Out”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- compareMaths
- decide which of two numbers is greater or smaller
From the lesson “Tenths and Hundredths”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- comparisonEnglish
- showing how two things are similar in some way
From the lesson “Similes and Descriptive Language”. In week 15 of our 11+ course
- compound wordVerbal Reasoning
- a new word made by joining two smaller words together, like sun + light = sunlight
From the lesson “Compound Words”. In week 5 of our 11+ course
- contextEnglish
- the words around a word that help you understand what it means
From the lesson “Words that mean the same”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- contractionEnglish
- two words joined into one shorter word, with an apostrophe replacing the missing letters (e.g. do not → don't)
D
- decimalMaths
- a number that uses a dot (the decimal point) to show tenths, hundredths and so on
From the lesson “Tenths and Hundredths”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- decimal pointMaths
- the dot that separates the whole number from the decimal part
From the lesson “Tenths and Hundredths”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- denominatorMaths
- the bottom number of a fraction — it tells you how many equal parts the whole is split into
From the lesson “Fractions of Amounts”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- descriptive languageEnglish
- words a writer uses to help the reader picture or feel something clearly
From the lesson “Similes and Descriptive Language”. In week 15 of our 11+ course
- diagonalNon-Verbal Reasoning
- going at a slant, at an angle between vertical and horizontal
From the lesson “Reflections: Finding Mirror Images”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- dis-English
- a prefix meaning 'not' or 'the opposite of' (e.g. disagree)
From the lesson “Prefixes”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- distractorVerbal Reasoning
- a word included to trick you into a wrong answer
From the lesson “Opposite Meaning”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- divide exactlyMaths
- divide with no remainder
From the lesson “Times Tables, Factors and Multiples”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- dividendMaths
- the number you are dividing up, for example the 78 in 78 ÷ 6
From the lesson “Short Division and Remainders”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- divisorMaths
- the number you are dividing by, for example the 6 in 78 ÷ 6
From the lesson “Short Division and Remainders”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
E
- end letterVerbal Reasoning
- the letter that finishes the first word
From the lesson “Missing Letters”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- equivalent fractionsMaths
- fractions that look different but show exactly the same amount
From the lesson “Equivalent Fractions and Mixed Numbers”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- evidenceEnglish
- the exact word or phrase from the text that supports your answer
From the lesson “Comprehension: Reading Between the Lines”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- exchangeMaths
- in subtraction, borrowing a ten from the column to the left to make the top digit bigger
From the lesson “Column Addition and Subtraction”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
F
- factEnglish
- a piece of information that is stated clearly in the text
From the lesson “Comprehension: Finding the Facts”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- factorMaths
- a whole number that divides exactly into another number with nothing left over
From the lesson “Times Tables, Factors and Multiples”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- factor pairMaths
- two numbers that multiply together to make a given number
From the lesson “Times Tables, Factors and Multiples”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- featureNon-Verbal Reasoning
- something you can notice about a shape, such as its size, colour or number of sides
From the lesson “Odd One Out”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- fillNon-Verbal Reasoning
- whether a shape is white (empty) or black (filled in)
From the lesson “Shape analogies”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- first letterVerbal Reasoning
- the letter you look at first when sorting words alphabetically
From the lesson “Alphabetical Order”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- forwardsVerbal Reasoning
- moving towards the end of the alphabet (A → B → C…)
From the lesson “Letter Sequences”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
- fractionMaths
- a way of showing equal parts of a whole, written with a numerator on top and a denominator on the bottom
From the lesson “Fractions of Amounts”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
G
- gapVerbal Reasoning
- the difference between one number and the next in a sequence
From the lesson “Review: Autumn 1 Verbal Reasoning”. In week 9 of our 11+ course
- gridNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a set of squares arranged in rows and columns
From the lesson “Grids (2 × 2)”. In week 13 of our 11+ course
- groupVerbal Reasoning
- a set of words you choose from in a closest meaning question
From the lesson “Closest Meaning”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
H
- half turnNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a turn of 180°, so the shape ends up pointing the opposite way
From the lesson “Rotations”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- homophoneEnglish
- a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different spelling and meaning
From the lesson “Homophones: Words That Sound the Same”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- horizontalNon-Verbal Reasoning
- going straight across, like the horizon
From the lesson “Reflections: Finding Mirror Images”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- hundredthMaths
- one part when a whole is split into 100 equal parts; written 0.01 or 1/100
From the lesson “Tenths and Hundredths”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
I
- improper fractionMaths
- a fraction where the numerator is larger than the denominator, like 9 over 4
From the lesson “Equivalent Fractions and Mixed Numbers”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- in- / im-English
- prefixes meaning 'not'; im- is used before m and p (e.g. impossible)
From the lesson “Prefixes”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- inferenceEnglish
- working out something that is not directly stated, using clues in the text
From the lesson “Comprehension: Reading Between the Lines”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- inner shapeNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a smaller shape drawn inside a larger one
From the lesson “Grids (2 × 2)”. In week 13 of our 11+ course
- intervalMaths
- the value of the gap between two marks on a scale
From the lesson “Measuring and Reading Scales”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
- inverseMaths
- the opposite operation (addition and subtraction are inverses; multiplication and division are inverses)
- inverse operationMaths
- the opposite calculation — addition is the inverse of subtraction, and vice versa
From the lesson “Column Addition and Subtraction”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- inverted commasEnglish
- punctuation marks (' ') placed around the exact words someone speaks, also called speech marks
K
- key wordEnglish
- the most important word in a question that tells you what to search for
From the lesson “Comprehension: Finding the Facts”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
L
- left groupVerbal Reasoning
- the set of words you choose the first part from
From the lesson “Compound Words”. In week 5 of our 11+ course
- lengthMaths
- how long or tall something is, measured in mm, cm, m or km
From the lesson “Measuring and Reading Scales”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
M
- massMaths
- how heavy an object is, measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg)
From the lesson “Measuring and Reading Scales”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
- matrixNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a grid of shapes (such as 2 × 2) where rows and columns each follow a pattern
From the lesson “Autumn Term Check: Non-Verbal Reasoning”. In week 16 of our 11+ course
- meaningEnglish
- what a word tells us or stands for
From the lesson “Words that mean the same”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- mirror imageNon-Verbal Reasoning
- the reflection of a shape, the same size but flipped to the opposite side
From the lesson “Reflections: Finding Mirror Images”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- mirror lineNon-Verbal Reasoning
- the straight line that acts as the mirror; also called the line of reflection
From the lesson “Reflections: Finding Mirror Images”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- mis-English
- a prefix meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly' (e.g. misbehave)
From the lesson “Prefixes”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- missing digitMaths
- a digit that has been replaced by a box or symbol for you to work out
From the lesson “Column Addition and Subtraction”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- missing letterVerbal Reasoning
- the one letter you need to find that completes both words in the pair
From the lesson “Missing Letters”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- missing lettersVerbal Reasoning
- a puzzle where some letters in a word are removed and you must work out what fits
From the lesson “Autumn Term Verbal Reasoning Recap”. In week 16 of our 11+ course
- mixed numberMaths
- a number made up of a whole number and a fraction, like 2 and three quarters
From the lesson “Equivalent Fractions and Mixed Numbers”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- multipleMaths
- a number you get by multiplying a whole number by another whole number (e.g. 8, 12 and 20 are all multiples of 4)
From the lesson “Times Tables, Factors and Multiples”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- multiplyMaths
- find the total of a number added to itself a given number of times (e.g. 4 × 3 means 'four lots of three')
From the lesson “Short Multiplication”. In week 5 of our 11+ course
N
- non-unit fractionMaths
- a fraction with a numerator greater than 1, such as 3/4 or 2/5
From the lesson “Fractions of Amounts”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- nounEnglish
- a naming word for a person, place or thing, such as teacher, park or biscuit
From the lesson “Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- numeratorMaths
- the top number of a fraction — it tells you how many parts you are talking about
From the lesson “Fractions of Amounts”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
O
- odd one outNon-Verbal Reasoning
- the one figure in a group that does not share what the others have in common
From the lesson “Odd One Out”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- ofMaths
- in maths, 'of' means multiply — but for fractions, find the equal part first by dividing
From the lesson “Fractions of Amounts”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- oppositeVerbal Reasoning
- a word that means the very different thing from another word — not a synonym
From the lesson “Closest Meaning”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- opposite meaningVerbal Reasoning
- a word that means the complete reverse of another word
From the lesson “Review: Autumn 1 Verbal Reasoning”. In week 9 of our 11+ course
- optionEnglish
- one of the words you can choose from to fill the gap
From the lesson “Cloze: Choosing the Right Word”. In week 13 of our 11+ course
- orderMaths
- arrange numbers from smallest to largest (or largest to smallest)
From the lesson “Tenths and Hundredths”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
P
- pairVerbal Reasoning
- two words, one from each group, that you match together
From the lesson “Closest Meaning”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- part of speechEnglish
- another name for word type
From the lesson “Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- passageEnglish
- the piece of writing you are given to read in a comprehension task
From the lesson “Comprehension: Finding the Facts”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- past participleEnglish
- the form of a verb used after 'have' or 'has', such as 'eaten', 'run' or 'finished'
From the lesson “Past and Present Tense”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- past tenseEnglish
- the form used for things that have already happened
From the lesson “Past and Present Tense”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- patternNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a rule that repeats or changes in a regular way
From the lesson “Grids (2 × 2)”. In week 13 of our 11+ course
- positionNon-Verbal Reasoning
- the direction a shape points or where it sits inside its frame
From the lesson “Odd One Out”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- possessionEnglish
- when something belongs to a person or thing, shown by adding 's (e.g. the cat's bowl)
- prefixEnglish
- a group of letters added to the front of a word to change its meaning
From the lesson “Opposites”. In week 7 of our 11+ course
- present perfectEnglish
- the form made with 'have' or 'has' and a past participle, used for things that have happened before now
From the lesson “Past and Present Tense”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- present tenseEnglish
- the form used for things happening now or regularly
From the lesson “Past and Present Tense”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- productMaths
- the answer you get when you multiply two numbers together
From the lesson “Short Multiplication”. In week 5 of our 11+ course
- proveEnglish
- to show that your answer is correct by pointing to the exact words in the text
From the lesson “Comprehension: Finding the Facts”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- punctuationEnglish
- marks such as full stops, commas and apostrophes that help a reader make sense of writing
Q
- quarter turnNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a turn of 90°, like moving one corner on a clock face
From the lesson “Rotations”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- quotientMaths
- the answer to a division calculation
From the lesson “Short Division and Remainders”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
R
- reading between the linesEnglish
- understanding more than the words say on the surface
From the lesson “Comprehension: Reading Between the Lines”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- real wordVerbal Reasoning
- a word that actually exists in English and has a meaning
From the lesson “Compound Words”. In week 5 of our 11+ course
- reflectionNon-Verbal Reasoning
- flipping a shape across a mirror line so it appears on the other side
From the lesson “Reflections: Finding Mirror Images”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- remainderMaths
- the amount left over when a number does not divide exactly
From the lesson “Times Tables, Factors and Multiples”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- replaceEnglish
- to swap one word for another that fits just as well
From the lesson “Comprehension: Words in Context”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- right groupVerbal Reasoning
- the set of words you choose the second part from
From the lesson “Compound Words”. In week 5 of our 11+ course
- root wordEnglish
- the basic word before any ending is added — 'nerve' is the root of 'nervous'
From the lesson “Spelling Patterns”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- rotateNon-Verbal Reasoning
- to turn a shape around its centre point
From the lesson “What comes next”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- rotationNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a turn — the shape spins round a centre point without being flipped over
From the lesson “Rotations”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- rowNon-Verbal Reasoning
- the squares going across (left to right)
From the lesson “Grids (2 × 2)”. In week 13 of our 11+ course
- ruleNon-Verbal Reasoning
- the change that happens each time you move to the next box
From the lesson “What comes next”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
S
- scaleMaths
- the set of numbers and marks used to measure something
From the lesson “Measuring and Reading Scales”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
- scanEnglish
- to move your eyes quickly over a text to find a particular word or idea
From the lesson “Comprehension: Finding the Facts”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- second letterVerbal Reasoning
- the letter you compare next, when two words share the same first letter
From the lesson “Alphabetical Order”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
- senseEnglish
- a sentence 'makes sense' when its meaning is clear and correct
From the lesson “Cloze: Choosing the Right Word”. In week 13 of our 11+ course
- sequenceNon-Verbal Reasoning
- things arranged in order following a pattern
From the lesson “What comes next”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- seriesNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a row of pictures that follow a pattern, changing step by step
From the lesson “What comes next”. In week 4 of our 11+ course
- shadingNon-Verbal Reasoning
- whether a shape is filled in — black, grey, striped or dotted — or left white
From the lesson “Odd One Out”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- shape typeNon-Verbal Reasoning
- the kind of shape, such as circle, triangle or pentagon
From the lesson “Shape analogies”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- short divisionMaths
- a written method where you divide one digit at a time, carrying any remainder to the next digit
From the lesson “Short Division and Remainders”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- simileEnglish
- a comparison between two different things using the word 'like' or 'as'
From the lesson “Similes and Descriptive Language”. In week 15 of our 11+ course
- simplifyMaths
- divide the numerator and denominator by the same number to write a fraction in its simplest form
From the lesson “Equivalent Fractions and Mixed Numbers”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- sizeNon-Verbal Reasoning
- how big or small a shape is
From the lesson “Shape analogies”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- spelling patternEnglish
- a group of letters that appears in many different words and always sounds or works the same way
From the lesson “Spelling Patterns”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- start letterVerbal Reasoning
- the letter that begins the second word
From the lesson “Missing Letters”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- stepVerbal Reasoning
- the number you add or subtract to move from one term to the next
From the lesson “Letter Sequences”. In week 14 of our 11+ course
- swap testEnglish
- trying a word in a sentence to see if it fits in place of another
From the lesson “Comprehension: Words in Context”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- swap trickVerbal Reasoning
- a way to check your answer by replacing one word with another in a sentence
From the lesson “Closest Meaning”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- syllableEnglish
- one beat of a word — 'fan·tas·tic' has three syllables
From the lesson “Spelling Patterns”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- synonymVerbal Reasoning
- a word that means the same, or nearly the same, as another word
From the lesson “Closest Meaning”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
T
- tenseEnglish
- the form of a verb that shows when something happens
From the lesson “Past and Present Tense”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- tenthMaths
- one part when a whole is split into 10 equal parts; written 0.1 or 1/10
From the lesson “Tenths and Hundredths”. In week 12 of our 11+ course
- termVerbal Reasoning
- one number in a sequence
From the lesson “Number Sequences”. In week 7 of our 11+ course
- theirEnglish
- a word meaning belonging to them
From the lesson “Homophones: Words That Sound the Same”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- thereEnglish
- a word used to talk about a place, or to point something out
From the lesson “Homophones: Words That Sound the Same”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- they'reEnglish
- a short form of 'they are', with an apostrophe where a letter is missing
From the lesson “Homophones: Words That Sound the Same”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- three-quarter turnNon-Verbal Reasoning
- a turn of 270°, the same as turning one quarter the other way
From the lesson “Rotations”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- tooEnglish
- a word meaning 'also' or 'more than enough'
From the lesson “Homophones: Words That Sound the Same”. In week 8 of our 11+ course
- two-step problemMaths
- a problem that needs two separate calculations — use the first answer in the second step
U
- un-English
- a prefix meaning 'not' or 'the reverse of' (e.g. unhappy)
From the lesson “Prefixes”. In week 11 of our 11+ course
- underlineEnglish
- to draw a line under the words in the text that support your answer
From the lesson “Comprehension: Finding the Facts”. In week 1 of our 11+ course
- unit fractionMaths
- a fraction with 1 as the numerator, such as 1/2, 1/3 or 1/5
From the lesson “Fractions of Amounts”. In week 10 of our 11+ course
V
- verbEnglish
- a doing or action word that tells you what is happening, such as run, eat or is
From the lesson “Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
- verticalNon-Verbal Reasoning
- going straight up and down, like a lamppost
From the lesson “Reflections: Finding Mirror Images”. In week 6 of our 11+ course
- vividEnglish
- so clear and bright in the mind that you can almost see or feel it
From the lesson “Similes and Descriptive Language”. In week 15 of our 11+ course
W
- word typeEnglish
- the group a word belongs to, based on the job it does in a sentence
From the lesson “Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs”. In week 2 of our 11+ course
Z
#
- -ousEnglish
- a word ending that means 'full of', turning a noun into an adjective, as in dangerous and famous
From the lesson “Spelling Patterns”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- -sureEnglish
- a word ending that makes a 'zher' or 'sher' sound, as in treasure and pressure
From the lesson “Spelling Patterns”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- -tionEnglish
- a word ending that makes the 'shun' sound, as in station and action
From the lesson “Spelling Patterns”. In week 3 of our 11+ course
- 12-hour clockMaths
- a clock that uses the numbers 1 to 12 and needs am or pm to show which part of the day.