What’s a GRE
The GRE tests words that ETS (the creator of the GRE) believes the average college-educated adult should know. If you see a word you don’t know while prepping for the GRE or elsewhere, it’s probably a good GRE word. Develop a routine for learning new words, and you will grow your vocabulary in no time.
Get in the habit of reading good books, magazines, and newspapers. Start paying attention to words you don’t know. You might be tempted just to skip them (as usual), but train yourself to notice them, write them down, and look them up.
Get used to looking up words. Don’t assume that the first definition is the only one you need to know! The GRE often tests secondary definitions, so scan through them all.
Now that you’ve learned the dictionary’s definition of a new word, restate it in your own words. You’ll find it much easier to remember a word’s meaning if you make it your own.
This might feel strange at first, but it works! Saying a new word out loud will help you remember it.
Keep a list of new vocabulary words on your phone or in a notebook. Writing something down also makes it easier to memorize. Jot down the words when you find it. Copy the sentence in which you originally found the word to remind yourself how the word looks in context.
Stick 5 or 6 flashcards in your pocket every morning and use them whenever you can. Stuck on a delayed subway train? Look at your flashcards. Standing in a long line at the coffee shop? Look at your flashcards. We make
When you come across new words on a GRE practice
Use your imagination to create a mental image to fix a new word in your mind. The wilder the image, the better. For example, if you’re trying to remember the word
Many words share similar origins. For example,
Developing a powerful vocabulary requires a lot of practice. Try casually dropping a GRE word into your next conversation. Using a new word (in writing or conversation) as often as you can
Quick—what’s an integer? Is 0 even or odd? How many
Take a GRE practice test with us under the same conditions as the real thing. You'll get a personalized score report highlighting your strengths and areas of improvement.
Explore our featured graduate schools & programs to find those that both match your interests and are looking for students like you.
Check out our complete list of 169 law schools, based on surveys of school administrators and over 19,900 students.
Our medical school search allows you to refine your search with filters for location, tuition, concentrations and more.
Explore our featured business schools to find those that are looking for students like you.