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Key Features

The Words-in-Context Approach. Students learn new words by encountering them in meaningful contexts, not through rote memorization. Our books provide at least six different contexts for each vocabulary word!

Abundant Practice. Each book is packed with activities, exercises, unit reviews, and tests that prompt students to interact closely with each new vocabulary word. The result: students' word banks grow.

Appealing Content. Dull materials discourage learning. Our books avoid that. Each features high-interest passages students will want to read.

Relevant Words.  Words from the series were drawn from word frequency lists with alignment to state standards and high-stakes tests. The aim: to equip students with the words they need to know.

Affordability. Full version vocabulary books teach 300 key words/word parts and are priced at $12.90 each. Short Versions teach 200 words and cost $10.90 each. Bundles of full version books + Vocabulary Plus are value-priced at just $17.90; bundles of short version books + Vocabulary Plus are value-priced at just $15.90.

Outstanding Supplements. Free supplements include:

• Placement Test. The TP Vocabulary Placement Test is made up of 100 multiple-choice items drawn from Townsend Press vocabulary books. A student's score on this test may be used to determine which TP vocabulary book would be most beneficial to that student. Free and available online or in print. 
• Instructor's Edition. Instructor's Editions for all of the vocabulary books are available to teachers with a class adoption of 20 or more books. They are identical to the student books except that they contain answers to all of the activities and tests.
• Instructor's Manual and Test Bank. Available as a PDF for each Vocabulary Series book, the Instructor's Manual and Test Bank contains the Vocabulary Placement Test as well as a pretest and a posttest for the book and for each of its units. It also contains teaching guidelines, suggested syllabi, answer keys, and an additional mastery test for each chapter and unit. Free to educators with an approved account in the Learning Center.
• The Learning Center. Free to educators with an approved account, the Learning Center is a digital learning environment that provides resources to accompany the Vocabulary Series. It includes PowerPoints, assessments, and much more!

Digital Options. This textbook can be bundled with Vocabulary Plus, a powerful online vocabulary-building program that brings ALL the content of our famously clear, user friendly, Vocabulary Series directly to your tablet, smartphone, or computer. Download a complete brochure to learn more, or visit our Learning Center.

*Note: Students must have a paid subscription to access Vocabulary Plus materials. Click here to learn more about subscription options, including discounted digital/textbook bundles.

New Features include:

• Hundreds of new items
• Photos added to chapter readings
• Updated digital content
• Contemporary design
• Broader, universal appeal for a wide range of readers
• Resequenced chapter and test items

Word List

absolve
abstain
acclaim
adamant
adjacent
affiliate
agnostic
alleviate
allusion
aloof
altruistic
ambivalent
amiable
amoral
animosity
ann, enn
antagonist
appease
arbitrary
aspire
assail
aster-, astro-
-ate
attest
attribute
audi, audio-
augment
averse
avid
banal
benefactor
benevolent
benign
bio-
bizarre
blasé
blatant
blight
calamity
charisma
claim, clam
commemorate
complacent
comprehensive
comprise
concurrent
condescend
condone
conducive
confiscate
congenial
consensus
constitute
constrict
contemplate
contemporary 
contend
contra-
contrive
conventional
conversely
cor, cour
covert
credible
cryptic 
cursory
curt
curtail
cycl, cyclo-
cynic 
decipher
default
deficient
deficit
degenerate
demise
demoralize
depict
deplete
designate
deterrent
detract
detrimental
devastate
deviate
devoid 
di-, du-
digress
dilemma
diligent
discern
disdain
dispatch
dispel 
dissent
diversion
divulge
-dom
dwindle
eccentric
elation
elicit
empathy
encounter
endow
engross
enhance
enigma
epitome
-er, -or
escalate 
esteem
euphemism
evoke
exemplify
exhaustive
explicit 
exploit
expulsion
extrovert
facade
fallible
falter
feasible
feign
fin
fiscal
flagrant
flaunt
flex, flect
flippant
fluctuate
forc, fort
formulate
frenzy 
furtive
-fy
-gamy
gape
garble
gaunt
genial
geo-
gist
glib
gloat
habitat
hamper
haughty
-hood
hum
hyper-
hypothetical
il-, im-
immaculate
impasse
implausible
implication
implicit
implore
improvise
incentive
inclination
incoherent
incorporate
indispensable
inequity
infamous
infirmity
infringe
infuriate
inhibition
innovation
intercede
interim
intermittent
intimidate
intricate
intrinsic
introvert
irate
ironic
il-, im-
immaculate
impasse
implausible
implication
implicit
implore
improvise
incentive
inclination
incoherent
incorporate
indispensable
inequity
infamous
infirmity
infringe
infuriate
inhibition
innovation
intercede
interim
intermittent
intimidate
intricate
intrinsic
introvert
irate
ironic
-ish
jeopardize
latent
legacy
libel
longevity
lucrative
-ly
magni-, magn-
magnitude
malign
mandatory
mediate
menial
mercenary
methodical
mis-
mobile
mortify
mundane
muted
niche
nocturnal
nominal
non-
nullify
nurture
obsolete
ominous
omni-
orient
pacify
paradox
pater, patri-
path, -pathy
pathetic
pend
perception
persevere
phob
plagiarism
poignant
ponder
pop
pragmatic
precedent
predominant
prerequisite
pretentious
prevalent
pro-
prompt
prone
proponent
pseudonym
psych-, psycho-
punitive
qualm
quart, quadr-
quest
rapport
rationale
recession
reconcile
rect
redundant
rehabilitate
relentless
render
repertoire
reprisal
retaliate
retort
revitalize
revulsion
rigor
rupture
sabotage
sanctuary
saturate
scrutiny
secular
semi-
shun
sibling
simulate
sinister
smug 
sneer
sparse
speculate
squander
subjective
subsequent
succinct
succumb
suffice
syndrome
taint
tangible
terminate
the, theo-
transcend
transient
traumatic
turmoil 
venture
viable
vile
vindictive
virile
vivacious
vulnerable
waive
-ward
wary
zeal

Supplementary Materials

Improving Vocabulary Skills includes the following supplements:

Placement Test. The TP Vocabulary Placement Test is made up of 100 multiple-choice items drawn from Townsend Press vocabulary books. A student's score on this test may be used to determine which TP vocabulary book would be most beneficial to that student. Free and available online or in print.



 

An Instructor's Edition. Instructor's Editions for all of the vocabulary books are available to teachers with a class adoption of 20 or more students. They are identical to the student books except that they contain answers to all of the activities and tests.


 

A combined Instructor's Manual and Test Bank. Available as a PDF for each Vocabulary Series book, the Instructor's Manual and Test Bank contains the Vocabulary Placement Test as well as a pretest and a posttest for the book and for each of its units. It also contains teaching guidelines, suggested syllabi, answer keys, and an additional mastery test for each chapter and unit. Free to educators with an approved account in the Learning Center.
 

The Learning Center. Free to educators with an approved account, the Learning Center is a digital learning environment that provides resources to accompany the Vocabulary Series. It includes PowerPoints, assessments, and much more! Along with these free materials, the Learning Center also hosts Vocabulary Plus, a comprehensive subscription-based word-building program that brings all the content of our vocabulary text to students' fingertips. Learn more here.
 

Print supplements can be obtained quickly by calling Townsend Press toll-free at (800) 772-6410, by sending a fax on school letterhead to 1-800-225-8894, or by e-mailing Customer Service at cs@townsendpress.com.