Educators, please click here to request a desk copy.

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

-able
absurd
accelerate
accessible
acknowledge
acute
adapt
adhere
adverse
advocate
affirm
affluent
agenda
alienate
alleged
allude
alter
alternative
ample
anecdote
anonymous
anti-
antidote
apathy
apprehensive
appropriate
arrogant
ascend
assess
audible
auto-
avert
awe
bestow
bi-
bland
blunt
candid
cent-, centi-
chronic
chronological
cite
coerce
coherent
comparable
compatible
compel
compensate
competent
compile
comply
con-
concede
conceive
concise
confirm
consecutive
consequence
conservative
conspicuous
contempt
contrary
controversy
convey
data
deceptive
deduction
defect
defer
defy
delete
delusion
denounce
derive
destiny
detain
deter
deteriorate
devise
dialog
dict
dimensions
diminish
dis-
disclose
discriminate
dismal
dismay
dispense
disperse
distort
diversity
doctrine
dogmatic
dominant
donor
drastic
dubious
ecstatic
elaborate
elapse
elite
emerge
en-, em-
encounter
endeavor
endorse
equate
erode
erratic
essence
evasive
exotic
ex-
exempt
exile 
extensive
evolve
fallacy
fictitious
finite
fluent
forfeit
fortify
frugal
-ful
futile
gesture
graph, gram
gruesome
gullible
harass
hypocrite
idealistic
illuminate
illusion
immunity
impact
impair
impartial
imply
impose
impulsive
in-
indifferent
indignant
indulgent
inept
inevitable
infer
infinite
inflict
ingenious
inhibit 
initiate
innate
integrity
inter-
intervene
isolate
lament
legitimate
lenient 
-less
lethal
liable
liberal
literally
-logy, -ology
lure
mal-
malicious
man
mania
mediocre
mem
menace
micro-
miserly
moderate
mono-, mon-
morale
morbid
multi
naive
notable
novice
obsession
obstacle 
obstinate
optimist
option
ordeal
overt
parallel
passive
patron
ped
perceptive
persistent 
pessimist
phobia
phon, phono
plausible
port
post-
pre-
pretense
prevail
procrastinate
profound
prolong
prominent
propaganda
propel
prospects
provoke
prudent
query
radical
rational
re-
recede
recipient
reciprocate
recur 
refrain
refuge
refute
reinforce
relevant
reminisce
remorse
reprimand
restrain
retain
retort
retrieve
revert
revoke
ridicule
ritual
ruthless
sadistic
savor
scapegoat
script, scrib
seclusion
sedate
sequence
severity 
-ship
shrewd
simultaneous
site
skeptical
sophisticated
spect
stereotype
stimulate
strategy
sub-
submit
subside
subtle
summon
super-
superficial
supplement
surpass
susceptible
sustain
tactic
tedious
tele-
tentative 
theoretical
therm-, thermo-
trans-
transaction
transition
transmit
treacherous
tri-
trivial
un-
undermine 
uni-
unique
universal
urban
valid
verify 
versatile
vigorous
vis, vid
vital
vivid
vocation

Supplementary Materials

Building 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.