Chapter 4 - Word Knowledge

Sep 18, 2026

Chapter 4 explains the ASVAB Word Knowledge (WK) subtest by defining it as vocabulary and showing why word understanding supports ideas and communication. It describes the 35-question format, choosing the closest meaning of an underlined word, and the 11-minute time limit. The chapter also covers building vocabulary through roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and emphasizes using word-part memorization for decoding unfamiliar terms, supported by prefix and suffix lists.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter 4

In This Chapter

Checking Out the Word Knowledge Format

Words Made Fresh Daily!

Fixing up your vocabulary: Prefixes and suffixes

# Chapter 4 Word Knowledge ● 6 6●● 68 4 0 6 曲当8 ● In This Chapter ▶Scoring like a pro on the Word Knowledge subtest Building words for fun and profit ▶Making a vocabulary list and checking it twice ▶Putting your money where your mouth is:Practice questions ●6 ◆●4 ● 6 ◆ 6 66◆ 0 茹9 出 6 婚0 物 an you spellboot camp?To make it there,you have to score well on the Word Knowledgesection of the ASVAB.But what if you don't know the difference between a carbine and acarbon?Never fear—we're here to help you out.In this chapter,we let you know what theWord Knowledge portion of the ASVAB consists of and how to study for it.We even toss somepractice questions at you.Don't duck!Answer'em! Word Knowledge just means vocabulary,which means hard words no one uses in ordinaryconversation.(Well,not really.)Word knowledge isn't part of the ASVAB just because yourhigh-school English teacher thinks that it ought to be.The test-makers include it becausewords stand for ideas,and the more words you understand,the more ideas you can under-stand (and the better you can communicate with others).So society(including people in themilitary)often equates a large vocabulary with intelligence and success. Your score on the Word Knowledge subtest (along with the Paragraph Comprehension,Mathematics Knowledge,and Arithmetic Reasoning subtests)determines your eligibility forservice.You need to do well on the Word Knowledge subtest in order to qualify for jobs suchas air traffic controller,military intelligence,and even fire fighting.See the Appendix A formore information on the scores you need to get the job you want. # Checking Out the Word Knowledge Format The Word Knowledge(WK)portion of the ASVAB measures your vocabulary knowledge.Itconsists of 35 questions.In each question,you see an underlined word.Choose the answerclosest in meaning to the underlined word.For example: His house was derelict. (A)solid (B)run-down (C)clean D)inexpensive Closest in meaning doesn't mean the exact same thing.You're looking for similar or relatedwords. In case you're wondering,the answer is Choice B. You have 11 minutes to answer the 35 questions on this subtest,which means that you haveslightly less than 20 seconds to answer each question.(No pressure,right?) ## Words Made Fresh Daily! Many English words are created from building blocks called roots,prefixes,and suffixes.These basic.word parts generally have the same meaning in whatever word they're used.Forinstance,pro means something along the lines of in favor of,forward,or positive whether youuse it in the word proton or the word proceed. If you memorize some of these word parts,you'llhave a better chance of figuring out themeaning of an unfamiliar word when you see it on the ASVAB.And that's a good thing.Figuring out the meaning of unfamiliar words is how people with large vocabularies makethem even larger.(They look up words in the dictionary,too.) ## Fixing up your vocabulary:Prefixes and suffixes Prefixes,roots,and suffixes are the main parts that make up words.Not every word has allthree,but many have at least one.Prefixes are the parts that come at the front of a word,suffixes are the parts that come at the end of a word,and roots are the parts that come in themiddle of a word.Think of roots as the base of the word and prefixes and suffixes as wordparts that are attached to the base.(Check out the"Digging for roots"section later in thischapter for more info on—you guessed it—roots.) Tables 4-1 and 4-2 list some common prefixes and suffixes.Each list has the word part,itsmeaning,and one word that uses each word part.Writing down additional words that youknow for each word part will help you memorize the list. | Table 4-1 | Prefixes | | | --- | --- | --- | | Prefix | Meaning | Sample Word | | a | no,not | atheist | | ab orabs |

FAQs

What does the ASVAB Word Knowledge subtest measure?

It measures vocabulary knowledge. Each question tests understanding of the closest meaning of an underlined word.

How many questions and how much time are in the Word Knowledge subtest?

The Word Knowledge portion consists of 35 questions and you have 11 minutes to answer them.

How do prefixes, roots, and suffixes help with unfamiliar words on the ASVAB?

Many word parts keep similar meanings across different words. Memorizing these parts helps infer the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary, expanding your overall word knowledge.

Sep 18, 2026

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