Essential Vocabulary List for Year 5 - for the Selective Test - 400 must-know words with mnemonics

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Fez

A structured Year 5 essential vocabulary resource designed for the Selective Test, presenting 400 must-know English words with clear definitions and mnemonic cues. Each entry combines concise meaning guidance with short memory hooks to strengthen recall and reduce confusion between similar terms. The collection is organized alphabetically by initial letters, supporting quick revision, targeted study, and efficient test preparation through repeated, mnemonic-based learning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages27

Reading Time1 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Essential Vocabulary List for Year 5 for the Selective Test (400must-know words with mnemonics) A | Word | Definition | Mnemonic | | --- | --- | --- | | abandon | To leave completely and finally; forsake | Think of a "band" of friends who "don" (put on) their jackets and leave you behind | | abrupt | Sudden and unexpected | A-BRUPT sounds like it breaks suddenly, just like an abrupt change | | absorb | To take in or soak up | When you "absorb" information, you "sorb" (soak) it up like "ab" (a) sponge | | abundant | Present in great quantity | "A bun dance" - imagine so many buns that they're dancing around everywhere | | accomplish | To complete successfully | "Ac-com-plish" sounds like " I come polish" -you polish off a task until it shines | | accurate | Correct and exact | "Ac-curate" sounds like "a curate" who carefully arranges things in the correct order | | achieve | To successfully complete a task | "A-chieve" sounds like "a chief" -chiefs are known for achieving great things | | admire | To regard with respect and approval | "Ad-mire" - imagine looking in a mirror ("mire") and adding ("ad") respect to what you see | | adore | To love deeply | "A door" opens to your heart when you adore someone | | adversity | Misfortune or difficulty | "Ad-vers-ity" sounds like "add reverse to me" -when life reverses your good fortune | | advocate | To support or promote | "Ad-vo-cate" sounds like "add voice" -you add your voice to support a cause | | affection | Fond attachment or love | "A-ffect-ion" -the effect of caring creates a strong connection | | agile | Able to move quickly and easily | Think of a "gile" (like "gel") that helps things slide around easily | | agony | Extreme physical or mental pain | "Ag-ony" sounds like "a groan-y" -someone groaning in pain | | ambitious | Having a strong desire for success | "Am-bit-ious" sounds like " I am bit by success" -success has bitten you | | accelerate | To increase speed | "Ac-celer-ate" -accelerate by eating celery for quick energy | | --- | --- | --- | | acclaim | Enthusiastic approval | "Ac-claim" -people clap their hands to acclaim your achievement | | accumulate | To gather or collect | "Ac-cumul-ate" -you accumulate things until you eat up all your storage space | | amiable | Friendly and pleasant | "Ami-able" -Amy is able to be friendly with everyone | | anticipate | To expect or predict | "Anti-cip-ate" -before ("anti") you sip, anticipate how hot the tea will be | B | Word | Definition | Mnemonic | | --- | --- | --- | | baffle | To confuse or perplex completely | "Baffle" sounds like "bad full" -your brain feels badly full when confused | | balance | State of equilibrium | "Bal-ance" - imagine a ballet dancer balancing on one foot | | banish | To send away; exile | "Ban-ish" -when you ban someone, you wish them

gone | | barren | Unproductive; sterile | "Barren" sounds like "bare in" -nothing growing, just bare soil | | beacon | A light or signal for guidance | "Bea-con" - imagine a beam of light from acone-shaped lighthouse | | benevolent | Kind, charitable | "Bene-volent" - "bene" means good, like a volunteer doing good deeds | | bewildered | Confused and puzzled | "Be-wild-ered" - imagine being lost in the wild, feeling confused | | blunder | A careless mistake | "Blun-der" sounds like "blind error" -a mistake made blindly | | boisterous | Noisy and energetic | "Boist-erous" sounds like "boys' chorus" - loud and full of energy | | boycott | To refuse to deal with as a form of protest | "Boy-cott" - imagine a group of boys refusing to wear their cotton uniforms as protest | | brave | Showing courage | The letter "b" stands tall at the beginning, representing standing up to fear | | --- | --- | --- | | brief | Short in duration | "Bri-ef" -be "brief" when talking with the "chief" | | brilliant | Extremely clever or talented | "Brill-iant" -your brain shines like a brilliant diamond | | brisk | Quick and active | "Br-isk" -the "br" sounds like "br

FAQs

What does each vocabulary entry include in the book?

Each word is provided with a definition and a mnemonic to help memorization.

How is the 400-word list organized?

The list is organized alphabetically by initial letter groups (e.g., A, B, C).

How can mnemonics help students prepare for the Selective Test?

Mnemonics provide memory cues linked to each word’s meaning, improving recall during revision and test practice.

Sep 14, 2026

Uploaded by Fez