Many schools implement vocabulary instruction in either third or fourth grade. They typically provide students with a list of 10 – 15 words that they are expected to learn.
5th Grade Vocabulary Words
Our school introduced the following vocabulary words in fifth grade. They also work on structural analysis of words through our spelling program which focuses on words containing prefixes and suffixes. It also focuses on content specific words, e.g. science and social studies words as well as personal words which are words unique to each child (ones they typically misspell). For a list of spelling words, please visit our 5th grade spelling words section. Our school alternates between vocabulary and spelling words every week; tests are administered every Friday.
| abdicate | equivalent | painstaking |
| abolish | erode | pardon |
| absurd | erupt | pasture |
| accelerate | escalate | patient |
| access | establish | pedestrian |
| accommodate | evade | penetrate |
| accomplish | evident | perish |
| accurate | exasperate | petrify |
| accustom | excavate | pledge |
| afflict | exert | population |
| aggressive | expand | portrait |
| agony | expel | predict |
| alert | experiment | prelude |
| altitude | export | premature |
| ample | extinct | preserve |
| ancestor | extract | previous |
| animated | exult | prey |
| anxious | famine | primitive |
| approximate | fascinate | proceed |
| aroma | feeble | proclaim |
| ascend | ferocious | prohibit |
| assemble | fertile | prone |
| assign | flail | prosper |
| associate | flee | protrude |
| assume | flimsy | provide |
| available | foolhardy | provoke |
| avalanche | formal | puny |
| banquet | former | purchase |
| barren | fracture | pursue |
| bask | frigid | reassure |
| betray | frivolous | rebel |
| beverage | fume | refuge |
| bland | gale | reign |
| blizzard | gigantic | reluctant |
| boisterous | gorge | remote |
| bondage | grim | require |
| brace | guardian | resemble |
| brilliant | hangar | restrict |
| brittle | harbor | resume |
| budge | harsh | retain |
| bungle | harvest | retire |
| burden | heroic | revert |
| burly | hew | revive |
| carcass | hilarious | ridicule |
| cargo | hoist | rigid |
| carnivore | horizon | riot |
| cask | hostile | ripple |
| catapult | huddle | rouse |
| celebrate | idle | route |
| challenge | illuminate | saunter |
| character | immense | scald |
| cluster | indignant | seldom |
| colony | inflict | sensation |
| combine | intense | sever |
| companion | intercept | significant |
| compassion | introduce | slither |
| compatible | investigate | sluggish |
| compensate | jest | snout |
| comply | jostle | soar |
| comprehend | jubilation | solitary |
| conceal | jubilee | solo |
| concept | kin | somber |
| confident | liberate | sparse |
| conquer | likeness | spectator |
| consist | loathe | stall |
| consume | lumber | steadfast |
| contact | lurch | stimulate |
| convalesce | lure | stupendous |
| convince | major | subsequent |
| course | makeshift | substantial |
| crave | maximum | suffocate |
| crevice | meager | summit |
| cultivate | meddle | superior |
| cumbersome | methodical | survive |
| decade | mimic | suspend |
| decline | minor | taper |
| decrease | mirth | task |
| dedicate | mischief | taunt |
| delicate | molten | teem |
| denounce | monstrous | tempest |
| dense | moral | terminate |
| depart | morsel | terse |
| deposit | navigation | thwart |
| despair | negotiate | tolerant |
| desperate | nonchalant | topple |
| destination | nostalgia | transform |
| deteriorate | notable | translate |
| dictate | numerous | tremor |
| disaster | oasis | tropical |
| distract | obedient | unwieldy |
| distress | obscure | upbringing |
| dominate | obsolete | urban |
| donate | obstacle | vertical |
| dormant | occasion | visible |
| drought | oppose | vow |
| duration | optimist | voyage |
| edible | option | waddle |
| elegant | outskirts | wilderness |
| employ | overdue | wither |
| encounter | overthrow | yearn |
Thanks so much. Never thought about 5th grade having a voc./spelling/site word list. This will help many students get an edge they need to start learning these pre-5th grade. Very grateful!
same!! this is totally awesome!!!:)
this list is awsome