Here Are the Two Types of Vocabulary Challenges on the LSAT (and How to Beat Them)
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One of the most unforgiving parts of the LSAT, especially in Reading Comprehension, is the vocabulary. It may be just one tough word that, like a big splotch of bird droppings on your car window, makes it hard to get the “full picture” of a question or passage. Even worse, sometimes there’s a whole slew of technical vocabulary, like a thick sheet of ice covering your entire windshield: if you don’t clear things up, you won’t have a clue where you’re going.
So today we’ll tackle two kinds of vocabulary challenges the LSAT throws at you.
#1: Vocabulary words that you will never see again and are clearly meant to scare you.
These are often topic-specific, expert-level words (think “ichthyology” or “xylem”). The good news is that nobody, not even the LSAT writers, really expects you to know these words. The bad news is that those words are pretty intimidating. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you run into them.
a) Sometimes, the passage provides you with a definition of the word early on. This is a surefire sign that the word is important. For example, in one science passage, a tricky word was defined in the first paragraph and then used five more times! So don’t gloss over those words. Instead, when you see that a word has been defined for you, you might circle it (so you can find the definition again). Then, take a moment to mentally put the definition in your own words. Chances are, the authors of the passage will expect you to know the word from that point forward. If you’ve forgotten what it means by the next time you encounter it, revisit the definition.
b) Sometimes, a very rough definition will do the trick. For example, science passages may include a list of chemicals with long, complicated names. Chances are you don’t need to remember every single one of them—instead, you just need to know that they are chemicals! So circle “chemicals,” underline the words, and move confidently past them.
c) Never let pronunciation get in your way. Don’t know how to pronounce “paramecium”? Neither do half the other people in the room. So just go ahead and label it “P-thing,” or better yet, something a little more specific that will help you remember what it is, like “P-bacteria.”
#2: Vocabulary words that you might see again—in law school!
These are what we call “academic vocabulary” words, like “dichotomy” or “heterogeneous.” They are words that we don’t use often in our everyday lives, but that do show up on the regular in academic texts. If you see one that you don’t know, you have some options:
a) Look for synonyms, examples, or restatements of what the word means. Often, there will be a cluster of synonyms in a list, or the author might repeat the same idea in two different sentences, but use different language. The author may also provide a few examples of the word, from which you can deduce the word’s meaning.
b) Break the word into parts. For example, let’s say you encounter the word “monolithic.” You’re not sure what it means, but you know “mono” means one, like with a monocle or a monopoly. That will help you get the gist of the sentence, even if you still can’t define “monolithic.”
c) Determine the tone of the word. Is the word couched amongst other really negative or positive words? Just getting a feel for whether a word is good or bad can help you.
d) Try to replace the word with a familiar one. Re-read the sentence, subbing a word that makes sense in the context.
e) Focus on what you know. Okay, so maybe none of these context clues are helping you at all. In that case, see if you can get the gist of the sentence without knowing what the word means. Look at the other important words in the sentence, and mentally explain to yourself how they’re connected.
The best way to defeat the LSAT’s vocabulary, of course, is to know more words. A great deal of research has shown that you can increase your vocabulary through wide reading, so try upping the intensity of your pleasure reading. Throw a little New York Times or The Economist into the mix between Facebook and Buzzfeed. Even better, start reading more on the topics that intimidate you the most on the LSAT. Science? Humanities? Economics? Law? Pick your poison, and start reading! You’ll get to know the academic lingo of the field, as well as gain some background knowledge that may enhance your understanding of other LSAT passages.
So if LSAT vocabulary is the ice on your windshield right now, you just need to take a crack at it! Put your defrost on, get yourself an ice scraper, and start chipping away.
Of course, there’s a lot more to LSAT Reading Comprehension than just vocabulary. Want to learn more? Check out our Reading Comprehension Strategy Guide ?
Don’t forget that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person LSAT courses absolutely free. We’re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here.
Allison Bell is a Manhattan Prep Instructor who lives in the Washington, DC metro area. Allison first encountered the LSAT while getting her Bachelor of Arts in English and History at Duke University. In college, she scored a 178 and very nearly applied to law school. In the end, she followed her true passion, teaching. Allison currently has the pleasure of being an eighth grade English teacher in Northern Virginia. As an LSAT teacher, she has the opportunity to blend her love for teaching with her passion for logical argument. Check out Allison’s upcoming LSAT Complete Courses here.