SAT Common Words: Memorize 271 Vocabulary Flashcards from Abate to Idiosyncrasy

The SAT reading section rarely tests a word in isolation. It tests whether you can tell ameliorate from alleviate in a sentence about economic policy, or whether fraught means "filled with" or "worried". Deck NA5866 — SAT Common Words on Flip It gives you 271 flashcards to drill exactly that: each front is a single word, each back is a compact definition followed by synonyms. The deck runs alphabetically from Abate to Idiosyncrasy (A through I), which makes it a natural first block before tackling the second half of the alphabet.

Ten cards from the deck

The full range covered

The deck is heaviest on C (55 words), A, D and E (48-49 each), then F (31), H (16), B (14), G (6) and I (3). Among the words you will see:

• Tone and character: abhor, adamant, adroit, antipathy, austere, bombastic, contrite, cynical, dogmatic, eccentric, erratic, euphoric, genial, haughty, hypocritical
• Argument and rhetoric: advocate, arbitrary, corroborate, criteria, delineate, deplore, exalt, extraneous, hypothetical, ideology
• Action verbs: abate, abstain, acquiesce, alleviate, ameliorate, buttress, coerce, facilitate, flout, forsake
• Society and conflict: accolade, adversary, anarchy, decorum, destitute, disparity, dissident, endemic, fidelity, hiatus
• Description: abyss, acrid, capacity, comprehensive, concise, discreet, elusive, expedient, feasible, fraught

How to study this deck for the test

Learn the synonym, not just the definition. Every card ends with one or two synonyms (acumen → keen insight; concise → brief, succinct). SAT answer choices are usually those synonyms, not the dictionary definition. When you review, cover the back and try to produce the synonym first; if you can, the definition will follow.

Group the near-twins. This deck contains several pairs that the SAT loves to place side by side: alleviate / ameliorate (relieve vs. improve), ascetic / austere (a person's discipline vs. a style without comfort), circumspect / discreet (cautious about risk vs. careful about embarrassment), abhor / deplore (hate vs. disapprove). Write the distinction in the card hint the first time you confuse them.

Suggested schedule

At 15 new words a day, the deck takes 18 days. A better plan for test prep: 20 words a day for two weeks, then a full-deck review pass where you only flag the cards you miss. Because the deck is alphabetical, shuffle mode is essential; otherwise you will learn that Abate comes after nothing and before Aberrant instead of learning the word.

Open flip-it.app, search the library for deck code NA5866, and start with the A words today. If you have not used spaced repetition before, the practical guide to learning with flashcards explains how the review intervals work.