TOEFL Vocabulary: Everyday learning and change 40 easy-tier words, each with a short plain-English definition, followed by a quick quiz to check what stuck.
Test Ninjas Research · Updated October 1, 2026
Common action verbs for doing and figuring things out: organize, measure, estimate, detect, identify, consider. They are simple enough to use freely in speaking and writing, and they are the building blocks of instructions and explanations.
Most useful for: Complete the Words · Build a Sentence · Listen and Repeat · Take an Interview .
Everyday learning and change is one of the easy themes in our
TOEFL vocabulary list , where you can also find how the tiers work.
The 40 words Everyday learning and change — Easy tier # Word Meaning Tier 1 begin to start an activity Easy 2 finish to bring an activity to an end Easy 3 continue to keep doing something Easy 4 stop to end an activity or movement Easy 5 start to begin doing something Easy 6 complete to finish all required parts Easy 7 plan to decide how to do something Easy 8 organize to arrange parts in a useful order Easy 9 arrange to put things in a particular order Easy 10 manage to direct or handle a task Easy 11 use to put something to work for a purpose Easy 12 create to make something new Easy 13 build to make something by joining parts Easy 14 make to produce or cause something Easy 15 find to discover or locate something Easy 16 search to look carefully for something Easy 17 look to direct attention toward something Easy 18 observe to notice something by watching carefully Easy 19 show to make something visible or clear Easy 20 include to have something as a part Easy 21 remove to take something away Easy 22 add to put something together with something else Easy 23 connect to join things together Easy 24 separate to move things apart Easy 25 divide to split into parts Easy 26 sort to arrange by type or order Easy 27 count to find the number of items Easy 28 measure to find size or amount with a standard Easy 29 calculate to find an answer using numbers Easy 30 estimate to make a reasoned approximate guess Easy 31 detect to discover something that is not obvious Easy 32 remember to bring past information to mind Easy 33 forget to fail to keep something in mind Easy 34 understand to know the meaning of something Easy 35 identify to recognize and name something Easy 36 select to choose from a group Easy 37 focus to give attention to one thing Easy 38 consider to think carefully about something Easy 39 expect to think something is likely to happen Easy 40 result what happens because of an action Easy
Self-check: match the meaning Cover the table above. Here are 8 of the 40 everyday learning and change words, starting with begin : choose the word each definition describes.
to start an activity begin make measure identify Show answer A. begin
to finish all required parts show complete forget result Show answer B. complete
to put something to work for a purpose separate consider use start Show answer C. use
to look carefully for something calculate continue manage search Show answer D. search
to take something away remove understand organize find Show answer A. remove
to arrange by type or order expect sort build include Show answer B. sort
to discover something that is not obvious stop observe detect divide Show answer C. detect
to choose from a group arrange connect estimate select Show answer D. select
Using everyday learning and change words on the test In Complete the Words you see only the first letters of a word, so practice spelling stop and use as well as knowing what they mean. In Build a Sentence, knowing whether observe or divide needs an object, a preposition or a particular verb form decides where its tile goes. In Take an Interview, try using remember or expect in a short example from your own life. In Listen and Repeat, practice saying complete and build inside a full sentence so the stress and endings stay intact. Other easy themes
Previous ← Features and relationships Next Argument and interpretation → Frequently Asked Questions How many words are in the everyday learning and change list? + 40, from begin to result, all in the easy tier of our TOEFL list. The self-check quiz on this page tests 8 of them, beginning with begin.
Where do everyday learning and change words appear on the TOEFL? + Language like this is most useful in Complete the Words, Build a Sentence, Take an Interview and Listen and Repeat. These are everyday words worth being able to use, not just recognize.
Which everyday learning and change words should I learn first? + Start with complete (to finish all required parts); search (to look carefully for something); sort (to arrange by type or order). In Complete the Words you see only the first letters of a word, so practice spelling stop and use as well as knowing what they mean.