TOEFL Vocabulary: Features and relationships 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
Pairs of opposites and the adjectives used to compare: wide and narrow, accurate and exact, local and global, natural and artificial. They let you describe and contrast, and they appear constantly in both everyday and academic texts.
Most useful for: Complete the Words · Read an Academic Passage · Academic Discussion · Take an Interview .
Features and relationships is one of the easy themes in our
TOEFL vocabulary list , where you can also find how the tiers work.
The 40 words Features and relationships — Easy tier # Word Meaning Tier 1 large great in size Easy 2 small limited in size Easy 3 wide great from side to side Easy 4 narrow small from side to side Easy 5 deep extending far below a surface Easy 6 shallow not deep Easy 7 long extending far from end to end Easy 8 short limited in length or time Easy 9 heavy having much weight Easy 10 light having little weight Easy 11 strong able to resist force or pressure Easy 12 weak lacking strength or effectiveness Easy 13 simple having few parts or steps Easy 14 complex having many connected parts Easy 15 clear easy to see or understand Easy 16 unclear hard to see or understand Easy 17 common found or happening often Easy 18 unusual different from what is typical Easy 19 similar having many features in common Easy 20 different not the same Easy 21 equal the same in amount or value Easy 22 important having a strong effect or value Easy 23 useful helping achieve a purpose Easy 24 necessary required for a purpose Easy 25 possible able to happen or be done Easy 26 impossible unable to happen or be done Easy 27 correct free from an error Easy 28 incorrect containing an error Easy 29 accurate matching the facts closely Easy 30 exact fully matching a stated amount or description Easy 31 general concerning a broad group or pattern Easy 32 specific concerning one particular thing Easy 33 local related to a nearby area Easy 34 global related to the whole world Easy 35 public open to or involving everyone Easy 36 private limited to particular people Easy 37 natural existing without being made by people Easy 38 artificial made by people rather than nature Easy 39 physical related to matter or the body Easy 40 digital stored or handled by electronic systems Easy
Self-check: match the meaning Cover the table above. Here are 8 of the 40 features and relationships words, starting with large : choose the word each definition describes.
great in size large complex incorrect public Show answer A. large
not deep similar shallow local digital Show answer B. shallow
able to resist force or pressure necessary artificial strong deep Show answer C. strong
hard to see or understand accurate wide light unclear Show answer D. unclear
the same in amount or value equal global short clear Show answer A. equal
unable to happen or be done physical impossible simple different Show answer B. impossible
concerning a broad group or pattern narrow unusual general possible Show answer C. general
limited to particular people heavy useful exact private Show answer D. private
Using features and relationships words on the test In Complete the Words you see only the first letters of a word, so practice spelling narrow and strong as well as knowing what they mean. In Read an Academic Passage, unusual and possible often carry a paragraph's main point, so check how each one connects to the sentence before it. In the Academic Discussion, specific and physical can make your position precise; use them in a sentence that also gives a reason. In Take an Interview, try using shallow or simple in a short example from your own life. Other easy themes
Previous ← Time and quantity Next Everyday learning and change → Frequently Asked Questions How many words are in the features and relationships list? + 40, from large to digital, all in the easy tier of our TOEFL list. The self-check quiz on this page tests 8 of them, beginning with large.
Where do features and relationships words appear on the TOEFL? + Language like this is most useful in Complete the Words, Read an Academic Passage, Academic Discussion and Take an Interview. These are everyday words worth being able to use, not just recognize.
Which features and relationships words should I learn first? + Start with shallow (not deep); unclear (hard to see or understand); impossible (unable to happen or be done). In Complete the Words you see only the first letters of a word, so practice spelling narrow and strong as well as knowing what they mean.