Core Vocabulary — 20 Upper-Intermediate Words
At B2 level, we include common collocations for each word — natural word combinations that demonstrate real fluency. Learning collocations is what separates good English from great English.
acknowledge
verb
To accept or admit that something is true or exists; to recognise someone's contribution.
"The report acknowledges that there are significant gaps in the current policy."
"She acknowledged his help with a brief mention in the report."
acknowledge a factacknowledge receipt
ambiguous
adjective
Open to more than one interpretation; not having one clear meaning.
"The contract terms were ambiguous, leading to a legal dispute."
"Her response was deliberately ambiguous to avoid committing to either side."
deliberately ambiguousremain ambiguous
assess
verb
To evaluate or estimate the nature, ability, or quality of something.
"We need to assess the risks before making a final decision."
"The committee will assess all applications by the end of the month."
assess the riskcarefully assess
assumption
noun
A belief or statement taken for granted without proof; a presumption.
"The plan was based on the assumption that costs would remain stable."
"Do not make assumptions about a client's budget without asking."
false assumptionunderlying assumption
consequently
adverb
As a result; therefore — used to show cause and effect.
"The system failed; consequently, all data was lost."
"She did not meet the deadline and consequently lost the contract."
and consequentlyconsequently led to
constraint
noun
A limitation or restriction that controls what you can do.
"Budget constraints prevented the company from expanding its team."
"Working within time constraints requires excellent planning skills."
budget constrainttime constraint
controversial
adjective
Causing strong disagreement or debate; not universally accepted.
"The new tax policy proved highly controversial among business owners."
"It is a controversial topic that divides experts worldwide."
highly controversialcontroversial issue
deduce
verb
To reach a conclusion by reasoning from available evidence.
"From the data, we can deduce that sales are declining."
"Sherlock Holmes could deduce a great deal from very small details."
deduce fromlogically deduce
elaborate
verb / adjective
(v) To explain something in more detail; (adj) complex and detailed in design.
"Could you elaborate on your second point? I would like more detail."
"The plan involved an elaborate series of steps spread over six months."
elaborate onelaborate plan
implication
noun
A possible consequence or effect that is not directly stated; a suggestion.
"The implications of this decision are far-reaching and must be considered carefully."
"There are serious financial implications to this proposed merger."
serious implicationsimplications for
insight
noun
A deep and clear understanding of a complex situation or issue.
"The research provides valuable insight into consumer behaviour."
"Her years of experience gave her unique insight into the problem."
valuable insightgain insight into
jeopardise
verb
To put something at risk of being harmed, damaged, or destroyed.
"Failing to meet the deadline could jeopardise the entire project."
"His reckless decision jeopardised the company's reputation."
jeopardise the futurejeopardise chances
mitigate
verb
To make something less severe, harmful, or serious.
"Better training can help mitigate the risk of workplace accidents."
"The company took steps to mitigate the financial damage caused by the delay."
mitigate riskmitigate the impact
nuance
noun
A very subtle difference in meaning, feeling, or tone.
"Understanding the cultural nuances of a language is essential for fluency."
"Her translation captured every nuance of the original text beautifully."
cultural nuancesubtle nuance
pragmatic
adjective
Dealing with things in a realistic and practical way rather than theoretically.
"We need a pragmatic approach to solving this problem, not an idealistic one."
"Her pragmatic leadership style made her very effective under pressure."
pragmatic approachpragmatic solution
prevalent
adjective
Existing very commonly or widely in a particular area or at a particular time.
"Stress-related illness is increasingly prevalent in modern workplaces."
"This misconception is prevalent among first-year students."
increasingly prevalentwidely prevalent
scrutinise
verb
To examine something very carefully and critically.
"The auditors will scrutinise every financial record from the past two years."
"Journalists began to scrutinise the minister's decision closely."
closely scrutinisescrutinise a policy
substantiate
verb
To provide evidence to support or prove the truth of a statement or claim.
"You must substantiate your claims with credible data and sources."
"The investigation failed to substantiate the allegations."
substantiate a claimfully substantiate
undermined
verb (past)
Weakened or damaged something gradually and often secretly.
"Repeated delays have undermined the team's confidence in the leadership."
"The scandal undermined years of trust the company had built."
undermine confidenceundermine authority
viable
adjective
Capable of working successfully; feasible and practical.
"Is this a commercially viable product, or just an interesting concept?"
"The committee decided that the proposal was not financially viable."
commercially viableviable option
10 Exercises
Exercise 1 — Fill in the Blank
Use: assess / constraint / implication / mitigate / viable
1. Before launching the product, we need to ___ the potential risks carefully.
2. The main ___ preventing expansion is the lack of funding available.
3. The ___ of this policy change for small businesses are very serious indeed.
4. Better training programmes will help ___ the risk of errors in the production line.
5. The team concluded that only one option was financially ___.
Exercise 2 — Choose the Correct Word
Select the most precise and appropriate word for each context
6. The auditors were asked to ___ every financial transaction from the last three years.
7. His ___ response made it impossible to know whether he agreed with the proposal.
8. The data gives us valuable ___ into why customers are leaving the platform.
9. We need a more ___ solution — something that actually works in the real world.
10. You cannot make such a bold claim without evidence to ___ it.