Best DSE English Writing Vocabulary List – 200 Words

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One of the main things to pick up as one learns a new language is vocabulary. Along with grammar and sentence structure, words form a core part of any language and help make the distinction between a native and a learner.

Bilinguals often form a larger English writing vocabulary by virtue of learning multiple words in each language and looking for its alternative in the other.

How to improve your DSE English writing vocabulary?

As children grow, they eventually pick and use words they see others around them using. This is an extremely organic process and a child’s vocabulary grows via 3 methods: imitation, practice, and generalization.

However, expanding one’s vocabulary can be organic, it is also something you need to spend some time on and learn manually.

While learning new vocabulary, it is essentially important to focus on action words, as opposed to nouns. It is these words that help one ask questions or describe things.

As parents, one of the best things you can do to increase the span of your child’s vocabulary is to encourage them to keep using the words they hear. Introducing them to various interactive games for English learning can be a good option.

You can do this by introducing action words and asking them about their various actions – such as eating, sleeping, tying shoelaces, etc. As this becomes a habit, older students will automatically incorporate words they hear within their daily vocabulary.

However, on a more academic route, you can introduce words that can be used within an essay. Essay-based incorporation allows students to understand the meaning, usage, and various tenses.

English writing words for vocabulary — Best DSE English Writing Vocabulary List - 200 Words 2

200 word list for DSE English Writing Vocabulary

We’ve compiled a list of 200 words, which can be used for the early childhood development program of students with Down’s Syndrome. Based on the guidance of the DSE International Learning Centre, this list contains words that students might often confuse or pronounce in the wrong way, everyday action words, and descriptors that can help with more effective communication of ideas. Practicing with this list will help your child improve their vocabulary and understanding of phonetics and sentence structures.

While many stick to rote learning of words, the right way is to understand the meaning and use it in sentences in daily life. While we’ve added a usage for each word, do feel free to make up your own sentences as you read on!

Serial number	Word	Meaning	Usage
1	achieve	To reach a goal through effort	After many years, he finally achieved his goal of becoming a teacher.
2	ability	The skill or proficiency to perform something properly	Over the years, she lost her ability to recall names.
3	ambition	The desire to achieve success in something	His drive and ambition led him to win the award at such a young age.
4	attack	Take action against, usually aggressive – can be verbal or physical	The article was a direct attack on the new government policy.
5	award	The act of awarding – giving prize, payment, recognition, or others, which can also be the prize itself	The company awarded him with a medal for his years of service. ORHer study is decorated with all the awards she received during her lifetime.
6	attitude	A person’s feelings and perspective regarding something	Her passion and positive attitude toward the job made her an ideal candidate for a promotion.
7	argument	A disagreement, opposing views regarding a topic	Frequent arguments regarding their political stance led to the downfall of his marriage.
8	balance	A situation or relationship where two separate forces (or the overall situation) are equal, or steady	She had finally achieved a balance between her grades and social life.
9	belief	A trust or faith in something, not always with proof	He had a steady belief in the existence of an afterlife.
10	benefit	Gaining an advantage	Joining the cricket team allowed him the benefit of accessing the pitch anytime.
11	blame	Declare responsibility on someone or a situation for being wrong	The entire blame for the accident was placed on the bus driver.
12	campaign	A series of actions or operations, run in an organized way to achieve something	He ran a weeklong campaign trying to educate people about the pitfalls of wasting resources.
13	cyber	Related to the internet or computers	Cyber-crime has seen an exponential rise in recent years.
14	compulsory	Mandatory – something one has to do	Having a Letter of Recommendation is compulsory for applying to this job.
15	crime	Legal wrong-doing	Stealing is a crime recognized across all civilizations.
16	challenge	A call to engage in a contest or prove oneself or a fact	He issued an open challenge to anyone to prove his scientific paper wrong.
17	competition	An event where 2 or more people are pitched against one another to achieve something	The competition between the top banks in the country has multiplied this year.
18	condition	The state in which a person or thing is	The tennis racket he brought for the game was in a pretty beat-up condition.
19	crave	To need or pine for	He craved validation.
20	dread	Fear for something	He dreaded the slow approach of Exam Week.
21	damage	Harm brought on a person or thing	She ended up damaging her curler by leaving it on for too long.
22	decision	The act of making a choice	She finally made a decision to leave her job.
23	determination	Being firm regarding something – usually a goal or belief	His determination to achieve an award led to his success.
24	depression	Severe sadness – can also be a medical conditionA minor dent	The depression on the road caused her to lose her balance and fall.
25	disappointment	A feeling of sadness due to expectations not being met	She was disappointed by the food choices offered at the all-you-can-eat buffet.
26	effort	An attempt made towards something	She made a serious effort at learning how to sew.
27	education	Providing academic instruction	He received an education in in performing arts and science.
28	effect	A change resulting from something	The storm last night had a damaging effect on this week’s tourism.
29	emphasis	To place special attention on something	She teaches a course on Medieval English history with special emphasis on the 16th century.
30	enthusiasm	Excitement	Her enthusiasm towards cooking led her to open her own social media channel.
31	environment	The surroundings of a thing or person	He grew up in a positive and uplifting environment.
32	equal	Having the same of something – could be color, size, capabilities, etc.	They were both equal in terms of strength.
33	fact	Information that is true and proven so	It is a fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
34	freedom	The ability or right to do as one wants	Freedom of speech is a basic right awarded to all citizens in a democratic country.
35	friendship	The act of having a close, emotional relationship with a person	The two of them have had a friendship spanning two decades.
36	force	Strength, power, or energy – can be physical or intangible	The company forced her into an early retirement to save on the paycheck.
37	fashion	The style of something, such as clothes, hair, etc.	The latest fashion in the real estate market is to decorate houses minimally.
38	fascination	The state of being interested in something	His fascination with true crime led him to start his own podcast on the subject.
39	failure	The act of not achieving something, or someone or something that has not achieved its goal	He felt like a failure for not passing the exam.
40	gain	Get or achieve	The group gained entry into the mall after going through a security check.
41	government	A group of people in a position of power that oversee the workings of a country, state or other political body.	The early 2000s saw the monarchy being overthrown by a republic government.
42	growth	Increase	Over the years, he has seen a slow and steady growth in this height.
43	gadget	A device, either mechanical or electronic	He is fond of new tech gadgets.
44	generate	To product	The town is finally using hydroelectric power to generate electricity.
45	harsh	Hard or rough	The harsh weather conditions in the city caused them to move back home.
46	highlight	To get attention or stand out	The highlight of the play was certainly the twist at the end.
47	health	A person’s physical or mental fitness	The doctor declared him to be in peak health.
48	help	To serve or aid	She needed some help with her maths homework.
49	habitat	The environment or surrounding – usually natural	Overpopulation is affecting the natural habitat of many animals.
50	heritage	Old property, usually with familial or state value	He was robbed of his heritage home by his cousins.
51	harmony	An arrangement of musical notes that is pleasingORPeaceful and pleasant atmosphere.	Despite the initial struggles, the family lived in harmony ever after.
52	idea	Suggestion	People are temporary, but ideas are forever.
53	importance	Attaching value or special attention to something	She failed to understand the importance of good grades in securing her dream college.
54	identity	Someone’s information of existence, such as their name	He hid his racial identity whenever he went abroad.
55	income	Payment for work done	The family’s income was too little to support everyone’s education.
56	individual	A person alone	Every individual has the right to express their thoughts.
57	international	Of around the world	This flight covers national and international waters.
58	intense	Extreme	They put him through an intense physical training routine for the job.
59	job	Regular work that offers payment	She worked hard for the job she wanted.
60	journey	Travelling	The journey to the train station was longer than the trip itself.
61	knowledge	The act of knowing something	Half knowledge is a dangerous thing.
62	keen	Interested in	He was keen on knowing more about plants.
63	kickoff	To start something	They kicked off the show with a cultural dance.
64	language	A mode of conveying information	There are over 20 local languages in this region alone.
65	laughter	The act of expressing joy	The air was filled with the laughter and giggles of young kids.
66	law	Rules that govern a country or body	All within the country must obey the law of the government.
67	leisure	Free time or time that one enjoys	He spent his weekends engaging in leisurely activities.
68	lecture	A talk, is usually educational but can also be political or reprimanding	He offered a total of 50 lectures on botany across 2 universities.
69	life	Existence	The earthquake claimed the lives of 500 people.
70	leader	Someone who assigns tasks and manages a body	A good leader is a leader of the people.
71	market	A place where buying and selling of wares takes place.	They always got their vegetables from the Sunday market.
72	measure	The act of determining the size or value of something	You cannot measure success in terms of money received.
73	method	The process of way or doing something	There is only one method of properly extracting medicine from this plant.
74	memory	A remembrance of the past	I only have a vague memory of my childhood home.
75	monotonous	Being the same every day	Her routine was pretty monotonous and boring.
76	manner	A specific way of doing something	His parents taught him good manners.
77	news	Important information	I have good news and bad news for you.
78	need	Required or necessary	He needs help now more than ever
79	negative	Not ideal	The recent disaster has had a negative effect on our company’s stocks.
80	opinion	Someone’s thought, view, or idea on something	He was of the opinion that this move is unnecessary.
81	opposition	Resistance against	His idea faced strong opposition from his team.
82	opportunity	A chance to do or drive something	After 4 years of working there, he finally got the opportunity of a promotion.
83	obtuse	Being slow	She was being deliberately obtuse regarding the plan.
84	organize	To arrange	The event was organized by the Cancer Foundation.
85	overview	A review or round-up of something	To give you an overview, the event mainly focussed on health improvement techniques.
86	overcrowded	Filled with more people than its capacity	The morning 9 AM train is always overcrowded.
87	onus	Responsibility	The onus of organizing this event is on you.
88	otherwordly	Beyond one’s imagination	Seeing the Northern Lights was an otherwordly experience.
89	protect	To save or shield from	She protected her kids from extreme experiences.
90	pressure	A force on something, or to do something	He was pressured into taking the class.
91	plan	To create an organized format for	The school planned a fun outing for all the students.
92	provide	Supply	The entire town is provided with grains from one single warehouse.
93	progress	To improve	He has been making steady progress in his project.
94	problem	A less-than-ideal situation	The family missed their flight, causing problems early on in their trip.
95	produce	To generate	This field is capable of producing 200 kg of rice.
96	policy	A legal or aligned upon course of action	The general school policy suggests rustication whenever such incidents happen.
97	price	The value of something	The price of rice has increased.
98	punishment	A task given as penance for doing something wrong.	The thief was punished with 3 months of jail time.
99	plight	A sad situation	Such is the plight of those living in poverty!
100	polish	To shine or improve upon	She has been working on polishing her oration skills.

Serial number	Word	Meaning	Usage
101	quality	The standard of something	The quality of the dress was not very good.
102	quest	A journey to search for something	He’s still on his quest to find a good place to stay.
103	queue	standing in line for something	The queue at the shop gets long during midday
104	quiz	A test	He was quizzed on his knowledge of his country.
105	quiet	Discreet, with no noise	He quietly tiptoed past his parent’s bedroom.
106	quite	To a large extent	This house is quite big.
107	quaint	Old-fashioned but in a good way	She lived in a quaint, little country home.
108	qualify	To have the standards for something	His qualified for taking the test.
109	qualm	Have a feeling of unease, or worry about something	He has qualms about the plan but went ahead with it anyway.
110	quiver	Shiver or tremble	He quivered with anticipation of the announcement.
111	reaction	How one responds to something	His first reaction to the news was one of anger.
112	reason	The cause or justification behind something	The reason for her move was not bad roommates but something else altogether.
113	rest	The act of relaxing	He needed the rest after the long hours at work.
114	regulation	The rules of something that keep it in check	The regulation is in place tp prevent rent from skyrocketing.
115	relationship	The connection between something or people.	Their relationship is one that’s purely platonic.
116	remembrance	In memory of	The exhibition was hosted in remembrance of his uncle and his philanthropy.
117	responsibility	Duties one must perform	It is his sole responsibility to notify his tenants regarding the move.
118	retaliate	To act back after receiving an insult or attack.	The army retaliated with full force after the initial attack.
119	refer	To bring in the example something	He referred to the works of Shakespeare while explaining his thoughts.
120	reputation	The general opinion towards something	He has a reputation for being short-tempered
121	rough	Not smooth	She fell on the rough floor and skinned her knee.
122	radiant	Glowing	She looked radiant in the dress.
123	rebel	To stand up against authority	He started rebelling against his parents as soon as he hit his teens.
124	regard	One’s opinion or attitude towards	He was regarded as someone not to be messed with.
125	rhyme	Words that end on similar sounds	The word “tall” and “fall” rhyme with one another.
126	renew	To begin again or do again	They renewed their marriage vows after 20 years
127	release	To let go	He was released from prison on bail.
128	reduce	To make less of	They decided to reduce the overall waste their household produced every day.
129	revere	To hold in high regard	His position was a highly revered one within the company
130	reside	To stay at	There was a family of squirrels who resided in the tree outside our house.
131	safety	Being protected and secure	Safety was her top priority while moving to a new city.
132	satisfactory	To be content with	He found his job at the office quite satisfactory.
133	situation	A particular state in which one finds themselves	He was stuck in a particularly sticky situation.
134	severe	Serious	She was severely injured in the accident.
135	support	To offer help	They supported his decision to separate from his wife.
136	success	To accomplish something	His entire family rooted for his success.
137	skills	The ability to perform something well	His skills on the piano remain unmatched.
138	sanitary	Clean or hygienic	He rejected that specific house due to sanitary concerns.
139	secluded	To be isolated	Her place was pretty secluded from the rest of the town.
140	suffer	To experience something, usually negative	He suffered from a bout of chicken pox during his childhood.
141	temper	Someone’s state of mind	She was a mild lady, with an even temper.
142	tender	Soft	The chicken was well-cooked, yet tender.
143	time	The progress of existence	If you don’t take steps now, time will pass you by.
144	trend	A current fashion	The trend now is to be more sustainable with your purchases.
145	tribulation	Toubles	His path was paved with many trials and tribulations.
146	tally	To match something with another thing	He tallied the dates with his friends, but something was off.
147	trickle	The slow movement of a liquid	The stream turned into a mere trickle during summer
148	tenure	The duration of someone’s association with something	His tenure as a professor at that college has spanned 40 years now.
149	taboo	Something against common customs	It’s taboo to discuss such topics in public.
150	tone	The character or attitude of something	His words were mild, but the tone of his voice was hostile.
151	understanding	Comprehending something	He started understanding the math problems only after engaging in extra classes.
152	unassuming	Modest	Her unassuming nature led her to believe the best in everyone.
153	unconditional	Without limits or assumptions	His love for this dog was unconditional
154	ubiquitous	Everywhere	Turmeric is a ubiquitous item for every meal in this culture.
155	unique	Special and one of its kind	Her voice is a unique mix of dewy and husky.
156	uproar	Strong opposition against	The new policy was met with a huge uproar from the public.
157	unanimous	In common agreement with	Everyone unanimously agreed to make the policy more stringent.
158	urban	Related to Cities	The urban lifestyle can get quite lonely.
159	unbeatable	Something that is impossible to win	His streak in the game remains unbeatable even after 20 years.
160	uncouth	Rude, rough, and ill-mannered	Their father is an uncouth alcoholic, ruining the family fortune.
161	values
162	vital	Important	The heart is one of the body’s most vital organs.
163	viable	Possible	There are several viable options through which we can solve this problem.
164	void	Nothing; emptiness, or rendering something useless	Her recent action has rendered her contract null and void.
165	valiant	Showing courage	He made several valiant attempts to rescue the child stuck in the fire, but failed.
166	valour	Bravery	The army awards those who perform acts of valour on the battlefield.
167	vibrant	Colorful and full of energy	Every year at this time, the city is decorated with vibrant colors and lights.
168	versatile	Someone who can easily adapt to different things	Her exposure to different cultures has made her quite versatile in fitting in with the locals.
169	venue	The location of something	He chose the mountains as the venue for his wedding
170	vast	Large	The ocean is more vast than any one of us can imagine.
171	veritable	Genuine, or serious	There was a veritable explosion behind her house last night.
172	vivid	Powerful, strong, and intense	Her memories of her childhood home were still vivid in her mind.
173	variety	Choices of different things	The table was laid out with a variety of breakfast items.
174	vision	The ability to see	As the years rolled by, his vision failed him.
175	vapid	Empty or not well thought out	She made several points, however, they were vapid and irrelevant.
176	warning	Statement or advice that lets one know of something wrong that can happen	She ignored the slowing-down warning sign and kept driving the car at full speed.
177	wander	To move around aimlessly	He wandered around, hoping to come across a grocery shop.
178	waste	Something that is thrown away, or of no further use	She considered her Science degree to be a waste of her artistic talents.
179	withdraw	To take back or remove	He withdrew his money from the bank as rumors of a recession grew louder.
180	work	Performing a series of actions requiring mental or physical effort	He worked day and night in the fields to get a good yield.
181	wither	To dry up or decay	The plants withered away due to lack of sunlight.
182	wager	To bet on	I’ll wager that he has another job on the side.
183	waive	To reduce the price or value of something	The school waived off his fee due to his exemplary performance.
184	weary	Extremely tired	The long train ride left him weary.
185	weird	Not in accordance with common norms	The way she styled her hair was weird and different from usual.
186	xenophobia	Prejudice against people based on the country they come from	He was openly xenophobic towards the migrants who have shifted into his locality.
187	yawn	Open one’s mouth widely and exhale – a sign of tiredness	She yawned thrice throughout the entire presentation
188	yoke	The piece that ties something together – usually farm animals to their vehicles	He made the ox pulled on the yoke to till the field.
189	yell	To shout	He yelled at his friend to stop, but he was too far away.
190	yowl	Wail	Somewhere in the dark, a cat was yowling away.
191	yank	To tug strongly	He yanked on the anchor to draw the boat away from shore.
192	zilch	Nothing	He was paid zilch for all the work he did.
193	zinger	A statement or remark that is amusing and interesting	The entire show was filled with interesting zingers and punchlines.
194	zigzag	A path that goes left and right alternatively.	The road was quite zigzagged and hard to drive on.
195	zappy	Energetic and upbeat	Welcome back to the zappiest radio station in this city!
196	zillion	Extremely large number – not a formal mathematical unit	I feel like I have not had a good night’s sleep in a zillion years.
197	zest	Passion	Though old, his zest towards life remains unmatched.
198	zoom	Speed away	They zoomed past us in a fancy car.
199	zone	A specific, demarcated area	We are entering a restricted zone.
200	Zenith	The peak of something	The band reached the zenith of their success in the early 2000s.

Conclusion

That concludes our list of DSE vocabulary. Words in any language are numerous, and as languages evolve, they pick up nuances and etymology from one another.

Language is also very localised. Hence, many words that are locally used in a place can also be part of the English vocabulary of that place. Think of “chai tea” or “carte blanche”!

We invite you to not only go through this list but also read and keep adding to it. Make it your personal roster of words you add on to your daily life.

About the Author

Soumyajit Chatterjee

Soumyajit Chatterjee is a Contributing Editor with Fun to Learn English. He works with various educational institutes in Hong Kong to help them with improving modern English education and making learning with Phonics more fun and enjoyable for children.