Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Word Knowledge (WK) Syllabus

What is the antonym of TRANSPARENT?

Opaque (transparent means see-through; opaque means not see-through).

What is the antonym of GENUINE?

Fake, false, or counterfeit.

In the sentence 'The general's TERSE reply ended the meeting,' what does TERSE most nearly mean?

Brief and to the point; curt. Context (a reply that ends a meeting) signals shortness, not length.

In the sentence 'Heavy rain will EXACERBATE the flooding,' what does EXACERBATE mean?

To make worse or more severe; the flooding context shows worsening.

A WK sentence reads 'His CANDID remarks offended some listeners.' Using context, what does CANDID mean here?

Blunt and honest; the remarks were so frank they offended people.

What does the prefix 'pre-' mean? Give an example word.

'Pre-' means before. Example: 'preview' (to view before) or 'predict' (to say before).

What does the prefix 'anti-' mean? Give an example word.

'Anti-' means against or opposing. Example: 'antibiotic' (against bacteria) or 'antisocial.'

What does the prefix 'mal-' mean? Give an example word.

'Mal-' means bad or wrongly. Example: 'malfunction' (to work badly) or 'malnourished.'

What do the prefixes 'in-', 'im-', 'il-', and 'ir-' generally mean?

They generally mean 'not' or negation (e.g., incorrect, impossible, illegal, irregular). 'Im-/in-' can also mean 'into.'

What does the prefix 'sub-' mean? Give an example word.

'Sub-' means under or below. Example: 'submarine' (under the sea) or 'substandard.'

What does the prefix 'trans-' mean? Give an example word.

'Trans-' means across or through. Example: 'transport' (carry across) or 'transmit.'

What does the prefix 'bene-' mean, and how does it contrast with 'mal-'?

'Bene-' means good or well (benefit, benevolent), the opposite of 'mal-' which means bad.

What does the suffix '-able'/'-ible' mean? Give an example.

'-able/-ible' means capable of or able to be. Example: 'readable' (able to be read), 'edible' (able to be eaten).

What does the suffix '-ous' indicate, and what part of speech does it form?

'-ous' means full of or having the quality of, and it forms adjectives. Example: 'dangerous' (full of danger), 'joyous.'

What does the suffix '-tion'/'-sion' indicate about a word?

It forms a noun showing an action, state, or result. Example: 'creation,' 'decision.'

What does the suffix '-less' mean? Give an example.

'-less' means without or lacking. Example: 'fearless' (without fear), 'hopeless.'

What do the suffixes '-er', '-or', and '-ist' typically indicate?

They indicate a person who does something (an agent). Example: 'teacher,' 'actor,' 'artist.'

What does the suffix '-ify'/'-fy' mean, and what part of speech does it form?

It means 'to make or cause' and forms verbs. Example: 'simplify' (to make simple), 'clarify.'

What does the root 'spect' mean? Give an example word.

'Spect' means to look or see. Example: 'inspect' (look into), 'spectator,' 'respect.'

What does the root 'dict' mean? Give an example word.

'Dict' means to say or speak. Example: 'dictate,' 'predict,' 'contradict.'

What does the root 'port' mean? Give an example word.

'Port' means to carry. Example: 'transport,' 'portable,' 'export.'

What does the root 'bene'/'bon' mean versus 'mal'?

'Bene/bon' means good (benefit, bonus); 'mal' means bad (malice). They are opposites useful for decoding meaning.

What does the root 'scrib'/'script' mean? Give an example word.

'Scrib/script' means to write. Example: 'scribble,' 'manuscript,' 'describe.'

What does the root 'vid'/'vis' mean? Give an example word.

'Vid/vis' means to see. Example: 'video,' 'vision,' 'visible.'

What does the root 'aud' mean? Give an example word.

'Aud' means to hear. Example: 'audio,' 'audible,' 'audience.'

On the ASVAB WK section, why is the process of elimination useful even when you don't know the target word?

By removing obviously wrong choices, you raise the odds of guessing correctly. Eliminating two of four options improves a guess from 25% to 50%.

How can word roots, prefixes, and suffixes help you eliminate wrong answers on an unfamiliar WK word?

Breaking a word into its parts reveals its general meaning (e.g., 'mal-' = bad), letting you rule out choices that don't match that sense even if you don't know the exact definition.

On the ASVAB WK section, should you leave questions blank, and how should you manage time?

Never leave a WK question blank because there is no penalty for guessing; eliminate what you can, guess, and move quickly since WK is short and time-limited (about 1 minute or less per question).

What is a common WK trap involving 'attractive but wrong' answer choices?

Distractors that look or sound similar to the target word, or that relate to the same topic, are often wrong. Focus on actual meaning, not similar spelling/sound, and beware antonyms offered as traps.