TOEFL vocabulary needs vary by starting level, target, and task. Use academic words in context, review recurring gaps from current Reading and Listening tasks, and practise precise use in Speaking and Writing rather than chasing a universal word-count target.
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Build TOEFL vocabulary by academic function: cause, contrast, evidence, process, change, and evaluation, not just isolated word lists.
TOEFL vocabulary should be learned in academic patterns: cause and effect, contrast, classification, research methods, change over time, and evidence. These patterns appear in Reading passages, Listening lectures, Speaking tasks, and Writing responses.
Do not only memorise definitions. For each word, learn one collocation and one sentence frame. For example, indicate becomes the data indicates that..., and consequence becomes an unintended consequence of.... Those frames make the word usable under time pressure.
For TOEFL 80+, focus on high-frequency academic words and lecture signal language. For TOEFL 90+, add paraphrases and topic vocabulary for education, science, environment, history, psychology, and campus life. For TOEFL 100+, practise using the words actively in Speaking and Writing instead of only recognising them in Reading.
ETS does not publish one required vocabulary list. Use current official samples to find gaps in everyday campus and academic language, then study meaning, collocation, grammar, pronunciation, and use in context. The Academic Word List can supplement that work but is not an official TOEFL syllabus.
ETS does not prescribe a vocabulary count for a particular score. Diagnose vocabulary gaps from current-format tasks and focus on meaning, collocation, grammar, pronunciation, and use in context.
Learn words in context (not isolated lists). Read academic English daily. Use spaced repetition apps (Anki). Practice new words immediately in writing.
Cognates can be useful memory cues in some languages, but check English meaning, pronunciation, register, and collocation because apparent equivalents can differ. No first-language background guarantees faster learning.