6th Grade Vocabulary Word Lists

Many 6th grade math vocabulary words are short, but their meanings can be quite complex. Help tweens learn these vocabulary words by discussing definitions and examples.

• adjacent (adj.) - lying next to each other; for angles, it means they share a corner point, but don’t overlap
• area (n.) - the result of multiplying the length by the width of a shape
• dimension (n.) - a measurement of length in one direction
• factor (v.) - to express a number as a product of two or more other numbers
• frequency (n.) - how often something happens during a given period
• histogram (n.) - graphical display where data is grouped into ranges then plotted as bars
• mean (n.) - the average value of a set of numbers
• median (n.) - the middle number in a range of values
• mode (n.) - the value that occurs most frequently in a given series
• range (n.) - the limits to which something can reach
• ratio (n.) - the quotient of one quantity divided by another of the same kind
• variable (n.) - a symbol for a number you don’t know yet, it has no fixed value

Basic science vocabulary words for sixth graders begin to explain physics and incorporate the proper terms used in the scientific method.

• acceleration (n.) - the rate of change in the velocity of a moving body
• adapt (v.) - to make suitable by adjusting or changing
• attribute (n.) - quality or characteristic of a noun
• force (n.) - a factor that causes a body to change speed, direction, or shape
• hypothesis (n.) - a tentative explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem
• manipulate (v.) - to influence, manage, direct, control, or tamper with something
• phase (n.) - distinct period in something’s development
• prediction (n.) - a statement that something might happen or is expected to happen
• repetition (n.) - the act of doing or saying something over and over
• solubility (n.) - capability of being dissolved
• solution (n.) - homogeneous mixture of two or more substances
• speed (n.) - how quickly something is moving or being done
• velocity (n.) - quantity that specifies both the speed of a body and its direction of motion

As sixth graders start to read more complex nonfiction texts and deep fiction texts, they’ll start to learn more words related to literature. These vocabulary words influence reading, writing, and speaking.

• characterization (n.) - the act of describing a character in a story or drama
• climax (n.) - moment of culminating intensity in a narrative, especially the conclusion of a crisis
• declare (v.) - make a statement or make information known
• drastic (adj.) - radical or extreme
• exposition (n.) - a piece of writing that is a detailed explanation using facts and ideas
• extend (v.) - to stretch out or draw out to a certain point
• lofty (adj.) - high in the air or overly grand
• narrate (v.) - to tell
• origin (n.) - the start or center of something or the place where a person comes from
• quote (v.) - repeat something written or spoken by someone else
• tentative (adj.) - not definite or final
• thesis (n.) - proposal or suggestion that is maintained by an argument
• unique (adj.) - having no like or equal

In 6th grade social studies, history, and geography lessons, students start deep explorations into countries and cultures around the world. These words help middle schoolers understand and respect the world around them.

• appropriate (adj.) - right for the purpose
• archaeologist (n.) - a person who studies human history through discovery and exploration of remains, structures, and writings
• barbarian (n.) - a person who is savage and crude
• catastrophe (n.) - large, often sudden, disaster or ending
• chronological (adj.) - arranged in the order it happened
• civilization (n.) - society or group of people or the process of achieving a higher state of social development
• democracy (n.) - form of government in which the common people hold political power
• empire (n.) - political unit or territory under a unified or supreme authority
• history (n.) - all recorded events of the past
• nomad (n.) - any wanderer who has no fixed home
• subcontinent (n.) - a large land mass, smaller than a continent and regarded as a geographic or political entity
• unanimous (adj.) - all parties involved are fully in agreement
• violate (v.) - to fail to comply with a requirement or rule

If you want to use all these 6th grade vocabulary lists at home or in the classroom, you can print the free PDF that features all four lists of words with definitions. Click on the image of the master list to download and print it using the handy guide for troubleshooting if you need help.

Combine these 6th grade vocabulary lists with 6th grade spelling lists for a complete 6th grade grammar curriculum. Try out a couple vocabulary games for kids to make language learning more exciting. If you’re up for a vocabulary challenge, check out SAT vocabulary words for middle school.