TOEIC vocabulary by topic
TOEIC vocabulary comes from everyday business situations: offices, meetings, hiring, travel, purchasing, finance and production. Learn words in topic groups and in context from real test sentences, and review them with spaced repetition instead of memorizing long word lists.
The most common TOEIC topics
| Topic | Example words |
|---|---|
| Office | supervisor, deadline, extension, supplies, memo |
| Meetings | agenda, postpone, minutes, attendee, reschedule |
| Hiring | applicant, résumé, qualification, position, reference |
| Travel | itinerary, boarding pass, reservation, delay, accommodation |
| Shopping | receipt, refund, warranty, out of stock, discount |
| Finance | invoice, budget, expense, reimbursement, revenue |
| Production | shipment, inventory, assembly, inspection, supplier |
Learn word families
Part 5 often tests the correct form: decide, decision, decisive, decisively. When you learn a word, learn its noun, verb, adjective and adverb.
Learn collocations
- make a reservation, place an order, meet a deadline
- be eligible for, be responsible for, comply with
- on behalf of, in advance, at your earliest convenience
How to remember them
Take words from the transcripts and passages you practice, write one example sentence, and review them at increasing intervals (1 day, 3 days, 1 week). This is far more effective than reading a list once.
Frequently asked questions
How many words do I need for TOEIC?
Most learners aiming for 700+ need around 3,000–4,000 common words plus business vocabulary related to the main TOEIC topics.
What is the best way to learn TOEIC vocabulary?
Learn words in context from real TOEIC-style questions, group them by topic and word family, and review with spaced repetition.
Are TOEIC words different from IELTS words?
TOEIC focuses on workplace and everyday business English, while IELTS includes more academic vocabulary.
