Evidence & Proof — TOEFL Academic Vocabulary
Evidence Five high-utility words with the full apparatus: pronunciation, both definitions, natural + academic examples, collocations, family, mistakes — then a 10-question set quiz.
prove /pruːv/ verb B1
Meaning: to show that something is definitely true
Academic meaning: to demonstrate the truth of a claim conclusively through evidence or logical argument
Natural example: He kept the receipt to prove that he had already paid.
Academic example: A single case study cannot prove that the treatment works for all patients.
Collocations: prove that · prove effective · difficult to prove
Synonyms: demonstrate, establish, show
Antonyms: disprove, refute
Word family: prove (verb) · proof (noun) · proven (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: Using 'prove' for weak or early evidence — science rarely proves; it usually 'suggests' or 'supports'. Overclaiming with 'prove' weakens academic writing.
Register: neutral; use carefully in academic writing · Usage: Reserve 'prove' for conclusive demonstration, mainly in mathematics and logic; prefer 'suggest' or 'indicate' for empirical results.
suggest /səɡˈdʒest/ verb B2
Meaning: to show indirectly that something is probably true
Academic meaning: to indicate, on the basis of evidence, a probable conclusion without stating it as certain
Natural example: The dark clouds suggested that rain was coming.
Academic example: The results suggest that regular exercise improves memory in older adults.
Collocations: the evidence suggests that · the results suggest · strongly suggest
Synonyms: indicate, imply, point to
Antonyms: disprove, rule out
Word family: suggest (verb) · suggestion (noun) · suggestive (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: Reading 'the data suggest' as a proposal (like 'I suggest we leave') — when the subject is data or results, 'suggest' means 'indicate'.
Register: neutral; a central academic reporting verb · Usage: The most common way to report findings cautiously: 'the evidence / results / data suggest that…'.
reliable /rɪˈlaɪəbəl/ adjective B2
Meaning: can be trusted to work well or to be correct
Academic meaning: producing consistent, dependable results or information across repeated use or measurement
Natural example: She is a reliable friend — she always keeps her promises.
Academic example: Self-reported income is not always a reliable measure of household wealth.
Collocations: a reliable source · reliable evidence · highly reliable
Synonyms: dependable, trustworthy, consistent
Antonyms: unreliable, inconsistent
Word family: reliable (adjective) · reliability (noun) · rely (verb) · reliably (adverb)
⚠ Common mistake: Mixing up the family: you 'rely on' something (verb + on), but the adjective is 'reliable' — 'a reliable method', not 'a rely method'.
Register: neutral; a key evaluation word in academic writing · Usage: Sources, methods, measures, and data are constantly judged as reliable or unreliable in academic texts.
source /sɔːrs/ noun B1
Meaning: the place or thing that something comes from
Academic meaning: a document, dataset, or person that provides information or evidence for a study or argument
Natural example: The source of the river is high in the mountains.
Academic example: Every source cited in the paper must appear in the reference list.
Collocations: a primary source · cite a source · a reliable source
Synonyms: origin, authority, reference
Word family: source (noun) · source (verb)
⚠ Common mistake: Confusing 'source' with 'resource' — a source is where information comes from; a resource is something useful that you can use.
Register: neutral; academic · Usage: Distinguish primary sources (original documents or data) from secondary sources (analyses written about them).
confirm /kənˈfɜːrm/ verb B2
Meaning: to show that something is true, or to state that it is definitely happening
Academic meaning: to establish the truth or accuracy of a finding, typically through independent evidence or replication
Natural example: Please confirm your booking by replying to this email.
Academic example: Later experiments confirmed the original results.
Collocations: confirm the results · confirm that · experiments confirm
Synonyms: verify, validate, corroborate
Antonyms: refute, contradict
Word family: confirm (verb) · confirmation (noun) · confirmed (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: Using 'confirm' when evidence is only suggestive — 'confirm' claims the matter is settled, so it is stronger than 'support' or 'suggest'.
Register: neutral to formal · Usage: Findings 'confirm' a hypothesis when independent evidence removes reasonable doubt; in the TOEFL, this is a key strength-of-evidence signal.