Technology — TOEFL Academic Vocabulary
Technology Five high-utility words with the full apparatus: pronunciation, both definitions, natural + academic examples, collocations, family, mistakes — then a 10-question set quiz.
device /dɪˈvaɪs/ noun B1
Meaning: A machine or piece of equipment made for a particular job.
Academic meaning: An instrument or apparatus designed to perform a specific technical function, such as measuring, recording, or transmitting data.
Natural example: This small device can translate speech instantly.
Academic example: The device recorded the patient's heart rate continuously for 24 hours.
Collocations: electronic device · mobile device · a device for measuring
Synonyms: machine, instrument, apparatus
Word family: devices (noun, plural)
⚠ Common mistake: Do not confuse 'device' (a machine) with 'devise' (a verb meaning to invent a plan).
Register: neutral; standard term in technical and scientific writing · Usage: Use 'device' when the function matters more than the specific type of machine; name the machine (sensor, printer) when precision is needed.
system /ˈsɪstəm/ noun B1
Meaning: A set of connected parts or rules that work together.
Academic meaning: An organized set of interacting components or procedures that function as a whole to achieve a purpose.
Natural example: The school uses a new system for registering students.
Academic example: The cooling system failed, causing the entire network to shut down.
Collocations: operating system · a system of · the immune system
Synonyms: network, structure, framework
Antonyms: chaos, disorder
Word family: systematic (adjective) · systematically (adverb) · systemic (adjective)
⚠ Common mistake: 'Systematic' means done by a fixed method; 'systemic' means affecting a whole system. Do not use them as if they were identical.
Register: neutral; extremely common in all academic fields · Usage: Use 'system' when several parts depend on each other; a single tool or machine is usually a 'device', not a system.
automatic /ˌɔtəˈmætɪk/ adjective B1
Meaning: Working by itself, without a person controlling it directly.
Academic meaning: Performed by a machine or process without continuous human intervention, often in response to preset conditions.
Natural example: The doors are automatic, so just walk toward them.
Academic example: Automatic data collection reduced the risk of human error in the study.
Collocations: automatic control · automatic response · fully automatic
Synonyms: automated, mechanical, self-operating
Antonyms: manual, hand-operated
Word family: automatically (adverb) · automation (noun) · automate (verb)
⚠ Common mistake: An 'automatic' machine does the work itself; 'automated' often describes a process that has been converted to machines. Do not write 'automaticly' — the adverb is 'automatically'.
Register: neutral; common in technical descriptions · Usage: In psychology, 'automatic' also describes mental processes that happen without conscious effort, such as automatic reading.
access /ˈæksɛs/ noun B1
Meaning: The ability or right to enter a place or use something.
Academic meaning: The opportunity or permission to retrieve, use, or enter information, systems, or locations, often controlled by authorization.
Natural example: Students have free access to the library computers.
Academic example: Only authorized researchers were granted access to the database.
Collocations: access to information · internet access · gain access to
Synonyms: entry, admission, availability
Antonyms: exclusion, denial
Word family: accessible (adjective) · accessibility (noun) · access (verb)
⚠ Common mistake: Always use 'to' after the noun: 'access to the building', not 'access the building' (the verb 'access' is mainly for computers: 'access the file').
Register: neutral; formal in technology and policy writing · Usage: In computing, 'access' is also a verb: 'Users can access the system from any device.'
function /ˈfʌŋkʃən/ noun B1
Meaning: The purpose or job of something.
Academic meaning: The specific role or activity that a component performs within a larger system; also, a mathematical relationship between variables.
Natural example: The main function of a helmet is to protect your head.
Academic example: Each part of the machine performs a distinct function within the system.
Collocations: the function of · perform a function · main function
Synonyms: purpose, role, job
Word family: functional (adjective) · function (verb) · functionality (noun)
⚠ Common mistake: Do not confuse the noun 'function' (purpose) with 'function' as a social event; in academic writing it almost always means purpose or role.
Register: neutral; academic in science, technology, and biology · Usage: Use the pattern 'The function of X is to…' when describing how a system works.