YORK, Pa. — A recent study conducted by crossword experts at WordDB.com found the 10 hardest vocabulary words for Pennsylvania residents to understand.
"Nuanced", "manifest" and "antecedent" are the words found in SAT exams that Pennsylvania residents struggle with the most, the WordDB.com study determined.
New research based on online search trends also found that, every month, one in 73 Pennsylvanians looks up an SAT word, according to WordDB.com.
The study aimed to measure the difficulty of every word listed as an answer option in the Reading and Writing section of the most recent SAT practice tests.
The researchers achieved this by evaluating how much every US state recently searched on Google for the definition of 257 words featured in six SAT practice tests.
The top ten SAT words people in Pennsylvania struggle with the most are slightly different to the nation's top ten hardest terms to define.
Top 10 Hardest SAT Words for Pennsylvania
- Nuanced (adj.): Having nuances; possessed of multiple layers of detail, pattern, or meaning. The politician's nuanced response revealed a careful consideration of all factors.
- Manifest (adj.): Evident to the senses, especially to the sight; apparent; distinctly perceived. The importance of the issue is manifest in the widespread support it has gained.
- Antecedent (n.) A preceding occurrence or cause or event. Her success in college was the antecedent to her professional achievements.
- Ensured (v. - infinitive: "to ensure"): Make certain of. She ensured that all the doors were locked before leaving the house.
- Tentative (adj.) Under terms not final or fully worked out or agreed upon. They reached a tentative agreement on the terms of the contract.
- Imminent (adj.) Close in time; about to occur. The storm clouds overhead indicated the imminent arrival of a heavy rain shower.
- Perceive (v.) To become aware of through the senses. I perceive a sense of urgency in his voice.
- Resilient (adj.) Recovering readily from adversity, depression, or the like. She endured many hardships but remained resilient throughout.
- Dynamic (adj.): Characterized by action or forcefulness or force of personality. The dynamic nature of the market requires constant adaptation.
- Cordially (adv.): In a hearty manner. I would like to cordially invite you to my birthday party.
The study found that "nuanced" is the most difficult SAT word for Americans across the nation, with 134,483 monthly searches for its definition over the past year. As an adjective, WordDB.com defines it as "having nuances; possessed of multiple layers of detail, pattern, or meaning". California, New York and Maryland struggle with it the most.
"Manifest", which usually refers to something that is "evident to the senses, especially to the sight", is the second hardest SAT word for Americans. Every month, 117,350 in all US states search for its meaning. It takes the form of several parts of speech, and its second most common use is as a verb: "to manifest" means "to demonstrate". People in Hawaii, California and New York are particularly unsure about what "manifest" might mean.
"Antecedent" takes the third spot in the ranking. Often confused with "precedent", which serves as an example from the past, an "antecedent" merely refers to something that has happened before. Americans, especially those from Virginia, Rhode Island and California, search for its definition 83,837 times a month, on average.
Google search volumes from users across all US states indicate that many are uncertain of what "tentative", "perceive", "resilient", "ensured", "imminent", "persistent", and "dynamic" mean.
The next hardest SAT words are: "cordially", "ambivalence", "delegate", "exploited", "acquired", "inspired", "prominent", "indifference", "perpetual" and "deceptive". Americans search for each of them 48,000-64,000 times a month, on average.
Overall, Hawaii, California and New York generally search for the meanings of SAT words online more than any other states. In Hawaii, this is as often as one SAT word definition search for every 45th resident. This rate stands at 48 in California and 50 in New York.
States that appear least preoccupied with learning the definitions of the evaluated SAT words are Kentucky, Iowa and Wisconsin. There are less than 1,200 searches every month in each of these states for any of the 257 analyzed SAT words.
WordDB.com is a leading provider of crossword puzzles, word games, and lexical research. Its team of expert linguists and puzzle designers offers innovative solutions and insights to help improve vocabulary and language skills.