DET Read and Select Practice: 72 Words, Real or Not

The read and select duolingo subtest requires split-second lexical precision, sharp visual discrimination, and systematic preparation. Test-takers face a rapid succession of individual words and pseudo-words, forcing their brains to distinguish authentic English vocabulary from artificially generated decoys in just five seconds per item. This practice set provides 72 original words organized into four rounds that get harder. The rounds are LUME’s own grading, not Duolingo’s, and the words are LUME practice items, not official Duolingo test questions.

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The current Read and Select screen (one word, Yes/No, 5 seconds)

The Duolingo Read and Select task asks you to determine whether a displayed word is a real English word. For each item, you have five seconds to choose “Yes” if the word is real or “No” if it is not.

The screen displays the question “Is this a real English word?”, the target word, two response buttons, and a countdown timer. Once you select an answer, the next word appears. Missing responses are marked incorrect. A test usually has 15 to 18 Read and Select words, and any number of them can be real, so do not worry if you see more or fewer real words than you expect (Duolingo Help Center: Read and Select, checked 26 October 2026).

How difficulty and scoring work

The Duolingo English Test is adaptive in nature, whereby the level of difficulty of questions changes depending on your performance. The exact order of words shown to a particular test-taker cannot be worked out from a few correct or wrong answers.

Read and Select answers are graded automatically against the correct response, and missing answers count as incorrect. Duolingo says you will not be penalized more for a wrong answer than for skipping, so answer every word (Duolingo Help Center: How the Items Are Scored, checked 26 October 2026).

It helps in determining the Reading subscore and at the same time helps in calculating the integrated sub-scores of Literacy and Comprehension subscores, whereby Reading is combined with Writing or Listening, respectively.

Round 1-2: Everyday and Academic Words

Rounds 1 and 2 concentrate on known vocabulary, academic vocabulary, and original pseudo-words that will allow you to demonstrate your word recognition abilities. Round 1 highlights general English words, whereas Round 2 features higher-level vocabulary typically used in academic and professional fields.

These labels of difficulty reflect the development of this particular practice set, not the CEFR classification of individual words.

To simulate the test environment, allow yourself five seconds per item. Display one word at a time using a separate browser window or a covered list, start a timer, and record your answer as REAL or FAKE. Avoid looking ahead or consulting a dictionary until you finish the round.

Practice recognizing one word at a time under a strict five-second limit.

Round 1: Everyday and Foundational Vocabulary (Items 1-18)

Item	Word	Your choice
01	kitchen	Real / Fake
02	forgate	Real / Fake
03	blanket	Real / Fake
04	mitten	Real / Fake
05	narrow	Real / Fake
06	clatter	Real / Fake
07	journey	Real / Fake
08	splender	Real / Fake
09	whisper	Real / Fake
10	droof	Real / Fake
11	borrow	Real / Fake
12	travement	Real / Fake
13	gentle	Real / Fake
14	cradley	Real / Fake
15	pocket	Real / Fake
16	glisten	Real / Fake
17	harbor	Real / Fake
18	flander	Real / Fake

As you work through Round 1, pay attention to words that resemble familiar vocabulary. For example, splender resembles splendor, while travement may evoke words such as travel or pavement. Familiar-looking letter combinations are not sufficient evidence that a word is valid.

Round 2: Core Academic and Professional Vocabulary (Items 19-36)

Round 2 brings in academic vocabulary, as well as professional and made-up words. The goal is to look for the real words rather than approving a word just because its prefixes, roots, or suffixes seem reasonable.

Item	Word	Your choice
19	advocate	Real / Fake
20	conspect	Real / Fake
21	coherent	Real / Fake
22	persuadeous	Real / Fake
23	deficit	Real / Fake
24	impedeous	Real / Fake
25	scrutiny	Real / Fake
26	tribulent	Real / Fake
27	variable	Real / Fake
28	definate	Real / Fake
29	precedent	Real / Fake
30	advercity	Real / Fake
31	volatile	Real / Fake
32	cognizeable	Real / Fake
33	incentive	Real / Fake
34	interveneous	Real / Fake
35	subsidize	Real / Fake
36	persept	Real / Fake

Several items resemble genuine words but contain spelling changes or unusual formations. For example, definate resembles definite, and advercity resembles adversity. These are useful opportunities to practice distinguishing correct spelling from plausible-looking alternatives.

Review tip: After completing each round, check the answer key and verify unfamiliar candidates using a reputable dictionary. Some English words are rare or specialized, so unfamiliarity alone does not make a word fake.

Round 3-4: Near-Miss Pseudo-Words

Rounds 3 and 4 become more difficult as they use advanced vocabulary, spelling pitfalls, and made-up words that appear like genuine English. Instead of depending on easily spotted spelling mistakes, you should be able to differentiate genuine words from the fake ones.

There are some distractors that mimic well-known roots or use suffixes that look like those in English. Other distractors have only one or two letter changes in an actual word.

Maintain the same five-second limit per item. Read each word exactly as displayed rather than mentally correcting its spelling. If a word looks familiar, check whether you recognize that specific form, not just a similar word.

Advanced pseudo-words can resemble genuine English vocabulary in both spelling and structure.

Round 3: Advanced Vocabulary and Near-Miss Distractors (Items 37-54)

Item	Word	Your choice
37	ambivalence	Real / Fake
38	obfuskate	Real / Fake
39	paradigm	Real / Fake
40	acquiescential	Real / Fake
41	juxtapose	Real / Fake
42	surreptial	Real / Fake
43	ubiquitous	Real / Fake
44	discombobulant	Real / Fake
45	mitigate	Real / Fake
46	magnanimous	Real / Fake
47	tenacious	Real / Fake
48	resiliant	Real / Fake
49	ephemeral	Real / Fake
50	inexorablement	Real / Fake
51	pragmatic	Real / Fake
52	pernicitous	Real / Fake
53	esoteric	Real / Fake
54	recalcitrant	Real / Fake

Pay particular attention to spelling-based distractors. For example, resiliant resembles resilient, while pernicitous resembles pernicious. Both examples illustrate how a small change can make a candidate appear familiar without preserving the standard spelling.

Round 4: Advanced Lexical and Morphological Traps (Items 55-72)

In the last stage, there is the incorporation of high level vocabulary with vocabulary that follows derivation patterns. Attention should be paid to the correctness of the whole word and not to just accept a word because its parts are familiar.

Item	Word	Your choice
55	anachronism	Real / Fake
56	quintessent	Real / Fake
57	sycophant	Real / Fake
58	solipsisticly	Real / Fake
59	cacophony	Real / Fake
60	chimericalize	Real / Fake
61	vicarious	Real / Fake
62	verisimilitious	Real / Fake
63	idiosyncrasy	Real / Fake
64	supercillious	Real / Fake
65	surreptitious	Real / Fake
66	lugubriousnessly	Real / Fake
67	perfunctory	Real / Fake
68	grandiloquious	Real / Fake
69	propensity	Real / Fake
70	intransigence	Real / Fake
71	ineffable	Real / Fake
72	fastidiousize	Real / Fake

Review strategy for advanced items

After completing both rounds, group your mistakes into three categories:

• Spelling errors: You recognized the intended word but overlooked a changed letter or vowel.
• Morphological errors: You accepted a word because its root and suffix looked compatible, without knowing whether the resulting form was established.
• Vocabulary gaps: You rejected a genuine but unfamiliar word or accepted an invented form because it seemed plausible.

Answer keys

These are LUME practice items, not official Duolingo test questions. Every key was checked on 26 October 2026 against Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, Dictionary.com and Wiktionary. A word is marked REAL if it has a standard English entry in at least two of them, and FAKE if none of them lists it as an English word (Wiktionary lists a few, such as definate and resiliant, only as misspellings). Rare words were avoided on purpose, because dictionaries disagree about them.

Round 1 Answer Key: Everyday Words

Item	Word	Answer	Explanation
01	kitchen	REAL	A room where food is prepared and cooked.
02	forgate	FAKE	Not an English word. It resembles forget and gate.
03	blanket	REAL	A large piece of soft cloth used to keep warm, especially on a bed.
04	mitten	REAL	A glove with one part for the thumb and one for the four fingers.
05	narrow	REAL	Small in width.
06	clatter	REAL	A loud noise made by hard objects hitting each other.
07	journey	REAL	A trip from one place to another.
08	splender	FAKE	A misspelling of splendor (or splendour).
09	whisper	REAL	To speak very quietly.
10	droof	FAKE	Not an English word. It resembles roof and proof.
11	borrow	REAL	To take something for a time and give it back later.
12	travement	FAKE	Not an English word. It mixes travel and pavement.
13	gentle	REAL	Kind and calm; not rough.
14	cradley	FAKE	Not an English word. It resembles cradle.
15	pocket	REAL	A small bag sewn into clothing.
16	glisten	REAL	To shine, especially when wet or covered with a thin layer of liquid.
17	harbor	REAL	A sheltered area of water where ships stay; the US spelling of harbour.
18	flander	FAKE	Not an English word. It resembles the place name Flanders.

Round 2 Answer Key: Core Academic and Professional Vocabulary (Items 19-36)

Item	Word	Answer	Explanation
19	advocate	REAL	A noun meaning a supporter or a verb meaning to publicly recommend something.
20	conspect	FAKE	Not an English word. It resembles academic words such as conspectus. It has no English entry in Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, Dictionary.com or Wiktionary (checked 26 October 2026).
21	coherent	REAL	An adjective meaning logical, consistent, and easy to understand.
22	persuadeous	FAKE	Not an English word. It looks like an adjective built from persuade plus -ous; the real adjective is persuasive.
23	deficit	REAL	A noun meaning a shortfall or an amount by which something is less than required.
24	impedeous	FAKE	An invented form resembling impede and adjective endings such as -ous.
25	scrutiny	REAL	A noun meaning close or careful examination.
26	tribulent	FAKE	Intended to resemble turbulent, but it is not an English word. It has no English entry in Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, Dictionary.com or Wiktionary (checked 26 October 2026).
27	variable	REAL	A noun or adjective referring to something that can change or vary.
28	definate	FAKE	A misspelling of definite.
29	precedent	REAL	A noun referring to an earlier example or decision that guides later cases.
30	advercity	FAKE	A misspelling of adversity.
31	volatile	REAL	An adjective meaning likely to change rapidly, unstable, or easily evaporated.
32	cognizeable	FAKE	A nonstandard spelling resembling cognizable; the standard form uses -zable, not -zeable.
33	incentive	REAL	A noun meaning something that motivates or encourages an action.
34	interveneous	FAKE	An invented adjective-like form based on intervene; it is not a standard everyday English form.
35	subsidize	REAL	A verb meaning to support financially, often through public funds.
36	persept	FAKE	An invented spelling that resembles percept or perception.

Round 3 Answer Key: Advanced Vocabulary and Near-Miss Distractors (Items 37-54)

Item	Word	Answer	Explanation
37	ambivalence	REAL	A noun describing the coexistence of conflicting feelings or attitudes.
38	obfuskate	FAKE	A misspelling of obfuscate, a verb meaning to make something unclear or difficult to understand.
39	paradigm	REAL	A noun referring to a model, framework, or typical example.
40	acquiescential	FAKE	An invented adjective-like form resembling acquiescent, which means inclined to accept something without protest.
41	juxtapose	REAL	A verb meaning to place two things side by side for comparison or contrast.
42	surreptial	FAKE	Resembles surreptitious, meaning secretive or concealed.
43	ubiquitous	REAL	An adjective meaning present or found everywhere.
44	discombobulant	FAKE	An invented form resembling discombobulate, meaning to confuse or disconcert.
45	mitigate	REAL	A verb meaning to make something less severe, harmful, or serious.
46	magnanimous	REAL	An adjective meaning kind, generous and forgiving, especially toward a rival.
47	tenacious	REAL	An adjective meaning persistent, determined, or firmly held.
48	resiliant	FAKE	A misspelling of resilient, meaning able to recover after difficulty or adversity.
49	ephemeral	REAL	An adjective meaning lasting for only a short time.
50	inexorablement	FAKE	Not the standard English adverb. It resembles French inexorablement; the English equivalent is inexorably.
51	pragmatic	REAL	An adjective describing a practical approach focused on results.
52	pernicitous	FAKE	Resembles pernicious, meaning highly harmful or destructive, but has a different spelling.
53	esoteric	REAL	An adjective describing knowledge or ideas understood by a small, specialized group.
54	recalcitrant	REAL	An adjective meaning unwilling to obey rules or follow instructions.

Round 4 Answer Key: Advanced Lexical and Morphological Traps (Items 55-72)

Item	Word	Answer	Explanation
55	anachronism	REAL	A noun referring to something placed in the wrong historical period or something out of step with its time.
56	quintessent	FAKE	Resembles quintessential, meaning representative of the most typical or perfect example of something.
57	sycophant	REAL	A noun for someone who uses excessive flattery to gain another person’s favor.
58	solipsisticly	FAKE	A misspelling of solipsistically, the standard adverb derived from solipsistic.
59	cacophony	REAL	A noun meaning a harsh, unpleasant mixture of sounds.
60	chimericalize	FAKE	Appears to be formed from chimerical and -ize, but a plausible construction is not enough to establish standard lexical status.
61	vicarious	REAL	An adjective describing an experience felt through another person’s actions or experiences.
62	verisimilitious	FAKE	An invented adjective-like form resembling verisimilitude, meaning the appearance of being true or realistic.
63	idiosyncrasy	REAL	A noun describing a distinctive personal characteristic, habit, or mannerism.
64	supercillious	FAKE	A misspelling of supercilious, meaning behaving as though one is superior to others.
65	surreptitious	REAL	An adjective meaning done secretly, especially to avoid notice.
66	lugubriousnessly	FAKE	An invented form that combines lugubrious, the noun-forming suffix -ness, and the adverbial suffix -ly in a nonstandard formation.
67	perfunctory	REAL	An adjective describing an action performed routinely with little care or enthusiasm.
68	grandiloquious	FAKE	An invented form resembling grandiloquent, meaning pompous or elaborate in speech.
69	propensity	REAL	A noun meaning a natural tendency or inclination toward something.
70	intransigence	REAL	A noun meaning unwillingness to change your opinion or to compromise.
71	ineffable	REAL	An adjective meaning too great, extreme, or profound to be expressed in words.
72	fastidiousize	FAKE	An invented verb-like form based on fastidious, meaning very attentive to detail or difficult to please.

Diagnostic Self-Score Rubric

Use your total score to assess your performance on this 72-item practice set. The results can help you identify vocabulary-recognition strengths and weaknesses, but they cannot predict your official Duolingo English Test score.

Raw Score (out of 72)	Accuracy	Practice Level	Diagnostic Profile & Recommended Action
0–35	0–48.6%	Developing	You may be relying heavily on visual familiarity rather than recognizing exact word forms. Review common English vocabulary, spelling patterns, and basic word families.
36–52	50.0–72.2%	Building	You recognize many familiar words but may struggle with subtle spelling changes and less familiar vocabulary. Practise checking exact letter sequences and reviewing unfamiliar words in a dictionary.
53–63	73.6–87.5%	Strong	You demonstrate solid recognition across this practice set. Focus on rare vocabulary, spelling variants, and distinguishing established words from plausible-looking inventions.
64–72	88.9–100%	Very Strong	You performed accurately on most or all items. Review any missed answers and continue practising with varied vocabulary rather than relying on this score as proof of overall English proficiency.

Patterns behind the fake words

Words that are fabricated tend to mimic authentic English words through common spellings, prefixes, and suffixes. This awareness will assist you in evaluating unknown words within the five seconds allotted.

Pattern 1: Unusual Suffixes

Some fake words are composed of common roots but with odd suffixes. For instance, persuadeous is similar to persuasive, whereas impedeous and interveneous are modeled after the adjectives made from impede and intervene. In considering the legitimacy of a word that one doesn’t recognize, one must consider if the entire word is legitimate.

Pattern 2: Spelling Near-Misses

Some decoys differ from real words by only one or two letters. For instance, the decoys “definate,” “resiliant,” and “supercillious” closely resemble the words “definite,” “resilient,” and “supercilious.” Be careful of unstressed vowels and repeated consonants, particularly when a word seems to be familiar at first sight.

Pattern 3: Plausible Letter Combinations

Some fake words follow familiar English spelling patterns and look easy to pronounce. For instance, droof resembles words such as roof and proof. However, a word that looks unusual is not automatically fake. Focus on whether you recognize the exact word rather than relying on how plausible its spelling appears.

Pattern 4: Unusual Affix Combinations

Some other decoys create the impression of complexity through word formation using common roots and suffixes. Thus, for instance, lugubriousnessly can be seen as being like lugubriously, and fastidiousize mimics a verb created from fastidious. Break down long words into meaningful components, then see if the whole word is used in English.

Related practice resources

• DET Read and Complete Practice With Answers
• Duolingo English Test Read and Complete: Guide and Tips
• 300+ Essential Academic Words for Duolingo English Test

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