The English Test for US Citizenship
The naturalization test has two halves. Most of the attention goes to the civics questions, but you also have to show you can read, write, speak and understand basic English. This is what that part involves, with the official vocabulary lists.
The English test did not change in 2025. The Federal Register notice that put the 2025 civics test into effect says it "does not change the English language parts of the naturalization test (reading, writing, speaking, and understanding)". Only the civics portion changed, from 100 questions to 128. If you have seen a vocabulary list stamped 2014 and wondered whether it was out of date: it is not, it is still the official one.
The three things you are tested on
Reading
The officer shows you sentences and you read one out loud correctly. You get up to three attempts. Every sentence is built from a fixed list of 64 words, so the vocabulary is small and completely knowable in advance.
Writing
The officer dictates a sentence and you write it down. Again, up to three attempts, and again the sentences are built from a fixed list, this time of 75 words.
Small spelling, capitalisation and punctuation mistakes do not automatically fail you as long as the sentence still means the same thing. Writing a completely different sentence does.
Speaking and understanding
There is no separate speaking test. The officer forms a judgement while going through your Form N-400 with you: answering the eligibility questions is the speaking test. This catches people out, because they prepare for the parts with lists and treat the interview conversation as small talk.
Why the lists make this the easy half
The civics test draws from 128 questions. The English test draws from 64 reading words and 75 writing words, with heavy overlap between them, and you only have to get one sentence right in each. Of the two halves, this is the one you can finish preparing for.
Frequently asked questions
Did the English test change in 2025 along with the civics test?
No. The notice that implemented the 2025 civics test states that it does not change the English language parts of the naturalization test: reading, writing, speaking and understanding. Only the civics portion changed, from 100 questions to 128. The reading and writing vocabulary lists are unchanged.
How many sentences do I have to read and write?
One of each. For reading you must read one sentence out loud correctly, and for writing you must write one sentence correctly. You get up to three attempts at each.
Is the speaking test separate?
There is no separate speaking exam. The officer judges your ability to speak and understand English from the ordinary conversation you have during the eligibility interview, while going through your Form N-400.
Do I have to spell perfectly on the writing test?
USCIS instructs officers that spelling, capitalisation and punctuation errors do not automatically fail a sentence, as long as the meaning of what you wrote is still clear. What matters is that the sentence conveys the same meaning as what was dictated.
Can anyone be exempt from the English test?
Some applicants are, based on age and years as a lawful permanent resident (commonly called the 50/20 and 55/15 exemptions), and there is also a medical disability exception. Whether any of these applies to your case is not something this site can determine; ask a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.
Where this comes from. The word lists are reproduced from the official USCIS text files. Everything above describes the test's mechanics as USCIS publishes them; it is not legal advice and this site is not connected to USCIS. The official page on the naturalization interview and test governs.