English vocabulary you need for the citizenship interview
Core words and sentence patterns for the naturalization reading and writing tests, with simple ways to practice them.
The naturalization test includes a reading and writing section in English unless you qualify for an exception. The good news is that USCIS publishes the types of words used for this part of the exam.
Reading vocabulary
The officer shows you a sentence and asks you to read it out loud. The words are usually simple and civics-related.
Common examples include:
- President
- Congress
- Constitution
- citizen
- state
- country
- vote
- freedom
- right
- United States
Writing vocabulary
The officer dictates a sentence, and you write it. Common word groups include:
- President
- capital
- citizen
- flag
- vote
- freedom
- dollar
- February
- June
- largest
Sentence examples
Citizens can vote for the President.Congress makes laws for the United States.
Practical ways to practice
- Read one or two short civics sentences out loud every day
- Write common words by hand, not only on a keyboard
- Practice dictation with a friend, teacher, or app
- Do not panic over small spelling mistakes; USCIS mainly wants the meaning to be clear
Why this part is often easier than expected
The reading and writing sentences are short, the vocabulary pool is limited, and USCIS usually allows up to three attempts for each section. Consistent short practice is usually enough.
Official resource:
CiudadanoUSA includes reading and writing practice with official-style vocabulary, plus bilingual support for learners who want more context. Download it here.