Citizenship Writing Test: Complete Vocabulary Guide
The citizenship writing test requires you to write a sentence in English. The USCIS officer will say a sentence, and you'll write it down. This guide covers every word you might need to write.
How the Writing Test Works
During your interview:
- The officer dictates a sentence (says it aloud)
- You write the sentence on paper
- You'll write 1 to 3 sentences
- You need to write 1 sentence correctly to pass
- You have 3 attempts if needed
The sentences use simple vocabulary. If you can write the words in this guide, you're prepared.
What "Correct" Means
Your sentence doesn't need to be perfect. USCIS looks for:
- Understandable writing — They can read what you wrote
- Key content words spelled correctly — Important nouns and verbs
- Correct meaning — The sentence makes sense
Minor spelling errors in small words (like "the" or "a") may be acceptable if the sentence is understandable.
Complete Writing Vocabulary
Here are all the words used in writing test sentences:
People
| Word | How to Write |
|---|---|
| Adams | A-d-a-m-s |
| Lincoln | L-i-n-c-o-l-n |
| Washington | W-a-s-h-i-n-g-t-o-n |
| citizen | c-i-t-i-z-e-n |
| citizens | c-i-t-i-z-e-n-s |
| President | P-r-e-s-i-d-e-n-t |
| people | p-e-o-p-l-e |
Civics Words
| Word | How to Write |
|---|---|
| America | A-m-e-r-i-c-a |
| American | A-m-e-r-i-c-a-n |
| capital | c-a-p-i-t-a-l |
| Congress | C-o-n-g-r-e-s-s |
| country | c-o-u-n-t-r-y |
| Father of Our Country | (capitalize each word) |
| flag | f-l-a-g |
| free | f-r-e-e |
| freedom of speech | f-r-e-e-d-o-m (of) s-p-e-e-c-h |
| government | g-o-v-e-r-n-m-e-n-t |
| state | s-t-a-t-e |
| states | s-t-a-t-e-s |
| United States | U-n-i-t-e-d S-t-a-t-e-s |
| White House | W-h-i-t-e H-o-u-s-e |
Places
| Word | How to Write |
|---|---|
| Alaska | A-l-a-s-k-a |
| California | C-a-l-i-f-o-r-n-i-a |
| Canada | C-a-n-a-d-a |
| Delaware | D-e-l-a-w-a-r-e |
| Mexico | M-e-x-i-c-o |
| New York City | N-e-w Y-o-r-k C-i-t-y |
| Washington, D.C. | W-a-s-h-i-n-g-t-o-n, D.C. |
Months
| Word | How to Write |
|---|---|
| February | F-e-b-r-u-a-r-y |
| May | M-a-y |
| June | J-u-n-e |
| July | J-u-l-y |
| September | S-e-p-t-e-m-b-e-r |
| October | O-c-t-o-b-e-r |
| November | N-o-v-e-m-b-e-r |
Holidays
| Word | How to Write |
|---|---|
| Presidents' Day | P-r-e-s-i-d-e-n-t-s' D-a-y |
| Memorial Day | M-e-m-o-r-i-a-l D-a-y |
| Flag Day | F-l-a-g D-a-y |
| Independence Day | I-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-c-e D-a-y |
| Labor Day | L-a-b-o-r D-a-y |
| Columbus Day | C-o-l-u-m-b-u-s D-a-y |
| Thanksgiving | T-h-a-n-k-s-g-i-v-i-n-g |
Verbs
| Word | How to Write |
|---|---|
| can | c-a-n |
| come | c-o-m-e |
| elect | e-l-e-c-t |
| have/has | h-a-v-e / h-a-s |
| is/was/be | i-s / w-a-s / b-e |
| lives | l-i-v-e-s |
| meets | m-e-e-t-s |
| pay | p-a-y |
| vote | v-o-t-e |
| want | w-a-n-t |
Other Important Words
| Word | How to Write |
|---|---|
| a | a |
| and | a-n-d |
| blue | b-l-u-e |
| colors | c-o-l-o-r-s |
| dollar bill | d-o-l-l-a-r b-i-l-l |
| during | d-u-r-i-n-g |
| first | f-i-r-s-t |
| for | f-o-r |
| here | h-e-r-e |
| in | i-n |
| is | i-s |
| largest | l-a-r-g-e-s-t |
| most | m-o-s-t |
| north | n-o-r-t-h |
| of | o-f |
| on | o-n |
| one | o-n-e |
| red | r-e-d |
| right | r-i-g-h-t |
| second | s-e-c-o-n-d |
| south | s-o-u-t-h |
| taxes | t-a-x-e-s |
| the | t-h-e |
| to | t-o |
| we | w-e |
| white | w-h-i-t-e |
Commonly Misspelled Words
Watch out for these tricky spellings:
| Word | Common Mistake | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| February | Febuary | February |
| government | goverment | government |
| President | Presedent | President |
| Independence | Independance | Independence |
| citizenship | citizinship | citizenship |
| Wednesday | Wensday | Wednesday |
| Congress | Congres | Congress |
Practice Strategies
Write by Hand Daily
Writing on a computer doesn't prepare you for the test. Practice with: - Paper and pen/pencil - Clear, readable handwriting - Proper capitalization
Dictation Practice
Have someone read sentences to you while you write. This simulates the actual test:
- Listen to the complete sentence
- Write it down
- Check your spelling
- Repeat with different sentences
Focus on Problem Words
Identify words you consistently misspell and practice them extra:
- Write the word correctly 5 times
- Say each letter as you write
- Use the word in a sentence
- Check your spelling
Practice Sentences
Write these example sentences by hand:
- Citizens can vote.
- The White House is in Washington, D.C.
- Lincoln was President during the Civil War.
- Independence Day is in July.
- George Washington was the first President.
- Congress makes laws.
- The American flag is red, white, and blue.
- People vote in November.
- The capital of the United States is Washington, D.C.
- The President lives in the White House.
Capitalization Rules
Remember to capitalize:
- Names — Lincoln, Washington, Adams
- Places — America, California, Mexico
- Holidays — Independence Day, Thanksgiving
- Months — July, November, February
- First word of a sentence
Tips for Test Day
Listen carefully. The officer will read the sentence clearly. Ask them to repeat if needed.
Write clearly. Neat handwriting helps the officer read your answer.
Don't panic over small words. Focus on spelling important words correctly.
You can ask for repetition. If you didn't hear clearly, politely ask the officer to repeat the sentence.
Building Confidence
The writing test intimidates many applicants, but the vocabulary is limited and learnable. With consistent practice:
- Your spelling will improve
- Your confidence will grow
- The test will feel manageable
Practice writing by hand every day. Start with the words you find most challenging, then write complete sentences.
You're preparing not just for a test, but for life as an English-writing citizen. Every practice session builds skills you'll use forever.