Tricks To Remember A Letter Words For Competitive Exams (SSC, RRB, Bank): With 50 MCQs Practice

Introduction

If you are preparing for exams like the UPSC, SSC, or Banking, you already know that vocabulary is the invisible wall between you and your dream score. We spend hours flipping through dictionaries, but let’s be honest: most of those words vanish from our memory the moment we close the book.

For the longest time, I struggled with this too. I realized that “rote memorization” wasn’t just boring—it was ineffective. To solve this, I developed a system of mnemonics and hooks that actually stay in the brain. In this guide, I am sharing my personally developed tricks to remember A letter words for competitive exams to help you save time and score higher.

Why These Tricks Work

These are not standard textbook definitions. These are “memory shortcuts” that I created to make these words “stick.” I have found that if you know Hindi or Telugu, these tricks become even more powerful because you can create associations using words from your own mother tongue. By linking a tough English word to a familiar regional sound or story, you bypass the need for cramming.

How to Use This Guide Effectively

• Don’t Just Read, Relate: Treat these words as stories. When you see my tricks, try to visualize them in your mind.
• The Power of Revision: You can learn a trick in seconds, but you will only master the word through daily revision. Spend 10 minutes every morning reviewing this list.
• Develop Your Own Style: While I have provided my personal tricks to remember A letter words for competitive exams, the most effective hook is the one you create yourself. If a word feels difficult, ask yourself: Does this sound like a word in my language? That personal connection is the secret to never forgetting during the pressure of an exam.

Tricks To Remember A Letter Words For Competitive Exams

1. Abandon

• Meaning: To leave a place, thing, or person permanently.
• Example: The captain gave the order to abandon the ship after it hit an iceberg.
• Trick to Remember: “A-Ban-Don” — If a king puts a Ban on someone, they are Done and must abandon the kingdom.

2. Abdicate

• Meaning: To formally give up a throne, high office, or responsibility.
• Example: The king chose to abdicate his throne to marry the woman he loved.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it like this: ‘Ab’ means ‘now’ in Hindi, and ‘Di’ or ‘Digu’ means ‘come down’ in Telugu. Putting them together is like saying ‘come down now,’ which is similar to the idea of ‘giving up.’“
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Dicate” — Sounds like “Ab-Dictate”. When you stop dictating (ruling), you abdicate your power.

3. Abduct

• Meaning: To take someone away illegally by force or deception; kidnap.
• Example: The mystery novel begins with a plot to abduct the diplomat’s daughter.
• Trick 1 to Remember: Remember it this way: ‘Ab’ means ‘now,’ ‘duc’ sounds like ‘duck,’ and ‘t’ stands for ‘transport,’ which together relate to the idea of a ‘kidnap.’
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Duct” — Imagine someone being pulled away through an air duct.

4. Aberrant

• Meaning: Departing from an accepted or normal standard.
• Example: The child’s aberrant behavior at school worried the teachers and parents.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it like this: ‘Barre’ means ‘buffalo’ in Telugu. You can remember it by associating it with a buffalo’s behavior, which is often seen as unruly or not good.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Err-Ant” — Think of an Ant making an Error by walking away from the straight line of the colony.

5. Abet

• Meaning: To encourage or assist someone to do something wrong, in particular, to commit a crime.
• Example: He was not the thief, but he was charged for his decision to abet the robbery by driving the getaway car.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of ‘abet’ like saying ‘hey, bet’ to someone. Since betting is often seen as something wrong, you can remember that ‘abetting’ means encouraging someone to do something wrong.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “A-Bet” — If you place A Bet on someone to do something bad, you are abetting them.

6. Abhorrent

• Meaning: Inspiring disgust and loathing; repugnant.
• Example: Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it like being ‘bored.’ If something is a bore, you don’t like it because it is not good or uninteresting.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Horrent” — Relate it to Horror. Something that is like a horror movie is abhorrent.

7. Abide

• Meaning: To accept or act in accordance with a rule, decision, or recommendation.
• Example: All students must abide by the college rules regarding attendance.
• Trick 1 to Remember:“Think of it like a ‘wide’ in cricket. When the umpire calls a wide, you have to accept his decision. This helps you remember that ‘abide’ means to accept or follow a rule.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “A-Bide” — Sounds like “A-Bide (Buy-ed)”. If you buy into the rules, you abide by them.

8. Abject

• Meaning: (Of a person or their behavior) completely without pride or dignity; self-abasing.
• Example: The villagers lived in abject poverty, lacking even the most basic necessities.
• Trick to Remember: “Ab-Ject” — Sounds like “Re-ject”. People living in abject conditions often feel rejected by society.

9. Abjure

• Meaning: To solemnly renounce a belief, cause, or claim.
• Example: Under pressure from the authorities, the rebel leader was forced to abjure his allegiance to the movement.
• Trick to Remember: “Ab-Jure” — Think of a Jury. You swear to the jury that you will abjure (give up) your past crimes.

10. Ablaze

• Meaning: Burning fiercely; very bright or full of light or excitement.
• Example: The entire forest was ablaze within hours of the lightning strike.
• Trick to Remember: “A-Blaze” — A Blaze is a fire. If a building is a-blaze, it is on fire.

11. Ably

• Meaning: In a clever or skillful way.
• Example: The project was ably managed by a team of experienced engineers.
• Trick to Remember: “Ably” — Just think of the word Able. If you are able, you do things ably.

12. Abnegation

• Meaning: The act of renouncing or rejecting something; self-denial.
• Example: Her abnegation of worldly pleasures led her to a life of spiritual meditation.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it like you are negotiating with yourself about self-control. You are choosing to say no to your own desires, which is what it means to abnegate.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Neg-Ation” — Focus on “Neg” (Negative). Saying No (negative) to your own desires is abnegation.

13. Abominable

• Meaning: Causing moral revulsion; very bad or unpleasant.
• Example: The conditions in the temporary shelters were abominable.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “In Marvel, there is a villain called Abomination. Since a villain is not good, you can remember that an abomination is something hateful or disgusting.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Abominable” — Think of the Abominable Snowman. He is a scary, unpleasant monster.

14. Abortive

• Meaning: Failing to produce the intended result; unsuccessful.
• Example: The rebels made an abortive attempt to seize the radio station.
• Trick to Remember: “Abortive” — Think of the “Abort” button on a computer. If you abort a task, it is abortive (unsuccessful).

15. Abrogate

• Meaning: To evade a responsibility; to repeal or do away with a law or formal agreement.
• Example: The government decided to abrogate the outdated treaty.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it as: ‘Ab-bro-gate.’ Imagine you have to stop your bro at the gate. This helps you remember that abrogate means to stop, cancel, or do away with something.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Ro-Gate” — Imagine a Robber at the Gate. If he breaks the law, the law is abrogated (broken/ended).

16. Abscond

• Meaning: To leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection or arrest.
• Example: The cashier was found to have absconded with the store’s weekend earnings.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it like this: ‘Cond’ sounds like ‘Konda,’ which means hill in Telugu. Since there is no one on top of a hill, it is the best place to hide. This helps you remember that ‘abscond’ means to escape or hide away.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Scond” — Sounds like “Absent in a Second”. You leave so fast you are gone in a second.

17. Abstemious

• Meaning: Not self-indulgent, especially when eating and drinking.
• Example: Despite the lavish feast, the monk remained abstemious, eating only a small portion of rice.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it like this: You stay strong like a ‘stem’ by gaining self-control. This helps you remember.
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Stem-Ious” — Focus on “Abstain”. If you abstain from overeating, you are abstemious.

18. Abstruse

• Meaning: Difficult to understand; obscure.
• Example: The professor’s lectures on quantum physics were far too abstruse for the introductory class.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it like the truth: it is often painful and difficult to understand or accept. This helps you remember that ‘abstruse’ describes something that is very complex and hard to grasp.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Struse” — Sounds like “Ab-Confuse”. If something is abstruse, it confuses you.

19. Absurd

• Meaning: Wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate.
• Example: The idea that the earth is flat is completely absurd in the modern age.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it like curd. I know many people who hate curd for some reason. You can remember this to describe something that is sour or unpleasant, just like how some people feel about curd.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ab-Surd” — In math, a Surd is an irrational number. Something absurd is irrational.

20. Abundance

• Meaning: A very large quantity of something.
• Example: The tropical island offered an abundance of fresh fruit and clean water.

• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it as: ‘A-bun-dance.’ Imagine there is so much bun (plenty of food) that you are dancing with joy! This helps you remember that ‘abundant’ means having a large lead or plenty of something.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Abund-ance” — Sounds like “A-Bounty”. A bounty is a large reward or collection.

21. Abysmal

• Meaning: Extremely bad; appalling; or literally, resembling an abyss in depth.
• Example: The team’s performance was abysmal, leading to their worst defeat of the season.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Remember it like a busy mall: Too much overcrowding makes the experience bad. Use this to remember that ‘abysmal’ means something is terrible or ‘not good.'”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Abyss-mal” — An Abyss is a deep, dark hole. If something is abysmal, it is as “low” or “deeply bad” as it can get.

22. Accession

• Meaning: The formal acquisition of a position of power (like a throne) or the act of joining an organization.
• Example: The country celebrated the accession of the new queen to the throne.
• Trick to Remember: “Access-ion” — Think of gaining Access to a high-ranking position or office.

23. Accomplice

• Meaning: A person who helps another commit a crime.
• Example: While he didn’t rob the bank himself, he acted as an accomplice by providing the blueprints.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Remember the word ‘accommodate’ alongside ‘police.’ If you accommodate a criminal, you are helping them, and the police will catch you for it.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Accom-Police” — An accomplice is the person the Police catch along with the main criminal.

24. Accomplish

• Meaning: To achieve or complete something successfully.
• Example: If we work together, we can accomplish the project goals well before the deadline.
• Trick to Remember: “A-Complet-ish” — Sounds like Complete. When you accomplish a task, you complete it.

25. Accord

• Meaning: An official agreement or treaty; or to be harmonious.
• Example: The two nations finally signed a peace accord after years of border disputes.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Remember it as an ‘agreement cord.’ When people are in accord, they are tied together by the same decision or agreement.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Accord” — Think of a Honda Accord. It’s a car designed for a “smooth/harmonious” ride where everything works in accord.

26. Acerbic

• Meaning: (Especially of a comment or style of speaking) sharp and forthright; sour or severe.
• Example: The critic’s acerbic review of the movie left the director feeling quite insulted.
• Trick to Remember: “A-cerbic” — Sounds like “Acidic”. An acerbic tongue is sharp and “burns” like acid.

27. Acquaint

• Meaning: To make someone aware of or familiar with.
• Example: New employees are given a week to acquaint themselves with the company’s software.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Remember it like this: ‘Quaint’ sounds like ‘paint.’ You paint the home where your family is, and since you are familiar with them, it helps you remember the word’s connection to being familiar or charmingly old-style.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ac-Quaint” — Sounds like “A-Quaint-ance” (Acquaintance). You acquaint yourself with someone to make them your acquaintance.

28. Acquiesce

• Meaning: To accept something reluctantly but without protest.
• Example: Sara did not agree with the new rules, but she decided to acquiesce to avoid a confrontation.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Remember it as ‘Agree-to-a-quiz.’ Even if you hate quizzes, you might acquiesce (agree reluctantly) just to get it over with.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ac-Quiet-ce” — Focus on the word Quiet. When you acquiesce, you stay quiet and accept the situation.

29. Acquisition

• Meaning: An asset or object bought or obtained, typically by a museum or library.
• Example: The library’s latest acquisition is a rare manuscript from the 16th century.
• Trick to Remember: “Acquire-ition” — Derived from the word Acquire. An acquisition is simply something you have acquired.

30. Acrimonious

• Meaning: (Typically of a speech or a debate) angry and bitter.
• Example: The divorce proceedings became acrimonious as both parties fought over every asset.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Remember it like this: ‘A-cry-monious.’ If a conversation is very bitter and full of anger, there will be a cry at the end. This helps you remember it means a harsh or biting relationship.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “A-Crim-onious” — Sounds like “A-Crime”. An acrimonious argument is so bitter it feels like a crime against peace.

31. Addle

• Meaning: To make someone unable to think clearly; confuse.
• Example: Being in the hot sun for too long began to addle the hiker’s brain.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Remember ‘addle’ by thinking: ‘Add-L.’ If you add an ‘L’ and then forget why, your brain is addled (confused)!”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Addle” — Rhymes with “Muddle”. When your brain is addled, your thoughts are in a muddle (mess).

32. Adduce

• Meaning: To cite as evidence.
• Example: The lawyer was able to adduce several documents that proved his client’s innocence.
• Trick to Remember: “Ad-duce” — Sounds like “Produce”. You adduce evidence by producing it in court.

33. Adept

• Meaning: Very skilled or proficient at something.
• Example: He is adept at coding in multiple languages, making him a valuable asset to the tech team.
• Trick to Remember: “Ad-Ept” — Opposite of “In-ept” (clumsy). An adept person is an Expert.

34. Adequate

• Meaning: Satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity.
• Example: The old bridge is still adequate for light traffic, but it needs repairs for heavy trucks.
• Trick to Remember: “A-Equal-ate” — It is equal to what is needed. Not more, not less—just adequate.

35. Admonish

• Meaning: To warn or reprimand someone firmly.
• Example: The teacher had to admonish the students for talking during the final exam.
• Trick to Remember: “Ad-mon-ish” — Think of a Monitor. A class monitor is there to admonish (warn) students who break rules.

36. Adroit

• Meaning: Clever or skillful in using the hands or mind.
• Example: She was adroit at tax avoidance, staying strictly within the law while paying as little as possible.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of the word ‘right’ inside ‘adroit.’ Since clever people give the right answers and are skillful, you can remember that adroit means being very clever or skillful.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “A-Droit” — In French, “Droit” means right. Most people are skillful/adroit with their right hand.

37. Adumbrate

• Meaning: To report or represent in outline; to foreshadow.
• Example: The opening scene of the play serves to adumbrate the tragic ending.
• Trick to Remember: “Ad-Umbr-ate” — “Umbra” means shadow (like in an eclipse). To adumbrate is to give a shadowy outline of what’s coming.

38. Adversity

• Meaning: Difficulties; misfortune.
• Example: She showed great courage in the face of adversity after losing her job and her home.
• Trick to Remember: “Adversity” — Relate it to Adversary (enemy). Adversity is the difficult situation created by your adversary.

39. Affable

• Meaning: Friendly, good-natured, or easy to talk to.
• Example: The new principal is quite affable, which has made him very popular among the students.
• Trick to Remember: “Aff-able” — Sounds like “Laugh-able”. A person who is affable is someone you can have a laugh and a good time with.

40. Affinity

• Meaning: A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something.
• Example: From a young age, he felt a strong affinity for classical music.
• Trick to Remember: “Affinity” — Sounds like “Infinity”. If you have an affinity for someone, your bond feels like it could last for infinity.

41. Affliction

• Meaning: Something that causes pain or suffering.
• Example: Despite her physical affliction, she remained one of the most cheerful people in the office.
• Trick to Remember: “Af-flic-tion” — Sounds like “A-flict” (A conflict). A conflict in your body or mind causes affliction (pain).

42. Affluent

• Meaning: (Especially of a group or area) having a great deal of money; wealthy.
• Example: The city’s affluent suburbs are filled with luxury villas and expensive cars.
• Trick to Remember: “Af-fluent” — Think of “Flow-ent”. Money flows easily into the lives of the affluent.

43. Aggravate

• Meaning: To make a problem, injury, or offense worse or more serious.
• Example: Running on a twisted ankle will only aggravate the injury.
• Trick to Remember: “Ag-grav-ate” — Focus on “Grave”. If you aggravate a situation, you are making it as serious as a grave.

44. Aggrieved

• Meaning: Feeling resentment at having been unfairly treated.
• Example: The aggrieved employees decided to file a formal complaint against the management.
• Trick to Remember: “Ag-grieved” — Relate it to “Grief”. When you are treated unfairly, you feel grief and become aggrieved.

45. Aghast

• Meaning: Filled with horror or shock.
• Example: Everyone was aghast at the news of the sudden building collapse.
• Trick to Remember: “A-ghast” — Sounds like “A-Ghost”. If you see a ghost, you will be aghast (shocked/horrified).

46. Agile

• Meaning: Able to move quickly and easily; or having a quick, resourceful mind.
• Example: At eighty years old, he is still agile enough to climb the stairs without help.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think: ‘Age moves fast.’ Just as time flies, someone who is agile moves with great speed and coordination.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Ag-ile” — Think of a Gazelle. A gazelle is one of the most agile animals in the wild.

47. Agitate

• Meaning: To make someone troubled or nervous; or to stir a liquid briskly.
• Example: The news of the upcoming layoffs began to agitate the entire workforce.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think: ‘Agitate’ rhymes with ‘Hesitate.’ When you are agitated (disturbed or upset), you start to hesitate because you aren’t thinking clearly. This helps you remember that agitate means to stir up or trouble someone.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Agi-tate” — Think of a washing machine’s agitator. It moves things around roughly to shake them up.

48. Agnosia

• Meaning: Inability to interpret sensations and hence to recognize things.
• Example: After the accident, he suffered from agnosia, making it difficult to recognize familiar faces.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of it as: ‘Ag-no-si-a.’ In Hindi, ‘Aaj’ means today. Imagine saying, ‘Today, I see nothing I recognize.’ This helps you remember that agnosia is the inability to recognize familiar objects or people.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “A-gnosia” — “Gnosis” means knowledge. “A” means without. So, agnosia is being without the knowledge of what you see.

49. Agnostic

• Meaning: A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God.
• Example: He describes himself as an agnostic, claiming he needs more evidence before believing in a higher power.
• Trick to Remember: “A-gnostic” — Again, “Gnosis” (knowledge). An agnostic says, “I have no knowledge of whether God exists.”

50. Agonize

• Meaning: To undergo great mental anguish through worrying about something.
• Example: Don’t agonize over the decision; just pick one and move forward.
• Trick 1 to Remember: “Think of the character Aguni from Alice in Borderland. He is always in agony (extreme worry and pain) on the inside, even if he doesn’t show it. This helps you remember that ‘agony’ means great mental or physical suffering.”
• Trick 2 to Remember: “Agon-ize” — Derived from Agony. When you agonize, you are putting yourself through mental agony.

51. Agony

• Meaning: Extreme physical or mental suffering.
• Example: He lay on the ground in agony after breaking his leg during the match.
• Trick 1 to Remember: Same like Agonize
• Trick to Remember: “Agony” — Think of “A-Gone-y”. When your peace of mind is gone, you are in agony.

52. Agoraphobia

• Meaning: Extreme or irrational fear of entering open or crowded places.
• Example: Due to her agoraphobia, she rarely left her apartment and preferred having groceries delivered.
• Trick to Remember: “Agora-phobia” — In ancient Greece, the “Agora” was a large open marketplace. Phobia is fear. So, it’s the fear of the marketplace/open spaces.

53. Alacrity

• Meaning: Brisk and cheerful readiness.
• Example: She accepted the job offer with alacrity, as it was her dream position.
• Trick to Remember: “A-lac-rity” — Sounds like “Electricity”. Someone with alacrity moves as fast and bright as electricity.

54. Albatross

• Meaning: A source of emotional or psychological burden that feels like a curse.
• Example: The failed project became an albatross around the manager’s neck, affecting his career for years.
• Trick to Remember: “Albatross” — Think of “All-Bad-Trust”. If you trust the wrong thing, it becomes an albatross (burden).

55. Alleviate

• Meaning: To make suffering, deficiency, or a problem less severe.
• Example: The government implemented new policies to alleviate the effects of the drought.
• Trick to Remember: “Al-levi-ate” — Think of “Elevate”. When you elevate (lift) a burden, you alleviate the weight of it.