Free TOEFL Mock Tests › TOEFL Complete the Words practice: 200 free paragraphs
TOEFL Complete the Words practice: 200 free paragraphs
Complete the Words is the new 2026 TOEFL Reading task where letters are missing from words in a short academic paragraph. It is 30 of the 50 Reading questions, so getting fast at it matters. Here is how it works, a worked example, and 200 free practice paragraphs.
Practise Complete the Words now
How the task works
You see a paragraph of about 70–100 words. The first sentence is complete. After that, the second half of every other word is missing, until ten words have gaps. Each gap is one question, and you type the missing letters. Spelling must be exact.
Worked example
Long before modern shipping, overland caravan routes linked distant regions by carrying goods across deserts and mountains. Ve__ few merc_____ traveled t__ entire dist____ themselves. Ins____, goods pas___ from o__ trader to t__ next at bu__ market to___ along the way. Each exchange added a small profit, so prices rose steadily as products moved farther from home. These routes also spread ideas, religions, and technologies, which often proved more valuable than the silk and spices that first attracted the traders.
Show the answers
1. Very · 2. merchants · 3. the · 4. distance · 5. Instead · 6. passed · 7. one · 8. the · 9. busy · 10. towns
Strategies that work
- Read the complete first sentence carefully. It tells you the topic, which narrows down the vocabulary.
- Use grammar to choose the form. After a or an you need a singular noun. After have you need a past participle. Ask whether the sentence needs -s, -ed, -ing or -ly.
- Count the letters. The visible half is at least as long as the missing half, so a 3-letter start means a 6- or 7-letter word.
- Watch common academic words such as however, although, significant, process, develop and result.
- Do not leave gaps empty. A sensible guess may be right; a blank never is.
About the 200 practice paragraphs
- Every paragraph is original, on topics from biology and history to engineering and economics.
- Three levels: easy (B1), medium (B2) and hard (C1).
- Click Check answer to see which words you got right, with the full word shown.
- No repeats: you will not see a paragraph again until you have done all 200. The home page shows how many you have left.
Frequently asked questions
How many Complete the Words questions are on the TOEFL?
Thirty of the fifty Reading questions are Complete the Words items, spread across the two Reading modules.
Is spelling important in Complete the Words?
Yes. The word must be spelled exactly right to count as correct.
Will I see the same practice paragraph twice?
Not in practice mode. You only see a paragraph again after you have completed all 200.
iBT Practice Lab is independent, unofficial practice with original questions. TOEFL and TOEFL iBT are registered trademarks of ETS. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS. Format details are based on the ETS TOEFL iBT 2026 test specifications; check ETS for the latest official information.