The Complete the Words task is one of the new question types ETS introduced in the redesigned TOEFL iBT on January 21, 2026. You read a short academic paragraph with 10 incomplete words and type the missing letters into each blank. Below are 15 original practice tasks across natural sciences, social sciences, history, and environmental science. Type your answers directly into each blank and click Check answers for instant feedback. There are 150 practice items in total. No signup, no email, no limits.
Before you start: the rules of the format
Before practicing, take a minute to understand what makes this task type distinctive. Many free practice resources online get the format wrong, so practicing against the wrong specifications can actually hurt your performance on test day. For adaptive practice across all sections, try the PrepDrills TOEFL app.
Complete the Words: format rules per the official ETS guide
- One paragraph per task of approximately 70 to 100 words.
- Exactly 10 blanks per paragraph. Each test contains 2 to 5 of these tasks.
- The first sentence never has blanks. ETS specifically calls this the "foundation" sentence; it sets the topic, tone, and context.
- The last sentence typically does not have blanks either. Blanks appear in the middle sentences of the paragraph.
- Blanks are at the ends of words. The beginning letters of each incomplete word are visible. You type the missing letters into a small text box.
- American English spelling is used. Most items are designed so that only one spelling fits the visible letter count.
- The skill tested is vocabulary recognition combined with spelling. Reading comprehension matters because the surrounding context tells you what word should fit, but the test is fundamentally about whether you know the word and can spell it correctly. The free TOEFL practice platform includes adaptive Complete the Words drills with instant scoring.
The four-step strategy ETS recommends
- Read the opening sentence carefully. It establishes the topic and tone for the entire paragraph and gives you the framework for figuring out everything that follows.
- Look for context clues. The words and phrases around each incomplete word almost always provide hints about what the missing word should mean.
- Use grammar. Determine what part of speech is needed (noun, verb, adjective) and what ending fits (plural, verb tense, comparative form). Often the grammatical role narrows the choices to a single word.
- Think about word patterns. Common prefixes, suffixes, and roots create predictable endings. If you see "indust__" with a plural sense in context, "industries" is the obvious completion.
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How to use these practice tasks
Each task below contains an academic paragraph with 10 blanks. Type the missing letters into each blank, then click Check answers to see which were correct. Wrong answers will show the correct completion in green. You can also click Show all answers if you want to study the paragraph as an example without doing the typing exercise. The progress bar at the top tracks your overall score across all 15 tasks.
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