US Citizenship TestN-400 Interview Vocabulary: Words the Officer Will Use
Quick Answer
The civics and English vocabulary lists do not contain the words the officer actually uses when reviewing your application — affirm, cited, affiliated, continuance, renounce, good moral character. They are legal terms, not everyday English, and not knowing one is the most common reason a prepared applicant freezes. Every one of them is explained below.
You can know all 128 civics answers and still be caught out at the interview, because the longest part of the appointment is not the civics test. It is the officer going through your Form N-400 with you, in English, using the words the form uses.
Those words are not on the USCIS vocabulary lists. They are legal terms — the kind that appear in a courtroom, not a classroom. This page collects the ones that actually come up, grouped by when you will hear them.
At the Start of the Interview
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under oath | You have formally promised to tell the truth. Everything you say from that point on is treated as a sworn statement. |
| Swear or affirm | Two ways of making the same promise. "Swear" is the religious form; "affirm" is the non-religious one. You may choose either, and choosing "affirm" is not held against you. |
| Raise your right hand | A physical instruction, not a question. It accompanies the oath to tell the truth. |
| Penalty of perjury | The legal consequence of lying while under oath. The officer says it so you understand the statement is formal. |
| Testimony | What you say during the interview. "Your testimony" simply means your answers. |
Nothing here is a trick. The officer says these words to every applicant, in the same order, before anything else happens.
Words About Your Status and Your Time in the US
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Lawful permanent resident | The formal name for a green card holder. You will hear "LPR" as well. |
| Continuous residence | Whether you have kept the United States as your home without long breaks since getting your green card. |
| Physical presence | The total number of days you were actually inside the United States. Different from continuous residence, which is about breaks in your residence. |
| Abandonment | Giving up your permanent residence — usually by staying outside the US too long. Officers ask about long trips for this reason. |
| Absence / trip | Any time you left the country, however short. The officer works from the list of trips on your N-400. |
Most of the interview's length comes from this section. The officer is confirming that the dates on your form match what you say out loud, so read your own travel history the night before.
Words in the Good Moral Character Questions
This is the block of N-400 questions people find hardest, less because of the content than because of the vocabulary.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Good moral character | The legal standard USCIS applies to your conduct during the required period — usually the 5 years before filing, or 3 if you are married to a US citizen. Since an August 2025 policy change, officers weigh the whole picture: not only whether you have a disqualifying record, but positive factors such as steady work, family responsibilities, community involvement and tax compliance. |
| Cited | Given an official notice for breaking a rule or law — a traffic ticket is a citation. Being cited is not the same as being arrested. |
| Detained | Held by law enforcement, even briefly, even without being charged. |
| Charged | Formally accused of a crime by the authorities. |
| Convicted | Found guilty by a court, or having pleaded guilty or "no contest" (nolo contendere). For immigration purposes this also covers deferred adjudication and cases a court later dismissed, if a judge ordered any penalty. If you are unsure whether something in your record counts, ask an immigration attorney before your interview — do not decide this one yourself. |
| Expunged / sealed | A record a court has erased or closed to the public. The N-400 still asks about these, so an expunged record is not a record you can leave out. |
| Alimony | Court-ordered financial support paid to a former spouse. |
| Dependents | People you are legally responsible for supporting, usually children. |
| Selective Service | The US system that registers men for a potential military draft. Registration is separate from serving. |
Words About Organizations
Several N-400 questions ask about groups you have belonged to. The vocabulary is old-fashioned and trips up fluent English speakers too.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Affiliated with | Officially connected to a group — a member, or formally associated with it. |
| Associated with | A looser connection than membership: involved with, or working alongside. |
| Membership | Belonging to an organization, whether or not you paid dues. |
| Totalitarian party | A political party of a state that permits no opposition. The question exists for historical reasons and applies to very few applicants. |
| Persecute | To harm or oppress someone because of their race, religion, national origin, political opinion, or membership of a social group. |
Words in the Oath of Allegiance
The last set of questions asks whether you are willing to take the Oath. The Oath's own wording is 18th-century English, and the officer will use it.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | Loyalty to a country. |
| Renounce | To formally give up. The Oath includes renouncing allegiance to any foreign state you were previously a subject or citizen of. Whether you also lose that citizenship is decided by that country’s law, not US law â many countries allow dual citizenship. Ask that country’s consulate. |
| Bear arms | To carry and use weapons on behalf of the United States, if the law requires it. |
| Noncombatant service | Service in the armed forces in a role that does not involve fighting — a medic, for example. |
| Work of national importance under civilian direction | Civilian work assigned in place of military service. |
| Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion | Meaning it sincerely, with no hidden intention of getting out of it. |
The officer is establishing that you understand what you are promising and are willing to promise it. Understanding the words is most of what is being checked.
Words About the Result
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Granted | Your application is approved. You move on to the Oath ceremony. |
| Continued | No decision yet. Usually because a portion of the test was not passed, or a document is missing. You will be given a second appointment. |
| Denied | The application is refused. This is not the same as "continued". |
| Form N-652 | The "Naturalization Interview Results" sheet the officer gives you at the end, recording the outcome. It is not your oath ceremony notice — that is Form N-445, mailed to you later with the date and place. |
| Oath ceremony | The final event where you take the Oath of Allegiance and become a citizen. It is separate from the interview. |
If you hear "continued," that is not a refusal. Our guide to what happens if you fail the citizenship test explains the second interview and how much of the test you retake.
Three Sentences Worth Memorizing
You are allowed to speak during the interview beyond answering questions. These three sentences are normal, professional English and using them costs you nothing:
1.Could you repeat the question, please?
AnswerUse it freely. Asking for a repeat is not a failure and is not recorded against you. Guessing at a question you did not hear properly is far riskier.
2.Could you say that more slowly, please?
AnswerOfficers interview nervous applicants all day and will slow down. This is a better move than asking someone to repeat the same speed twice.
3.I do not understand that word. What does it mean?
AnswerReasonable for a legal term like 'affiliated' or 'renounce'. The officer is checking that you understood the question, so admitting you did not is part of getting it right.
How to Prepare for This Part
The civics questions have a study list. This part does not — the material is your own application.
- Read your own N-400 out loud, start to finish, the week before. Every date, address, employer and trip.
- Read the actual question wording, not a summary of it. The words above appear on the form itself, so the form is the vocabulary list.
- Say the hard words out loud until they stop sounding foreign — affirm, cited, affiliated, renounce.
- Bring documents for anything that changed since you filed: a new address, a new job, a trip you took after filing.
The full walkthrough of the N-400 interview covers the order the officer follows and the documents to bring.
For the parts that do have a study list — the civics questions and the English reading and writing vocabulary — start with our free citizenship practice test. Twenty questions in your browser, no account and no email, with every missed question shown alongside its correct answer.
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