🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
294 words found
verb
Beginner
/vɜːb/
A word that shows an action or state. Example: go, sleep, be, create.
"The verb 'to be' is the most important verb in English."
positive sentence
Beginner
/ˈpɑːzətɪv ˈsentəns/
A statement that says something IS true. Not a question or negative.
"'I am happy' is a positive sentence."
negative sentence
Beginner
/ˈneɡətɪv ˈsentəns/
A statement that says something is NOT true. Uses 'not' in English.
"'She is not a teacher' is a negative sentence."
subject
Beginner
/ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/
The person or thing doing the action or being described in a sentence.
"In 'He is tired,' the subject is 'he.'"
contraction
Beginner
/kənˈtrækʃən/
A shortened form combining two words. Example: I'm = I am, can't = cannot.
"The contraction for 'is not' is 'isn't.'"
to be
Beginner
/tə bi/
The most common English verb, meaning to exist or to have a quality.
"I want to be a doctor when I grow up."
wh- question
Beginner
/ˈdʌbəl juː ˈkwestʃən/
A question starting with who, what, where, when, why, or how. Asks for information.
"'Where are you from?' is a wh- question."
article
Beginner
/ˈɑːrtɪkəl/
A small word (a, an, the) used before a noun to show if it's specific or general
"In English, we use articles before most nouns."
consonant sound
Beginner
/ˈkɒnsənənt/
A sound made by blocking air with your tongue, teeth, or lips (b, c, d, f, g, etc.)
"The word 'book' starts with a consonant sound, so we say 'a book.'"
vowel sound
Beginner
/ˈvaʊəl/
A sound made by letting air flow freely (a, e, i, o, u sounds)
"'Apple' starts with a vowel sound, so we say 'an apple.'"
specific
Beginner
/spɪˈsɪfɪk/
Particular or exact; referring to one thing that is known or identified
"Use 'the' when talking about a specific person or thing both people know about."
general
Beginner
/ˈdʒenərəl/
Not specific; about things in a broad way, not one particular thing
"When speaking generally about dogs, say 'A dog is an animal,' not 'The dog.'"
uncountable noun
Beginner
/ʌnˈkaʊntəbəl/
A noun that cannot be counted individually (milk, water, coffee, information)
"Uncountable nouns don't usually have an article: 'I drink coffee,' not 'I drink a coffee.'"
plural
Beginner
/ˈplʊrəl/
More than one; a noun form used for two or more things
"Plural nouns don't need an article: 'I like dogs,' not 'I like the dogs.'"
pronunciation
Beginner
/prəˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən/
The way a word is spoken or sounded
"Pay attention to pronunciation when choosing between 'a' and 'an.'"
pronoun
Beginner
/ˈproʊnaʊn/
A word used instead of a name (like I, you, he, she)
"Instead of saying 'Maria is happy', we use a pronoun: 'She is happy.'"
capitalize
Beginner
/ˈkæpɪtəlaɪz/
Write a letter as a capital letter (A, B, C instead of a, b, c)
"In English, we always capitalize the pronoun I, even in the middle of a sentence."
reference
Beginner
/ˈrɛfərəns/
Point to or mention something or someone again
"We use pronouns to reference a person we already mentioned."
native speaker
Beginner
/ˈneɪtɪv ˈspiːkər/
A person who learned a language from birth as their first language
"Native speakers use pronouns naturally without thinking about grammar rules."
gender
Beginner
/ˈdʒɛndər/
Whether a person is male, female, or non-binary
"In English, we use 'he' for males, 'she' for females, and 'they' for non-binary people."
singular
Beginner
/ˈsɪŋɡjʊlər/
Only one of something; the basic form of a noun before making it plural
"The word 'child' is singular, but 'children' is plural."
regular plural
Beginner
/ˈreɡjʊlər ˈplʊrəl/
A plural noun formed by adding -s or -es to the singular form
"The regular plurals of 'dog' and 'box' are 'dogs' and 'boxes'."
irregular plural
Beginner
/ɪˈreɡjʊlər ˈplʊrəl/
A plural noun that doesn't follow the normal -s or -es pattern and must be memorized
"The irregular plural of 'child' is 'children', not 'childs'."
consonant
Beginner
/ˈkɒnsənənt/
A letter that is not a vowel; b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z
"The word 'party' ends in a consonant, so the plural is 'parties'."
vowel
Beginner
/ˈvaʊəl/
Letters a, e, i, o, u that represent open sounds in speech
"The word 'baby' ends in 'y' which acts like a vowel, but 'party' ends in 'y' as a consonant."
possessive adjective
Beginner
/pəˈzɛsɪv əˈdʒɛktɪv/
A word that shows who something belongs to or is connected with
"My, your, his, and her are possessive adjectives used every day."
possession
Beginner
/pəˈzɛʃən/
Something that someone owns or has; the act of owning something
"That car is my possession — I own it."
ownership
Beginner
/ˈoʊnərʃɪp/
The fact of owning something; having the right to something
"The ownership of this house belongs to my parents."
belong to
Beginner
/bɪˈlɔŋ tu/
To be owned by someone; to be the property of someone
"This pen belongs to Sarah — it's hers."
noun
Beginner
/naʊn/
A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea
"In 'my book,' the word 'book' is a noun."
classroom
Beginner
/ˈklɑːsruːm/
A room where a teacher teaches a group of students.
"Our classroom is on the second floor of the school building."
desk
Beginner
/desk/
A table where you sit to write, work, or study.
"I put my notebook on my desk before the teacher started the lesson."
whiteboard
Beginner
/ˈwaɪtbɔːrd/
A white surface on the wall where a teacher writes with markers.
"The teacher wrote the homework on the whiteboard at the end of class."
notebook
Beginner
/ˈnəʊtbʊk/
A book with blank pages where you write notes in class.
"I write all the grammar rules in my English notebook."
homework
Beginner
/ˈhəʊmwɜːrk/
Work that a teacher gives students to do outside of class.
"I finished my homework last night and brought it to school today."
backpack
Beginner
/ˈbækpæk/
A bag with straps worn on your back to carry books and supplies.
"I put my textbooks and notebooks in my backpack before leaving school."
teacher
Beginner
/ˈtiːtʃər/
A person whose job is to teach students in a classroom.
"My English teacher gives us interesting lessons every day."
bell
Beginner
/bel/
A device that makes a ringing sound to mark the start or end of class.
"The bell rang at 3 p.m., and all the students left the classroom."
sibling
Beginner
/ˈsɪblɪŋ/
A brother or sister; a more formal word for describing brothers and sisters together.
"How many siblings do you have?"
aunt
Beginner
/ɑːnt/
Your parent's sister, or the wife of your uncle.
"My aunt lives in Spain with her three children."
cousin
Beginner
/ˈkʌzən/
The child of your aunt or uncle; someone in your extended family of your age or younger.
"I grew up playing with my cousins during family holidays."
in-law
Beginner
/ɪnˈlɔː/
A relative by marriage, such as mother-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law.
"My mother-in-law is visiting us next week."
only child
Beginner
/ˈoʊnli tʃaɪld/
A person who has no brothers or sisters; someone with no siblings.
"I'm an only child, so I didn't grow up with siblings."
divorced
Beginner
/dɪˈvɔːrst/
No longer married; the legal ending of a marriage relationship.
"My parents got divorced when I was ten, but we still spend holidays together."
fiancé/fiancée
Beginner
/ˌfiːɑːnˈseɪ/
A person you are engaged to marry (fiancé = male, fiancée = female).
"My fiancé and I are getting married next summer."
colour (or color in American English)
Beginner
/ˈkʌlər/
The property of objects that depends on light, like red, blue, or green
"My favourite colour is blue, but I also like green."
shape
Beginner
/ʃeɪp/
The form or outline of something, like a circle or square
"A pizza is usually circular in shape."
size
Beginner
/saɪz/
How big or small something is
"What size coffee would you like — small, medium, or large?"
circle
Beginner
/ˈsɜːrkəl/
A round shape with no corners, like a wheel
"The moon looks like a white circle in the night sky."
square
Beginner
/skweər/
A shape with four equal sides and four corners
"A chessboard has sixty-four small squares on it."
tall
Beginner
/tɔːl/
High in height, used for people and buildings
"My brother is very tall — he's 6 feet high."
narrow
Beginner
/ˈnæroʊ/
Not wide; having little space from side to side
"This street is very narrow — only one car can fit."
coffee
Beginner
/ˈkɒfi/
A hot drink made from roasted coffee beans
"I drink coffee every morning with breakfast."
tea
Beginner
/tiː/
A hot drink made from dried leaves steeped in hot water
"Do you want tea or coffee? I prefer tea with honey."
water
Beginner
/ˈwɔːtə/
A clear liquid essential for drinking and cooking
"Can I have a glass of water, please? I'm thirsty."
bread
Beginner
/bred/
A staple food made from flour, water, and yeast
"I have bread and butter for breakfast."
chicken
Beginner
/ˈtʃɪkən/
Meat from a bird commonly eaten in most cultures
"The restaurant's chicken with rice is delicious."
salad
Beginner
/ˈsæləd/
A dish of raw vegetables, usually with dressing
"For lunch, I had a chicken salad with vegetables."
to order
Beginner
/tə ˈɔːdə/
To ask for something in a restaurant or shop
"I ordered fish and pasta at the restaurant last night."
hungry
Beginner
/ˈhʌŋɡri/
Feeling the need or desire to eat food
"Are you hungry? We can have lunch now if you want."
Monday
Beginner
/ˈmʌndeɪ/
The second day of the week in most countries; start of the work week.
"I have a meeting on Monday morning at 9 AM."
January
Beginner
/ˈdʒænjueri/
The first month of the year, with 31 days.
"My birthday is in January, so I always get cold weather."
Summer
Beginner
/ˈsʌmər/
The hottest season of the year, usually June to August in the Northern Hemisphere.
"I love going to the beach in summer because the weather is warm."
Season
Beginner
/ˈsiːzən/
One of four periods of the year with different weather: spring, summer, autumn, winter.
"Winter is my favorite season because I enjoy snow."
Thursday
Beginner
/ˈθɜːzdeɪ/
The fifth day of the week, the day before Friday.
"Can we reschedule the meeting to Thursday instead of Wednesday?"
Autumn
Beginner
/ˈɔːtəm/
The season between summer and winter when leaves change color; also called fall in American English.
"The leaves turn orange and red in autumn."
December
Beginner
/dɪˈsembər/
The twelfth and final month of the year, with 31 days.
"Christmas is celebrated on December 25th in many countries."
profile
Beginner
/ˈproʊfaɪl/
A short description of a person, usually with basic information about them.
"My Instagram profile says I'm a teacher from Brazil."
hobby
Beginner
/ˈhɑːbi/
An activity you enjoy doing in your free time for fun.
"My hobbies are reading books and playing tennis."
enjoy
Beginner
/ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/
To like doing something; to have fun with something.
"I enjoy cooking and spending time with friends."
from
Beginner
/frɑːm/
The place where you were born or originally come from.
"She is from Egypt, but she lives in London now."
volunteer
Beginner
/ˌvɑːlənˈtɪr/
To work for free to help people or organizations because you want to.
"I volunteer at the hospital on weekends to help sick people."
scan
Beginner
/skæn/
To read quickly looking for specific information, not reading every word.
"I scanned the profile to find her age and job."
sign
Beginner
/saɪn/
A written or drawn message that gives information or instructions to people.
"The sign on the door says 'Open' so I can go inside the café."
notice
Beginner
/ˈnoʊtɪs/
A written message giving information, a warning, or instructions to people.
"There's a notice on the bathroom door that says 'Out of Order.'"
closed
Beginner
/kloʊzd/
Not open; the shop or place is not working and customers cannot enter.
"The restaurant is closed on Mondays, so we'll go on Tuesday."
occupied
Beginner
/ˈɑːkjupaɪd/
Someone is inside or using this space right now. Not empty.
"The bathroom is occupied, so I need to wait a few minutes."
vacant
Beginner
/ˈveɪkənt/
Empty; not being used right now. Available to use.
"The parking space is vacant, so I can park my car there."
caution
Beginner
/ˈkɔːʃən/
A warning that something might be dangerous. Be careful.
"The sign says 'Caution: Wet Floor' so I walk slowly in my socks."
ability
Elementary
/əˈbɪləti/
The skill or power to do something; what you're able to do
"She has the ability to speak five languages."
authorized
Beginner
/ˈɔːθəraɪzd/
Officially allowed or permitted to do something or go somewhere.
"Only authorized personnel can enter this room. Other people must stay out."
temporarily
Beginner
/ˈtɛmpərɛrəli/
For a short time only; not permanent.
"The shop is temporarily closed for cleaning but will open tomorrow morning."
email
Beginner
/ˈiːmeɪl/
A message you send and receive on a computer or phone
"She sent me an email about the meeting tomorrow."
subject line
Beginner
/ˈsʌbdʒɪkt laɪn/
The topic or title at the top of an email that tells you what it's about
"The subject line said 'Coffee tomorrow?' so I knew it was about meeting."
free
Beginner
/friː/
Not busy; having time available
"Are you free on Saturday? I want to go to the movies."
arrived
Beginner
/əˈraɪvd/
Came to a place after traveling
"I arrived in London yesterday at 2 PM."
tone
Beginner
/toʊn/
The feeling or mood of a message (friendly, formal, angry, etc.)
"The email had a very friendly tone, with lots of smileys."
closing
Beginner
/ˈkloʊzɪŋ/
The ending words of an email before the signature
"She used 'Best wishes' as the closing of her email."
context
Beginner
/ˈkɑːntekst/
The words and information around something that helps you understand it
"From the context, I understood that 'hospital' meant a place for sick people."
expiry date
Beginner
/ɪkˈspaɪərɪ deɪt/
The date after which you should not use a product; when it becomes unsafe.
"Check the expiry date before buying milk — it's on the back of the carton."
ingredients
Beginner
/ɪnˈɡriːdiənts/
All the things that are mixed together to make a product or food.
"The ingredients in this bread are flour, water, salt, and yeast."
allergen
Beginner
/ˈæl.ər.dʒən/
A substance that causes allergic reactions in some people (like peanuts or milk).
"The label says 'Allergen: Contains peanuts' — so people with peanut allergies cannot eat it."
instructions
Beginner
/ɪnˈstrʌkʃənz/
Directions that tell you how to use or prepare a product safely and correctly.
"The instructions say 'Keep refrigerated after opening' — so I must put it in the fridge."
serving size
Beginner
/ˈsɜːvɪŋ saɪz/
The amount of food or drink that the nutrition information on a label is based on.
"The serving size is 100g, so if you eat 200g, you're eating two servings."
best before
Beginner
/best bɪˈfɔːr/
A date on a label showing when a product's quality starts to decrease, but it's usually still safe.
"This coffee says 'best before March 2025' — it's still OK after, but not as fresh."
keep refrigerated
Beginner
/kiːp rɪˈfrɪdʒəreɪtɪd/
Keep something cold in a refrigerator to prevent it from going bad or becoming unsafe.
"The yogurt label says 'keep refrigerated' — never leave it on the table for hours."
nationality
Beginner
/næʃəˈnæləti/
The country you are from or have citizenship of
"My nationality is Brazilian, but I live in London now."
interest
Beginner
/ˈɪntrəst/
Something you like, enjoy, or want to know more about
"My interests include photography, hiking, and learning languages."
job
Beginner
/dʒɒb/
The work you do to earn money; your profession or occupation
"My job is teaching English to international students."
dislike
Beginner
/dɪsˈlaɪk/
To not enjoy or not like something
"I dislike working on weekends and prefer to spend time with family."
introduce
Beginner
/ˌɪntrəˈdjuːs/
To tell someone your name and say something about yourself
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Sam and I'm a software developer."
message
Beginner
/ˈmɛsɪdʒ/
Words you send to someone through text, email, or messaging app.
"I sent a message to my friend this morning."
punctuation
Beginner
/ˌpʌŋk.tʃuˈeɪ.ʃən/
Marks like periods, commas, and question marks that help organize writing.
"Good punctuation makes messages easier to read."
sentence
Beginner
/ˈsɛn.təns/
A group of words that express one complete idea and end with a period.
"This is a sentence. It has a period at the end."
formal
Beginner
/ˈfɔr.məl/
Polite and professional style, usually used with people you don't know well.
"Use formal language in emails to your boss."
casual
Beginner
/ˈkæʒ.u.əl/
Relaxed and informal style, used with friends and family.
"You can use casual language when texting your friends."
capital letter
Beginner
/ˈkæpɪtəl ˈletər/
A large letter at the start of a word, like A, B, C (also called uppercase).
"Every sentence must start with a capital letter."
full stop
Beginner
/fʊl stɒp/
The punctuation mark (.) that ends a sentence. Americans call it a 'period'.
"Put a full stop at the end of your sentence."
proper noun
Beginner
/ˈprɒpər naʊn/
The specific name of a person, place, or thing (always capitalized).
"Sarah and Paris are proper nouns, so they start with capital letters."
uppercase
Beginner
/ˈʌpərkeɪs/
Capital letters (A, B, C) instead of small letters (a, b, c).
"Write your name in uppercase: JOHN."
lowercase
Beginner
/ˈloʊərkeɪs/
Small letters like a, b, c (opposite of uppercase/capital letters).
"Most words in the middle of a sentence use lowercase letters."
numeral
Beginner
/ˈnuːmərəl/
A symbol that represents a number, like 1, 5, or 99 (not written as a word)
"Use numerals instead of words when writing 25 in a formal document."
ordinal number
Beginner
/ˈɔːrdɪnəl ˈnʌmbər/
Numbers that show position or order: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 21st, etc.
"When writing dates, use ordinal numbers: 'March 21st' not 'March 21'."
format
Beginner
/ˈfɔːrmæt/
The way something is arranged or presented (like date format: month/day/year)
"The American date format is different from the British format."
comma
Beginner
/ˈkɑːmə/
A punctuation mark (,) used to separate numbers or items in a list
"In English, use a comma in large numbers: 1,500 dollars."
spell out
Beginner
/spɛl aʊt/
To write a number as words instead of numerals (five instead of 5)
"In formal letters, spell out numbers from one to twenty."
ambiguity
Beginner
/æmˈbɪɡjuːəti/
When something has more than one possible meaning and is unclear
"To avoid ambiguity with dates, always write the month name: March 15, not 3/15."
suffix
Beginner
/ˈsʌfɪks/
Letters added to the end of a word (like -st, -nd, -rd, -th in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
"Add the suffix 'th' to make an ordinal: four becomes fourth."
greeting
Beginner
/ˈɡriːtɪŋ/
A polite expression or gesture of welcome when you meet someone
""Hello" and "Hi" are the most common greetings in English."
to introduce
Beginner
/ˌɪntrəˈdjuːs/
To present someone to another person so they can meet and know each other
"Let me introduce you to my colleague, Sarah."
How are you?
Beginner
/ˌhaʊ ɑːr juː/
A common polite question asking about someone's health or wellbeing
"When you meet someone, you usually ask 'How are you?' as a greeting."
to respond
Beginner
/rɪˈspɑːnd/
To answer or reply to something someone has said
"When someone greets you, you should respond politely."
Nice to meet you
Beginner
/ˌnaɪs tə ˈmiːt juː/
A polite phrase you say when you first meet someone
"After introduction, people often say 'Nice to meet you' to each other."
instruction
Beginner
/ɪnˈstrʌkʃən/
Information telling someone how to do something or where to go.
"The teacher gave clear instructions for the homework."
turn
Beginner
/tɜːrn/
To change direction when walking or driving; to rotate something.
"Turn left at the traffic light."
clarification
Beginner
/ˌklærɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
An explanation that makes something clearer or easier to understand.
"I asked for clarification because I didn't understand the first time."
action word (verb)
Beginner
/ˈækʃən wɜːrd/ /vɜːrb/
A word that describes what someone does, like go, take, put, open, wait.
"In the instruction 'Go to the store,' 'go' is the action word."
catch
Beginner
/kætʃ/
To hear or understand something, especially when listening quickly.
"Did you catch what the announcer said?"
miss
Beginner
/mɪs/
To fail to hear or see something; to not notice it.
"I missed the part about turning right because I wasn't paying attention."
confirm
Beginner
/kənˈfɜːrm/
To check that something is correct or true.
"I repeated the instructions back to confirm I understood correctly."
spell
Beginner
/spɛl/
Say or write the letters of a word in order
"Can you spell your name for me, please?"
double letter
Beginner
/ˈdʌbəl ˈlɛtər/
Two of the same letter together, like 'LL' in 'hello'
"Is that double L or single L? There's a double L in 'Anna' — A-N-N-A."
NATO phonetic alphabet
Beginner
/ˈneɪtoʊ fəˈnɛtɪk ˈælfəbɛt/
System where each letter has a word (A=Apple, B=Boy) to make spelling clear
"When I spell over the phone, I use the NATO phonetic alphabet — B as in Boy."
repeat
Beginner
/rɪˈpiːt/
Say something again
"Could you repeat that, please? I didn't hear it clearly."
underscore
Beginner
/ˈʌndərskɔːr/
The symbol '_' used in usernames and email addresses
"My username is alex_2023 — that's A-L-E-X underscore 2-0-2-3."
dot
Beginner
/dɑːt/
The symbol '.' used in email addresses and website addresses
"My email is john.smith@company.com — john dot smith at company dot com."
half past
Beginner
/hɑːf pɑːst/
The time 30 minutes after the hour (e.g., 2:30 is half past two)
"The meeting starts at half past three in the afternoon."
quarter past
Beginner
/ˈkwɔːrtər pɑːst/
The time 15 minutes after the hour (e.g., 3:15 is quarter past three)
"Can you meet me at quarter past nine on Monday morning?"
quarter to
Beginner
/ˈkwɔːrtər tuː/
The time 15 minutes before the hour (e.g., 3:45 is quarter to four)
"The train leaves at quarter to five, so we need to hurry."
in the morning
Beginner
/ɪn ðə ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/
During the early part of the day, before noon (AM times)
"I prefer to exercise in the morning before work."
in the afternoon
Beginner
/ˌɪn ði ˌæftərˈnuːn/
During the middle part of the day, usually 12 PM to 5 PM
"We have a doctor's appointment in the afternoon next Tuesday."
schedule
Beginner
/ˈskedʒuːl/
A plan or list showing when things will happen; to plan when something will occur
"Can we schedule the meeting for Thursday at 2 o'clock?"
reschedule
Beginner
/ˌriːˈskedʒuːl/
To plan something for a different time than originally planned
"I need to reschedule my appointment because I'm busy on Friday."
How much is this?
Beginner
/haʊ mʌtʃ ɪz ðɪs/
A question asking about the price of something
"I want to buy this book. How much is this?"
Do you have...?
Beginner
/duː juː hæv/
A question asking if a shop or person has something available
"Do you have this shirt in blue?"
price
Beginner
/praɪs/
The amount of money you pay for something
"The price of coffee in this shop is £3."
change
Beginner
/tʃeɪndʒ/
Money you get back when you pay more than the price
"The cost is £5, and I gave £10, so I need £5 change."
aisle
Beginner
/aɪl/
A passage between rows of shelves in a shop, especially a supermarket
"The milk is in aisle 3, on the right side."
That's... please
Beginner
/ðæts... pliːz/
Phrase used by shop assistants to tell you the total price you must pay
"That's £25, please. Thank you!"
greet
Beginner
/ɡriːt/
To welcome or say hello to someone in a friendly way
"My boss greeted me warmly when I arrived at the office."
appropriate
Beginner
/əˈproʊpriət/
Suitable or correct for a particular situation or person
"It's not appropriate to say 'Hey!' in a formal business meeting."
exchange
Beginner
/ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/
A conversation or trade of words or ideas between two people
"We had a brief exchange of greetings before the meeting started."
natural
Beginner
/ˈnætʃərəl/
Not forced or artificial; how things happen in real life
"Native speakers use natural English without thinking about grammar rules."
auxiliary verb
Beginner
/ɔːɡˈzɪl.i.er.i/
Helper verbs like 'do', 'does', 'is', 'are' used to form questions and negatives
"In the question 'Do you like coffee?', 'do' is the auxiliary verb."
word order
Beginner
/wɜːd ˈɔː.dər/
The sequence in which words appear in a sentence; different for questions in English
"The word order in English questions is different from statements."
yes/no question
Beginner
/ˈjes nəʊ ˈkwes.tʃən/
A question that can be answered with just 'yes' or 'no', not asking for detailed information
"'Do you like pizza?' is a yes/no question."
statement
Beginner
/ˈsteɪt.mənt/
A sentence that gives information; it is not a question and does not end with a question mark
"'You like pizza' is a statement; 'Do you like pizza?' is a question."
inversion
Beginner
/ɪnˈvɜː.ʒən/
When the subject and auxiliary verb switch positions to form a question
"In 'You are ready' → 'Are you ready?', we use inversion to make a question."
question word
Beginner
/ˈkwes.tʃən wɜːd/
Words like what, where, when, who, why, how that begin wh- questions
"'What' and 'where' are common question words."
Can I have
Beginner
/kæn aɪ hæv/
Polite way to ask for something you want to order or receive
"Can I have a coffee and a muffin, please?"
I'd like
Beginner
/aɪd laɪk/
Polite way to express what you want; more formal than 'I want'
"I'd like the grilled fish with lemon, please."
Still or sparkling
Beginner
/stɪl ɔːr ˈspɑːklɪŋ/
Types of water: still = plain water, sparkling = water with bubbles
"Would you like still or sparkling water with your meal?"
Medium
Beginner
/ˈmiːdiəm/
Size between small and large; commonly used for drinks and food portions
"I'll have a medium coffee and a medium fries, please."
Does it have
Beginner
/dʌz ɪt hæv/
Question form to ask if something contains or includes an ingredient
"Does the soup have nuts? I'm allergic."
Anything else
Beginner
/ˈɛniθɪŋ els/
Question servers ask to see if you want to order more items
"Will that be all? Anything else for you today?"
That's all
Beginner
/ðæts ɔːl/
Phrase meaning you don't want anything more; you're finished ordering
"No, that's all, thanks. Just the coffee for me."
excuse me
Beginner
/ɪkˈskjuːz mi/
A polite way to get someone's attention before speaking to them
"Excuse me, where is the train station?"
near
Beginner
/nɪr/
Close to a place; not far away
"Is there a coffee shop near here?"
turn left/right
Beginner
/tɜːrn left / raɪt/
Change direction to the left or right side while walking or driving
"Go straight, then turn right at the corner."
straight ahead
Beginner
/streɪt əˈhed/
Continue moving forward in the same direction without turning
"The bank is straight ahead, about 100 meters."
far
Beginner
/fɑːr/
At a big distance; not near or close
"Is the airport far from the city center?"
next to
Beginner
/ˈnekst tu/
Beside something; on the side of something else
"The pharmacy is next to the supermarket."
opposite
Beginner
/ˈɒpəzɪt/
On the other side of something; across from a place
"The restaurant is opposite the train station."
present continuous
Elementary
/ˈprezənt kənˈtɪnjuəs/
A verb tense describing actions happening right now, using am/is/are + verb-ing
"I am studying English right now, so I can't talk to you."
-ing form
Elementary
/ɪŋ fɔːrm/
The verb ending in -ing, showing an action in progress or a gerund
"Running, eating, and working are -ing forms of verbs."
in progress
Elementary
/ɪn ˈprəɡres/
Something that is happening now and not yet finished
"My project is in progress; I'm still working on it."
temporary action
Elementary
/ˈtɛmpəreri ˈækʃən/
An action that happens for a short time, not permanently
"I'm living with my parents temporarily, but I'm looking for my own apartment."
describe a scene
Elementary
/dɪˈskraɪb ə siːn/
To explain what is visible or happening in a place or picture
"In this photo, we're sitting at the beach and smiling at the camera."
comparative
Elementary
/kəmˈpærətɪv/
A form of an adjective used to compare two people or things.
"Taller is the comparative form of tall."
superlative
Elementary
/suːˈpɜːrlətɪv/
A form of an adjective used to rank something as the best, worst, or most of a group.
"The tallest person in the room is John."
than
Elementary
/ðən/
A word used to introduce the second part of a comparison.
"This coffee is stronger than that one."
syllable
Elementary
/ˈsɪləbl/
A unit of pronunciation in a word, usually containing one vowel sound.
"The word beautiful has three syllables: beau-ti-ful."
adjective
Elementary
/ˈædʒɪktɪv/
A word that describes a noun or person.
"In the phrase beautiful house, beautiful is an adjective."
irregular
Elementary
/ɪˈreɡjələr/
Not following the standard rules or patterns.
"Good, bad, and far are irregular adjectives."
double the letter
Elementary
/ˈdʌbl ðə ˈletər/
To write a letter twice in a row when making a comparative form.
"For the word big, double the g to make bigger."
regular verb
Elementary
/ˈreɡjələr vɜːrb/
A verb that forms the past tense by adding -ed to the base form
"Work, play, and watch are regular verbs. They become worked, played, and watched."
base form
Elementary
/beɪs fɔːrm/
The original, unchanged form of a verb (also called infinitive without 'to')
"The base form of 'played' is 'play.'"
past tense
Elementary
/pæst tens/
The verb form used to describe actions or situations that have already finished
"I finished my work yesterday. 'Finished' is the simple past tense."
completed action
Elementary
/kəmˈpliːtɪd ˈækʃən/
An action that started and ended at a specific time in the past
"I watched a movie last night. This is a completed action."
affirmative
Elementary
/əˈfɜːrmətɪv/
A positive statement (not negative). It says something IS true.
"I worked yesterday (affirmative). I didn't work (negative)."
negative
Elementary
/ˈneɡətɪv/
A statement that says something is NOT true, using 'not' or 'didn't'
"I didn't finish my homework. This is a negative sentence in past tense."
to double
Elementary
/ˈdʌbəl/
To repeat a letter twice in a row to show a short vowel sound
"Stop → stopped. We double the 'p' before adding -ed."
irregular verb
Elementary
/ɪˈreɡ.jə.lər vɜːrb/
A verb that doesn't follow the normal -ed pattern when changed to past tense.
"The verb 'go' is irregular because the past tense is 'went,' not 'goed.'"
vowel change
Elementary
/ˈvaʊ.əl tʃeɪndʒ/
When the vowel sound in a word changes, especially in irregular past tense verbs.
"The vowel change from 'sit' to 'sat' helps you recognize it's irregular."
pattern
Elementary
/ˈpæt.ərn/
A way something regularly happens or is done; a model to follow.
"Most regular verbs follow the pattern of adding -ed in the past tense."
exception
Elementary
/ɪkˈsɛp.ʃən/
Something that doesn't follow the normal rule; something different from the standard.
"Irregular verbs are exceptions to the rule of adding -ed to make past tense."
permission
Elementary
/pərˈmɪʃən/
Official approval to do something; when something is allowed
"Do I need permission to take photos in the museum?"
allow
Elementary
/əˈlaʊ/
To permit; to make it possible or acceptable for someone to do something
"The teacher allows us to use our phones during lunch."
skill
Elementary
/skɪl/
The ability to do something well because of practice or training
"Playing guitar requires skill and practice."
conjugate
Elementary
/ˈkɒndʒuɡeɪt/
To change a verb's form based on the subject or tense
"You conjugate 'go' as: I go, he goes, she goes."
cannot (can't)
Elementary
/kænɒt/ or /kɑːnt/
The negative form of 'can'; unable to do something or not allowed to
"I cannot swim, so I won't go to the beach."
slim
Elementary
/slɪm/
Thin and healthy-looking in a positive way
"She's quite slim with long brown hair and a friendly smile."
friendly
Elementary
/ˈfrendli/
Warm, kind, and easy to talk to; creates a welcoming feeling
"My new colleague is really friendly — she helps everyone and always smiles."
outgoing
Elementary
/ˈaʊtɡoʊɪŋ/
Likes to be with people; not shy; enjoys social situations
"He's very outgoing and always starts conversations at parties."
patient
Elementary
/ˈpeɪʃənt/
Stays calm and doesn't get annoyed when waiting or helping others
"Our teacher is patient with students who need extra time to understand."
confident
Elementary
/ˈkɑːnfɪdənt/
Believes in yourself; sure about your abilities and decisions
"She's very confident — she wasn't nervous at all during the presentation."
curly hair
Elementary
/ˈkɜːrli her/
Hair that forms natural waves or rings; opposite of straight
"He has dark curly hair and a beard, which makes him look quite handsome."
bald
Elementary
/bɔːld/
Having little or no hair on the head
"My uncle is bald, but he has a nice beard instead."
salary
Elementary
/ˈsæl.ər.i/
Money paid monthly or yearly for professional work.
"My salary is $50,000 per year."
boss
Elementary
/bɔːs/
The person who manages you at work; your manager.
"My boss asked me to finish the project by Friday."
colleague
Elementary
/ˈkɒl.iːg/
A person who works with you at the same level.
"My colleague Sarah and I work on the same team."
apply
Elementary
/əˈplaɪ/
Send your information to try to get a job.
"I applied for three jobs last week."
hire
Elementary
/ˈhaɪər/
Choose and employ someone for a job.
"They hired me after the interview."
deadline
Elementary
/ˈded.laɪn/
The last day or time to finish work.
"The deadline for this project is next Friday."
shift
Elementary
/ʃɪft/
A period of working hours during the day.
"I work the night shift at the hospital."
flight
Elementary
/flaɪt/
A journey by airplane; also the number/code of a specific airplane trip
"My flight to Barcelona departs at 6 AM tomorrow."
journey
Elementary
/ˈdʒɜːni/
The act of traveling from one place to another; the time spent traveling
"The journey from London to Edinburgh takes about 7 hours by train."
fare
Elementary
/feə/
The price you pay for a bus, train, taxi, or flight ticket
"What's the fare for a single ticket to the airport?"
depart
Elementary
/dɪˈpɑːt/
To leave or set off on a journey (more formal than 'leave')
"The bus departs every 20 minutes during rush hour."
arrive
Elementary
/əˈraɪv/
To reach a place after traveling; to come to your destination
"We arrived at the hotel at 11 PM after a long drive."
catch (a flight/train)
Elementary
/kætʃ/
To get on and board a vehicle for travel (informal but very common)
"I need to catch the 9 AM train, so I'm leaving in 10 minutes."
platform
Elementary
/ˈplætfɔːm/
The area where you board a train or bus; numbered for each route
"The train to Manchester is on platform 3."
play (a sport)
Elementary
/pleɪ/
To take part in a sport or game as an activity
"My brother plays basketball on the weekend."
go + activity (-ing form)
Elementary
/ɡəʊ/
Used for some sports: go swimming, go cycling, go dancing, go running
"Do you want to go swimming tomorrow? The pool is open."
be into (something)
Elementary
/bi ˈɪntə/
To be interested in something; to really like something
"I'm really into photography. I take pictures every day."
free time
Elementary
/friː taɪm/
Time when you are not working or studying and can do what you want
"I like to read books in my free time."
team sport
Elementary
/tiːm spɔːrt/
A sport where you play with a group of people against another group
"Volleyball is a team sport. You need six players."
headache
Elementary
/ˈhedeɪk/
Pain in your head, usually caused by stress, illness, or tension.
"I can't go to the party because I have a terrible headache."
fever
Elementary
/ˈfiːvər/
When your body temperature is higher than normal because of illness.
"The doctor said I have a fever and I should stay home."
sore throat
Elementary
/sɔːr θroʊt/
Pain in your throat that makes swallowing difficult, often from cold or flu.
"I have a sore throat, so I can't sing in the choir today."
hurt
Elementary
/hɜːrt/
To have or cause pain in a part of your body.
"My back hurts from sitting at my desk all day."
swollen
Elementary
/ˈswoʊlən/
When a part of your body is larger than normal due to injury or illness.
"My ankle is swollen after I twisted it playing football."
dizzy
Elementary
/ˈdɪzi/
Feeling like the room is spinning; loss of balance or orientation.
"I felt dizzy after standing up too quickly."
cough
Elementary
/kɔːf/
A sudden, noisy expulsion of air from the lungs, often from a cold or flu.
"I've had a bad cough for a week now."
architecture
Elementary
/ˈɑːrkɪtektʃər/
The design and style of buildings and how they look
"The architecture in Barcelona is very beautiful and famous around the world."
capital
Elementary
/ˈkæpɪtəl/
The main city where the government of a country is located
"Tokyo is the capital of Japan, and Paris is the capital of France."
landmark
Elementary
/ˈlændmɑːrk/
A famous building or place that people recognize and visit
"The Eiffel Tower is a famous landmark in Paris that millions of visitors see every year."
traditional
Elementary
/trəˈdɪʃənəl/
Old customs and ways that people have done for a very long time
"Tokyo has traditional temples and modern shopping centers in the same city."
population
Elementary
/ˌpɒpjuˈleɪʃən/
The total number of people who live in a place
"London has a population of about 9 million people."
coast
Elementary
/koʊst/
The land next to the ocean or sea
"Barcelona is on the Mediterranean coast with beautiful beaches."
festival
Elementary
/ˈfestɪvəl/
A celebration or event where many people gather for entertainment and culture
"Edinburgh has a famous festival every summer with music and theater performances."
headline
Elementary
/ˈhedlaɪn/
The title of a news story that tells you the main idea in a few words
"The headline said 'Student Wins Science Competition,' so I knew what the story was about."
news story
Elementary
/ˈnjuːz ˈstɔːri/
A short article about something that recently happened, usually in a newspaper or online
"I read a news story about a new hospital opening in my city."
key information
Elementary
/kiː ɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/
The most important details in a text (who, what, when, where, why)
"To understand the news story, focus on the key information first."
comprehension
Elementary
/ˌkɒmprɪˈhenʃən/
Understanding the meaning of something you read or hear
"After reading the story, answer the comprehension questions."
detail
Elementary
/ˈdiːteɪl/
A specific piece of information that adds to the main idea
"The headline says a girl found a dog. The detail is that she found it in the park."
to identify
Elementary
/aɪˈdentɪfaɪ/
To recognize or find something; to say what something is
"Can you identify the main idea of this news story?"
job advertisement (or job ad)
Elementary
/dʒɑːb ˈædvɜːtaɪzmənt/
A notice or message describing a job position and asking people to apply
"I found a job advertisement for a nurse position on the hospital website."
qualifications
Elementary
/ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃənz/
Education, skills, or experience needed for a job or course
"The job requires qualifications in computer science and 2 years of experience."
responsibilities
Elementary
/rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪlɪtiz/
Tasks and duties that you must do in a job
"One of the teacher's responsibilities is to mark student homework."
required
Elementary
/rɪˈkwaɪəd/
Absolutely necessary; you must have or do this
"A driving license is required for this taxi driver job."
preferred
Elementary
/prɪˈfɜːd/
Something nice to have but not absolutely necessary
"Experience with French is preferred for this international business job."
location
Elementary
/ləʊˈkeɪʃən/
The place or city where something is situated
"The job location is in Manchester, but you can work from home two days a week."
remote work (or work from home)
Elementary
/rɪˈməʊt wɜːk/
Working from your home instead of going to an office
"This graphic design job offers remote work, so you don't need to go to the office."
ingredient
Elementary
/ɪnˈɡriːdiənt/
Something you use to make food, like flour, eggs, or salt.
"The main ingredients in a pasta dish are pasta, sauce, and cheese."
boil
Elementary
/bɔɪl/
Cook something in very hot water (bubbling water).
"You need to boil the water before you add the spaghetti."
stir
Elementary
/stɜːr/
Mix something by moving a spoon round and round in it while cooking.
"Stir the soup for 2 minutes so it doesn't burn."
fold
Elementary
/foʊld/
Gently mix light ingredients (like flour) into heavy ingredients using a slow motion.
"Fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough carefully."
simmer
Elementary
/ˈsɪmər/
Cook gently with small bubbles, not a hard boil.
"Simmer the sauce on medium heat for 15 minutes."
until
Elementary
/ənˈtɪl/
Up to the time that something is ready or happens.
"Bake the cookies until they are golden brown."
drain
Elementary
/dreɪn/
Remove liquid from food (like pouring water out of pasta).
"Drain the pasta in a colander before adding sauce."
staff
Elementary
/stɑːf/
The people who work in a hotel, restaurant, or other business
"The staff at the hotel was very friendly and helpful."
comfortable
Elementary
/ˈkʌmfərtəbl/
Providing relaxation and ease; not causing pain or worry
"The bed was comfortable and I slept very well."
noisy
Elementary
/ˈnɔɪzi/
Making a lot of loud sounds; not quiet
"The room was noisy because of traffic outside the window."
recommend
Elementary
/ˌrekəˈmend/
To suggest that someone should try or use something
"I recommend this hotel to all my friends."
spotless
Elementary
/ˈspɒtləs/
Completely clean with no marks, stains, or dirt
"The bathroom was spotless and well-organized."
value for money
Elementary
/ˈvæljuː fər ˈmʌni/
When something costs a reasonable price compared to its quality
"The hotel offers good value for money at $80 per night."
simple sentence
Elementary
/ˈsɪmpəl ˈsentəns/
A sentence with one subject and one verb that expresses one complete idea.
"I like coffee is a simple sentence."
object
Elementary
/ˈɑːbdʒɪkt/
The person or thing that receives the action; the WHAT or WHO.
"In 'I love chocolate,' the object is 'chocolate.'"
complete sentence
Elementary
/kəmˈpliːt ˈsentəns/
A sentence that has a subject and verb and expresses a full thought.
"I write emails is a complete sentence."
fragment
Elementary
/ˈfrægmənt/
A group of words that is not a complete sentence; it's missing a subject or verb.
"Sleeping all day is a fragment; 'He sleeps all day' is a sentence."
biography
Elementary
/baɪˈɒɡrəfi/
A written account of someone's life, including their experiences and achievements
"I read a biography of Steve Jobs to learn about his life and career."
achievement
Elementary
/əˈtʃiːvmənt/
Something important that someone has successfully accomplished or reached
"Winning the Nobel Prize was her greatest achievement."
to graduate
Elementary
/ˈɡrædʒueɪt/
To successfully complete a course of study or receive a degree from a school
"She graduated from university in 2019 with a degree in medicine."
passion
Elementary
/ˈpæʃən/
A strong feeling of enthusiasm or love for something you care deeply about
"His passion for teaching inspired all his students."
to pursue
Elementary
/pərˈsuː/
To follow or work toward a goal, dream, or career with effort
"She pursued a career in art after graduating from high school."
background
Elementary
/ˈbækɡraʊnd/
A person's family history, education, and previous experiences
"His background as a farmer helped him understand agriculture."
professional
Elementary
/prəˈfeʃənəl/
Relating to a job or career; doing something as a paid job, not as a hobby
"He is a professional musician who performs at concerts every week."
connector
Elementary
/kəˈnektər/
A word that joins two ideas or sentences together, like AND, BUT, BECAUSE
"The connectors help make your writing flow better."
contrast
Elementary
/ˈkɑːntrɑːst/
A big difference between two things; when things are opposite or different
"The contrast between the cold weather AND sunny sky was strange."
clause
Elementary
/klɔːz/
A group of words with a subject and verb that makes a complete thought
"Each clause in the sentence 'I worked hard AND I passed the test' is a complete idea."
conjunction
Elementary
/kənˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
A word that connects words, phrases, or sentences (same as connector)
"AND, BUT, and BECAUSE are common conjunctions in English."
reason
Elementary
/ˈriːzən/
The answer to 'Why?' - the cause or explanation for something
"The reason I'm late is BECAUSE my bus was delayed."
boarding pass
Elementary
/ˈbɔːrdɪŋ pɑːs/
The document you need to get on the plane, showing your flight and seat number.
"You must show your boarding pass at the gate before boarding the aircraft."
gate
Elementary
/ɡeɪt/
The specific door or entrance where passengers board the airplane.
"The announcement says our flight departs from gate 12."
baggage/luggage
Elementary
/ˈbæɡɪdʒ/ /ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/
Suitcases and bags you carry when traveling; the things you pack your clothes in.
"Please claim your baggage from carousel 3 after you land."
departure
Elementary
/dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/
The time when a flight leaves the airport.
"Check the departure board to find when your flight leaves."
last call
Elementary
/lɑːst kɔːl/
The final announcement that passengers must board the plane immediately.
"That was the last call for flight BA 456, so all passengers must board now."
carousel
Elementary
/ˌkærəˈsel/
The moving belt where suitcases come out after arrival so passengers can collect them.
"Wait at carousel 5 to pick up your suitcases."
check in
Elementary
/tʃek ɪn/
The process of registering for your flight and giving your luggage to the airline.
"You should check in two hours before your international flight."
appointment
Elementary
/əˈpɔɪntmənt/
A time arranged to meet someone or receive a service at a specific time.
"I have a dentist appointment on Tuesday at 10 AM."
could you repeat that
Elementary
/ˌkʊd juː rɪˈpiːt ðæt/
A polite way to ask someone to say something again because you didn't understand.
"Sorry, the line is bad. Could you repeat that, please?"
availability
Elementary
/əˌveɪləˈbɪləti/
The fact of being able to be used or accessed; having free time.
"What's your availability next week? Do you have time on Monday?"
main idea
Elementary
/ˌmeɪn aɪˈdiːə/
The most important or central point of what someone is saying.
"Even if you miss some words, try to understand the main idea of the conversation."