🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1475 words found — page 18 of 31
morphology
Upper Intermediate
/mɔːrˈfɒlədʒi/
the study of how words are formed and structured in a language
"Understanding morphology helps you recognize prefixes, suffixes, and root words."
mother
Beginner
/ˈmʌðər/
Your female parent; also called Mum (British) or Mom (American).
"My mother works as a doctor in London."
move the needle
Advanced
/muːv ðə ˈniːdəl/
To make meaningful progress or create a noticeable impact on a situation
"This partnership could really move the needle on our market expansion goals."
muscular
Elementary
/ˈmʌskjələr/
Having strong, well-developed muscles
"The athlete has a muscular build from years of training."
must
Intermediate
/mʌst/
Modal verb expressing obligation, necessity, or something that is required or forbidden
"You must arrive on time for your flight."
narration
Upper Intermediate
/nɑːˈreɪʃən/
The spoken explanation or story told by a voice in a film or program
"The narration in that wildlife documentary was so compelling."
narrative
Intermediate
/ˈnærətɪv/
The way a story is told, including the narrator's perspective and style.
"The novel uses a first-person narrative, so we only see events through one character's eyes."
narrative flow
Intermediate
/nəˈrætɪv floʊ/
The smooth, natural way events are connected and presented in a story
"Good narrative flow means your listener doesn't feel confused about the order of events."
native speaker
Beginner
/ˈneɪ.tɪv ˈspiː.kə/
Someone who speaks a language as their first language from birth.
"I'm not a native speaker of English, but I speak it fluently."
nauseous
Elementary
/ˈnɔːʃəs/
Feeling like you might vomit; feeling sick to your stomach
"The boat was rocking and I felt nauseous after one hour."
navigate
Intermediate
/ˈnævɪɡeɪt/
To find your way through a system, website, or place using specific directions
"The IT person told me to navigate to Settings, then click Update."
nearest
Beginner
/ˈnɪərɪst/
The closest in distance; shortest way from where you are
"Is there a bank nearest to here?"
near here
Beginner
/nɪr hɪr/
In this area; close to this location
"Is there a restaurant near here?"
necessity
Intermediate
/nəˈsɛsɪti/
Something that is absolutely needed or required; something you cannot do without
"Food and shelter are basic necessities for human survival."
negative
Beginner
/ˈneɡətɪv/
A statement that says something is not true or does not exist
"The negative form of 'I am happy' is 'I am not happy'."
negative form
Elementary
/ˈneɡətɪv fɔːrm/
A sentence structure that says what did NOT happen, using 'didn't' in past tense.
"The negative form is 'I didn't work.' — notice we don't add -ed after didn't."
neighborhood
Elementary
/ˈneɪ.bər.hʊd/
A district or area of a city or town where people live.
"My neighborhood is very quiet and friendly."
nephew
Beginner
/ˈnefuː/
Your sibling's son or your sibling's son's child.
"My nephew just turned five — he's so funny and smart."
nestled
Intermediate
/ˈnes.əld/
Situated or placed in a comfortable, protected position
"The small café is nestled between two historic buildings in the old town."
networking
Intermediate
/ˈnetwɜːrkɪŋ/
Building professional relationships to help your career, often at events or online
"I met five potential clients while networking at the business conference yesterday."
never
Beginner
/ˈnevər/
Not at any time; zero times; no occasions
"I never skip breakfast because it's important."
next to
Beginner
/ˈnɛkst tu/
Beside something; immediately adjoining or neighboring
"The supermarket is next to the pharmacy."
Nice to meet you
Beginner
/naɪs tə ˈmiːt juː/
A friendly way to greet someone when you first meet them in person or online
"This is my coworker, James. James, nice to meet you!"
nominalisation
Advanced
/ˌnɒmɪnəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
The process of converting verbs or adjectives into nouns or noun phrases, commonly used in formal academic writing
"The nominalisation of 'analyse' into 'analysis' creates a more formal academic tone."
non-defining relative clause
Upper Intermediate
/nɒn dɪˈfaɪnɪŋ ˈrelətɪv klɔːz/
A clause that adds extra information about a noun that's already clearly identified, set off by commas
"My brother, who lives in Paris, is visiting next month."
non-restrictive
Upper Intermediate
/nɒn rɪˈstrɪktɪv/
Adding extra but non-essential information; used to describe non-defining clauses set off by commas
"The non-restrictive clause gives background information without changing the meaning."
noon
Beginner
/nuːn/
12 o'clock in the middle of the day
"We have lunch at **noon** every day."
nostalgic
Intermediate
/nɒˈstaldʒɪk/
Sentimental longing or affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy memories.
"I felt nostalgic watching old photos from my childhood home."
note
Elementary
/noʊt/
Short information you write to remember something important
"I keep a note on my phone with my password reminder."
notice
Beginner
/ˈnəʊtɪs/
A written announcement or warning displayed for people to read and understand.
"There's a notice on the wall about the gym closing early on Sundays."
notification
Intermediate
/ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
An alert or message that appears on your device to tell you something important happened.
"I turned off notifications for work emails so I can relax on weekends."
notwithstanding
Advanced
/ˌnɒtwɪðˈstændɪŋ/
Despite; in spite of something that might prevent or block something else
"Notwithstanding the harsh criticism, the director proceeded with her original vision."
noun
Beginner
/naʊn/
A word that names a person, place, or thing (book, Ahmed, coffee).
"In 'my book,' the word 'book' is a noun and 'my' is a possessive adjective."
nuance
Upper Intermediate
/ˈnjuːɑːns/
A subtle difference in meaning, tone, or appearance that's easy to miss
"Good listeners pick up on the nuances in what people say, not just words."
nuanced
Intermediate
/ˈnuːɑnst/
Showing subtle differences in meaning, tone, or expression; not simple
"The author's nuanced exploration of family relationships felt authentic and moving."
nurse
Elementary
/nɜːrs/
A person who cares for sick people in hospitals or clinics
"The nurse checked my blood pressure during the appointment."
obfuscate
Advanced
/ˈɑːbfəskeɪt/
To deliberately make something unclear or confusing, often to hide weaknesses
"Critics argue that the writer uses jargon to obfuscate rather than clarify her central argument."
obfuscation
Intermediate
/ˌɒb.fəˈskeɪ.ʃən/
The act of making something unclear or hard to understand deliberately
"The speaker used a lot of technical obfuscation instead of explaining things simply."
object
Elementary
/ˈɒbdʒɪkt/
The person or thing that receives the action from the verb
"In 'I eat an apple,' the object is 'an apple' because it receives the action of eating."
objective
Upper Intermediate
/əbˈdʒektɪv/
The noun that receives the action of a verb in active voice
"In active voice, the objective becomes the subject when converted to passive."
objectivity
Advanced
/ɒbdʒɛkˈtɪvɪti/
The quality of being based on facts and evidence rather than personal feelings or opinions
"Nominalisation helps writers maintain objectivity by removing personal pronouns and emotional language."
obligation
Intermediate
/ˌɒblɪˈɡeɪʃən/
Something you must do because of rules, duty, or requirement; a responsibility
"Your main obligation is to finish the project by Friday."
occupation
Beginner
/ˌɑːkjuˈpeɪʃən/
A person's job or profession.
"His occupation is a software engineer."
o'clock
Beginner
/əˈklɒk/
A word used to indicate the exact hour when telling time
"The meeting starts at **three o'clock** in the afternoon."
often
Beginner
/ˈɔːfən/
Many times; frequently; regularly but not always
"He often eats lunch at the same restaurant."
once in a blue moon
Upper Intermediate
/wʌns ɪn ə bluː muːn/
Something that happens very rarely or almost never
"I eat fast food once in a blue moon because I prefer cooking at home."
only child
Elementary
/ˈəʊnli tʃaɪld/
A person who has no brothers or sisters
"She's an only child, so her parents give her lots of attention."
on sale
Elementary
/ɒn seɪl/
Available at a reduced price for a limited time
"The winter coats are on sale right now—buy one before they're gone!"