🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1214 words found — page 21 of 26
signature
Beginner
/ˈsɪɡnətʃər/
Your name written at the end of an email to show who wrote it
"I always include my full signature at the end of professional emails."
sign off
Intermediate
/saɪn ɔːf/
The way you end a message, like 'Cheers' or 'See you later'
"A good sign off for a friend might be 'Let me know!' or 'Talk soon!' instead of 'Respectfully'."
sign-off
Elementary
/ˈsaɪn ɔːf/
The closing words before your name, such as 'Love' or 'Yours truly'
"I ended the postcard with the sign-off 'Wish you were here!'"
signpost word
Elementary
/ˈsɪnpoʊst wɜːrd/
A word that tells you important information is coming (like 'because', 'for example').
"The word 'because' is a signpost word that introduces a reason."
signpost words
Elementary
/ˈsaɪnpəʊst wɜːdz/
Words that tell you important information is coming next.
"Listen for signpost words like 'My name is' or 'I worked as.'"
Simple
Beginner
/ˈsɪmpl/
Easy to understand; not complex.
""The instructions are simple and clear.""
Simple Past Tense
Elementary
/ˈsɪmpəl pɑːst ˈtens/
Grammar form used to describe actions or events that started and finished in the past.
"I worked at that company for three years. (Simple Past Tense)"
singular
Intermediate
/ˈsɪŋɡjələr/
Referring to one person or thing; the form of a noun used when talking about one item
"The singular form of the word chairs is chair."
Size
Beginner
/saɪz/
How big or small something is (big, small, tall, short, etc.)
"I need a bigger size — this one is too small for me."
skeptical
Intermediate
/ˈskɛptɪkəl/
Not fully believing or trusting something; doubtful.
"The interviewer sounded skeptical when I claimed I'd never made a mistake."
skill
Elementary
/skɪl/
The ability to do something well through practice or training
"Cooking is a useful skill to learn."
skill set
Intermediate
/skɪl set/
A group of abilities or talents someone has
"Digital skill sets are becoming more important in modern jobs."
skim
Intermediate
/skɪm/
To read quickly, looking only for the main ideas without reading every word
"I skimmed the business section to find articles relevant to my job interview."
skimming
Intermediate
/ˈskɪmɪŋ/
Reading quickly to find the general idea without reading every word
"Before the exam, I was skimming the chapters to refresh my memory."
slant
Upper Intermediate
/slænt/
A particular way of presenting information that favors one viewpoint
"That journalist has a clear political slant in how she covers election news."
slim
Elementary
/slɪm/
Thin and not fat; having an attractive thin shape
"The dancer has a slim figure because she exercises every day."
slow
Beginner
/sloʊ/
Not fast; taking more time
"Please speak more slowly. I can't understand."
slow down
Elementary
/sloʊ daʊn/
Speak more slowly so someone can understand you better
"Could you slow down a bit? You're speaking too fast for me."
slowly
Beginner
/ˈsloʊli/
Not fast; taking more time
"Please spell it slowly so I can write it down."
slump
Upper Intermediate
/slʌmp/
A sudden, significant fall or decline in value or performance
"The retail sector experienced a slump during the economic downturn."
Small or large?
Beginner
/smɔːl ɔːr lɑːrdʒ/
A question asking which size you want
"'I'd like a coffee, please.' 'Small or large?'"
small talk
Beginner
/smɔːl tɔːk/
Light, friendly conversation about common topics like weather, not serious subjects.
"Before meetings, colleagues often do small talk about the weekend."
Soft-pedal
Intermediate
/ˈsɒft ˈped.əl/
To present something in a modest way, downplaying it slightly
"She soft-pedaled her success by saying 'I was lucky' instead of 'I was excellent.'"
sometimes
Beginner
/ˈsʌmtaɪmz/
Occasionally; once in a while; not regularly
"We sometimes go to the beach on weekends."
sore throat
Elementary
/sɔːr θroʊt/
Pain in your throat, usually from a cold or infection
"I have a sore throat and it hurts when I swallow."
soup
Beginner
/suːp/
A hot liquid food made with vegetables, meat, or both
"Would you like tomato soup or chicken soup?"
source
Intermediate
/sɔːrs/
A person or organization that provides information for a news story
"The article didn't name its sources, which made me suspicious about the accuracy."
souvenir
Elementary
/ˌsuː.vəˈnɪr/
A small object you buy to remember a place you visited
"I bought a souvenir from the beach shop to remember my vacation."
spacious
Elementary
/ˈspeɪʃəs/
Large and comfortable, with plenty of space.
"The room was spacious and had a beautiful view."
speak
Beginner
/spiːk/
To say words using your voice
"She speaks English very well."
speaker
Beginner
/ˈspiːkər/
The person who is talking; the person saying something
"When I say 'I am happy,' I am the speaker."
speak more slowly
Beginner
/spiːk mɔːr ˈsloʊli/
To talk at a reduced speed so others can understand better
"Sorry, can you speak more slowly? I'm learning English."
speak to
Elementary
/spiːk tuː/
To talk with or have a conversation with someone by phone or in person
"Could I speak to the manager, please? It's about my order."
specific
Beginner
/spɪˈsɪf.ɪk/
Clearly defined; exact; not general
"We use 'the' when we talk about a specific dog, not dogs in general."
specific information
Elementary
/spəˈsɪfɪk ɪnfəˈmeɪʃən/
Exact details about something (like names, numbers, dates).
"The question asks for specific information: his name and age."
spell
Beginner
/spel/
To say or write the letters of a word in order.
"Can you spell your name for me, please? S-A-R-A-H."
spell out
Beginner
/spel aʊt/
Write words letter by letter, or write numbers as words instead of digits
"In formal emails, always spell out numbers below ten."
spike
Intermediate
/spaɪk/
A sudden, sharp increase in something; to increase suddenly
"There was a spike in social media engagement when the celebrity posted about our brand."
spoiler
Intermediate
/ˈspoɪlər/
Information that reveals important details and ruins the surprise for someone who hasn't read or watched it yet.
"I won't tell you the ending — no spoilers!"
sport
Elementary
/spɔːrt/
A competitive physical activity with rules, like football or tennis.
"My favorite sport is basketball because I love team games."
stabilize
Intermediate
/ˈsteɪbɪlaɪz/
To become stable or steady; to stop changing or fluctuating
"After months of volatility, the market finally stabilized in the third quarter."
stakeholder
Upper Intermediate
/ˈsteɪkhəʊldər/
A person or group with an interest in the success of a project or business
"We need stakeholder approval before moving forward with the initiative."
stamp
Elementary
/stæmp/
A small sticker you put on mail to pay for sending it
"Don't forget to put a stamp on the postcard!"
STAR method
Intermediate
/stɑːr ˈmeθəd/
A way to answer interview questions: Situation, Task, Action, Result
"Use the STAR method to structure your answer about when you solved a problem."
stayed
Elementary
/steɪd/
Past tense of stay; means you remained in one place or continued doing something
"On Sunday, I stayed home and watched movies all day."
steep decline
Intermediate
/stiːp dɪˈklaɪn/
A sharp, rapid decrease in value or amount
"There was a steep decline in tourism after the airport closed temporarily."
stem
Elementary
/stem/
The base form of a word to which prefixes or suffixes are added
"In the verb 'go', 'go' is the stem, and in 'went', the entire word changes from the stem."
step
Beginner
/step/
One action in a series of actions needed to complete a task
"The first step is to wash your hands before cooking."