🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1214 words found — page 25 of 26
Understand
Beginner
/ˌʌndərˈstænd/
To know the meaning of something.
""Do you understand the question?""
under the weather
Upper Intermediate
/ʌndər ðə weðər/
Feeling sick or unwell
"I'm feeling under the weather today, so I might skip the gym."
uneasy
Intermediate
/ʌnˈiːzi/
Slightly worried or anxious, though you may not know exactly why
"Something about that job offer made me feel uneasy, so I decided not to take it."
unlikely
Intermediate
/ʌnˈlaɪkli/
Not probable; probably will not happen.
"If pigs could fly is unlikely, so we use Second Conditional."
unreliable
Elementary
/ʌnrɪˈlaɪəbəl/
Cannot be trusted to work correctly; often fails or doesn't perform well
"The WiFi in the hotel was unreliable — it kept disconnecting during my video calls."
unsustainable
Upper Intermediate
/ˌʌnsəˈsteɪnəbl/
Not able to continue without damaging the environment or resources
"Our current consumption patterns are completely unsustainable."
upload
Intermediate
/ˌʌpˈloʊd/
To send files from your device to the internet or cloud.
"I'm uploading the photos to the cloud so you can see them."
upskilling
Intermediate
/ˈʌpˌskɪlɪŋ/
Learning new skills to improve your job abilities
"Upskilling programs help workers prepare for future jobs."
usually
Beginner
/ˈjuːʒuəli/
Most of the time; normally; in most cases.
"I usually have coffee in the morning, but today I'm drinking tea."
vacation
Elementary
/vəˈkeɪʃən/
A period of time when you travel or rest, away from school or work
"Last summer, I sent five postcards during my vacation in Italy."
vaccination
Intermediate
/ˌvæksɪˈneɪʃən/
A medical treatment where medicine is given to protect against specific diseases
"Children receive vaccinations against measles before starting school."
vague
Intermediate
/veɪɡ/
Not clear or specific; lacking important details
"Saying 'the service was bad' is too vague—explain exactly what happened."
validity
Upper Intermediate
/vəˈlɪdəti/
The quality of being logically sound, well-supported, and based on solid reasoning or evidence
"The validity of his argument depends on whether his sources are reliable and peer-reviewed."
vegetarian
Beginner
/ˌvedʒɪˈteriən/
A person who doesn't eat meat, only plants and dairy products
"Do you have vegetarian options? I don't eat chicken."
vendor
Intermediate
/ˈvendər/
A person who sells things, usually in a market or street.
"The street vendors sell souvenirs near the tourist area."
verb
Beginner
/vɜːb/
A word that describes an action or state of being
"The word 'run' is a verb because it describes an action."
verbose
Intermediate
/vɜːrˈboʊs/
Using more words than necessary; talking or writing too much.
"The first half of the book is verbose — the author could have told the same story in fewer pages."
verb phrase
Intermediate
/vɜːrb freɪz/
A verb and its related words that work together to express an action or state.
"She's planning to move to a new apartment next month."
verdict
Intermediate
/ˈvɜːdɪkt/
A final opinion or judgment about something.
"My verdict: this mystery is worth reading, but don't expect a perfect ending."
vernacular
Advanced
/vərˈnækjələ/
The everyday language spoken by ordinary people in a specific region or group
"The novel uses vernacular dialogue to make characters feel authentic and relatable."
vibrant
Elementary
/ˈvaɪ.brənt/
Lively, exciting, and full of energy and activity.
"The neighborhood is vibrant — there are always people, cafes, and events."
video call
Beginner
/ˈvɪd.i.oʊ kɔːl/
A phone call where you can see the other person's face on a screen
"We had a video call with my grandmother last week."
vivid
Intermediate
/ˈvɪvɪd/
Clear, bright, and producing strong images in your mind.
"The author's vivid descriptions made me feel like I was actually in the forest."
volatile
Upper Intermediate
/ˈvɒlətaɪl/
Likely to change rapidly and unpredictably, especially prices
"Tech stocks are often volatile, rising and falling sharply in short periods."
volitive
Advanced
/ˈvɒlɪtɪv/
Expressing will, wish, or desire; associated with subjunctive mood usage
"The volitive meaning in 'I wish he were here' necessitates the subjunctive form."
vowel
Beginner
/ˈvaʊ.əl/
A speech sound made with air flowing freely (a, e, i, o, u)
"The word 'apple' starts with the vowel sound 'a'."
wake up
Beginner
/weɪk ʌp/
Stop sleeping and get out of bed in the morning
"I wake up at 7am every weekday."
walk me through
Intermediate
/wɔːk miː θruː/
Explain something step-by-step, showing how you did it or how it works
"The manager asked me to walk her through my project management process."
Walk me through
Intermediate
/wɔːk miː ˈθruː/
Tell me about something step-by-step, in order from beginning to end
"Can you walk me through your experience with that project?"
warning
Beginner
/ˈwɔːnɪŋ/
Information telling you about danger or a problem you should know about.
"The warning sign says 'Wet floor - be careful!'"
Warning
Beginner
/ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/
Important safety information telling you about dangers or who shouldn't use it.
"The warning on the label says 'Do not use if you are allergic to peanuts.'"
weakness
Intermediate
/ˈwɛknəs/
Something you're not good at or an area where you need to improve.
"In interviews, explain a real weakness but show how you're working to improve it."
wearing
Elementary
/ˈwerɪŋ/
Having clothes or accessories on your body
"The man is wearing a blue shirt and black pants."
weather
Elementary
/ˈweð.ɚ/
The condition of the air outside (sunny, rainy, hot, cold, etc.)
"The weather is beautiful today — perfect for a walk!"
weekday
Beginner
/ˈwiːk.deɪ/
Any day from Monday to Friday (working days for most people).
"I'm busy on weekdays, but free on Saturday."
weekdays
Beginner
/ˈwiːkˌdeɪz/
Monday to Friday (the working days, not Saturday or Sunday).
"The shop has different hours on weekdays and weekends."
weekend
Beginner
/ˈwiːk.end/
Saturday and Sunday, the two days most people don't work.
"Do you want to go hiking this weekend?"
Weekend
Beginner
/ˈwiːkend/
Saturday and Sunday; the days when most people don't work.
"Do you have any plans for the weekend?"
went
Elementary
/wɛnt/
Past tense of 'go' — used to say you traveled somewhere
"Last Sunday, I went to the market with my mother."
went (go)
Elementary
/went/
Past tense of go; used to say you traveled to a place
"Last Saturday, I went to the supermarket with my mother."
What
Beginner
/wɒt/
Question word used to ask about things or information
"What is your favorite color?"
What do you do?
Beginner
/wɒt duː juː duː/
A common question asking about someone's job, work, or main activity
"So, what do you do for work?"
What's up?
Beginner
/wɑːts ʌp/
A very casual greeting that means 'hello' or 'how are you?'
"My colleague texted me 'What's up?' this morning to start our chat."
What's your name?
Beginner
/wɒts jɔː neɪm/
The most common question to ask someone's name in casual conversation.
"Hi there! What's your name?"
When
Beginner
/wen/
Question word used to ask about time
"When is your birthday?"
Where
Beginner
/weər/
Question word used to ask about location or place
"Where do you live?"
while
Advanced
/waɪl/
Used to compare two contrasting ideas or situations in a subtle way
"While some economists predict inflation, others remain optimistic about price stability."
Who
Beginner
/huː/
Question word used to ask about people
"Who is your best friend?"