🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1475 words found — page 3 of 31
availability
Elementary
/əˌveɪləˈbɪləti/
The time when you are free and able to do something.
"What is your availability to start work?"
available
Elementary
/əˈveɪləbl/
Free or not being used; able to be obtained or reached.
"Is the apartment available for rent next month?"
awkward
Beginner
/ˈɔː.kwərd/
Uncomfortable, embarrassing, or not smooth; causing an uncomfortable feeling
"There was an awkward silence when nobody knew what to say next."
axiom
Advanced
/ˈæk.si.əm/
A statement accepted as true without proof; a fundamental principle
"Euclid's geometry rests on axioms that were considered self-evident."
axis
Intermediate
/ˈæk.sɪs/
The horizontal or vertical line on a graph that shows measurements or categories.
"The Y-axis shows temperature in degrees, while the X-axis shows months."
axis (axes plural)
Intermediate
/ˈæk.sɪs/
The horizontal or vertical lines on a chart that show measurements or categories
"The x-axis shows months, and the y-axis shows the number of visitors."
background
Elementary
/ˈbækɡraʊnd/
A person's family, education, and past experiences before now.
"She comes from a musical background—both her parents are musicians."
background noise
Elementary
/ˈbækɡraʊnd nɔɪz/
Sounds heard in the background that are not the main sound you're trying to hear.
"I could hear background noise like cars when she called from the street."
backshift
Advanced
/ˈbækʃɪft/
The change of verb tense when converting direct speech to reported speech
"In reported speech, 'I am tired' becomes 'She said she was tired' — that's backshift."
back up (data)
Intermediate
/ˈbæk ʌp/
To save a copy of your files in another location to prevent losing them.
"You should back up your photos to the cloud in case your phone gets lost."
baggage claim
Elementary
/ˈbæɡɪdʒ kleɪm/
The area in an airport where you collect your suitcases after landing.
"Meet me at baggage claim after we land."
bake
Elementary
/beɪk/
To cook food in an oven using dry heat
"Bake the bread for 30 minutes until it is golden brown."
Bake
Elementary
/beɪk/
Cook food using dry heat in an oven
"Bake the cookies at 350°F for 12 minutes."
balcony
Elementary
/ˈbælkəni/
A platform on the outside of a building, usually attached to an apartment
"Our apartment has a small balcony with a view of the park."
ballpark figure
Advanced
/ˈbɔːlpɑːrk ˈfɪɡər/
An approximate estimate or rough calculation, not exact
"Can you give me a ballpark figure for the project costs by Friday?"
bandwagon
Upper Intermediate
/ˈbændwæɡən/
A persuasive technique suggesting that many people agree with an idea, implying readers should too
"Using the bandwagon technique, the opinion piece stated 'Everyone knows that traditional education is outdated.'"
bandwidth
Intermediate
/ˈbændwɪdθ/
The amount of data your internet connection can transfer; higher bandwidth = faster speeds.
"Downloading large files uses a lot of bandwidth, so it's slow on our office Wi-Fi."
bargain
Elementary
/ˈbɑːɡɪn/
Something that costs less money than usual; good value for money
"These shoes were £40 on sale—what a bargain!"
base form
Elementary
/ˈbeɪs fɔːrm/
The original, unchanged form of a verb before adding any endings.
"The base form of 'worked' is 'work.'"
Base form
Elementary
/beɪs fɔːrm/
The original form of a verb without any endings (go, eat, play, work).
"In "I didn't go," 'go' is the **base form**."
battery drain
Intermediate
/ˈbætəri dreɪn/
When a device loses power quickly because apps or features use too much energy.
"Streaming videos causes battery drain, so my phone dies in 2 hours."
beach
Elementary
/biːtʃ/
An area of sand or small stones by the sea where people go to relax and swim
"We spent the afternoon at the beach building sandcastles."
beat
Elementary
/biːt/
To mix something quickly and hard with a fork or mixer, not to hit
"Beat the eggs until they are yellow and light."
because
Elementary
/bɪˈkɔːz/
Word used to explain the reason or cause of something
"I didn't go out on Sunday because the weather was rainy."
behavioral question
Intermediate
/bɪˈheɪvjərəl ˈkwɛstʃən/
An interview question that asks you to describe a past situation where you demonstrated a specific skill or handled a challenge
"A behavioral question might ask: 'Tell me about a time when you had to manage multiple projects at once.'"
be into something
Elementary
/bi ˈɪntu/
To be interested in or enjoy something very much.
"My brother is really into video games; he plays every day."
benefits
Elementary
/ˈbenɪfɪts/
Extra advantages a company gives employees besides salary (like insurance, vacation)
"The job offers great benefits including health insurance and 20 days paid vacation."
Best before
Beginner
/best bɪˈfɔːr/
The date after which a food is safe to eat but may not taste as good.
"This yogurt is best before March 20th, but it's usually safe for a few days after."
beverage
Beginner
/ˈbɛvərɪdʒ/
A drink, such as coffee, tea, juice, or water
"This café serves hot beverages in winter and cold drinks in summer."
bias
Upper Intermediate
/ˈbaɪəs/
A preference or prejudice toward certain ideas that may prevent fair judgment
"The article showed a clear bias toward electric vehicles and didn't fairly address concerns about charging infrastructure."
bill/check
Beginner
/bɪl/ /tʃek/
The paper or card showing the total amount you need to pay (British vs American)
"Could I have the bill, please? (British) / Can I get the check? (American)"
biography
Elementary
/baɪˈɒɡrəfi/
A written account of someone's life and important experiences.
"I read a biography of Steve Jobs and learned about his childhood."
bioluminescent
Intermediate
/ˌbaɪoʊˌluːməˈnesənt/
Able to produce light naturally through a chemical reaction in living things
"Fireflies are bioluminescent insects that glow in the dark."
bitter
Elementary
/ˈbɪtə/
Having a sharp, unpleasant taste
"Black coffee is quite bitter without sugar."
board
Beginner
/bɔːrd/
A dark surface in a classroom where teachers write with chalk or markers
"The teacher writes the date on the board every morning."
boarding
Elementary
/ˈbɔːrdɪŋ/
Getting on a plane, train, or bus to travel somewhere
"Flight 447 is now boarding at gate 3."
boarding pass
Elementary
/ˈbɔːrdɪŋ pæs/
An official document that shows your seat number and flight information
"I showed my boarding pass to the gate agent before entering the airplane."
body
Beginner
/ˈbɑːdi/
The main message or content in the middle of an email
"The body of my email explained what I needed help with."
body paragraph
Intermediate
/ˈbɒdi ˈpærəɡrɑːf/
The middle paragraphs of an article that provide supporting details and background information
"The body paragraphs explained why the company made this decision and what customers said about it."
boil
Elementary
/bɔɪl/
Heat liquid until it makes bubbles and steam
"Boil water for 5 minutes before adding the pasta."
book
Beginner
/bʊk/
An object made of pages bound together that contains information or stories
"I read an English book in the library."
book a flight
Elementary
/bʊk ə flaɪt/
To buy and reserve a plane ticket in advance
"I need to book a flight to Paris for next month."
booking reference
Elementary
/ˈbʊkɪŋ ˈrefərəns/
Your confirmation code for your flight reservation
"Can I see your passport and booking reference, please?"
born
Elementary
/bɔːrn/
Past participle of 'be born' — when and where someone started their life
"My grandmother was born in 1945 in a small village."
boss
Elementary
/bɒs/
The person who is in charge and supervises your work
"My boss is very kind and gives helpful feedback."
bottom line
Upper Intermediate
/ˈbɒtəm laɪn/
The lowest or highest point you'll accept; your final limit
"My bottom line is that I won't accept less than two weeks of holiday."
break a habit
Upper Intermediate
/breɪk ə ˈhæbɪt/
To stop doing something regularly that you've done for a long time
"It took her six months to break the habit of checking her phone constantly."
breaking news
Intermediate
/ˈbreɪkɪŋ njuːz/
Important recent events that are being reported for the first time
"The TV station interrupted the program to announce breaking news about the earthquake."