🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1475 words found — page 4 of 31
breakout session
Upper Intermediate
/ˈbreɪkaʊt ˈseʃən/
A smaller group meeting separate from the main conference
"I'm attending the breakout session on digital marketing at 2 PM."
break the ice
Upper Intermediate
/breɪk ðə aɪs/
To start a conversation or make people feel comfortable in an awkward situation
"The teacher told a funny joke to break the ice on the first day of class."
breathtaking
Intermediate
/ˈbreθteɪkɪŋ/
Extremely impressive or beautiful; stunning.
"The breathtaking view from the mountain makes the hike worth the effort."
brief
Elementary
/briːf/
Short and containing only the most important information
"Keep your postcard brief because there isn't much space to write."
broadcast
Intermediate
/ˈbrɔːdkɑːst/
A programme or information sent out by radio or television to many people at the same time
"The football match broadcast started at 3 PM on BBC Radio 2."
Budget
Elementary
/ˈbʌdʒ.ɪt/
The total amount of money you plan to spend
"My budget for new shoes is £80, so I'm looking for something within that price range."
bulletin
Intermediate
/ˈbʊlətɪn/
A short news report or announcement, usually on radio or TV.
"The 6 o'clock news bulletin reported on the election results."
bullet point
Elementary
/ˈbʊlət pɔɪnt/
A symbol (• or -) used to separate items in a list
"Use bullet points to make your list easy to read."
bunch
Beginner
/bʌntʃ/
A group of things held or growing together, like bananas or flowers
"I'll take a bunch of bananas, please."
bureaucracy
Upper Intermediate
/bjʊˈrɒkrəsi/
A system of government with many officials and complex rules
"Getting a visa through bureaucracy can take months due to all the paperwork required."
bustling
Intermediate
/ˈbʌs.təl.ɪŋ/
Full of activity and energy; busy and lively
"The night market is bustling with food vendors, shoppers, and street musicians."
busy
Beginner
/ˈbɪzi/
Very occupied with things to do; not free or available.
"Thursday is busy. Can we meet Friday instead?"
by contrast
Advanced
/baɪ ˈkɒntrɑːst/
Showing a sharp difference between two things being compared
"The first experiment yielded conclusive results; by contrast, the second produced ambiguous data."
by-phrase
Advanced
/baɪ freɪz/
A prepositional phrase starting with 'by' that identifies the agent in passive sentences
"The treaty was signed by both countries in 1995."
by the way
Intermediate
/baɪ ðə weɪ/
Used to introduce something you just thought of; adds a conversational feel
"The party was amazing! By the way, did you ever finish that book I recommended?"
cadence
Advanced
/ˈkeɪdəns/
The rhythmic flow and rise-fall pattern of language in writing or speech
"The author's careful use of punctuation creates a measured cadence throughout the novel."
café
Beginner
/kæˈfeɪ/
A small restaurant where people drink coffee and eat light food.
"Let's meet at the café near the train station tomorrow."
call
Beginner
/kɔːl/
To phone someone or communicate with them by telephone
"I'll call you tomorrow at 3 o'clock."
call back
Elementary
/kɔːl bæk/
To telephone someone again, especially in return for their earlier call.
"She missed my call, so I'll wait for her to call me back."
can
Elementary
/kæn/
Modal verb used to express ability or permission
"I can speak English very well now."
candid
Upper Intermediate
/ˈkændɪd/
Honest and direct, especially about something that might be uncomfortable or sensitive
"He gave a candid answer about why the project failed, admitting his own mistakes."
Can I get
Beginner
/kæn aɪ ɡet/
A casual, polite way to ask for something; very common in cafes and restaurants
"Can I get a sandwich and a juice?"
Can I get the bill
Beginner
/kæn aɪ ɡet ðə bɪl/
A polite phrase to ask for the check/invoice at a restaurant (British: 'the bill', American: 'the check')
"We're ready. Can I get the bill, please?"
Can I have
Beginner
/kæn aɪ hæv/
Another polite way to ask for something you want to order
"Can I have the grilled chicken with vegetables?"
Can I help you?
Beginner
/kæn aɪ ˈhelp juː/
A greeting question shop assistants use to offer assistance to customers
"The assistant smiled and asked, 'Can I help you?'"
Can I try this on?
Elementary
/kæn aɪ traɪ ðɪs ɑːn/
Polite request to test clothes or shoes before buying them
"Can I try this on before I buy it?"
can't
Elementary
/kɑːnt/
Negative form of can; means you're not able to or not allowed to do something
"You can't use your phone during the exam."
can't (cannot)
Elementary
/kɑːnt/
The negative form of 'can'; means unable or not allowed
"I can't swim, so I'm taking lessons."
Can you show me on the map?
Beginner
/kæn juː ʃoʊ miː ɒn ðə mæp/
Asking someone to point out a location using a map
"I don't understand. Can you show me on the map?"
capital
Elementary
/ˈkæpɪtl/
The most important city in a country where the government is located
"Paris is the capital of France."
capital letter
Elementary
/ˈkæpɪtl ˈletə/
A large letter used at the beginning of a sentence or for proper nouns (A, B, C, etc.)
"Every sentence must start with a capital letter, like 'The cat is sleeping.'"
caption
Intermediate
/ˈkæpʃən/
Text that explains or describes a photo, usually printed below or above it
"The photo's caption explained that the protesters had gathered outside Parliament for three hours."
cardiovascular
Intermediate
/ˌkɑːrdioʊˈvæskjələr/
Related to the heart and blood vessels; the system that pumps blood
"Regular exercise is good for your cardiovascular health."
carousel
Elementary
/ˌkærəˈsel/
The moving belt where airport baggage comes out for passengers to collect.
"Your suitcase is on carousel 4."
carry-on
Elementary
/ˈkæri ɒn/
A small bag that you keep with you on the airplane
"My carry-on bag contains my laptop and important documents."
carton
Beginner
/ˈkɑːr.tən/
A container made of cardboard, often used for milk or juice
"Can you buy a carton of milk from the supermarket?"
cash
Elementary
/kæʃ/
Physical money in coins and notes, not card payment
"Do you accept cash, or only cards?"
Cash
Elementary
/kæʃ/
Physical money in coins and notes, not card payment
"I prefer paying with cash at small shops because they sometimes give a small discount."
Cash or card?
Beginner
/kæʃ ɔːr kɑːrd/
A question asking how you want to pay
"'That'll be £20.' 'Cash or card?' 'Card, please.'"
casual
Beginner
/ˈkæʒuəl/
Relaxed and informal, not formal or serious.
"Friend emails use casual language like 'Hey!' instead of 'Dear Sir.'"
casual language
Intermediate
/ˈkæʒuəl ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
Informal, conversational style used in everyday speech and informal writing
"Blog posts use casual language instead of formal English, which makes them easier to understand."
catch
Elementary
/kætʃ/
Hear and understand something, especially in a conversation
"Sorry, I didn't catch your name. What is it again?"
catch a flight
Elementary
/kætʃ ə flaɪt/
To get on an airplane; to travel by plane on a specific flight
"I need to catch a flight to Paris at 8 AM tomorrow."
catch (hear)
Elementary
/kætʃ/
To hear and understand something said quickly or unclearly.
"I didn't catch your name. Can you say it again?"
catch (something)
Intermediate
/kætʃ/
To hear and understand something, especially when it happens quickly or unclearly
"Did you catch what the reporter said about the weather tomorrow?"
catch up
Beginner
/kætʃ ʌp/
To meet and talk with someone you haven't seen for a long time and share news.
"I haven't seen Sarah in months. We should catch up soon!"
caveat
Advanced
/ˈkæviæt/
A warning or qualification that limits the scope of a statement
"The author included an important **caveat** noting that results applied only to urban populations."
cents
Beginner
/sɛnts/
Coins worth less than one dollar; 100 cents = 1 dollar.
"The drink costs two dollars and fifty cents."