🔤 Vocabulary Bank
Build your English vocabulary — one word at a time.
1475 words found — page 5 of 31
certainty
Intermediate
/ˈsɜrtnti/
The state of being sure or certain about something.
"She speaks with certainty about the plan, so she must know it well."
chance of rain
Elementary
/tʃæns əv reɪn/
The percentage possibility that it will rain (e.g., 60% chance = probably rain)
"There's a 70% chance of rain tomorrow, so bring an umbrella."
change
Elementary
/tʃeɪndʒ/
Money you get back when you pay with more than the cost
"I paid with £20, so the change is £5.50."
Change
Elementary
/tʃeɪndʒ/
Money you get back when you pay with more than the price
"I gave the cashier £20 for a £14 purchase, and she gave me £6 change."
Changing room
Elementary
/ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ ruːm/
A private space in a store where customers can try on clothes
"Where are the changing rooms in this shop?"
character development
Intermediate
/ˈkærɪktər dɪˈveləpmənt/
How a character changes, grows, or becomes more complex throughout a story.
"The main character's development from shy to confident was the best part of the book."
charity
Elementary
/ˈtʃærɪti/
An organization that helps people in need; a good cause
"She donated money to a charity that helps homeless children."
charming
Intermediate
/ˈtʃɑːrmɪŋ/
Attractive and appealing in a simple, natural way; delightful.
"The charming café has small wooden tables and local artwork on the walls."
checkbox
Elementary
/ˈtʃekbɒks/
A small square box you mark with a tick when a task is finished.
"I put a checkbox next to each task on my list."
checked baggage
Elementary
/ˈtʃekt ˈbæɡɪdʒ/
Large bags that you give to the airline to put under the airplane
"My checked baggage allowance is two suitcases per ticket."
check in
Elementary
/tʃek ɪn/
To register and give your luggage at airport or hotel
"You should check in at least 2 hours before your flight."
check-in
Elementary
/ˈtʃek ɪn/
The desk at the airport where you register for your flight and drop off baggage.
"Check-in opens two hours before departure."
checkout
Elementary
/ˈtʃekaʊt/
The place in a store where you pay for your items
"The checkout line is very long today."
chef
Elementary
/ʃef/
A professional cook who works in a restaurant or kitchen
"The head chef prepared an amazing meal for our wedding."
chiasmus
Advanced
/kaɪˈæzməs/
A reversal of grammatical structures in successive phrases to create emphasis and memorability
"Kennedy's chiasmus 'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country' remains iconic decades later."
chop
Elementary
/tʃɑːp/
To cut something into small pieces with a knife
"Chop the onions into small pieces before you add them."
Chop
Elementary
/tʃɑːp/
Cut food into small pieces with a knife
"Chop the onions into small pieces before cooking."
choppy
Intermediate
/ˈtʃɒpi/
Writing that sounds disconnected and rough because sentences don't flow smoothly together.
"His writing felt choppy because he didn't use transition words between ideas."
chronic
Intermediate
/ˈkrɒnɪk/
A disease or condition that lasts a long time or keeps returning
"My grandfather has chronic arthritis that affects his daily activities."
chronologically
Intermediate
/krəˈnɒlədʒɪkli/
Arranged in the order that events happened, from first to last
"The article organized events chronologically, starting with the morning accident."
chronological order
Elementary
/ˌkrɒnəˈlɒdʒɪkəl ˈɔːrdər/
Arranged in the order that events happened in time (earliest to latest)
"When writing a biography, use chronological order to help readers follow the story."
cinematography
Intermediate
/ˌsɪnəmətˈɒɡrəfi/
The art of filming and using cameras, lighting, and visuals in a movie
"The cinematography was beautiful, especially the sunset scenes over the ocean."
circle back
Advanced
/ˈsɜːrkəl bæk/
To return to a previous topic or issue for further discussion
"We'll circle back to the budget constraints once we've heard from finance."
circular reasoning
Advanced
/ˈsɜːkjələr ˈriːzənɪŋ/
A logical fallacy where the conclusion is used as evidence to support itself
"The argument that 'this product is the best because it's the most popular, and it's popular because it's the best' is circular reasoning."
circumlocution
Advanced
/ˌsɜːkəmloʊˈkjuːʃən/
Speaking in a roundabout way; using many words to express something simple
"Instead of saying 'no,' she used circumlocution to soften her refusal."
circumvent
Advanced
/ˌsɜːkəmˈvent/
To find a way around an obstacle or problem; to avoid something by going around it cleverly
"The company found ways to circumvent the new regulations by restructuring their operations."
civil rights
Upper Intermediate
/ˈsɪvəl ˈraɪts/
Basic freedoms and equal treatment guaranteed to all citizens
"The movement fought for civil rights and equality for all people regardless of race."
claim
Upper Intermediate
/kleɪm/
A statement you make that you will support with evidence
"Each paragraph should develop one main claim with supporting details."
clarification
Beginner
/ˌklær.ɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
Making something clearer or easier to understand.
"I asked for clarification: did they say 'F' as in Frank or 'V' as in Victor?"
clarify
Intermediate
/ˈklerɪfaɪ/
Make something clear or easier to understand by explaining it further
"Can you clarify what you mean by 'urgent'? Do you need it today or tomorrow?"
clarity
Beginner
/ˈklærɪti/
The quality of being clear and easy to understand.
"Using 'my' instead of just saying 'coffee' adds clarity about whose coffee it is."
classroom
Beginner
/ˈklɑːsruːm/
A room in a school where a teacher teaches students
"Our classroom has big windows and twenty desks."
clause
Elementary
/klɔːz/
A group of words with a subject and verb that forms part of a sentence
"In 'I went home because it was late,' 'it was late' is a clause."
clear
Beginner
/klɪr/
Easy to understand; not confusing
"Write clear messages so people understand what you mean."
clear skies
Elementary
/klɪr skaɪz/
No clouds; blue sky with sunshine; perfect visibility.
"After the rain stops, we'll have clear skies and sunshine."
clears up
Elementary
/klɪrz ʌp/
Weather becomes sunny and nice after rain or clouds
"The rain should clear up by afternoon."
cleft sentence
Upper Intermediate
/kleft ˈsentəns/
A sentence structure that splits a clause to emphasize a particular part
"It was Sarah who won the award, not her colleague."
cliffhanger
Intermediate
/ˈklɪfhæŋər/
An exciting or uncertain ending that makes people want to know what happens next
"He left us with a cliffhanger — 'Just wait until you hear what happened next!'"
climate mitigation
Upper Intermediate
/ˈklaɪmət ˌmɪtɪˈɡeɪʃən/
Actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change
"Carbon taxes are one strategy for climate mitigation."
climate resilience
Upper Intermediate
/ˈklaɪmət rɪˈzɪliəns/
The ability of communities or ecosystems to adapt to climate impacts
"Building climate resilience requires planning and investment in infrastructure."
clinical trial
Intermediate
/ˈklɪnɪkəl ˈtraɪəl/
A research study testing if a medical treatment or drug works safely on people
"The new medicine went through a clinical trial with 1,000 patients."
close-knit
Elementary
/ˌkləʊs ˈnɪt/
A family or group that is very connected and supportive of each other.
"My family is very close-knit. We talk every single day."
closes
Beginner
/ˈkloʊzɪz/
Stops working or shuts down at the end of the day.
"The coffee shop closes at 20:00 on weekdays."
close to
Elementary
/kləʊs tə/
To have an emotionally strong or loving relationship with someone
"I'm very close to my grandmother; I visit her every week."
closing
Intermediate
/ˈkloʊ.zɪŋ/
The final phrase before your signature in a letter, such as 'Yours sincerely'
"In formal letters, appropriate closings include 'Yours faithfully' or 'Best regards'."
clove
Elementary
/kləʊv/
A single piece of garlic
"Add 3 cloves of garlic to make the sauce taste stronger."
cobblestone
Intermediate
/ˈkɒb.əl.stoʊn/
Round stones historically used to pave streets
"The medieval town's cobblestone streets are beautiful but difficult to walk on in heels."
coffee
Beginner
/ˈkɒfi/
A hot drink made from roasted coffee beans, popular for breakfast
"I'd like a coffee with milk, please."