English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2) — A1 is the friendliest place to start — and browse its words grouped by topic: travel, food, the body, emotions, and more. Each word shows its meaning, example sentences, and US/UK pronunciation.
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50 words
therapy
B2
/ˈθɛɹ.ə.pi/
Treatment intended to cure or relieve a health problem.
procedure
B2
/pɹəˈsid͡ʒɚ/
A fixed series of steps for doing something correctly.
coma
B2
/ˈkoʊmə/
A deep, prolonged state of unconsciousness, usually caused by serious injury or illness.
physician
B2
/fəˈzɪʃən/
A medical doctor, especially one who treats illness with medicine rather than surgery.
immune
B2
/ɪˈmjuːn/
Protected against a disease, so you cannot catch it.
consultant
B2
/kənˈsɐl.tənt/
An expert who is paid to give professional advice.
vaccine
B2
/vækˈsin/
A substance given to people or animals to protect them from a particular disease.
hangover
B2
/ˈhæŋˌoʊ.vɚ/
unpleasant physical or mental effects, such as headache, nausea, and fatigue, felt after drinking too much alcohol
indication
B2
/ɪndɪˈkeɪʃən/
A sign that something exists, is true, or may happen.
pneumonia
B2
/nuˈmoʊniə/
A serious illness in which the lungs become inflamed, usually caused by an infection.
diabetes
B2
/ˌdaɪ.əˈbiː.tiːz/
diabetes mellitus, a group of metabolic disorders marked by persistently high blood glucose because insulin is absent or ineffective
overdose
B2
/ˈoʊvɚˌdoʊs/
an excessive and potentially dangerous or fatal amount of a drug or medicine
screening
B2
/ˈskɹiːnɪŋ/
The process of testing or checking people or things to find any with a particular feature or problem.
insulin
B2
/ˈɪnsəlɪn/
a hormone produced by pancreatic beta cells that regulates blood glucose and other aspects of metabolism
malaria
B2
/məˈlɛəɹi.ə/
A serious disease spread by mosquito bites that causes fever and chills.
paramedic
B2
/ˌpæɹəˈmɛdɪk/
A person trained to give emergency medical care, often before a patient reaches hospital.
hormone
B2
/ˈhoɹmoʊn/
a chemical messenger produced in one part of an organism and carried to other cells or tissues, where it regulates their activity
prescribe
B2
/pɹɪˈskɹaɪb/
To officially tell a patient to use a particular medicine or treatment.
smallpox
B2
/ˈsmɔlpɑks/
a formerly widespread, often fatal infectious disease caused by variola virus and marked by fever and a pustular rash
floss
B2
/flɔs/
a thin, soft thread used to clean between the teeth
penicillin
B2
/ˌpɛn.ɪˈsɪl.ɪn/
An antibiotic medicine made from mould, used to treat infections caused by bacteria.
transfusion
B2
/tɹænzˈfjuʒən/
The process of putting blood from one person into the body of another, usually during medical treatment.
indigestion
B2
/ˌɪn.dɪˈdʒes.tʃən/
pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen, often after eating and sometimes accompanied by bloating, nausea, belching, or heartburn
deathbed
B2
/ˈdɛθˌbɛd/
the bed in which a person is dying or has died
pathology
B2
/pəˈθɑːləd͡ʒi/
the branch of medicine that studies the causes, development, and effects of disease
chemotherapy
B2
/ˌkiːməʊˈθɛɹəpi/
The treatment of cancer using strong chemicals or drugs.
digestive
B2
/daɪˈdʒɛstɪv/
relating to the process or organs by which food is broken down and absorbed
tuberculosis
B2
/tuˌbɚkjʊˈloʊsɪs/
A serious infectious disease that mainly attacks the lungs, causing coughing, fever, and weight loss.
prevention
B2
/pɹɪˈvɛnʃən/
The act of stopping something bad from happening.
polio
B2
/ˈpoʊlioʊ/
A serious infectious disease, mainly affecting children, that can damage the nerves and cause paralysis.
inflammation
B2
/ɪnfləˈmeɪ̯ʃən/
A red, hot, painful, and swollen part of the body, caused by injury or infection.
frostbite
B2
/ˈfrɑːstbaɪt/
injury and possible destruction of body tissue caused by exposure to severe cold
nosebleed
B2
/ˈnoʊz.bliːd/
an occasion when blood flows from the nose
disinfectant
B2
/ˌdɪs.ɪnˈfɛk.tənt/
a chemical or other agent used on surfaces or objects to destroy or inactivate harmful microorganisms
radium
B2
/ˈɹeɪ.di.əm/
A radioactive metal element (symbol Ra) that glows and was once used in medicine.
light-headed
B2
/ˌlaɪtˈhɛdɪd/
dizzy, faint, or mentally unsteady
flatulence
B2
/ˈflætʃələns/
the presence or release of excessive gas in the digestive system
colic
B2
/ˈkɑlɪk/
severe, often spasmodic pain in the abdomen, especially pain arising from the intestines
outpatient
B2
/ˈaʊtˌpeɪʃ(ə)nt/
A patient who is treated at a hospital but does not stay there overnight.
untreated
B2
/ənˈtriːtɪd/
Not given medical care
intravenous
B2
/ˌɪntrəˈviːnəs/
Going into or carried through a vein.
gargle
B2
/ˈɡɑɹɡəl/
to wash the mouth or throat by holding liquid there and forcing air through it
diphtheria
B2
/dɪfˈθɪɹ.i.ə/
A serious infectious disease that affects the throat and breathing.
preventive
B2
/pɹɪˈvɛntɪv/
Intended to stop something bad, especially illness, from happening.
sicken
B2
/ˈsɪk.ən/
to become ill
antibacterial
B2
/ˌæntiːbækˈtɪriːəl/
Killing bacteria or stopping them from growing.
undigested
B2
not digested
hospitalize
B2
/ˈhɒspɪtəˌlaɪz/
To take someone into a hospital for treatment.
indigestible
B2
/ˌɪndɪˈdʒɛstəbəl/
difficult or impossible for the body to digest
health care
B2