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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71 words
sergeant
B2
/ˈsɑɹ.d͡ʒənt/
The highest rank of noncommissioned officer in some non-naval military forces and police.
martin
B2
/ˈmɑɹ.tɪn/
a swallow-like bird with long pointed wings that catches insects while flying
wolf
B2
/wʊlf/
A large wild animal of the dog family that hunts in groups.
stock
B2
/stɑk/
The supply of goods that a shop or business has available to sell.
species
B2
/ˈspiːʃiːz/
A group of living things that are similar and can breed with one another.
jay
B2
/ˈd͡ʒeɪ/
a noisy, often brightly colored bird of the crow family, typically with a crest
warren
B2
/ˈwɔːr.ən/
a connected system of burrows in which rabbits live, or the rabbits occupying it
butler
B2
/ˈbʌt.lɚ/
The chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services.
lobster
B2
/ˈlɑbstər/
a large marine crustacean with a hard shell, long antennae, and, in many species, large claws
finch
B2
/fɪntʃ/
a small songbird, typically with a short conical bill adapted for eating seeds
cavalry
B2
/ˈkæ.vəl.ɹi/
The military arm of service that fights while riding horses.
hart
B2
/hɑɹt/
an adult male deer, especially a red deer more than five years old
dwarf
B2
/dwɔɹf/
To be so much bigger than something else that it makes it look small.
ox
B2
/ˈɑks/
An adult male of the cattle family, often used to pull heavy loads.
unarmed
B2
/ˌʌnˈɑɹmd/
(used of persons or the military) not having or using arms
falcon
B2
/ˈfælkən/
a fast-flying bird of prey of the genus Falco, with long pointed wings and a hooked beak
leash
B2
/ˈliːʃ/
A strap, cord, or rope used to hold and control an animal, especially a dog.
octopus
B2
/ˈɑktəpʊs/
a soft-bodied sea animal with eight sucker-bearing arms
paw
B2
/pɔ/
The foot of an animal such as a dog, cat, or bear, that has claws.
hybrid
B2
/ˈhaɪ.bɹɪd/
Something made by combining two different things.
nightingale
B2
/ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪl/
A Eurasian and African songbird, Luscinia megarhynchos, family Muscicapidae, famed for its beautiful singing at night; a common nightingale.
cockroach
B2
/ˈkɑkˌroʊtʃ/
a fast-running, usually flattened insect of the order Blattodea, several species of which are common household pests
slime
B2
/slɑem/
cover or stain with slime
oyster
B2
/ˈɔɪ.stɚ/
a marine bivalve mollusk with a rough, irregular shell
zebra
B2
/ˈzɛbɹə/
A wild African animal like a horse, with black and white stripes.
bitterness
B2
/ˈbɪtɝnəs/
The quality of feeling bitter; acrimony, resentment; the quality of exhibiting such feelings.
herring
B2
/ˈhɛɹɪŋ/
a small oily sea fish often eaten as food
manure
B2
/məˈnʊɹ/
To cultivate by manual labor; to till; hence, to develop by culture.
catfish
B2
/ˈkætˌfɪʃ/
a mainly freshwater fish with whiskerlike barbels around its mouth
poodle
B2
/ˈpu.dəl/
a breed of intelligent dog with a dense, curly coat, occurring in standard, miniature, and toy sizes
mammoth
B2
/ˈmæm.əθ/
a large extinct elephant-like mammal of the genus Mammuthus, often with long curved tusks and a hairy coat
scandalous
B2
/ˈskændələs/
giving offense to moral sensibilities and injurious to reputation
outcast
B2
/ˈaʊtkæst/
To cast out; to banish.
rodent
B2
/ˈɹəʊdənt/
relatively small placental mammals having a single pair of constantly growing incisor teeth specialized for gnawing
dodo
B2
/ˈdoʊdoʊ/
a large flightless bird formerly native to Mauritius that became extinct in the seventeenth century
bowler
B2
/ˈboʊ.lɚ/
A bowler hat; a round black hat formerly popular among British businessmen.
stork
B2
/stɔɹk/
a large long-legged wading bird with a long straight bill, belonging to the family Ciconiidae
springer
B2
/ˈsprɪŋɝ/
a springer spaniel, a medium-sized gundog bred to flush game
hyena
B2
/haɪˈiː.nə/
a strong-jawed carnivorous mammal of Africa and Asia, known for scavenging and for calls that can resemble laughter
kennel
B2
/ˈkɛ.nəl/
a small shelter or house for a dog
coo
B2
/kuː/
to make the soft, low call characteristic of a dove or pigeon
steamer
B2
/ˈstimɚ/
A dish made by cooking diced meat very slowly in a tightly sealed pot with a minimum of flavourings, allowing it to steam in its own juices; specifically such a dish made with kangaroo meat.
mane
B2
/meɪn/
Longer hair growth on back of neck of an animal, especially a horse or lion.
shellfish
B2
/ˈʃɛl.fɪʃ/
an aquatic invertebrate with a shell, especially a mollusk or crustacean
pelican
B2
/ˈpɛlɪkən/
a large waterbird with a long bill and a broad, expandable throat pouch used for catching fish
blackbird
B2
/ˈblækˌbɚd/
To enslave someone, especially through chicanery or force
horseshoe
B2
/ˈhɔːɹs.ʃuː/
a U-shaped metal plate fixed to a horse's hoof
therein
B2
/ðɛˈrɪn/
(formal) in or into that thing or place
chipmunk
B2
/ˈtʃɪpˌmʌŋk/
a small striped ground squirrel with cheek pouches, native chiefly to North America
flipper
B2
/ˈflɪp.ɚ/
a broad, flat limb adapted for swimming in animals such as whales, seals, turtles, and plesiosaurs
centipede
B2
/ˈsɛntɪˌpiːd/
a predatory arthropod of the class Chilopoda, with a flattened segmented body and one pair of legs on each leg-bearing segment
beehive
B2
/ˈbiːhaɪv/
a structure or container in which a colony of bees lives
armadillo
B2
/ɑɹməˈdɪloʊ/
a burrowing mammal of the Americas whose body is protected by jointed bony plates
lemur
B2
/ˈliːmɚ/
a primate native to Madagascar and nearby islands, typically with large eyes, a pointed face, and a long tail
termite
B2
/ˈtɝːmaɪt/
a pale, soft-bodied social insect that lives in a colony and feeds chiefly on wood or other cellulose-rich material
haddock
B2
/ˈhædək/
a North Atlantic marine fish related to cod and widely caught for food
collie
B2
/ˈkɑːli/
a dog of any of several related herding breeds, typically alert, agile, and long-muzzled
neigh
B2
/neɪ/
of a horse, to make its characteristic high, prolonged cry
honeycomb
B2
/ˈhʌniˌkoʊm/
a structure of hexagonal wax cells made by bees to hold honey, pollen, and developing young
codfish
B2
/ˈkɑdˌfɪʃ/
a cod, especially one caught or prepared for food
birdcage
B2
/ˈbɝːdkeɪdʒ/
A cage for keeping a pet bird in.
setter
B2
/ˈsɛtɚ/
a long-haired hunting dog trained to indicate the location of game birds
cobweb
B2
/ˈkɑːb.web/
a spider's web, especially an old, dusty, or irregular one
fishery
B2
/ˈfɪʃəɹi/
the business or activity of catching, processing, and selling fish
dormouse
B2
/ˈdɔrˌmaʊs/
a small Old World rodent with a furry tail that hibernates or becomes torpid in cold weather
millipede
B2
/ˈmɪlɪpiːd/
an elongated terrestrial arthropod of the class Diplopoda, with most apparent body segments bearing two pairs of legs
herbivorous
B2
/hɝˈbɪvərəs/
feeding chiefly or entirely on plants
polar bear
B2
hummingbird
B2
/ˈhʌmɪŋˌbɜrd/
a tiny bird that can hover and feeds on nectar
jellyfish
B2
/ˈdʒɛliˌfɪʃ/
a soft sea animal with a gelatinous body and stinging tentacles
prosternum
B2
/proʊˈstɝnəm/
entomology: the ventral exoskeletal plate of an insect's prothorax