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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107 words
cord
C2+
/kɔɹd/
a line made of twisted fibers or threads
mattress
C2+
/ˈmætɹɪs/
A form of lagging, in particular for boilers.
laurel
C2+
/ˈlɔɹ.əl/
An evergreen shrub of species Laurus nobilis, having aromatic leaves of a lanceolate shape, with clusters of small, yellowish white flowers in their axils.
cuckoo
C2+
/ˈkuku/
Any of various birds, of the family Cuculidae within the order Cuculiformes, famous for laying its eggs in the nests of other species; but especially a common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus), that has a characteristic two-note call.
arc
C2+
/ɑɹk/
to an arch or curve
platinum
C2+
/ˈplæt.ɪn.əm/
Very expensive, or of very high quality
frantic
C2+
/ˈfɹæn.tɪk/
Insane, mentally unstable.
misconduct
C2+
/mɪskənˈdʌkt/
Behavior that is considered to be unacceptable.
space-time
C2+
/ˈspeɪˌstaɪm/
the four-dimensional coordinate system (3 dimensions of space and 1 of time) in which physical events are located
sphinx
C2+
/ˈsfɪŋks/
A creature with the head of a person and the body of an animal, commonly a lion.
self-control
C2+
/ˌsɛlf kənˈtɹoʊl/
The ability to control one's desires and impulses.
first-rate
C2+
/ˌfɝːˈstreɪt/
quite well, healthy, or ready-to-go
census
C2+
/ˈsɛnsəs/
to conduct a census
canton
C2+
/ˈkæntən/
A division of a political unit.
one-sided
C2+
/ˌwənˈsaɪdəd/
Partial or biased in favour of one faction or demographic group.
digit
C2+
/ˈdɪd͡ʒɪt/
one of the elements that collectively form a system of numeration
effeminate
C2+
/ɪˈfɛmɪnət/
Of a boy or man, exhibiting behavior or mannerisms considered typical of a woman or unmasculine.
lyre
C2+
/ˈlaɪ.ɚ/
to play the lyre
zigzag
C2+
/ˈzɪɡ.zæɡ/
in a zigzag course or on a zigzag path
vermilion
C2+
/vɚˈmɪl.jən/
A vivid red synthetic pigment made of mercury sulfide, cinnabar.
womanly
C2+
/ˈwʊmənli/
befitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman
vestibule
C2+
/ˈvɛ.stəˌbjul/
A small entrance hall, antechamber, passage, or room between the outer door and the main hall, lobby, or interior of a building.
oblong
C2+
/ˈɑblɔŋ/
longer in one direction than across
self-consciousness
C2+
/ˌsɛlfˈkɑnʃəsnəs/
The awareness of the self as an entity.
disproportion
C2+
/dɪspɹəˈpɔːʃən/
The state of being out of proportion; an abnormal or improper ratio; an imbalance.
semi-human
C2+
/ˌsɛmiːˈhjuːmən/
Partially humanlike.
unmathematical
C2+
/ˌʌnˌmæθ.əˈmæt.ɪ.kəl/
not expressed, reasoned, or carried out according to mathematics
multipliable
C2+
/ˈmʌl.təˌplaɪ.ə.bəl/
capable of being multiplied or increased by multiplication
syllogize
C2+
/ˈsɪlədʒʌɪz/
reason by syllogisms
dimensionable
C2+
/dɪˈmɛnʃənəbəl/
capable of being measured, assigned dimensions, or described in dimensional terms
congruent
C2+
/ˈkɑŋɡruənt/
in agreement or harmony; identical in form (geometry)
plumb
C2+
/plʌm/
to measure depth or to explore thoroughly; exactly vertical
berate
C2+
/bɪˈreɪt/
to scold or criticize angrily and at length
guillemet
C2+
/ˈɡiːjəmeɪ/
an angle-shaped quotation mark («» or ‹›) used in several European languages
pondering
C2+
/ˈpɑndərɪŋ/
the act of thinking about something carefully and at length
module
C2+
/ˈmɑdʒul/
a self-contained component or unit of a larger system
specialization
C2+
/ˌspɛʃələˈzeɪʃən/
the process of concentrating on a particular area or skill
counterbalance
C2+
/ˈkaʊntɚˌbæləns/
to offset by an opposing weight or force
en
C2+
/ɛn/
a unit of measurement in typography equal to half an em
enormity
C2+
/ɪˈnɔrməti/
the great or extreme scale of something, especially of wickedness
foreshorten
C2+
/fɔrˈʃɔrtən/
to depict an object as shorter to suggest depth or perspective
variance
C2+
/ˈvɛriəns/
the fact of differing or disagreeing; a measure of spread in statistics
barleycorn
C2+
/ˈbɑrliˌkɔrn/
a grain of barley; an old unit of length equal to one third of an inch
bu
C2+
/bu/
a former Japanese unit of length or coinage
candela
C2+
/kænˈdɛlə/
the SI unit of luminous intensity
imperial
C2+
/ɪmˈpɪriəl/
relating to an empire or emperor; majestic in scale or bearing
lofty
C2+
/ˈlɔfti/
of great height; noble in sentiment, or haughty
outbalance
C2+
/ˌaʊtˈbæləns/
to outweigh or exceed in weight, value, or importance
periphery
C2+
/pəˈrɪfəri/
the outer edge or boundary of an area or group
wasteland
C2+
/ˈweɪstlænd/
a barren or desolate area of land
avoirdupois
C2+
/ˌævɚdəˈpɔɪz/
the system of weights based on a sixteen-ounce pound; informally, bodily weight
braid
C2+
/breɪd/
a length of interwoven strands; to weave such strands together
coil
C2+
/kɔɪl/
a length of something wound into rings; to wind into such loops
counterweight
C2+
/ˈkaʊntɚˌweɪt/
a weight that balances another force or load
crotch
C2+
/krɑtʃ/
the angle where the legs or two branches fork apart
denomination
C2+
/dɪˌnɑmɪˈneɪʃən/
a recognized branch of a religion, or a unit of monetary value
duple
C2+
/ˈdupəl/
consisting of two parts, especially having two beats per measure
ellipse
C2+
/ɪˈlɪps/
a regular oval closed curve, a flattened circle
evolute
C2+
/ˈɛvəˌlut/
in geometry, the locus of the centers of curvature of a curve
gauge
C2+
/ɡeɪdʒ/
an instrument for measuring; to estimate or measure
geepound
C2+
/ˈdʒiːpaʊnd/
a unit of mass; the slug, equal to about 32.2 pounds
heft
C2+
/hɛft/
weight or heaviness; to lift or test the weight of something
lengthful
C2+
/ˈlɛŋkθfəl/
having considerable length; lengthy
mensuration
C2+
/ˌmɛnʃəˈreɪʃən/
the measurement of lengths, areas, and volumes
meridian
C2+
/məˈrɪdiən/
a great circle of longitude; or the point of highest development
mi
C2+
/mi/
the third note of a major scale in the tonic sol-fa system
mil
C2+
/mɪl/
a unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch
modulus
C2+
/ˈmɑdʒələs/
a numerical measure of a physical property, or the remainder in arithmetic
multiplication
C2+
/ˌmʌltəpləˈkeɪʃən/
the process of increasing in number, or the arithmetic operation
overpoise
C2+
/ˌoʊvɚˈpɔɪz/
to outweigh or counterbalance; a preponderance of weight
preponderate
C2+
/prɪˈpɑndəˌreɪt/
to be greater in number, weight, or influence; to predominate
quart
C2+
/kwɔrt/
a unit of liquid measure equal to two pints
stadion
C2+
/ˈsteɪdiən/
an ancient Greek unit of length, or a classical running track
subsidence
C2+
/səbˈsaɪdns/
the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land
territorial
C2+
/ˌtɛrəˈtɔriəl/
relating to the ownership or defence of a particular area of land
voluble
C2+
/ˈvɑljəbəl/
speaking fluently, readily, or at great length
woodland
C2+
/ˈwʊd.lənd/
land covered with trees; a wooded area
atomicity
C2+
/ˌætəˈmɪsɪti/
The number of atoms in a molecule.
ocellus
C2+
/əʊˈsɛləs/
an eyelike marking (as on the wings of some butterflies)
dyadic
C2+
/daɪˈæ.dɪk/
Pertaining to a dyad, the number two; of two parts or elements.
co-punctual
C2+
/ˌkoʊˈpʌŋktʃuəl/
occupying or associated with the same point, especially in a technical spatial or temporal analysis
co-punctuality
C2+
/ˌkoʊˌpʌŋktʃuˈæləti/
the state of being co-punctual or sharing the same point in a technical ordering
one-one
C2+
/ˈwʌnˈwʌn/
mapping each element of one set to exactly one distinct element of another set
many-one
C2+
/ˈmɛniˈwʌn/
mapping many possible inputs to one output
one-many
C2+
/ˈwʌnˈmɛni/
relating one item to many items
relation-number
C2+
/rɪˈleɪʃənˌnʌmbər/
a number-like abstraction associated with a relation in mathematical logic
denumerative
C2+
/dɪˈnumərətɪv/
relating to counting or enumeration
semi-similar
C2+
/ˌsɛmiˈsɪmələr/
partly similar; in Russellian logic, sharing a weaker similarity relation
point-pair
C2+
/ˈpɔɪntˌpɛr/
a pair of points considered together in a geometric or logical construction
footrule
C2+
/ˈfʊtˌruːl/
a measuring rule one foot long, usually divided into inches
parallelogramical
C2+
/ˌpærəleləˈɡræmɪkəl/
having the form or geometric properties of a parallelogram; relating to parallelograms
quasi-equality
C2+
/ˌkweɪzaɪ ɪˈkwɑːləti/
in mathematics or logic, a relation weaker than strict equality under which two objects count as equal for a specified approximate or domain-specific purpose
quasistraight
C2+
/ˌkweɪzaɪˈstɹeɪt/
almost or approximately straight; treated as a straight line for a limited mathematical purpose
medimnus
C2+
/məˈdɪm.nəs/
an ancient Greek unit of dry capacity, varying by place and period and equal in Athens to roughly 52 liters or one and a half bushels
pseudosphere
C2+
/ˈsuː.doʊˌsfɪr/
a surface of constant negative Gaussian curvature, classically generated by rotating a tractrix about its asymptote
quasi-transitive
C2+
/ˌkweɪzaɪ ˈtrænzətɪv/
approximately transitive; allowing a weaker or graded relation between the first and third terms when successive pairs are related