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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110 words
harpooneer
C2
/ˌhɑːr.puːˈnɪr/
historical whaling: a specialist who throws or fires the harpoon, typically stationed in the bow of a whaleboat
superannuate
C2
/ˌsuːpɚˈænjueɪt/
to retire someone from service, often with a pension, because of age or infirmity
nurserymaid
C2
/ˈnɝː.sɚ.iˌmeɪd/
historical, chiefly British: a female domestic servant employed to care for young children, often as an assistant to a nurse or nanny
estanciero
C2
/ˌɛstɑːnsiˈɛroʊ/
in South America, especially Argentina and Uruguay: the owner or manager of an estancia, a large ranch or landed estate
shopman
C2
/ˈʃɑpmən/
a man who owns, manages, or operates a shop; now chiefly historical
maltster
C2
/ˈmɔːl(t)stər/
a person or business that makes malt from grain, especially barley
scissors-grinder
C2
/ˈsɪz.ɚz ˌɡraɪn.dɚ/
historical: a person, often an itinerant craft worker, who sharpens scissors and other cutting tools on a grinding wheel
wool comber
C2
/ˈwʊl ˌkoʊmɚ/
a worker who combs wool to align its long fibers and remove short fibers before spinning
fish curer
C2
/ˈfɪʃ ˌkjʊrɚ/
a person or business that preserves fish by salting, drying, smoking, pickling, or another curing process
flax-dresser
C2
/ˈflæksˌdrɛsɚ/
a worker who prepares flax or hemp fiber for spinning by breaking, scutching, and hackling it
saltmaker
C2
/ˈsɔltˌmeɪkər/
a person or business that produces salt, especially by evaporating brine or seawater
whitesmith
C2
/ˈwaɪtˌsmɪθ/
a craftsperson who works in tin, tinplate, or pewter; a tinsmith
gasfitter
C2
/ˈɡæsˌfɪt.ɚ/
a tradesperson who installs, connects, maintains, or repairs gas pipes, fixtures, and appliances
arriero
C2
/ˌɑːriˈeroʊ/
a muleteer or other person who transports goods using pack animals, especially in Spanish-speaking regions