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.
Choose your level
View all levels
529 words
mallard
C2
/ˈmælɚd/
a widespread dabbling duck, Anas platyrhynchos, from which most domestic duck breeds descend; the male has a glossy green head
wildcat
C2
/ˈwaɪ.əldˌkæt/
a small or medium-sized cat that lives in the wild, especially a species resembling the domestic cat
bourgeoisie
C2
/ˌbʊə(ɹ)ʒwɑːˈziː/
A class of citizens who were wealthier members of the third estate.
loon
C2
/ˈluːn/
A crazy or deranged person; a lunatic.
yoke
C2
/joʊk/
stable gear that joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together as a team
venomous
C2
/ˈvɛnəməs/
Of an animal: producing venom and able to inject it by biting or stinging.
molasses
C2
/məˈlæsɪz/
A thick, sweet syrup drained from sugarcane, especially (Canada, US) the still thicker and sweeter syrup produced by boiling down raw molasses.
llama
C2
/ˈlɑː.mə/
a domesticated South American camelid kept as a pack animal and for its wool and meat
cob
C2
/kɑb/
a strong, compact horse with short legs, commonly used for riding or pulling a carriage
gar
C2
/ɡɑɹ/
any of several large North American freshwater fish with an armored body and long, toothed jaws
primate
C2
/ˈpraɪˌmeɪt/
any mammal of the order Primates, including humans, apes, monkeys, lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers
caribou
C2
/ˈkærəbuː/
a North American reindeer, a large Arctic and subarctic deer in which both sexes can grow antlers
scallop
C2
/ˈskɑləp/
a marine bivalve mollusc with a fan-shaped, fluted shell, capable of swimming by rapidly opening and closing its shell
sportsman
C2
/ˈspɔrtsmən/
A man who engages in sports; an athlete.
salamander
C2
/ˈsæləˌmændɚ/
a long-bodied amphibian with a tail and short legs, superficially resembling a lizard
mew
C2
/mjuː/
a short, high-pitched cry made by a cat or similar animal
trachea
C2
/ˈtɹeɪ.ki.ə/
membranous tube with cartilaginous rings that conveys inhaled air from the larynx to the bronchi
schoolmaster
C2
/ˈskuːlˌmæstɝ/
Anything that teaches.
foal
C2
/foʊl/
a young horse or other equine, especially one less than a year old
cur
C2
/kɝ/
a dog regarded as aggressive, inferior, or of mixed breed; now usually contemptuous
spaniel
C2
/ˈspænjəl/
any of several breeds of small to medium-sized gun dogs with a long silky coat and long frilled ears
footman
C2
/ˈfʊtmən/
A man in waiting; a male servant whose duties are to attend the door, the carriage, the table, etc.
heron
C2
/ˈhɛɹən/
grey or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill
bloodhound
C2
/ˈblʌdhaʊnd/
a large scent hound with an exceptionally keen sense of smell, used to track people
thoroughbred
C2
/ˈθɝːəbred/
a horse of the Thoroughbred breed, developed chiefly for racing from English mares and imported Arabian, Barb, and Turkoman stallions
reptilian
C2
/ɹɛpˈtɪljən/
Relating to reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and crocodiles.
retriever
C2
/ɹiˈtɹivəɹ/
a gun dog trained to find and bring back shot game, or a dog belonging to one of the breeds developed for that work
woodpecker
C2
/ˈwʊdˌpɛkɚ/
Any bird of species-rich family Picidae, with a strong pointed beak suitable for pecking holes in wood.
roan
C2
/roʊn/
having a coat in which white hairs are evenly mixed with hairs of a darker base color
larva
C2
/ˈlɑɹ.və/
an immature form of an insect, amphibian, or other animal, usually very different from the adult
pterodactyl
C2
/ˌtɛɹəˈdæktl̩/
Any pterosaur.
shiner
C2
/ˈʃaɪnɚ/
any of numerous small, silvery North American freshwater fishes, especially minnows used as bait
carnivorous
C2
/kɑɹˈnɪv.ə.ɹəs/
relating to or characteristic of carnivores
lynx
C2
/lɪŋks/
any of several medium-sized wild cats of the genus Lynx, with a short tail, long legs, and usually tufted ears
bushy
C2
/ˈbʊʃi/
Like a bush in having many branches that spread out densely in all directions.
hippopotamus
C2
/ˌhɪp.əˈpɑ.tə.məs/
The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius)
orangutan
C2
/ɔːˈræŋətæn/
a large, long-armed arboreal ape of the genus Pongo, native to the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra
thrifty
C2
/ˈθɹɪfti/
Thriving, prosperous, successful; (of an animal or plant) growing rapidly or vigorously.
bream
C2
/brɪm/
any of various deep-bodied freshwater fishes, especially the European common bream or North American sunfishes
crayfish
C2
/ˈkreɪˌfɪʃ/
a small freshwater crustacean resembling a lobster, or its flesh used as food
marten
C2
/ˈmɑrtən/
a slender, agile, tree-climbing mammal of the weasel family, especially one of the genus Martes
sturgeon
C2
/ˈstɝː.dʒən/
any of a family of usually large, long-bodied freshwater or migratory fishes with rows of bony plates, valued especially for roe used as caviar
bough
C2
/ˈbaʊ/
A tree-branch, usually a primary one directly attached to the trunk.
cookery
C2
/ˈkʊk(ə)ɹi/
The art and practice of preparing food for consumption, especially by the application of heat; cooking.
locust
C2
/ˈloʊ.kəst/
A fruit or pod of a carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua).
cheep
C2
/tʃiːp/
a short, high-pitched cry made by a young bird or another small animal
orifice
C2
/ˈɔɹəfɪs/
an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity
stealthily
C2
/ˈstɛlθɪli/
in a stealthy manner
songbird
C2
/ˈsɔŋˌbɝd/
a bird known for a musical call or song
carnivore
C2
/ˈkɑɹ.nɪ.voɹ/
any animal that feeds on flesh
pore
C2
/poɹ/
A tiny opening in the skin.
palp
C2
/pælp/
a paired sensory or feeding appendage near the mouth of an arthropod or another invertebrate
whinny
C2
/ˈwɪn.i/
a gentle or relatively high-pitched neigh made by a horse
steamboat
C2
/ˈstimˌboʊt/
A boat or vessel propelled by steam power.
polygamy
C2
/pəˈlɪɡ.ə.mi/
The condition of having more than one spouse or marriage partner at one time.
crawfish
C2
/ˈkɹɔˌfɪʃ/
chiefly US: a small freshwater crustacean resembling a lobster; a crayfish
lapdog
C2
/ˈlæpˌdɔɡ/
a small, tame dog that can be held comfortably on a person's lap
mandible
C2
/ˈmæn.dɪb.(ə)l/
the jaw in vertebrates that is hinged to open the mouth
monocle
C2
/ˈmɑnəkəl/
lens for correcting defective vision in one eye
boisterous
C2
/ˈbɔɪstəɹəs/
violently agitated and turbulent
weevil
C2
/ˈwiːvəl/
a plant-eating beetle, typically with a long snout, many species of which damage stored grain or crops
thistle
C2
/θɪsl̩/
any of numerous plants of the family Compositae and especially of the genera Carduus and Cirsium and Onopordum having prickly-edged leaves
cockerel
C2
/ˈkɑkərəl/
a young male domestic chicken, especially one less than a year old
basset
C2
/ˈbæsɪt/
a basset hound, a short-legged dog with long ears and a strong sense of smell
cuttlefish
C2
/ˈkʌt̬.əl.fɪʃ/
a marine cephalopod with eight arms, two longer tentacles, and a broad internal shell called a cuttlebone
woodcock
C2
/ˈwʊdˌkɑk/
a stocky woodland wading bird of the genus Scolopax, with mottled plumage and a long slender bill
bloodsucker
C2
/ˈblʌdˌsʌkɚ/
an animal, especially a leech or biting insect, that feeds by sucking blood
peregrine
C2
/ˈperɪɡrɪn/
the peregrine falcon, a powerful and widely distributed bird of prey noted for its extremely fast dive
menagerie
C2
/məˈnædʒ.ɚ.i/
a collection of wild or unusual animals kept for exhibition
sexton
C2
/ˈsɛk.stən/
A church official who looks after a church building and its graveyard and may act as a gravedigger and bell ringer.
dorsal
C2
/ˈdɔɹ.səl/
belonging to or on or near the back or upper surface of an animal or organ or part
bloodless
C2
/ˈblʌdləs/
destitute of blood or apparently so
caiman
C2
/ˈkeɪ.mən/
any crocodilian of the subfamily Caimaninae, native to Central and South America and closely related to alligators
thorax
C2
/ˈθɔɹæks/
The region of the mammalian body between the neck and abdomen as well as the cavity containing the heart and lungs.
mastodon
C2
/ˈmæs.tə.dɑn/
an extinct elephant-like mammal of the genus Mammut, distinguished from mammoths and elephants by the cone-shaped cusps on its molar teeth
woodchuck
C2
/ˈwʊd.t͡ʃʌk/
reddish brown North American marmot
gibbon
C2
/ˈɡɪbən/
a small tailless ape of Southeast Asian forests, with very long arms adapted for swinging between branches
emu
C2
/ˈim(j)u/
large Australian flightless bird similar to the ostrich but smaller
cockatoo
C2
/ˌkɑkəˈtuː/
a parrot of the family Cacatuidae, typically having a prominent movable crest
fireside
C2
/ˈfaɪɝˌsaɪd/
A supplementary meeting in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
craw
C2
/krɔː/
the crop or food-storage pouch in the throat of a bird or some other animals
grindstone
C2
/ˈɡɹaɪn(d)ˌstoʊn/
a revolving stone shaped like a disk
complacency
C2
/kəmˈpleɪsənˌsiː/
self-satisfaction, contentment with one's situation
avian
C2
/ˈeɪvi.ən/
Relating to or typical of birds.
earthworm
C2
/ˈɝːθˌwɝːm/
a segmented worm that lives in soil, where its burrowing helps mix and aerate the ground
meagre
C2
/ˈmiːɡɚ/
An edible fish, of species Argyrosomus regius, of the family Sciaenidae, found from the Black Sea to the eastern Atlantic.
simian
C2
/ˈsɪmiən/
relating to monkeys and apes
sulky
C2
/ˈsʌlki/
silent and withdrawn after being upset
chinchilla
C2
/tʃɪnˈtʃɪl.ə/
a small South American rodent with exceptionally dense, soft gray fur
bevy
C2
/ˈbɛvi/
a flock of birds, especially when gathered close together on the ground
wantonly
C2
/ˈwɒntənli/
in a wanton manner
echidna
C2
/əˈkɪdnə/
a spiny, toothless, egg-laying mammal of Australia and New Guinea that feeds mainly on ants and termites
dachshund
C2
/ˈdɑksˌhʊnt/
a small dog of a German breed with a long body, very short legs, and long drooping ears
minnow
C2
/ˈmɪnoʊ/
a very small freshwater fish, especially the common Eurasian minnow Phoxinus phoxinus
bonito
C2
/bəˈniːtoʊ/
any of several swift marine fishes of the genus Sarda, related to mackerel and tuna and valued as food and sport fish
lek
C2
/lɛk/
a place where males of certain animal species gather to perform courtship displays and compete for mates