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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91 words
turf
C2
/tɝf/
the surface layer of earth held together by grass and roots
lea
C2
/liː/
an open grassy field, meadow, or pasture; chiefly literary
avalanche
C2
/ˈævəlæn(t)ʃ/
a large mass of snow, ice, and sometimes rock that suddenly rushes down a mountain
riverside
C2
/ˈrɪv.ɚ.saɪd/
the land along or beside a river
underwood
C2
/ˈʌndɚˌwʊd/
shrubs, small trees, and other low vegetation growing beneath taller woodland trees
minefield
C2
/ˈmaɪnˌfild/
A situation full of hidden risks, dangers, or difficulties.
aptitude
C2
/ˈæptɪˌtjuːd/
A natural ability or talent for learning or doing something.
grotto
C2
/ˈɡɹɑ.toʊ/
a small picturesque cave, especially one associated with water or unusual rock formations
skyline
C2
/ˈskaɪlaɪn/
the outline of buildings, mountains, or other objects seen against the sky
backwater
C2
/ˈbækˌwɔtər/
a part of a river away from the main current, where the water is still or slow-moving
fen
C2
/fɛn/
a low, waterlogged wetland fed by groundwater or runoff, often peat-forming and richer in minerals than a bog
wavy
C2
/ˈweɪvi/
of hair, having waves
grassy
C2
/ˈɡɹæsi/
abounding in grass
seashore
C2
/ˈsiːʃoɹ/
the shore of a sea or ocean
arroyo
C2
/əˈrɔɪoʊ/
a steep-sided channel or creek bed in an arid region, usually dry but liable to fill after rain
hilltop
C2
/ˈhɪlˌtɑːp/
The peak or crest of a hill.
fjord
C2
/fiˈɔrd/
a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea between steep slopes or cliffs, typically carved by a glacier
geyser
C2
/ˈɡaɪzɚ/
a hot spring that periodically throws jets of water and steam into the air
clod
C2
/klɑd/
a compact lump of earth, clay, or a similar material
supremely
C2
/səˈpɹimli/
to the maximum degree
driftwood
C2
/ˈdrɪftwʊd/
wood carried along by a river, lake, or sea, or washed ashore by the water
swampy
C2
/ˈswɑːmpi/
Soggy and marshy; wet like a swamp.
tarn
C2
/tɑɹn/
a small mountain lake or pool, especially one formed in a hollow excavated by a glacier
savanna
C2
/səˈvænə/
a tropical or subtropical grassland with scattered trees and an open canopy, typically shaped by seasonal rainfall, fire, and grazing
buccaneer
C2
/ˌbʌkəˈnɪɚ/
A pirate, especially one who attacked Spanish ships in the Caribbean in the 1600s.
moorish
C2
/ˈmʊrɪʃ/
lowercase, literary: resembling or characteristic of moorland; boggy or marshy
headland
C2
/ˈhɛdlənd/
a natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea)
musky
C2
/ˈmʌski/
Resembling or characteristic of musk, especially in scent.
escarpment
C2
/ɪˈskɑrpmənt/
a long, steep slope or cliff separating two areas of relatively level ground
floe
C2
/floʊ/
A flat sheet of ice floating on the surface of the sea.
crevasse
C2
/kɹəˈvæs/
a deep crack or fissure in a glacier, ice sheet, or snowfield
affectation
C2
/ˌæfɛkˈteɪʃən/
A way of behaving or speaking that is not natural and is meant to impress others.
rincon
C2
/rɪŋˈkoʊn/
in the southwestern United States and Spanish America, a small secluded valley, nook, or angular recess in a cliff
intrinsically
C2
/ˌɪnˈtrɪnsɪkəli/
In a way that belongs to the basic nature of something; essentially.
salina
C2
/səˈlaɪnə/
a salt marsh, salt pond, saline lake, or spring
swath
C2
/swɑθ/
a strip of grass, grain, or other vegetation cut by a scythe or mowing machine
wold
C2
/woʊld/
an open, rolling tract of upland country, especially one used as a regional name in England
brackish
C2
/ˈbɹækɪʃ/
slightly salty (especially from containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water)
underbrush
C2
/ˈʌndɚˌbɹʌʃ/
shrubs, young trees, ferns, and other dense vegetation growing beneath taller trees
champaign
C2
/ʃæmˈpeɪn/
literary or archaic: an extensive area of level, open countryside; a plain
moorland
C2
/ˈmʊrˌlænd/
open, uncultivated land with acidic or peaty soil, typically covered with heather, grasses, or bracken
schist
C2
/ʃɪst/
a coarse-grained metamorphic rock whose aligned platy minerals allow it to split into thin layers
hedgerow
C2
/ˈhɛdʒroʊ/
a line of closely planted shrubs or small trees forming a boundary between fields, gardens, or roads
starlit
C2
/ˈstɑːrlɪt/
illuminated by stars or starlight
spinney
C2
/ˈspɪni/
chiefly British: a small wood or copse, especially one planted to shelter game birds
moraine
C2
/məˈɹeɪn/
a mass or ridge of rock, soil, and other debris carried and deposited by a glacier
treeless
C2
/ˈtriː.ləs/
having no trees
llano
C2
/ˈjɑːnoʊ/
a broad, nearly treeless grassy plain in Spanish-speaking parts of the Americas, especially the tropical plains of Venezuela and Colombia
snowcap
C2
/ˈsnoʊˌkæp/
a covering of snow on the summit of a mountain or over a polar region
swash
C2
/swɑːʃ/
the surge or wash of water against a shore, or the sound it makes
waterless
C2
/ˈwɔtɚləs/
containing no water or lacking an adequate supply of water
idiomatic
C2
/ˌɪd.iː.əˈmæt.ɪk/
Using language in a natural way that sounds like a native speaker.
starless
C2
/ˈstɑɹləs/
having no stars visible
barrenness
C2
the quality of yielding nothing of value
watercourse
C2
/ˈwɔtərˌkɔrs/
a stream, river, or other natural body of running water
fumarole
C2
/ˈfjuːməˌroʊl/
an opening in or near a volcano through which steam and hot gases escape
littoral
C2
/ˈlɪtərəl/
relating to the shore of a sea or lake, especially the zone between or near water-level limits
sward
C2
/swɔːrd/
the surface layer of soil held together by grass and its roots; turf
spume
C2
/spjuːm/
foam or froth formed on a liquid, especially on breaking waves
mool
C2
/muːl/
Scots and Northern English: loose earth or soil, especially the earth of a grave
streamlet
C2
/ˈstriːmlət/
a small or narrow stream
foreland
C2
/ˈfɔːr.lənd/
a piece of land projecting into the sea; a headland or promontory
tussock
C2
/ˈtʌsək/
a compact tuft or clump of grass or similar vegetation, often forming a small raised mound
mudflat
C2
/ˈmʌdˌflæt/
a broad, level area of mud beside a sea, estuary, or river, often exposed at low tide
moorside
C2
/ˈmʊrˌsaɪd/
the side, slope, or edge of a moor
tidemark
C2
/ˈtaɪdˌmɑɹk/
a line on a shore or structure showing the highest or lowest level reached by a tide
headwater
C2
/ˈhɛdˌwɔ.tɚ/
the source and uppermost part of a stream or river, often used in the plural headwaters
runnel
C2
/ˈɹʌnəl/
a small stream or rivulet
towhead
C2
/ˈtoʊˌhɛd/
US: a sandbar or low alluvial island in a river, often with trees or other vegetation growing on it
hummock
C2
/ˈhʌmək/
a small rounded hill, mound, or raised patch of ground
aiguille
C2
/eɪˈɡwiːl/
a sharp, needle-shaped pinnacle of rock, especially in the Alps
denudation
C2
/ˌdiː.nuːˈdeɪ.ʃən/
geology: the wearing away of rock and soil by erosion and weathering, leaving a surface exposed
idiomatically
C2
In a natural way that sounds like a native speaker.
freshet
C2
/ˈfɹɛʃɪt/
a sudden rise or overflow of a stream caused by heavy rain or melting snow
mudbank
C2
/ˈmʌdˌbæŋk/
a raised or exposed area of mud beside or within a body of water
aboriginally
C2
/ˌæb.əˈɹɪd͡ʒ.n̩.ə.li/
From or in the earliest known times.
turfy
C2
/ˈtɝfi/
covered with, consisting of, or resembling turf
downland
C2
/ˈdaʊn.lænd/
open, rolling hill country, especially grassy land over chalk or limestone in southern England
woodlot
C2
/ˈwʊdˌlɑːt/
a limited area of woodland, often privately managed as a source of firewood, posts, or timber
embower
C2
/ɪmˈbaʊɚ/
to shelter or enclose in or as if in a bower of foliage
fordable
C2
/ˈfɔrdəbəl/
shallow, calm, or firm enough to be crossed at a ford on foot, on horseback, or in a vehicle
lacustrine
C2
/ləˈkʌstrɪn/
relating to, formed in, or living in lakes
acclivity
C2
/əˈklɪvəti/
an upward slope or rising incline, especially on a hill or road
fluviatile
C2
/ˈfluːviəˌtaɪl/
of, relating to, living in, or produced by a river
alluvion
C2
/əˈluː.vi.ən/
clay, silt, sand, or gravel deposited by flowing water; alluvium
sea-loch
C2
/ˈsiː ˌlɑːk/
a long, narrow arm of the sea extending into the land, especially on the coast of Scotland
headspring
C2
/ˈhɛdˌsprɪŋ/
a spring or source from which a stream begins; a fountainhead
diluvial
C2
/daɪˈluːviəl/
relating to, caused by, or deposited by a great flood
downthrow
C2
/ˈdaʊnˌθroʊ/
the downward displacement of rock strata on one side of a geological fault, or the amount of that displacement
metamorphism
C2
/ˌmɛtəˈmɔrˌfɪzəm/
the mineralogical and structural alteration of rock by heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids without complete melting
sublittoral
C2
/ˌsʌbˈlɪtərəl/
situated or formed in the permanently submerged coastal zone below the low-tide line