This week on The Missing Workbook
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Word
English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2, plus C2+ for rare words beyond the CEFR scale) — 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
All 27,899 wordsC2+ is beyond the official CEFR scale: rare, specialist, and literary words kept for reference.
2331 words
fairway
B2
/ˈfɛɹweɪ/
golf: the closely mown strip between the tee and the putting green
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woodchuck
C2
/ˈwʊd.t͡ʃʌk/
reddish brown North American marmot
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broadband
B2
/ˈbɹɔdbænd/
A high-speed connection to the internet.
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marionette
C1
/ˌmæɹiəˈnɛt/
a puppet moved from above by strings attached to its limbs
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whir
C2
/wɝ/
A low, continuous buzzing sound made by something moving fast.
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guardhouse
C2
/ˈɡɑɹdˌhaʊs/
a building occupied by guards, often containing rooms for detained prisoners
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graphite
C1
/ˈɡɹæfaɪt/
a soft, dark allotrope of carbon whose atoms form loosely stacked hexagonal layers, used in pencils, lubricants, electrodes, and some nuclear reactors
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cravat
C2+
/kɹəˈvæt/
a broad band or scarf worn around the neck
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guano
C2
/ˈɡwɑːnoʊ/
the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats, especially when collected and used as fertilizer
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alum
C2
/ˈæləm/
any of a class of crystalline double sulfates, especially potassium or ammonium aluminum sulfate, used in dyeing, tanning, water treatment, and as an astringent
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nave
C2
/neɪv/
The navel.
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thicket
C2
/ˈθɪkɪt/
A dense group of bushes, shrubs, or small trees.
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moonbeam
B2
/ˈmuːn.biːm/
a ray or shaft of light from the moon
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fireside
C2
/ˈfaɪɝˌsaɪd/
A supplementary meeting in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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glitz
C2
/ɡlɪts/
Showy, glamorous style that may seem cheap or shallow.
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scabbard
C2
/ˈskæb.ɚd/
a protective sheath for the blade of a sword, dagger, or bayonet
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orator
B2
/ˈɑɹ.ə.tɚ/
A skilled and persuasive public speaker.
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hippocampus
C2
/ˌhɪpoʊˈkæmpəs/
a curved structure deep in each temporal lobe of the brain that is central to memory, learning, and spatial navigation
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harlequin
C2
/ˈhɑːrlɪkwɪn/
the agile, mischievous servant-clown of Italian commedia dell'arte, traditionally dressed in a diamond-patterned costume
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grindstone
C2
/ˈɡɹaɪn(d)ˌstoʊn/
a revolving stone shaped like a disk
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rosette
C2
/roʊˈzɛt/
a circular ornament, mark, or arrangement resembling a rose
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earthworm
C2
/ˈɝːθˌwɝːm/
a segmented worm that lives in soil, where its burrowing helps mix and aerate the ground
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snowboard
B1
/ˈsnoʊˌbɔɹd/
A wide board that you stand on to slide down snowy slopes.
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phalanx
C2
/ˈfeɪ.læŋks/
a close-ranked formation of soldiers, especially the spear-bearing formation of ancient Greece and Macedonia
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tableau
C2
/tæˈbloʊ/
a striking, vivid, or dramatic scene
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savanna
C2
/səˈvænə/
a tropical or subtropical grassland with scattered trees and an open canopy, typically shaped by seasonal rainfall, fire, and grazing
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carbine
C2
/ˈkɑːr.biːn/
a lightweight rifle with a barrel shorter than that of a standard rifle
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suppertime
C2
/ˈsʌpɚˌtaɪm/
the customary or appointed time for eating supper
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bauble
C2
[ˈbɒbəɫ]
A cheap, showy ornament or piece of jewellery of little value.
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sunbeam
B2
/ˈsʌnˌbiːm/
A narrow ray of sunlight, especially one you can see shining through an opening.
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laryngitis
C2
/lɛɹɪnˈd͡ʒaɪtɪs/
Inflammation of the larynx (voice box), usually causing a hoarse voice or loss of voice.
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pontiff
C2
/ˈpɑːntɪf/
the pope, especially when referred to formally
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signpost
B1
/ˈsaɪnˌpoʊst/
A post by a road with a sign giving directions or information.
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aegis
C2
/ˈiːdʒəs/
Guidance, protection; endorsement, sponsorship.
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penknife
C1
/ˈpɛnˌnaɪf/
a small folding pocketknife
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nosferatu
C2+
/ˌnɑːsfəˈrɑːtuː/
a vampire, especially one represented as an undead and malignant creature
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womenfolk
C2
/ˈwɪm.ɪnˌfoʊk/
Women collectively
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statuette
C2
/ˌstætjuˈɛt/
a small statue or sculpted figure, especially one made as an ornament, study, or collectible
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throb
C2
/θɹɑb/
an instance of rapid strong pulsation
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mussel
C2
/ˈmʌsəl/
a marine or freshwater bivalve mollusc with an elongated shell, often living attached to rocks or buried in a riverbed
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nape
C1
/neɪp/
The back part of the neck.
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octagon
C2
/ˈɑːk.təˌɡɑːn/
a polygon with eight sides and eight angles
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anise
C2
/ˈæn.ɪs/
liquorice-flavored seeds, used medicinally and in cooking and liquors
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vicomte
C2
/viˈkɔ̃t/
a French nobleman holding the rank corresponding to a British viscount
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mandel
C2+
/ˈmændəl/
a surname or given name, especially in Germanic and Jewish usage
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zealot
C2
/ˈzɛl.ət/
a fervent and even militant proponent of something
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fairyland
C2
/ˈfɛriˌlænd/
the imaginary or legendary realm inhabited by fairies
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maudlin
C2
/ˈmɔːd.lɪn/
Either of two aromatic plants, costmary or sweet yarrow.
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pundit
C2
/ˈpʌn.dɪt/
an expert who regularly gives opinions or analysis in the media
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apostrophe
B2
/əˈpɑs.tɹə.fi/
The punctuation mark ('), used to show missing letters or possession.
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lampshade
B2
/ˈlæmp.ʃeɪd/
a covering around a lamp that softens, reduces, or directs its light
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edifice
C2
/ˈɛdəfəs/
A building, especially a large and impressive one.
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bivouac
C2
/ˈbɪv.u.æk/
a temporary camp, especially one used by soldiers or mountaineers and offering little or no shelter
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benchmark
C1
/ˈbɛn(t)ʃmɑːk/
A standard or point of reference against which things can be measured or judged.
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brigand
C2
/ˈbɹɪɡənd/
an armed robber or outlaw, especially one belonging to a band
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alpaca
C2
/ælˈpækə/
a domesticated South American camelid kept for its soft fleece
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earshot
C2
/ˈɪɹˌʃɑt/
the range within which a voice can be heard
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ermine
C2
/ˈɝmɪn/
a stoat in its white winter coat, apart from the black tip of its tail
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spate
C2
/ˈspeɪt/
A sudden heavy downpour of rain.
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diorama
C1
/ˌdaɪəˈrɑmə/
a three-dimensional model or display of a scene, often with figures arranged before a painted background
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yew
C2
/juː/
any of numerous evergreen trees or shrubs having red cup-shaped berries and flattened needlelike leaves
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pullover
B1
/ˈpʊləʊvə(ɹ)/
A warm sweater that you put on by pulling it over your head, with no buttons or zip at the front.
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backache
B1
/ˈbækeɪk/
A pain in your back.
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upshot
C1
/ˈʌpʃɑt/
A concise summary.
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facsimile
C2
/fækˈsɪməli/
An exact copy or reproduction of something.
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needlepoint
C2
/ˈniːdl̩ˌpɔɪnt/
a sharp point resembling the tip of a needle
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scapula
C2
/ˈskæpjələ/
either of the two large, flat, roughly triangular bones at the back of the shoulder; a shoulder blade
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coccyx
C2
/ˈkɑksɪks/
The final (bottom-most) fused vertebrae at the base of the spine, the tailbone.
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warder
B1
/ˈwɔɹdɚ/
a guard responsible for prisoners, especially in older British usage
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soc
C1
/soʊʃ/
A society (circle, club, interest group).
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sketchbook
C1
/ˈskɛt͡ʃˌbʊk/
A book of blank pages used for drawing sketches.
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cerebellum
C2
/ˌsɛrəˈbɛləm/
the part of the vertebrate hindbrain that coordinates movement, balance, posture, and motor learning
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springboard
C2
/ˈsprɪŋbɔrd/
a flexible board that bends and rebounds to propel a diver or gymnast into the air
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deuterium
C2
/djuːˈtɪɹi.əm/
An isotope of hydrogen with one proton and one neutron in each atom - 21H.
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hookah
C1
/ˈhuːkə/
a pipe in which smoke is drawn through water and then inhaled through a long flexible tube
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avast
C2+
/əˈvæst/
a nautical command to stop, cease, or hold fast
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misadventure
C1
/ˌmɪsədˈvɛntʃɚ/
an unlucky accident or mishap, often caused without deliberate wrongdoing
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chlorophyll
B2
/ˈklɔɹ.ə.fɪl/
any of the green pigments that absorb light for photosynthesis in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria
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tassel
C1
/ˈtæsəl/
a decorative bunch of threads or cords tied together at one end and left hanging at the other
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valise
C2
/vəˈliːz/
a small suitcase or traveling bag, especially one carried by hand
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muskrat
C2
/ˈmʌskˌræt/
a semiaquatic North American rodent with dark brown fur and a long, flattened, scaly tail
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seashell
B2
/ˈsiːˌʃɛl/
the hard shell of a marine mollusk, especially an empty shell found on a shore
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constraint
C1
/kənˈstɹæɪnt/
Something that limits or restricts what you can do.
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bedpost
B2
/ˈbɛdˌpoʊst/
one of the upright posts at the corners of a bedstead
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rote
C1
/ɹoʊt/
memorization or learning through repetition, often without full understanding
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synopsis
C1
/sɪˈnɑpsɪs/
A short summary of the main points of a book, film, or other work.
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tuft
C2
/tʌft/
A small clump of trees or bushes.
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elysium
C2
/ɪˈlɪʒiəm/
in Greek mythology, the paradise where favored heroes and the blessed dead enjoy an ideal afterlife
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flange
C2
/flændʒ/
a projecting rim, rib, or collar on a pipe, wheel, beam, or other component, used for strength, guidance, or attachment
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claptrap
C2
/ˈklæpˌtɹæp/
Empty verbiage or nonsense.
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glassware
C2
/ˈɡlæsˌwɛr/
articles made of glass, especially drinking glasses, jugs, and other tableware
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marchese
C2
/mɑːrˈkeɪ.zeɪ/
an Italian nobleman of the rank equivalent to a marquis or marquess
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bier
C1
/bɪɚ/
a coffin along with its stand
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dint
C2
/dɪnt/
Especially in by dint of: force, power.
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chamois
C2
/ˈʃæmwɑːz/
A short-horned goat antelope native to mountainous terrain in southern Europe; Rupicapra rupicapra.
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pericardium
C2
/ˌperɪˈkɑːrdiəm/
the double-walled membranous sac that encloses the heart and contains lubricating fluid
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