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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.
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All 27,899 wordsC2+ is beyond the official CEFR scale: rare, specialist, and literary words kept for reference.
2331 words
carnivora
C2
Carnivorans.
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mortmain
C2
/ˈmɔɹt.meɪn/
the permanent and inalienable ownership of land or other property by a corporation, historically especially a church
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cybercafe
B2
A cafe where customers can use computers to go online while eating or drinking.
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ironstone
C2
/ˈaɪ.ɚnˌstoʊn/
an iron-rich sedimentary rock or ore
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matchwood
C2
/ˈmætʃˌwʊd/
wood reduced to small splinters, especially by violent damage
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asafoetida
C2
/ˌæsəˈfɛtɪdə/
the brownish gum resin of various plants
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tussock
C2
/ˈtʌsək/
a compact tuft or clump of grass or similar vegetation, often forming a small raised mound
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mamaliga
C2
/məməˈliɡə/
a Romanian maize porridge, similar to polenta
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bandeau
C2
/ˈbændəʊ/
a band for the hair.
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pastille
C2
/pæsˈtil/
a small medicated lozenge sucked to soothe the throat or release medicinal vapors
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sangfroid
C2
/sɑŋˈfɹɑ/
Composure, self-possession or imperturbability especially when in a dangerous situation.
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handsel
C2
/ˈhænsəl/
a gift or token given at the beginning of a new year, enterprise, or situation as a sign of good luck
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moorside
C2
/ˈmʊrˌsaɪd/
the side, slope, or edge of a moor
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gaur
C2
/ˈɡaʊər/
a very large wild bovine, Bos gaurus, native to forests of South and Southeast Asia
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wallboard
B2
/ˈwɔlˌbɔrd/
Flat boards, often made with a plaster core and paper surface, used to cover walls and ceilings.
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subclass
C1
/ˈsʌbklæs/
a class derived from another class in object-oriented programming
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tricorne
C2
/ˈtraɪ.kɔːrn/
a hat with the brim turned up on three sides to form three points; a tricorn
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counterpane
C2
/ˈkaʊntərpeɪn/
a decorative cover spread over the top of a bed; a bedspread
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castanet
C2
/ˌkæs.təˈnɛt/
one of a pair of small shell-shaped percussion instruments clicked together by the fingers, especially in Spanish dance
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dithyramb
C2
/ˈdɪθɪˌræm/
an ancient Greek choral hymn sung with passionate intensity in honor of Dionysus
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orris
C2
/ˈɔɹ.ɪs/
the fragrant dried rhizome of certain irises, used especially in perfumery, potpourri, and flavoring
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cockatrice
C1
/ˈkɒkətɹaɪs/
a legendary monster with features of a rooster and serpent, traditionally said to kill with its gaze
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shirtsleeve
C2
/ˈʃɝːtˌsliːv/
the sleeve of a shirt
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annelid
C2
/ˈænəlɪd/
a segmented worm of the phylum Annelida, such as an earthworm, leech, or ragworm
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guanaco
C2
/ɡwəˈnɑːkəʊ/
wild llama
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hymnbook
C2
/ˈhɪmˌbʊk/
a book containing a collection of hymns for worship or communal singing
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tentpole
C2+
/ˈtɛntˌpoʊl/
a pole that supports a tent
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antiparticle
C2
/ˈæntiˌpɑ(ɹ)tɪkəl/
a subatomic particle with the same mass and spin as another particle but opposite charge or other quantum numbers
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wapiti
C2
/ˈwɑːpəti/
the North American elk (Cervus canadensis), a large deer whose males bear branching antlers
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typescript
C2
/ˈtaɪpskɹɪpt/
a typewritten manuscript or other text prepared in typewritten form, especially as a copy for printing
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oatcake
C2
/ˈoʊtˌkeɪk/
Any of many flat biscuits, or cakes, made from oatmeal.
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gules
C2
/ˈɡjuːlz/
heraldry: the color red, conventionally shown by vertical hatching in monochrome engraving
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footmark
C2
/ˈfʊtˌmɑrk/
a mark or impression left by a foot or shoe on a surface
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canebrake
C2
/ˈkeɪn.breɪk/
a dense thicket of cane, bamboo, or similar tall plants
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tidemark
C2
/ˈtaɪdˌmɑɹk/
a line on a shore or structure showing the highest or lowest level reached by a tide
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bibelot
C2
/ˈbɪb.əˌloʊ/
a small decorative object, curiosity, or trinket, often collected for its beauty
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mudcat
C2
/ˈmʌdˌkæt/
US: any of several catfish associated with muddy water, especially a bullhead or flathead catfish
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jalousie
C2
/ˈd͡ʒæləsiː/
Upward sloping window slats which form a blind or shutter, allowing light and air in but excluding rain and direct sun.
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footlight
C2
/ˈfʊtˌlaɪt/
a stage light positioned along the front edge of a stage and directed upward at the performers
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nudibranch
C2
/ˈnuːdɪˌbræŋk/
a shell-less marine gastropod in the group Nudibranchia, often brightly colored and bearing exposed gills or other respiratory structures
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opuntia
C2
/əˈpʌntiə/
botany: any cactus of the genus Opuntia, whose members typically have flattened jointed pads and include the prickly pears
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metaphase
C2
/ˈmɛtəˌfeɪz/
the stage of mitosis or meiosis in which condensed chromosomes align before being separated
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artel
C2
/ɑːrˈtɛl/
a traditional Russian or Soviet cooperative association of workers or craftspeople
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haycock
C2
/ˈheɪkɑːk/
a small conical pile of hay left in a field to dry
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Miocene
C2
/ˈmaɪəˌsiːn/
the geological epoch from about 23 million to 5.3 million years ago, within the Neogene Period
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plowshare
C2
/ˈplaʊˌʃer/
the sharp cutting blade of a plow that slices horizontally through the soil
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syenite
C2
/ˈsaɪəˌnaɪt/
a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock composed mainly of alkali feldspar with minerals such as hornblende or biotite and little or no quartz
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fieldfare
C2
/ˈfiːldfer/
a large Eurasian thrush, Turdus pilaris, with a gray head and rump, often seen in flocks during winter
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pastrycook
C2
/ˈpeɪstriˌkʊk/
a cook or shopkeeper who specializes in pastries, cakes, and desserts
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rushlight
C2
/ˈrʌʃˌlaɪt/
an inexpensive candle made by dipping the dried pith of a rush in melted fat or grease
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gewgaw
C2
/ˈɡuɡɔ/
a showy but cheap or worthless trinket, ornament, or decorative object
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tympanum
C2
/ˈtɪmpənəm/
the eardrum or tympanic membrane, and historically the middle-ear cavity behind it
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mulga
C2
/ˈmɐlɡə/
Any of a number of small acacia trees, especially Acacia aneura, forming dense scrub in dry inland areas of Australia.
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triplane
C2
/ˈtraɪˌpleɪn/
an airplane that has three pairs of wings, one above the others
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iodoform
C2
/aɪˈoʊ.də.fɔːrm/
a pale yellow crystalline compound, CHI₃, with a strong odor, formerly used as an antiseptic
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piggin
C2
/ˈpɪɡɪn/
a small wooden pail or scoop made with one stave extending upward to form a handle
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foolscap
C2
/ˈfʊlˌskæp/
a traditional British size of writing or printing paper, historically about 13 by 16 inches before folding or cutting
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thistledown
C2
/ˈθɪs.əlˌdaʊn/
the soft, feathery hairs attached to ripe thistle seeds that help the wind carry them
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boathook
C2
/ˈboʊtˌhʊk/
a long pole with a hook at one end, used aboard a vessel to push off obstacles or catch a line, buoy, boat, or floating object
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frijol
C2
/friːˈhoʊl/
a bean, especially a common bean of a kind widely eaten in Mexico and the southwestern United States
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counterplot
C2
/ˈkaʊn.tɚ.plɑt/
a plot intended to subvert another plot
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harlequinade
C2
/ˌhɑr.lə.kwəˈneɪd/
a comic theatrical entertainment featuring Harlequin and other stock characters, especially the concluding section of a traditional British pantomime
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quincunx
C2
/ˈkwɪŋkʌŋks/
An arrangement of five units with four forming the corners of a square and the fifth at the centre of the square, a pattern corresponding to the five-spot on dice, playing cards, or dominoes
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deuteron
C2
/ˈduː.təˌrɑːn/
the nucleus of a deuterium, or hydrogen-2, atom, consisting of one proton bound to one neutron
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hoarfrost
C2
/ˈhɔːrfrɑːst/
a white deposit of feathery ice crystals formed when water vapor freezes directly onto a cold outdoor surface
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handspike
C2
/ˈhænd.spaɪk/
a stout bar used as a lever, especially by sailors to turn a capstan or windlass
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reductio
C2
/rɪˈdʌkʃiˌoʊ/
an argument that disproves a proposition by showing that it leads to an absurdity or contradiction; short for reductio ad absurdum
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greenstone
C2
/ˈɡriːnˌstoʊn/
any of various compact dark-green rocks, especially altered basic igneous rocks such as diabase or diorite
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muscovado
C2
/ˌmʌskəˈvɑːdoʊ/
a dark, moist, minimally refined cane sugar that retains much of its natural molasses
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gamboge
C2
/ɡæmˈbuʒ/
a yellow to orange gum resin from Southeast Asian Garcinia trees, formerly used as a pigment and purgative
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taille
C2
/taɪ/
A form of taxation levied on the land of peasants in pre-Revolutionary France.
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gimcrack
C2
/ˈd͡ʒɪmkɹæk/
a showy ornament or object of little practical use or value
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twite
C2
/twaɪt/
a small brown finch, Linaria flavirostris, breeding in northern Eurasia and identified by its yellow bill and forked tail
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hamadryas
C2
/ˌhæməˈdraɪəs/
a large baboon native to northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, whose adult males have a silvery mantle
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aphis
C2
/ˈeɪfɪs/
technical and now uncommon: an aphid, especially an aphid of the genus Aphis
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dimorphodon
C2+
/daɪˈmɔrfəˌdɑn/
an extinct long-tailed pterosaur of the genus Dimorphodon, known from the Early Jurassic period
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maidenhair
C2
/ˈmeɪdənˌhɛr/
a fern of the genus Adiantum, with delicate fan-shaped leaflets on slender dark stalks
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inexactitude
C2
/ˌɪnɪɡˈzæktəˌtuːd/
lack of exactness, accuracy, or precision
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upperworld
C2+
/ˈʌpɚˌwɝld/
the surface world, contrasted with an underground, submarine, or underworld realm
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crinoid
C2
/ˈkraɪnɔɪd/
a marine echinoderm of the class Crinoidea, including sea lilies and feather stars, with feathery arms around a central body
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obolus
C2
/ˈɑː.bə.ləs/
an ancient Greek coin, especially a small silver coin worth one sixth of a drachma
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gobbet
C2
/ˈɡɑ.bɪt/
a lump, chunk, or fragment of something soft, especially raw flesh
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allamanda
C2
/ˌæləˈmændə/
a tropical American shrub or woody vine of the genus Allamanda, grown for its large funnel-shaped flowers
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muntjac
C2
/ˈmʌntdʒæk/
a small Asian deer of the genus Muntiacus, whose barking call gives it the alternative name barking deer
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eclat
C2
/eɪˈklɑː/
brilliant, stylish, or conspicuous effect or display
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sunbonnet
C2
/ˈsʌnˌbɑnət/
a bonnet with a broad brim or projecting sides designed to shade the face and neck from sunlight
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luteum
C2
corpus luteum
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porterage
C2
/ˈpɔɹtəɹəd͡ʒ/
the work or service of carrying luggage or goods, especially by a porter
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promptitude
C2
/ˈprɑːmp.təˌtuːd/
the characteristic of doing things without delay
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moue
C2
/muː/
a small pout or grimace expressing disdain, discontent, mock annoyance, or flirtatious displeasure
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aiguille
C2
/eɪˈɡwiːl/
a sharp, needle-shaped pinnacle of rock, especially in the Alps
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metatarsus
C2
/ˌmɛtəˈtɑːrsəs/
the part of a vertebrate foot between the tarsus and the toes, consisting in humans of five metatarsal bones
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zareba
C2
/zəˈriːbə/
an improvised defensive enclosure or stockade, especially one made from thorn bushes in parts of Africa
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blackcap
C2
/ˈblækˌkæp/
a small Eurasian warbler, Sylvia atricapilla, whose adult male has a black crown
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corncrib
C2
/ˈkɔrnˌkrɪb/
a ventilated farm building or bin used to store and dry ears of maize
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bema
C2
/ˈbimə/
a raised platform in ancient Greece used by speakers, officials, or judges addressing an assembly or court
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