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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
positronium
C2
/ˌpɒzɪˈtɹɒniəm/
an unstable exotic atom consisting of an electron bound to its antiparticle, a positron, with no atomic nucleus
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ousel
C2+
/ˈuːzəl/
a blackbird or related thrush, especially in older or regional usage
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kirkyard
C2
/ˈkɪɹkjaɹd/
A churchyard, especially one in Scotland.
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workbox
C2
/ˈwɝːkˌbɑːks/
a box for holding sewing, needlework, craft, or other work materials and tools
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auspice
C2
/ˈɔspɪs/
Patronage or protection.
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whipcord
C2
/ˈwɪpˌkɔrd/
a thin, strong, tightly twisted cord, originally used for the lash of a whip
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ambuscade
C2
/ˈæm.bəˌskeɪd/
an ambush, or a concealed position from which a surprise attack is made
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linstock
C2
/ˈlɪnˌstɑk/
A pointed forked staff, shod with iron at the foot, to hold a lighted match for firing cannon.
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millrace
C2
/ˈmɪlreɪs/
a channel that carries a current of water to or away from a waterwheel
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diablerie
C2
/diˈɑːbləri/
sorcery, witchcraft, or supposed dealings with devils
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eclogue
C2
/ˈɛk.lɒɡ/
a short pastoral poem, often presented as a monologue or dialogue between shepherds
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kilovolt
C2
/ˈkɪləˌvoʊlt/
one thousand volts. Symbol: kV or KV.
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lancelet
C2
/ˈlænslət/
a small translucent, fishlike marine chordate that retains a notochord and usually lives partly buried in sand
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glacis
B2
/ˈgleɪsəs/
A gentle, gradual slope.
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idyl
C2
/ˈaɪdəl/
a short poem or prose piece depicting peaceful rural or pastoral life
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paronomasia
C2
/ˌpɛɹ.ə.noʊˈmeɪ.ʒi.ə/
rhetoric: a pun or play on words, especially one exploiting similar sounds with different meanings
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discomposure
C2
a temperament that is perturbed and lacking in composure
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ouzel
C2
/ˈuːzəl/
an old name for the Eurasian blackbird or a related dark thrush, retained especially in ring ouzel
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trotline
C2
/ˌtɹɑtˈlaɪ̯n/
a long fishing line set in the water with many shorter baited lines and hooks attached
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ilex
C2
/ˈaɪlɛks/
an evergreen Mediterranean oak with leathery leaves; the holm oak
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villanelle
C2
/ˌvɪləˈnɛl/
a nineteen-line poem with five three-line stanzas and a final four-line stanza, using two repeating refrains and two rhymes
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gerousia
C2
/dʒəˈruːʒiə/
in ancient Greece, a council of elders; specifically, the Spartan senate formed by twenty-eight elders and the two kings
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woodyard
C2
/ˈwʊdˌjɑːrd/
a yard where timber or firewood is stored, cut, processed, or sold
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platysma
C2
/pləˈtɪz.mə/
either of two broad muscles located on either side of the neck and innervated by the facial nerve
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abysm
C2
/əˈbɪzəm/
a bottomless gulf or pit
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rockwork
C2
/ˈrɑkˌwɝk/
ornamental or structural work made from arranged rocks, especially in a garden
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ellipsoid
C2
/ɪˈlɪp.sɔɪd/
a surface whose plane sections are all ellipses or circles
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balas
C2
/ˈbaləs/
a pale red or rose-coloured spinel historically called a balas ruby and often mistaken for true ruby
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naris
C2+
/ˈner.ɪs/
either external opening of the nose or either corresponding opening into the nasal cavity; a nostril
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cantatrice
C2
/ˌkæntəˈtriːtʃeɪ/
a professional female singer, especially an opera singer
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uprush
C2
/ˈʌpˌɹʌʃ/
a sudden rapid movement or surge upward
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tragus
C2
/ˈtreɪɡəs/
the small pointed flap of cartilage immediately in front of the opening of the external ear
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desideratum
C2
/dɪˌsɪdəˈɹɑːtəm/
something considered necessary or highly desirable
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coypu
C2
/ˈkɔɪ.pu/
aquatic South American rodent resembling a small beaver
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triglyph
C2
/ˈtraɪɡlɪf/
architecture: a tablet with three vertical grooves in a Doric frieze
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guenon
C2
/ɡəˈnoʊn/
a slender, long-tailed African monkey of the genus Cercopithecus, often with distinctive facial coloring
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peludo
C2+
/pəˈluːdoʊ/
a hairy South American armadillo, especially the big hairy armadillo of Argentina and neighboring countries
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workbag
C2
/ˈwɝːkˌbæɡ/
a bag used to hold tools or materials needed for work, especially sewing, knitting, or other needlework
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curculio
C2
/kɝˈkjuːlioʊ/
a weevil of the genus Curculio, especially one whose larvae develop inside acorns or nuts
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sleighbell
C2+
/ˈsleɪbɛl/
a small hollow bell, typically containing a loose pellet, attached to a sleigh or harness so that it jingles during travel
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odontoglossum
C2
/oʊˌdɑːntəˈɡlɑːsəm/
a showy tropical American orchid formerly classified in the genus Odontoglossum, now generally placed within Oncidium
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knop
C2
/nɑp/
an ornamental knob or rounded swelling on a stem, post, vessel, or architectural feature
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wynd
C2
/waɪnd/
in Scotland, a narrow lane, alley, or passage between buildings
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tastebud
C1
/ˈteɪstbʌd/
One of the tiny organs on the tongue that let you taste flavours.
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mantelshelf
C2
/ˈmæn.təlˌʃelf/
a shelf above a fireplace; a mantel
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dancette
C2+
/dænˈsɛt/
architecture: a molding or group of moldings arranged in a zigzag or chevron pattern
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stairhead
C2
/ˈstɛrˌhɛd/
the top of a flight of stairs or the landing at the top of a staircase
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chairback
C2+
/ˈtʃɛrˌbæk/
the upright rear part of a chair that supports the sitter's back
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tussore
C2
/ˈtʌs.ɔɹ/
a strong, naturally tan or brownish silk produced by the larvae of several wild Asian saturniid moths
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labret
C2
/ˈleɪbrɪt/
an ornament worn through a piercing in or near the lip; also the piercing itself
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bowshot
C2
/ˈboʊˌʃɑt/
the distance over which an arrow can be shot effectively from a bow
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entrepôt
C2
/ˈɑːntrəpoʊ/
a trading port or commercial center where goods are imported, stored, and re-exported
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perquisite
C2
/ˈpɜɹkwəzɪt/
Any monetary or other incidental benefit beyond salary.
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usnea
C2
/ˈəsniə/
any branching gray-green or yellowish lichen of the genus Usnea, often hanging from trees
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cilium
C2
/ˈsɪliəm/
a microscopic hairlike projection from a eukaryotic cell, used for movement, moving fluid, or sensing the environment
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fishline
C2
/ˈfɪʃˌlaɪn/
a line or cord fitted with a hook and used for fishing; a fishing line
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sphex
C2
/sfɛks/
a sand or digger wasp of the genus Sphex or a closely related genus
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dentelle
C2+
/dɛnˈtɛl/
lace or lacework, especially as an article of dress
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nilgai
C2
/ˈnɪlɡaɪ/
a large antelope, Boselaphus tragocamelus, native to the Indian subcontinent, the adult male of which is bluish gray
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relatum
C2
/rɪˈleɪ.təm/
one of the terms or entities that stand in a relation; plural relata
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sudarium
C2
/ˌsuˈdɛɹ.i.əm/
in ancient Rome, a small linen cloth carried for wiping perspiration from the face; a handkerchief
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multiplane
C2
/ˈmʌltiˌpleɪn/
an airplane having at least three superposed main planes
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hotchpot
C2
/ˈhɑtʃˌpɑt/
the legal combining of property or earlier gifts into a common fund so that an inheritance can be divided equally
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girandole
C2+
/ˈdʒɪrənˌdoʊl/
an ornamental branched candlestick or wall light, often mounted against a mirror
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detectaphone
C2+
/dɪˈtɛktəfoʊn/
a sensitive microphone able to record conversations covertly even through a wall.
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leafage
C2
/ˈliː.fɪdʒ/
the leaves of plants collectively; foliage
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marsupium
C2
/mɑrˈsuːpiəm/
the external abdominal pouch in which a female marsupial carries and nurses its undeveloped young
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comitia
C2
/koʊˈmɪʃ.i.ə/
in ancient Rome, an assembly of citizens convened to elect officials or exercise legislative or judicial authority
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cedilla
C2
/səˈdɪlə/
a diacritical mark, often similar to a comma, placed below the letter c to indicate that it is pronounced as an s
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chyle
C2
/kaɪl/
a milky digestive fluid made of lymph and absorbed fats, formed in the small intestine
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steatite
C2
/ˈstiːəˌtaɪt/
a soft, dense variety of talc with a soapy feel, commonly called soapstone
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cassone
C2
/kəˈsoʊ.ni/
a large decorated Italian chest, especially a Renaissance marriage or dowry chest
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airt
C2
/ɛrt/
in Scots and northern English, a direction, quarter, or point of the compass
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anapaest
C2
/ˈæn.ə.piːst/
prosody: a metrical foot of three syllables in which two unstressed syllables are followed by one stressed syllable
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staylace
C2+
/ˈsteɪˌleɪs/
a lace used to fasten a pair of stays or a corset
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deerhound
C2
/ˈdɪɹhaʊnd/
a very large, rough-coated sighthound originally bred in Scotland to hunt deer
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cinquefoil
C2
/ˈsɪŋkˌfɔɪl/
any of numerous plants of the genus Potentilla, typically bearing leaves with five leaflets and five-petaled flowers
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embonpoint
C2
/ɑ̃.bɔ̃ˈpwɛ̃/
a rounded or plump bodily figure, especially one regarded as pleasantly full
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namespace
C2
/ˈneɪmspeɪs/
a named scope that groups identifiers so they do not conflict with identical names elsewhere
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footpace
C2+
/ˈfʊtˌpeɪs/
A walking pace or step.
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landrail
C2+
/ˈlændˌreɪl/
the corncrake, a migratory Eurasian rail that lives mainly in meadows and fields
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orrisroot
C2+
/ˈɔɹ.ɪsˌɹuːt/
the dried, fragrant rhizome of certain irises, especially Iris pallida and Iris germanica
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antineutron
C2
/ˌæn.tiˈnuː.trɑːn/
the antiparticle of the neutron, with the same mass and no net electric charge but opposite baryon number
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estanciero
C2
/ˌɛstɑːnsiˈɛroʊ/
in South America, especially Argentina and Uruguay: the owner or manager of an estancia, a large ranch or landed estate
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jezail
C2+
/dʒəˈzeɪl/
a long-barreled Afghan matchlock or flintlock musket, often fired from a forked rest
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limekiln
C2
/ˈlaɪmˌkɪln/
a kiln or furnace in which limestone or shells are burned to produce lime
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lacquerwork
C2
/ˈlæk.ɚˌwɝːk/
decorative or artistic work made by applying, carving, painting, or inlaying layers of lacquer
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huia
C2
/ˈhuːjə/
an extinct glossy-black New Zealand wattlebird, Heteralocha acutirostris, whose male and female had strikingly different bill shapes
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thaumaturge
C2
/ˈθɔːməˌtɜː(ɹ)d͡ʒ/
one who practices magic or sorcery
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muckheap
C2+
/ˈmʌkˌhiːp/
a pile of manure, refuse, or other decaying farmyard waste
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'm
A1
/əm/
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Miss
A1
/mɪs/
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're
A1
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's
A1
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flatout
C2
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accord
C2+
/əˈkɔɹd/
an agreement or harmony between parties; to grant or be consistent
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