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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All 27,237 words
269 words
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.
transatlantic
C1
/ˌtrænzətˈlæntɪk/
Crossing or spanning the Atlantic Ocean.
tarn
C2
/tɑɹn/
a small mountain lake or pool, especially one formed in a hollow excavated by a glacier
moonbeam
B2
/ˈmuːn.biːm/
a ray or shaft of light from the moon
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.
seashell
B2
/ˈsiːˌʃɛl/
the hard shell of a marine mollusk, especially an empty shell found on a shore
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.
intuitively
C1
/ˌɪnˈtuːɪtɪvli/
In a way based on instinct or natural understanding, rather than reasoning.
tributary
C1
/ˈtrɪbjəteri/
a river or stream that flows into a larger river or lake
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
craggy
C1
/ˈkræɡi/
full of steep rocks or crags; rough and rugged
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
outcrop
B1
/ˈaʊt.kɹɑp/
a place where bedrock or another geological deposit is exposed at the ground's surface
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)
geologically
C1
In terms of geology; from the point of view of the earth's rocks and structure.
vainly
C1
/ˈveɪnli/
In a vain pursuit; to no avail.
underbrush
C2
/ˈʌndɚˌbɹʌʃ/
shrubs, young trees, ferns, and other dense vegetation growing beneath taller trees
stonework
B2
The parts of a building made of stone.
champaign
C2
/ʃæmˈpeɪn/
literary or archaic: an extensive area of level, open countryside; a plain
sandbar
C1
/ˈsændˌbɑːr/
a long, narrow ridge of sand formed in a river, lake, or sea by moving water or waves
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
upland
C1
/ˈʌplənd/
The area in the interior of a country with a generally higher elevation.
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
outcropping
C1
/ˈaʊtˌkrɑː.pɪŋ/
a part of a rock formation that is exposed at the surface of the surrounding ground
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.
synthetically
C1
/sɪnˈθɛtɪkli/
In a way that is made artificially rather than coming from nature.
starless
C2
/ˈstɑɹləs/
having no stars visible
barrenness
C2
the quality of yielding nothing of value
loess
C1
/ˈloʊ.əs/
a fine-grained unstratified accumulation of clay and silt deposited by the wind
watercourse
C2
/ˈwɔtərˌkɔrs/
a stream, river, or other natural body of running water
ditchwater
C2+
/ˈdɪtʃˌwɔtɚ/
stagnant, usually dirty water collected in a roadside or field ditch
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
moonscape
B2
A bare, empty landscape that looks like the surface of the moon.
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
naturalize
B2
/ˈnætʃɚrəlaɪz/
to establish a plant or animal outside its native range so that it reproduces without human help
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
connatural
C2+
/kəˈnætʃərəl/
innate or belonging by nature; of the same nature
vale
C2+
/veɪl/
a valley, especially in literary or poetic usage
apogee
C2+
/ˈæpədʒiː/
the highest point; the point farthest from Earth in an orbit
brow
C2+
/braʊ/
the forehead, or the edge of a hill or cliff
dale
C2+
/deɪl/
a broad open valley, especially in northern England
immanent
C2+
/ˈɪmənənt/
existing or operating within; inherent and pervading the natural world
indeterminate
C2+
/ˌɪndɪˈtɜrmɪnət/
not exactly known, established, or fixed in nature or extent
innately
C2+
/ɪˈneɪtli/
in a way that is inborn or natural rather than learned
metamorphosis
C2+
/ˌmɛtəˈmɔrfəsɪs/
a complete change of form or nature, as a caterpillar into a butterfly
propensity
C2+
/prəˈpɛnsəti/
a natural inclination or tendency to behave in a particular way
strained
C2+
/streɪnd/
showing signs of tension or effort; not relaxed or natural
transmute
C2+
/trænzˈmjut/
to change in form, nature, or substance into something else